Camera options for plane spotting videos

[avi8orj]

Hi all,

I am looking to purchase a camera to record plane spotting videos from a relatively close distance (usually at the end or side of the runway). With that being said, it would be nice to have the option to zoom in a decent amount should I choose to shoot from afar. I know a little bit about cameras (even less about camcorders) in general but I am torn between getting a dedicated camcorder, or a mirrorless with good video specs.

My budget is up to £1500 for the camera, will spare another 600-700 for a lense if it's a mirrorless. I want to shoot in 4K and it would be nice to get 60fps but I'd be happy with 30. Will very occassionally be shooting in low light conditions so I'd want something that performs somewhat decent in that area. I will mostly be shooting airliners but will also use the camera at airshows, so will be capturing fast jets too.

Like I said, my knowledge is limited, so there are probably other factors I should be considering but unaware of. I would greatly appreciate if anyone can make a suggestion as to what camcorder or camera + lense I should buy.

One option I've been considering is the Sony RX10 IV, but I heard it doesn't perform well in low light and has poor image stabilisation.

If you need more info on anything else then please ask

Thanks

[derizu]

Hi all,

I am looking to purchase a camera to record plane spotting videos from a relatively close distance (usually at the end or side of the runway). With that being said, it would be nice to have the option to zoom in a decent amount should I choose to shoot from afar. I know a little bit about cameras (even less about camcorders) in general but I am torn between getting a dedicated camcorder, or a mirrorless with good video specs.

My budget is up to £1500 for the camera, will spare another 600-700 for a lense if it's a mirrorless. I want to shoot in 4K and it would be nice to get 60fps but I'd be happy with 30. Will very occassionally be shooting in low light conditions so I'd want something that performs somewhat decent in that area. I will mostly be shooting airliners but will also use the camera at airshows, so will be capturing fast jets too.

Like I said, my knowledge is limited, so there are probably other factors I should be considering but unaware of. I would greatly appreciate if anyone can make a suggestion as to what camcorder or camera + lense I should buy.

One option I've been considering is the Sony RX10 IV, but I heard it doesn't perform well in low light and has poor image stabilisation.

If you need more info on anything else then please ask

Thanks

Hello, I'd strongly suggest going with a mirrorless rather than a camcorder or bridge camera. Mirrorless cameras have incredible quality that's hard to beat. Also, later down the line you may be interested in photography or expanding your videography so it's best to keep your options open. If you're okay with buying used cameras then finding a 60fps mirrorless within budget shouldn't be much of an issue, I know some of the more recent Sony mirrorless' are 4k60, I'm not so familiar with other brands though. However, do note that 60fps really is not necessary unless you're doing slow motion. Take a look into the Sony α series - even the older ones will perform great.

Just as some insight on the RX10 IV since I personally own one, here's some pros and cons:
pros: has some abilities of a camcorder and DSLR, has a dual record option (this allows you to take high quality still images while shooting video, unfortunately it's limited to 1080p video only), incredible zoom range at your finger tips (24-600mm equivalent plus 'clear image zoom'. although it's digital zoom it maintains much of the quality and increases the range to about 800mm), decent if not good night performance, very nice 4k30fps video as well as 1080p options ranging from 24-120fps, super slow motion options available as well up to 980 fps or so. I'll end it with my favorite pro - you NEVER have to worry about sensor dust! Since the lens is built in, nothing will ever come in contact with it. You only need to clean the lens which is a piece of cake.
cons: 1" crop sensor - despite the sensor size it still performs pretty amazingly in low light, however, as far as photography goes it really limits how much you can crop in before noticeable detail loss. Image stabilization could definitely be better, not much of an issue for me as I tend to stabilize in post anyways - just creates a much smoother video. ISO performance could be better, above 2k-3k ISO you can begin to notice moderate detail loss depending on how low light of a situation you're in. I've used it in all kinds of weather, and although its weather sealed, I've noticed a couple parts develop quirks over the years - for example sometimes my mode dial will glitch out - this could really happen to any camera though.

If I were to go back when buying the RX10 IV, I would've heavily considered investing in a mirrorless instead. There's been a large number of times where its limitations have been frustrating. However, at the same time, I have been able to capture countless moments thanks to the RX10 IV's camcorder-like abilities - not enough to outweigh the frustrating moments though.

Probably 95% of my images on JetPhotos are taken with the RX10 IV - username "derizu". I also have a YouTube channel if you would like to see it in action, search "East Coast Aviation". Sorry if this was a little lengthy haha

[avi8orj]

Hi derizu thanks for your reply!

Appreciate your advice. My biggest decision was whether to go down the camcorder route or bridge (or mirrorless) route. The bridge/mirrorless route does sound more appealing and so that narrows my search down a lot. I think the RX10 IV is the top contender but I will take a look at the Sony α series too.

Had a look at your channel and some great stuff on there! RX10 definitely looks more than capable from other videos I've seen too, but as I said I'll do more research and shop around in case. Your reply was detailed and helpful, so thank you.

All the best.

[DavidWWilson]

Since you mentioned night use, I'll chip in and say that Nikon may have a better reputation for low-light situations than the other providers. I got this from a colleague's wife, a well-published professional photographer, who gets "access all areas" for rock and jazz gigs so most of her work is in low light.

As you are starting out now, I would certainly recommend going mirrorless, straight away and forget camcorders unless you intend to rival some of the internet broadcasters.

If you are going 2nd hand, you'll find that when a manufacturer is launching a new model, there will be some little used kit coming into the 2nd hand market at very reasonable prices as some users just must have the latest gear. In the current manufacturing scenario there are shortages of some components, especially chips, and there seem to be some manufacturing quality control issues. If you must have the latest gear, it's judicious to wait for teething problems to be worked out.

Choose your lenses based on how far you will be from the aircraft. Airshow photography needs much greater reach than commercial aircraft near runways.

Have a look at the kit used by the photographers on here, whose pictures you like, especially those who are only listing a few pieces.

Good luck.

[avi8orj]

Since you mentioned night use, I'll chip in and say that Nikon may have a better reputation for low-light situations than the other providers. I got this from a colleague's wife, a well-published professional photographer, who gets "access all areas" for rock and jazz gigs so most of her work is in low light.

As you are starting out now, I would certainly recommend going mirrorless, straight away and forget camcorders unless you intend to rival some of the internet broadcasters.

If you are going 2nd hand, you'll find that when a manufacturer is launching a new model, there will be some little used kit coming into the 2nd hand market at very reasonable prices as some users just must have the latest gear. In the current manufacturing scenario there are shortages of some components, especially chips, and there seem to be some manufacturing quality control issues. If you must have the latest gear, it's judicious to wait for teething problems to be worked out.

Choose your lenses based on how far you will be from the aircraft. Airshow photography needs much greater reach than commercial aircraft near runways.

Have a look at the kit used by the photographers on here, whose pictures you like, especially those who are only listing a few pieces.

Good luck.

Hi David, thanks for your response! I'll definitely consider mirrorless as well

[antiguogrumete]

Hello, I have been filming for some time, not only airplanes, I have always used dedicated Panasonic video cameras, always in 4K, from the typical bridge FZ1000 and FZ2000 to the professional HC-X1 and the small HC-X1500, cameras with very good stabilizers of 60 fps images and great performance, however in low light conditions they did not perform very well, so I bought a Sony Alpha 7 III for night recordings with an impressive result, so I have ended up with a Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sigma 150 600, which I think meets all the needs for night and day recording, of course a light carbon tripod with a Manfrotto 504X fluid head is also necessary to record without jumps. Finally, an airband receiver to incorporate ATC audio into your videos, very interesting on many occasions.
I hope my experience helps you, greetings

[avi8orj]

Hello, I have been filming for some time, not only airplanes, I have always used dedicated Panasonic video cameras, always in 4K, from the typical bridge FZ1000 and FZ2000 to the professional HC-X1 and the small HC-X1500, cameras with very good stabilizers of 60 fps images and great performance, however in low light conditions they did not perform very well, so I bought a Sony Alpha 7 III for night recordings with an impressive result, so I have ended up with a Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sigma 150 600, which I think meets all the needs for night and day recording, of course a light carbon tripod with a Manfrotto 504X fluid head is also necessary to record without jumps. Finally, an airband receiver to incorporate ATC audio into your videos, very interesting on many occasions.
I hope my experience helps you, greetings

Hi thanks for your response! How is IS on the Alpha 7 IV? Would it be good enough to use handheld at an airshow for example? Ideally I'm looking for a camera that I can do it all with (maybe asking too much) - from filming at airshows (fast jets etc) to slower paced plane spotting from the side of the runway both during the day and dusk (probably won't shoot much at night tbh).

Thanks

[antiguogrumete]

Hi thanks for your response! How is IS on the Alpha 7 IV? Would it be good enough to use handheld at an airshow for example? Ideally I'm looking for a camera that I can do it all with (maybe asking too much) - from filming at airshows (fast jets etc) to slower paced plane spotting from the side of the runway both during the day and dusk (probably won't shoot much at night tbh).

Thanks

I do not advise you to use the Sony Alpha 7 IV with a heavy telephoto lens without a good tripod, unless you have a lot of strength and a strong hand, but with a small lens you can do something interesting, it is a great camera, in general my modest opinion, of course