Amazon UK always seems to have the best deals, and i always get a model which is discounted - which means a newer, and more pricey model is soon to be released, that does not bother me though...
I first bought a Canon Powershot A470 for £69 reduced, well i had two of these over 2 years as dropped the original in the sea when 5 months old!....
You can see how much use it got by how worn the case is from sitting in a pocket in my frame bag...
Eventually i wrecked the second one when i slipped on slimy rocks and cracked the screen, but it has been a great camera and i really liked the easy to use options and SD video function, which i have made loads of films with, and that they take regular AA batteries, Ever Ready Lithium batteries cost around £6 for a pack of four but two at a time last for ages...
Decided to stick with Canons and bought a replacement 2 years ago for again £70 reduced on Amazon,
This camera is ace - a Powershot A495...
Smaller than the older A470 and for the same money pixels are up from 7.1 - 10.0,
I know nothing tech wise about cameras and photography and do not pretend to do so, but the quality of picture, size and weight of this camera is way better and using the same features it is ace, and i still use it,
Here is a link to its specs; Canon A495
Its too has seen a lot of use and again i have used the SD (standard definition) video to make films and mix the footage with the Tachyon XC sports camera...
Here is an example of its film quality, only wind noise on the microphone spoils the ability to make great wee films ...
So i wanted a compact to film in HD so i can mix footage with the Go Pro camera, and again with a newer model out i got a Canon Powershot A3200 IS camera for £70 on Amazon 2 weeks ago...
Were up to 14.1 pixels now for £70, HD video and more zoom, specs here; Canon A3200 IS
This camera has a rechargable battery which i did not realy want, until i started using it, it lasts 2 weeks between charges just taking pictures, and you know how many pics i take!,
It also has a dial for options on top so i can take a pic of say a rider cycling towards me, and then switch quickly to video to film them ride by...
There is a fish eye option so expect some massive front tyre pics soon!, i also bought a hard case for £8...
There is one problem though due to my PC, the film is shot on MOV so for Vista you need a conversion programme so you can make it DVD compatible like Go Pro etc,
So just go on line and download a free programme right?, well a friend did just that and got a bug in his search browser, and i got the same thing, of course if you own a Mac then they just convert the thing for you, another reason to buy a Mac next, in the meantime until i buy an official programme - i am not downloading any free software of the net again, i will just use the new camera for pics.
Going back to HD film, my 4 year old PC just cannot handle the Go Pro files, so i am mostly making 4:3 films again using the A495 camera and trusty old Tachyon XC sports camera - much to the disgust of friends with huge TVs , but reality is most people just watch youtube films on the PCs and do not open up the screen to full size to view.
And why do windows computer users have so much aggro against Mac owners?, while Mac owners quietly sit and upload edit and publish their Go Pro films with ease!, virus and upgrade free too!,
I know once i have the available money i would rather pay £1200 for a Mac that will go 5 years and more without slowing down, need time wasting upgrades, be virus free, and not have a heart attack when you plug in a Go Pro, for me spending amount that is like spending £150 on a Phil Wood 100mm BB for a Surly Pugsley as i did 4 years ago and never looked back. Money well spent.
Hi bruce
ReplyDeleteI made the transition from the windows shit to a mac just after christmas and defo don't regret it, I'm now the owner of a top spec mac mini, which is a fantastic little machine, granted they cost a little extra, but rigs up to my wide screen tv with wireless keyboard and mouse, they load up very quickly and are a joy to use, editing film is quick and easy, the spec is 1 terabyte hard drive, and 8 gig of ram, and you will still save a few hundred quid compared to a apple lap top.
Friend Jason uses I movie maker on his Mac and it seems nice and easy just like windows MM but has a lot more effects. despite the extra price its a no brainer!
ReplyDeleteAs Chuck D from Publie enemy once rapped "Dont believe the hype". Macs can get viruses too though It is fairly rare. http://arlingtonvacomputerrepair.com/blog/2012/04/25/dont-believe-the-hype-macs-can-get-malware-too/
ReplyDeleteNot being funny Bruce but a 4 year old Middle of the road Pc running vista is going to struggle converting Go Pro files , So Is it a MOV to VTS file program you are looking for ? , Can you not convert MOV to AVI or Mpeg2. Could be wrong but I think Handbrake will do the job and no viruses. http://sourceforge.net/projects/handbrake/files/0.9.6/HandBrake-0.9.6-i686-Win_GUI.exe/download
As for the Apple they are great computers but a decent quality desktop of high end laptop will do the same thing for less , but each to there own.
You could get a really good computer for £500 and spend the extra £700 on an awesome holiday somewhere. Apples are pretty good computers, a mate of mine has just bought one, but they are very fashon over function. For his £1000 he could have bough a computer that was twice as powerfull but wouldn't have looked as nice. They all do the same job at the end of the day, its all down to what you can afford I guess. When I get my new computer I'll be sticking with windows as it would cost an extra £1000 to get a mac thats has the same power, and as Paul says, they can still get viruses and still need updated.
ReplyDeleteAs an interim measure you could use the software I do: if I can get a copy to you. (Serif MoviePlus X6) I find it easy to use, quick to learn and it has lots of stuff you'd enjoy playing with. It will accept .mov files and also comes with a file converter but I haven't used that. It says it will handle files from any device (though it doesn't recognise Flash movies directly off YouTube). Which it seems to manage as I have a (cheap) JVC camcorder that makes nasty files, unreadable by anything else. If you are in Edinburgh or I am down the coast I'll give you a copy, or if you send me a note of your address I'll stick one in the post.
ReplyDeletePeter B
Peter that would be great!, mail you via FB -:)
ReplyDelete