Camera Upgrade Suggestions (for videos)

[avi8jack]

Hi all,

I currently have a Canon M50 Mk2 which is decent but I would like to upgrade to something better for videoing both at airports (typically from the sides and ends of the runway), as well as airshows. My budget is about £1500 and I would like to shoot in 4K30fps at least (60fps would be a bonus). Ideally it will have decent IS but I will do some editing in post to make it smoother if necessary. Also decent low light capability is preferable as well as decent zoom. I am really torn between getting a camcorder or a mirrorless/bridge.

I have been looking at the Sony RX10 IV and the Panasonic HC-X1500. I have also seen some results with the Sony AX-53 and despite being a lot cheaper, it also looks fairly decent. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[XR221]

As always whatever you go for will be a compromise. I've been using a Sony FDR-AX53 since 2016 and had an AXP-33 before that. For the price and the specification it's a goods camcorder but really comes into its own for the balanced optical steady shot, which has 3 modes, although the strongest mode isn't available when filming in 4K. That said, I mostly film in 4K and have found the steady shot to be excellent, but still need to sometimes apply stabilisation in editing, but only to a very minimal extent or not at all with moving aircraft shots. The zoom is 20 times in 4k and higher when filming in HD. Both 4K and HD give good results, but I prefer the higher quality of the result in 4K. It also films in AVCHD, which I never use as the quality isn't great compared to the higher resolutions. I am now on my 2nd camera after the first failed in 4K, was repaired and I now use for back up. The auto focus is not the fastest, despite the claims in the advertising, but once you get used to the quirks it's easy to manage. Zooming in and out is easy and smooth with practice and shooting handheld is my preference and gives good results. Here's a couple of recent examples from my YouTube channel, which has many more, all of which since 2016 are filmed with the AX-53 - https://youtu.be/S2_OqS662Ho https://youtu.be/goj6gX_RqHo?si=i7-wluxEv6cvuV4V
Another advantage of the AX53 is that it's pretty lightweight and more compact compared to some of the larger professional grade camcorders, which makes it easier to keep filming for multiple minutes without my neck and shoulder muscles screaming for rest. It also has a viewfinder which makes it much easier to film with than using the LCD screen, which is difficult to see in bright sunlight. Using the viewfinder also helps keep the camera more stable. It doesn't come with an eyecup and the viewfinder is quite small, but you will only get a larger viewfinder on a professional grade film camera. I added a large Panasonic eyecup which I adapted to fit and cost about £9. The on camera microphone gives good quality sound but I also adapted it by adding a home made fluffy 'deadcat' cover for about £2 which totally solves the problem of any wind noise without degrading the sound quality.
I haven't used the Sony RX10 IV, but a friend of mine uses a similar Sony camera mainly for photos and it gives good results. When filming it also gives good results BUT falls down with a lack of smoothness in zoom and also picking up lens noise, which is not a problem with the AX53 camcorder, which is designed for filming rather than stills photography. You can take stills with the AX53 but I only use it for ground and static shots and it takes a good 3 or 4 seconds to save the shot.
I noticed in a review of the RX10 the following comment - 'Not so good for: Sports and action photographers wishing to zoom while also maintaining focus on a moving subject.' - see that review here - https://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/ ... _dscrx10iv
If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Steve.

[avi8jack]

As always whatever you go for will be a compromise. I've been using a Sony FDR-AX53 since 2016 and had an AXP-33 before that. For the price and the specification it's a goods camcorder but really comes into its own for the balanced optical steady shot, which has 3 modes, although the strongest mode isn't available when filming in 4K. That said, I mostly film in 4K and have found the steady shot to be excellent, but still need to sometimes apply stabilisation in editing, but only to a very minimal extent or not at all with moving aircraft shots. The zoom is 20 times in 4k and higher when filming in HD. Both 4K and HD give good results, but I prefer the higher quality of the result in 4K. It also films in AVCHD, which I never use as the quality isn't great compared to the higher resolutions. I am now on my 2nd camera after the first failed in 4K, was repaired and I now use for back up. The auto focus is not the fastest, despite the claims in the advertising, but once you get used to the quirks it's easy to manage. Zooming in and out is easy and smooth with practice and shooting handheld is my preference and gives good results. Here's a couple of recent examples from my YouTube channel, which has many more, all of which since 2016 are filmed with the AX-53 - https://youtu.be/S2_OqS662Ho https://youtu.be/goj6gX_RqHo?si=i7-wluxEv6cvuV4V
Another advantage of the AX53 is that it's pretty lightweight and more compact compared to some of the larger professional grade camcorders, which makes it easier to keep filming for multiple minutes without my neck and shoulder muscles screaming for rest. It also has a viewfinder which makes it much easier to film with than using the LCD screen, which is difficult to see in bright sunlight. Using the viewfinder also helps keep the camera more stable. It doesn't come with an eyecup and the viewfinder is quite small, but you will only get a larger viewfinder on a professional grade film camera. I added a large Panasonic eyecup which I adapted to fit and cost about £9. The on camera microphone gives good quality sound but I also adapted it by adding a home made fluffy 'deadcat' cover for about £2 which totally solves the problem of any wind noise without degrading the sound quality.
I haven't used the Sony RX10 IV, but a friend of mine uses a similar Sony camera mainly for photos and it gives good results. When filming it also gives good results BUT falls down with a lack of smoothness in zoom and also picking up lens noise, which is not a problem with the AX53 camcorder, which is designed for filming rather than stills photography. You can take stills with the AX53 but I only use it for ground and static shots and it takes a good 3 or 4 seconds to save the shot.
I noticed in a review of the RX10 the following comment - 'Not so good for: Sports and action photographers wishing to zoom while also maintaining focus on a moving subject.' - see that review here - https://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/ ... _dscrx10iv
If you have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.
Steve.

Thanks very much for your reply! I think I will go with the AX53. A few other people have recommended it and having seen some results on YouTube (yours included - nice btw!), I don't think I'll be disappointed especially given its price

[XR221]

I'm sure that you'll find it perfect for your needs. Enjoy using it and let me know if you need any tips on it in due course.
Steve.

[avi8jack]

Thanks again. I do have another quick question. I failed to notice that the AX53 only offers 24fps at 4K. How much of an impact will this have when filming fast aircraft for example and panning relatively quickly? Or is that not how it works?