Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

snegron7
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

Are there any camcorders out there that don't look like a traditional camera/camcorder? I'm not referring to the ton of "hidden/spy" camera gadgets available. I mean something like the Insta 360 or the DJI Cosmo Pocket camera.

A cellphone will not capture the same quality video of a dedicated camcorder, so iphones are out of the equation.

My reason is that if I want to capture my kid's graduation and the venue doesn't allow tradition "interchangeable lens cameras" or bulky, obvious cameras, I would like to capture a video without having to use a cellphone.

May 17, 2024 at 02:39 PM

jakemachina
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

How about a Canon Powershot Zoom? Looks more like a golf rangefinder than a camera.

May 20, 2024 at 10:11 AM

snegron7
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

jakemachina wrote:
How about a Canon Powershot Zoom? Looks more like a golf rangefinder than a camera.

Maybe the Canon Powershot V-104K. The other Powershots look like traditional point & shoot cameras.

May 20, 2024 at 10:41 AM

rscheffler
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

Sorry, not an answer but just surprised that a school is not permitting traditional cameras at a graduation ceremony....

Do they do a livestream of the ceremony and are you able to get a copy of it afterwards? That would probably be better quality than whatever you can record of the ceremony itself from the audience and frees you up to actually watch and enjoy the event.

May 28, 2024 at 07:11 PM

tzhang4284
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

snegron7 wrote:
Are there any camcorders out there that don't look like a traditional camera/camcorder? I'm not referring to the ton of "hidden/spy" camera gadgets available. I mean something like the Insta 360 or the DJI Cosmo Pocket camera.

A cellphone will not capture the same quality video of a dedicated camcorder, so iphones are out of the equation.

My reason is that if I want to capture my kid's graduation and the venue doesn't allow tradition "interchangeable lens cameras" or bulky, obvious cameras, I would like to capture a video without having to use a cellphone.

Sony rx100vi but I think the latest iPhone is probably as good or better than the action cameras out there for video.

May 31, 2024 at 06:44 PM

snegron7
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

rscheffler wrote:
Sorry, not an answer but just surprised that a school is not permitting traditional cameras at a graduation ceremony....

Do they do a livestream of the ceremony and are you able to get a copy of it afterwards? That would probably be better quality than whatever you can record of the ceremony itself from the audience and frees you up to actually watch and enjoy the event.

Update:

I was able to get into the event with my Sony A7c and Tamron 28-200mm f2.8/5.6 lens!! Turns out that the venue was not as strict as other venues in the area! Had I known, I would taken my R6II with EF 70-200mm f2.8L instead!

The result was that I actually got the shot I needed!!!! The angle was perfect, my kid's expression was priceless, and the image was sharp! Had I relied on the hired photographer, the image would have been nowhere near what I was able to capture!

I had the image printed to 16"×20" and placed on display at the entrance of a graduation celebration party we had for my kid yesterday! As a bonus, I was able to capture another image of my kid staring straight at me while in the middle of a crowd of other graduates. I was able to nail the focus of my kid's face in the middle of that crowd, blurring out all the other kids. On a side note, I would not have been able to capture that last image with my R6II. The AF tracking of my A7c is remarkably more advanced than the AF tracking on my R6II.

I wish I could share the two images, but I never post pics of family members.

I used my Panasonic TZ100 to grab a couple of shots outside the venue when the event was over. Nothing spectacular, a cellphone would have worked equally well. That little camera was a complete waste of money. I'll probably gift it to one of my kids.

On yet another side note, while I still use two full frame systems (Canon R6II with several EF/RF lenses, and Sony A7c with a few Tamron lenses), any future lens or accessories will be Sony for me. I don't see myself dumping any more in Canon gear. My main reason is how Sony's AF tracking is extremely more precise than Canon.

Jun 02, 2024 at 09:15 PM

rscheffler
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

I'm still curious why any graduation venue would prevent guests from bringing in cameras. At least where I am, I photograph convocations for the local university and there have never been such restrictions on guests. They're not allowed to mill around in the aisles during the ceremony, but otherwise nothing stopping them from taking their own photos.

Jun 02, 2024 at 11:14 PM

bjhurley
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

Jun 04, 2024 at 03:23 PM

snegron7
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Camcorder That Doesn't Look Like a Camera?

rscheffler wrote:
I'm still curious why any graduation venue would prevent guests from bringing in cameras. At least where I am, I photograph convocations for the local university and there have never been such restrictions on guests. They're not allowed to mill around in the aisles during the ceremony, but otherwise nothing stopping them from taking their own photos.

Venues are weird in my area. One of them (Suncoast Credit Union Arena) does not allow cameras with lenses that longer than 6 inches. Security is very strict there. Last time there I took a tape measure with me to prove that the Nikon 180mm f2.8 AF-ED was exactly 6 inches long. I was trying to get pics at a graduation for one of my kids.

Another venue in my area, Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall is the absolute worst place in my area! They will not allow even a point & shoot!! The school one of my kids attended booked that place for a school event. Security was extremely overzealous. No matter how politely I tried reasoning with them that this was a private event for the school, not a theater performance, they wouldn't budge. Luckily I spoke with the person from the school in charge of the event and was able to get in with my equipment. I agreed to cover the event and provide free images to all the parents/family members who attended.

The problem is that venues that are primarily sports arenas or theatrical performance venues have "standard" rules; they don't "bend" these rules regardless of what the arena is being used for. So, when the venue has been booked for a graduation, security personnel stick to their standard rules.

Jun 04, 2024 at 08:17 PM


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