Article: Best Cameras for Content Creators

[Tricia]

We often say, "I don't have a phone. I have a camera with a phone app"
This is how we've adjusted to not owning an actual camera, but instead, using our phone cameras as they've gotten better and better.
There are, however, some limitations. When we started to build our Youtube channel we realized that our phone cameras would do a lot but we needed something more. @Philpug is far more handy with any kind of camera than I am, so he did the research and purchased a GoPro.
@Andy Mink recently purchased a GoPro as well.
I know @textrovert and @Stephen use GoPros as well.


This article in Men's Journal has some interesting thoughts on some of the best cameras for people like us, who are content creators.

https://www.mensjournal.com/gear/best-cameras

 

[Andy Mink]

I've used my new Hero 11 Black several times now for mountain biking, skiing, and on my Honda Talon. I'm blown away by the clarity. A few things I've discovered: using the Chesty while someone else is skiing in front of you may require Dramamine to watch the replay. The Chesty is great on a bike. The camera seems to flatten things out; nothing looks as "dangerous" as it felt like, partly because of the insanely good stabilization. Sections of trail that made think I was going to lose fillings come out as if I was riding on pavement. The last GoPro I had was a 3 and the 11 is eons easier to use, especially with the voice activation. I'm slowly figuring out the software.

 

[Tony S]

The last GoPro I had was a 3

Ditto. Still have it. Never use it.

 

[Tricia]

The last GoPro I had was a 3 and the 11 is eons easier to use, especially with the voice activation. I'm slowly figuring out the software.

Phil figured out that ours has voice activation too. That will make it easier for me with my issues seeing the buttons without reading glasses.

 

[mikel]

I have the Canon R8 with the RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STN lens. I also purchased the extra battery with it. I am just learning the camera and bring it on all hiking trips. Hopefully I will get some good wildlife and mountain shots. I haven't posted any pics on here yet with it because of still being in learning mode. So far have not experienced any of the over heating issues or the battery going dead quickly reported by some.

Thought about the Insta 360 X3. Some great super car videos have been created using Insta. Recent content from Gumball Europe was pretty good. I still have my GoPro 4 that rarely gets used.

​

 

[textrovert]

Phil figured out that ours has voice activation too. That will make it easier for me with my issues seeing the buttons without reading glasses.

Since I always shoot in the exact same format --360 degree/5.6k/30fps video -- I have my GoPro Max set up in single button mode.

Press when off-
Beep-beep-beep, it turns on and starts recording.

Press when on-
Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep, it stops recording and turns off.

Keeps it simple!

This earlier thread has the pros/cons of using a 360 degree camera.

POV Camera : A good alternative to GoPro?

Greetings all, I haven't searched the site so, if there is already a thread on this, my apologies. Well, I do have a now old GoPro POV (I think it's a Hero3+ Silver edition), with which I shoot some clip every now and then, when/if I remember to charge the battery, when/if the battery holds for...

www.skitalk.com

Note- GoPro Max came out in 2019 and there's rumors of an updated version coming out in Q4 this year.

 

[Jim Kenney]

@jmills115 often skis with a gopro of some sort. He sometimes grabs single frames off it and posts them on SkiTalk.

As you know, I don't do video, just still photos, mainly for simplicity. Vince used to make gopro ski videos ten years ago for some of our ski travel adventures and even very crude videos took a lot of time and effort to edit into something concise and barely watchable.

My only Captain Obvious piece of advice would be not to get hung up on resolution, memory, etc., but to identify something that allows for quick and easy editing for your task of video content creation.

 

[Andy Mink]

The hardest part of sharing video is the size allowed on the site. I don't like to put them on FB then bring them here because I have to make them visible to the world. Nuts on that!

 

[jmills115]

I've used my new Hero 11 Black several times now for mountain biking, skiing, and on my Honda Talon. I'm blown away by the clarity. A few things I've discovered: using the Chesty while someone else is skiing in front of you may require Dramamine to watch the replay. The Chesty is great on a bike. The camera seems to flatten things out; nothing looks as "dangerous" as it felt like, partly because of the insanely good stabilization. Sections of trail that made think I was going to lose fillings come out as if I was riding on pavement. The last GoPro I had was a 3 and the 11 is eons easier to use, especially with the voice activation. I'm slowly figuring out the software.

I have a GoPro 8 and now the GoPro 11 and found the Tellytubby mount produces the best video for me.
The voice activation was something I tried and was happy when it worked, when it didn’t taking a mitt off with hands that are always cold wasn’t ideal.
I then added the GoPro remote which has a single big button to start and stop recording and keeps my mitts on. It’s overpriced for what it is but makes it easier for me to use.
As @Jim Kenney mentioned, having a quick and easy way to edit and use video is key. Getting footage off the GoPro was trial and error and found the annual GoPro subscription that uploads to the cloud is the better option compared to pulling the micro-sd and uploading from that. It uploads when connected to power and plug it in a few feet from where Google Fiber enters my house.
Since I’m usually chasing a better skier in front of me, I know when something worth watching happens and am able to pull clips worth keeping quickly. I’ve sent them to Jim, @Wasatchman, or my friend Brandt and haven’t posted many to Skitalk.
The screen grabs allow me to hide my lacking technical ability more than video while hiding arms and skis in every direction but where they should be.
Battery life on the 11 is so much better than it was on the 8, I use the clear case that is a full enclosure and try to keep the GoPro on even when not recording. The heat the GoPro creates in the full enclosure while always on keeps it running longer than shutting it off when not in use.
I had purchased many accessories for the 8 and then bought some of them again for the 11 with a change in size between the two.
I still have the GoPro 8 black and thought about posting it for sale and haven’t. If someone is interested in a cheap entry into using a GoPro, send me a message and we can work something out.

The Remote - Action Cameras Remote Control | GoPro

Shop The Remote compatible with HERO10 Black, HERO9 Black, HERO8 Black & MAX cameras. Control up to 5 GoPro cameras with this wearable, waterproof remote.

gopro.com

 

[DaveM]

I appreciate all the above posted comments. I think that the "best camera" for "content creators" depends upon the content you'd like to create. Please forgive me if that sounds obvious, but IMHO it's a complex topic. A colleague of mine once said, "The best camera is the one you have with you." If you would like to create decent videos for YouTube or other social media platform, then various videocameras, like the GoPro(TM) may get the job done. There will always be many, many websites reviewing the diverse products.

So, ask yourself, "Do I like the content I've created?" Who is your target audience? Friends & family? Are you a working professional or do you aspire to be? Pro = better use the best you can afford, in my opinion. I've enjoyed photography as a passionate hobby for decades. When I started alpine skiing, I was 46. So, I first brought a little digital "point-and-shoot" camera with me, on the slopes, in the early 2000's. I joined a ski club (BSSC) in November 2010, and brought a Nikon Coolpix S630 with me. That got a lot of decent shots. I rarely use it now, but it's available. Yes, cellphone advances now allow better and convenient photography & videography. I've used my cellphone for some quick, decent photos, and "selfies" to quickly send to family & friends -- "fun" stuff.

I started bringing my Nikon D90 DSLR on ski trips, for photos around the village - e.g., Whistler. My skiing had improved enough so that I felt confident skiing with the D90, in December 2014. Ski lessons, and tips from friends like @KevinF helped my skiing improve to the point where I could get in position for some really nice shots (photographs, that is). The result: 20" x 30" framed photographs in my place -- of Alta, Snowbird, and Grand Targhee. The "GT" photo is one of my best ever. Yes, friends have told me that it's a very nice shot.

Well, that leads into the next topic: Composition and Lighting! I'm no pro, but I've worked at this. The biggest limitation, in my opinion, of many cellphones and "automatic" cameras is that the light is "averaged", so snow often appears grey instead of white. Using the DSLR, in manual mode, lets me quickly adjust exposures. I told myself that I would not become a "photo software geek", spending hours tweaking photos with Photoshop(R), etc. However, I bought online, last December, a bundle of Adobe Photoshop Elements & Adobe Premier (for adjusting videos) - it was a very good deal, in my opinion. So, that's helped me rescue some exposures. No, I don't spend hours on it. If you have a good cellphone and it's good "apps" that help improve final images, please play with it.

My D90 got soaked in March 2020 - yes, "deep COVID". Since Nikon was afraid to accept things for repair at that time, I bought the D7500 kit [through Costco online]. The newer technology greatly outclasses the older. It's amazing. I can hardly wait to go on a big ski trip and try it.

OK, so what about using DSLR's for video? Canon, Nikon, and others do have provision for it. However, if your focus is video creation, then why not get a camera whose First Mission is Video, not still photography? I haven't tried the D7500's video capability, yet, but may do so at some point. I realize that this post is a bit lengthy, but I'm trying to help - and I hope it helps you!

 

[SSSdave]

I've been satisfied with the GoPro 8 I bought in 2019, though because I am so involved in still photography, don't have the bandwidth to become very involved with video. Unlike still cameras, POV video cameras also require having skills with complex video processing software. I use the consumer level Adobe Premiere Elements 2021 and am willing to help any others herein with advice.

Although as Andy related, it is amazing how improved GoPro video clarity is due to image stabilization, even such 1080p uncompressed video files, much less 4k video files manufacturers promote, are so so large, that they will never be able to run given current limited bandwidth technology showing their true glory on sites like Youtube, unless one has a paid account. An uncompressed modest 70 second 30 fps 1080p video clip comes out of the GoPro 8 using about 500,000,000 bytes (half a gigabyte) of bandwidth choking data. After Youtube compresses any free account uploaded videos for their public Internet viewing, the result is far less impressive than if one runs the same uncompressed file on say their home computer with at least a 1080p display. That noted, Youtube does a remarkable job getting such videos enough motion clarity that the public can regardless still appreciate results. The 28 skiing videos I've thus far loaded serve that minimal purpose though for those unfamiliar, all that blowing snow like noise is really not there as such are just compression artifacts.

The other serious GoPro issue is the need for such POV cameras to use wide angle lenses results in output that for one's eye's flattens snow landscapes and makes approaching scene elements appear much further away than actual. Switching from Wide to a Normal lens view eliminates too much of what is occurring resulting in boring. That is where traditional camcorders handheld by a second person a Normal lens mode using their zooming abilities, is far superior. The GoPro 8 in addition to the Wide angle lens mode, also has a SuperWide mode that flattens even more.

In this bump video, the moguls are considerable larger than it appears haha. Regardless, it still delivers my primary purpose of being able to show anyone in the public I meet holding a smartphone, what few others of any age are able to do, thanks to several winter decades of neural plasticity skiing such burned into Mr Dave's brain.



In this below video, on the uncompressed 1080p 30 fps video, at home, I can readily see the snow surface grainy fresh snowflakes. In the compressed public Youtube version, the snow surfaces look mostly blank white without detail. The SuperWide lens angle flattening effect with just shovels in view also makes it flasely appear as though my skis are hardly bending with each powder turn. Viewing the deep tracks shows otherwise.



I also have taken modest numbers of Sony A6000 non-skiing videos including out in wilderness areas and rock music stuff, that will someday upload a few of.

 

[Jim Kenney]

Photo editing can be really challenging, but not if you get a top notch assistant:

 

[DaveM]

@SSSdave raised some good points in his post, above. One other comment I have is for POV - Point of View - camera users. Puhhhhleeeeease try to position your GoPro or other camera so that the videos are not primarily "foot shots" or "ski tips shots". The chest mount or "chesty" was mentioned above. I think that's probably significantly better than mounting the camera on one's helmet. People seem to move their heads around much more than they think, and it certainly affects the resulting video.

 

[teejaywhy]

I appreciate all the above posted comments. I think that the "best camera" for "content creators" depends upon the content you'd like to create. Please forgive me if that sounds obvious, but IMHO it's a complex topic. A colleague of mine once said, "The best camera is the one you have with you." If you would like to create decent videos for YouTube or other social media platform, then various videocameras, like the GoPro(TM) may get the job done. There will always be many, many websites reviewing the diverse products.

So, ask yourself, "Do I like the content I've created?" Who is your target audience? Friends & family? Are you a working professional or do you aspire to be? Pro = better use the best you can afford, in my opinion. I've enjoyed photography as a passionate hobby for decades. When I started alpine skiing, I was 46. So, I first brought a little digital "point-and-shoot" camera with me, on the slopes, in the early 2000's. I joined a ski club (BSSC) in November 2010, and brought a Nikon Coolpix S630 with me. That got a lot of decent shots. I rarely use it now, but it's available. Yes, cellphone advances now allow better and convenient photography & videography. I've used my cellphone for some quick, decent photos, and "selfies" to quickly send to family & friends -- "fun" stuff.

I started bringing my Nikon D90 DSLR on ski trips, for photos around the village - e.g., Whistler. My skiing had improved enough so that I felt confident skiing with the D90, in December 2014. Ski lessons, and tips from friends like @KevinF helped my skiing improve to the point where I could get in position for some really nice shots (photographs, that is). The result: 20" x 30" framed photographs in my place -- of Alta, Snowbird, and Grand Targhee. The "GT" photo is one of my best ever. Yes, friends have told me that it's a very nice shot.

Well, that leads into the next topic: Composition and Lighting! I'm no pro, but I've worked at this. The biggest limitation, in my opinion, of many cellphones and "automatic" cameras is that the light is "averaged", so snow often appears grey instead of white. Using the DSLR, in manual mode, lets me quickly adjust exposures. I told myself that I would not become a "photo software geek", spending hours tweaking photos with Photoshop(R), etc. However, I bought online, last December, a bundle of Adobe Photoshop Elements & Adobe Premier (for adjusting videos) - it was a very good deal, in my opinion. So, that's helped me rescue some exposures. No, I don't spend hours on it. If you have a good cellphone and it's good "apps" that help improve final images, please play with it.

My D90 got soaked in March 2020 - yes, "deep COVID". Since Nikon was afraid to accept things for repair at that time, I bought the D7500 kit [through Costco online]. The newer technology greatly outclasses the older. It's amazing. I can hardly wait to go on a big ski trip and try it.

OK, so what about using DSLR's for video? Canon, Nikon, and others do have provision for it. However, if your focus is video creation, then why not get a camera whose First Mission is Video, not still photography? I haven't tried the D7500's video capability, yet, but may do so at some point. I realize that this post is a bit lengthy, but I'm trying to help - and I hope it helps you!

Hello @DaveM !

Interested in your solution for carrying your camera on the slopes?

I'm a still photographer and am struggling to find the right way to ski with camera that is both secure AND convenient to use. I'm using an Olympus micro 4/3 kit for travel and I've found a great solution for hiking, which is a Think Tank Digital Holster mounted to my backpack chest strap. I'm mostly a "run-and-gun style shooter, a 24-70 (equivalent) zoom meets 90% of my needs and this method allows easy access and security. Unfortunately, I don't think it is the right thing for skiing.

Back in the old film days, I used a padded fanny pack which can be easily shifted to the front for camera access or lift rides, then around to the back for skiing.

Backpack is the obvious solution, but I'm lazy and generally don't stop and take it out. I guess I'm conflicted between two activities, skiing or photography, and skiing wins out! Also the conflict between carrying a compact kit with prime lens - great for the scenics, but then I'm always wishing I had a tele for action shots. Of course, there is the zoom solution, which then gets bigger/bulkier. End up using the phone for most ski shots.

This season I will carry a 1" sensor superzoom pocket camera and see how that works.

 

[teejaywhy]

Some general advice for "content creators" and folks wanting to share their photos with others:

LESS IS MORE

 

[dbostedo]

This season I will carry a 1" sensor superzoom pocket camera and see how that works.

That's sort of what I do, and would love to have a 1" sensor... but I also wanted a waterproof, shockproof camera (in the event of falls and snow), that could fit in a chest pocket. So I carry this, which you might have seen in Utah:

It's an OK sensor, does raw files, has a fairly fast lens and has easy controls. I think it's worked great (though I am annoyed by the lens flare in some cases).

 

[Even_Stevens]

While I have a Canon EOS 6D, I rarely lug its full frame bulk with me skiing. Plus, that generation of Canon full frame cameras is horrifically outclassed by newer models. I’d like an EOS R6, but I have many other things to spend money on before a new full frame body.

I have a GoPro 10 Black, which has been fun for snorkeling and I could easily put a helmet mount on and start filming BUT with that in mind, I’ve seen a lot of pretty amazing Insta360 videos from the likes of Lucas Catania and Ian Deans (Elan athlete). Any experience with using an Insta360 in this group?

 

[Andy Mink]

My two rules of photography: You have to be there and you have to have a camera. I have a big boy camera that languishes in its bag, not having been used in several years. I have an old Nikon Coolpix that I got some great shots over the years (mostly because I was there and had a camera). Now I use my S23 Ultra. Is it perfect? No. But for what it is it takes very good shots, especially once you get used to the pro mode for still shots. The digital zoom will not give sharp 30 or 40x close ups but closer shots are quite good. I don't worry about color saturation and other "fancy" bits of photography. I pretty much get what I get and if I take enough pictures a lot of them come out fine.

I keep my phone on a lanyard (thanks for the link @bbinder) and can easily access it from my pocket without fear of dropping it off the chair or in the deep snow.

Any experience with using an Insta360 in this group?

@textrovert uses one of these or something similar. Check out the 23-24 Tahoe conditions thread to see some of his current videos.

 

[SSSdave]

Since @Tricia summer thread has been been bumped back to active, will add a bit more. Will first repeat, if any others have questions about GoPro videos, Youtube, or still cameras while skiing, please ask. In order to add still images and text into videos it helps using a stills editing program (ie MS Paint or Photoshop) in order to correctly size elements.

By now I've taken enough GoPro Hero 8 skiing captures to understand for my skiing interests what works well and what is a wasted effort so that in the future will only bother bringing that gear on ski days and times of day it will work well. Otherwise, I tend to carry a small out of production Canon ELPH 190, a 1080p 4.9 ounce compact digital camera while skiing that has a 10x zoom. I do no like using smartphones (moto g6 at 5.9 ounces) because of the lack of optical zoom so do not carry mine on ski days. Yeah, people cannot phone this solo person on ski days and resort apps have little purpose on my ski days. If all one expects to do is upload Youtube videos to the web, there is no advantage to using 4k modes as Youtube without a premium $$$ account will significantly compress even 1080p that IMO also work fine viewing uncompressed at home on a computer. Likewise for stills loaded to the web, 1080p is more than adequate.

The following is a useful chart with information on GoPro batteries.

GoPro Battery Compatibility Chart

It's not always easy to know which GoPro battery is the right one for which GoPro camera model. Many of the batteries look much the same, and they're not clearly marked. If you're looking for a replacement battery or a spare, here are the model numbers for GoPro batteries that correspond to...

havecamerawilltravel.com

For skiing I would stay away from any built-in batteries because even with the newer models, batteries are not likely to last more than a few runs during a ski day so having spares is important. With the GoPro Hero 8, I'll have 4 spare batteries plus an extra microSD memory in a small Ziplock in a coat pocket. Each 1220mAh AJBAT-001 battery weighs just 0.7 ounces (22 grams) so 4 batteries are 2.8 ounces. The physically heavier GoPro 9, 10, 11 models use a newer larger 33 gram (1.15 oz) 1720mAh ADBAT-11 battery that is better in cold temperatures.

The tiny camera itself including a battery and microSD memory is 4.4 ounces. This page has a chart showing camera body weights:

How Much Does a GoPro Weigh? Weight & Size Chart (All Models)

So, how much does a GoPro weigh? In this guide, we'll compare the weight and size of the 16 most recent GoPro models. We cover every model from the current Hero12 and Max back to

storytellertech.com

If one uses a helmet mount, the usual placement is helmet top center. However if doing so, the front brim of a helmet is likely to block view of one's ski shovels. Accordingly, I have placed an additional second mount at the front edge of my Smith Variant Brim helmet. Note I also own a GoPro Chesty mount I've used a bit but not while skiing. This season I expect to buy a second GoPro and mount that atop the top center mount pointed backwards in Linear mode in order to provide a second view rearward on fresh powder days to show my SSS tracks. There is software that allows running two simultaneous videos on Youtube I need to further investigate.

An important issue is the angle field of view. The GoPro 8 has Superview, Wide, Linear, and Narrow modes. Although the Linear mode captures the way our eyes see, that does not allow a view of oncoming terrain plus at least some of one's ski shovels. That is why I've been using the Wide mode per the Run5b video above on my front of brim mount. The Superview mode easily captures enough including ski shovels and distant terrain, however IMO for skiing it distorts the view worse than even typical smartphone wide angles making everything in the distance much smaller and further away, even at just a single turn's distance. That makes moguls seem much smaller than they really look. For fresh powder, that is less an issue.

Although some (ie textrovert) are fine with 360 degree cameras, for my purposes skiing, they IMO distort too much and is especially weird when capturing another person skiing a bit in front. Just as with still cameras, GoPro captures on flat light cloudy days or on shaded slopes tend to be mediocre versus sunny conditions. Often best conditions for capture are on sunny days about mid day when the sun is at highest azimuth on north facing slopes that then provides a body shadow that provide a valuable complement to what is merely within the camera angle. For example the Run5b video above.

Although the GoPro Hero 8 has voice commands, I've found that it does not always work resulting in after START RECORDING missing runs I thought I was recording or STOP RECORDING not actually stopping when I thought I'd done so resulting in battery draining. The camera itself does have LEDs, beeps, and a display indicating current operations, however beeps alone are often difficult to hear on ski slopes. If one uses a Chesty mount, one can visually monitor what a GoPro is doing but if helmet mounted, one will need to bother taking off one's helmet off.

One of the most important functions if helmet mounted is being able to with a single button push, power up the camera and then start in whatever mode it was last left in when powering off. By doing so in the Video record mode it will thus power up and begin recording. Likewise will stop recording and power off with the same single button push. To do so while wearing one's helmet, requires removing a glove and unseen, pushing down with a fingernail or tiny pointed tool at the exact center of the large button by feel alone.

 

[DaveM]

@teejaywhy , Thanks for asking and for your informative post. I'm sorry, I don't know what the best answer is for you.
1) Is there anything you would like to improve about your current photography setup for skiing?
a) If yes, then exactly what are you dissatisfied with and would like to improve, please?

2) Have you tried a side-mounted camera holster, on a hip-belt? That may suit your "run'n'gun" style. Perhaps a second hip-mounted holster could carry some additional "camera stuff" that you may like to use - and easily access.

Well, I initially brought a small, Nikon Coolpix S630, point-and-shoot camera. An employee at REI told me, years ago, that rock climbers tied lanyards to their cameras. That prevents the camera from faaaaaaaaaaalllllliiiiinnnnnnnng waaaaaay down. So, I put the S630 in a ski-pants pocket and tied the other end [of the lanyard] to my ski-pants belt loop. That enabled me to relatively quickly pull out a camera that could get some decent photos. I decided early on [in my skiing] that I wanted better photos - so that I also better ski decently enough to - yes, here it goes - wear a backpack while skiing, with photo gear in the backpack.
I found an orange-red, Pinnacle 50 backpack at REI, one August. It was made for Winter [mountaineering] and seemed lonely and unloved...so I bought it. Hey, it's Orange-Red! So, that easily holds extra gloves, an extra clothing layer, an hydration pack, snacks, and a DSLR with a couple of lenses [and more...]. Well, I realized that pack was bigger than what I really needed ("Ugh."), but adjustable straps "thinned/slimmed" its profile. I began bringing my Nikon D90 with 18-55 mm wide-angle zoom on it, and packing the 70-300 mm zoom lens.
So, whilst browsing in a local ski shop - that was finally ending its summer bike sales - I found a smaller, red-orange, backpack on sale. They wanted to get rid of it, so I got a good deal: North Face Big Shot II. It's about "1953 cu in" or 32 Liters in size. It's really a "commuter pack", with well-padded back, and provision for either an hydration pack or a laptop Mac/PC. I can still pack some snacks and an extra "top" layer, along with the D7500/18-55 mm and the 70-300 mm.
I sometimes take an iPhone photo or two, including selfies for laughs. You know, send family & friends a little photo with a text message, at the end of the day, to let them know you're having fun. I keep my cellphone typically inside my jacket, although I have put it in my ski-pants lower pocket from time to time. @teejaywhy, cold reduces battery life of cellphones.
Oh, I bring two spare battery packs for my DSLR. I thus far have found that a fully-charged Nikon DSLR battery easily lasts a day. The spares and the charger are left back in my room.
I hope this helps.