Hunting camera

[Pine]

I have been thinking of getting a video camera to setup while hunting.
I don't want to break the bank but I don't want a cheep piece of junk either.
Do any of you have a recommendation and or a camera that should be avoided?
Thanks for your input; Graps

[Stumpkiller]

I have been playing around with a $100 Polaroid Cube Plus (for radio controlled airplanes).  

SUPER simple and pretty amazing video quality (I think).  One button.  Also has nice options for mounting - including a submersible case for underwater (no rain problem there!).  Takes over 100 minutes of video per charge.

It is a cube 35mm on a side (1.4" x 1.4" x 1.4")

And, if you have a WiFi smartphone it is a remote that you can turn on or off from a distance.  The standard version lacks the WiFi (and I think less video format options) is around $65.


One problem if you don't use the WiFi.  When you turn on the video it "beeps".  Not terribly loud, but you'd want the deer to be more than 30 feet away I would say.  In the submersible case you can't hear it.

[wislnwings]

This is a question I've had also.  I've been using a Go Pro, and while its great for getting point of view footage, it sucks for overall videoing.  My only reason for using it is that I won it in a contest through work.  I used it on a hunt a few weeks ago and had a 6 point at less than 10 yards and 3 longbeards walk by at 40 yards.  You could only make out the deer when he was walking and the turkeys were just black dots moving through.  I want to invest in a video camera that I can also use to zoom in, but like you, I don't want to break the bank doing so.

[Stumpkiller]

Question then comes: are you going to keep both hands available for the camera or are you going to be hunting?


I have a Nikon CoolPix S9100 that is a cigarette pack size digital camera but it also takes great video.  No longer available but they have even smaller and waterproof versions now.  Trouble is it will take both hands to at least get it started and zoomed in.  12.1 M-pixels . . . new ones are 20 Mp.  Heck, my phone takes 12 Mp video now.  Which is all I carry to "film" my hunt results and when I want an image.

[Pine]

I'm looking for a camera that I can have on a tripod and easy to start.
Don't want to have it running the full time I'm hunting.

[Stumpkiller]

Doesn't get any simpler or much smaller that that Polaroid Cube I first mentioned.

 

[Pine]

Thanks, that kinda looks like what I had in mind.

[BlacktailBowhunter]

I use a Cannon Vixia HFM500.it has 1080 HD and I attach a simple tree camera arm to my tree and screw the camera on.

A few hundred dollars investment is worth every penny. It actually helps me calm down when I’m filming and readying for the shot. Reviewing your shot footage is a great tool to analyze your shot, especially if it’s a questionable shot.

[T Folts]

I thought about mounting the cube to my bow but haven't tried it yet. There is also a little camera for RC planes called the Mobius you could look at.
T

[dhaverstick]

I have a Panasonic HC V770 that I like a lot. It's not too big to carry around and it takes great video. The following clip is from my September caribou hunt in Quebec. We were about 500 yards from this bedded bull and the camera zoomed right in.

   

Darren

[drewsbow]

TTT

[Frenchymanny]

So it seems that go pro is not a good camera for bowhunting

F-Manny

I use a Panasonic hc-v201 ,full HD. its pretty small and compact. takes great video and pictures. had this for about 5 years, been dropped and banged around and still works great.

 
 

a couple videos to show zoom quality.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDRXtHz8Ahk&feature=youtu.be


 

[John Fragale]

I use a Solvid head strap and mount a Panasonic HC-V 380 to it. This way it is hands free. Go on Solvid website you can get both head strap and camera. Best of all they have a app you can download to your phone where you can control it. They show you videos on setting up your camera on the head strap. Takes great video and you don't even notice it on your head.

[ksbowman]

Stumpkiller, How do you down load picture to your computer? I like the looks of it and it picks my imagination. Do you mount yours on a tri pod attachment? Do you have to reach out and turn it of and on? Using your phone I would think it would take too much time. I have deer come in and out too quickly to have to fumble around.

[acolobowhunter]

I have the same camera and works good.  A few years ago when I was at the Sports Show in Denver, I saw one of these straps but didn't buy one and now I wish I had.  I am going to check out the web site.  Has anyone had experience with cameras making noise when turning them on and off.  Can they be quieted?  I am going to Africa in Aug and want to take a lot of photos but don't want to alarm the animals.  Will be using the small video and a 35 mm camera as well.

Thanks

[DarrinG]

Ok, from someone who is not very tech-savy, the Polaroid Cube Plus can be turned on-off remotely with an app on your smartphone? And how does distance appear on it? Like someone said already, many cameras make objects appear a lot further away that they actually are.