Video Tech Tips - Camcorder vs. DSLR

Hi, my name is Wade James and thanks for checking out Guidefitter's Video Tech Tips. Almost everyone is an aspiring videographer these days so here at Guidefitter, we'd like to give you some skills you can utilize in the field to push your videos to the next level. That's why we're releasing our new Guidefitter Video Tech Tips. Let's say you're completely new to the sport of filming hunts. Where do I start? What camera should I buy? Today we're going to discuss options for you.

There are two main options for choosing a camera to film your hunts with. You have the camcorder option or you have the DSLR option. Camcorders like this one offer variety of awesome features that can help you start honing your craft. Autofocus, autoexposure, power zoom, and slow motion frame rates are some of the cool features that these cameras hold.

These camcorders work great for filming on the fly and all offer pretty good amount of zoom and image stabilization, but they do have their downfalls. Lack of manual functions to manipulate the shots of how you want them to look, poor low light performance, hard to navigate menus and less than cinematic style footage are some of the downfalls of some of these cameras. Everybody has their own style though, and these little cameras are actually awesome to throw in your pack and grab and film as much as you can to relive an awesome hunt.

DSLRs have blown up in the last decade for filming hunts. Being able to change lenses, manually configure any setting on the camera on the fly, and also have an awesome tool to snap high-quality pictures during the hunt are some of the perks of these cameras, but they also have quite a few downfalls. DSLRs usually have very bad in-camera audio which requires at least $1,000 worth of accessories to get good, clean audio. With the interchangeable lenses, you're a slave to having only manual zoom. These cameras are also pretty difficult to self-film for a beginner and an advanced person. They get pretty finicky. Also, they usually have terrible battery life. I personally love DSLRs and couldn't picture filming without one. Being able to change lenses to get the look I'm going for, set up custom buttons to access key features within menus. The cinematic footage they throw down and being able to take awesome footage and stills while running and gunning make these things a no-brainer for me.

There also not for everyone. Both of these cameras have their place in the race. Over the next few months, we're going to be showing you different tips, tricks, and workarounds to show you how to manipulate the camera that you're using to get the best possible footage you can. My name is Wade James and thanks for watching.