Tonight kicks off the NFL season with the Chiefs playing the Texans. I have zero stake or interest in who wins this game but I am watching it. Well, it is on TV while I wait for my big boys to get home from playing 18 holes at a nearby golf course so I can make them dinner (I finished this post after dinner - we had buffalo chicken sandwiches).
But what I am really doing it dreaming. Sony recently released a brand new camera that has incredible low-light capabilities and records in 4K resolution - perfect for my new and ever changing role at the Center for Snake Conservation. Coronavirus has all but closed My Nature Lab although we are slowly coming back. I recently brought back one of my employees to run the Open Lab sessions and our Education Director filled all of her programs for the fall. So that leaves me and what I am doing.
I am creating a new Virtual Lab program where I create 3 separate and novel lessons each week (you can join for $20/month here: www.mynaturelab.org/virtual-lab). This means I am recording, processing, and creating lots and lots of video content for the Lab. I have 3 video cameras at my disposal but that does NOT stop me from dreaming. Here are my current cameras and what I use them for and then I will go into my dream camera - the Sony Alpha a7S III Mirrorless Digital Camera.
GoPro Hero 8 - This is a workhorse of a video camera. Originally designed and purposed as an action camera, it is great for making videos when walking in the field. Plus it is waterproof so I can use it underwater to record the life below the surface. I use it almost daily. It was a gift from my parents last fall and I love it. Cons - It is only a wide angle camera and cannot record videos of something (think wildlife) more than 3 feet away very effectively.
Sony AX-100 - This is my dedicated 4K video camera that does the bulk of the videos I take. I bought this camera over 4 years ago and it is starting to age but I still really enjoy using it. I can set it up on a tripod and it takes INCREDIBLE videos. Without a tripod, it is pretty much useless as the camera shake is really bad even with the image stabilization turned on. That isn't a problem though as I always have my tripod. Cons - the view finder is terrible and the view screen does not work in full sun because of the terrible glare.
iPhone 11 Pro - This is relatively new camera in my arsenal and I really enjoy it. I wish it had a bigger sensor but for videos made for viewing on phones and tablets, it really gets the job done. All my macro videos and photos are taken with this camera as well as portrait and landscape shots. It is quick to use and always with me. Cons - not really good for wildlife videos.
SOOOOOO - why do I want to get a new camera? Because I do. I want the versatility of being able to change lenses depending on the situation and subject. I have decided that I want two lenses to start out with - a longer zoom and a lens for closer work (eventually I will also need a dedicated macro). Plus Sony just came out with a new memory card that is extremely fast so I will need that too.
Here is what I want:
- Sony Alpha a7s III Mirrorless Digital Camera ($3,498.00)
- Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM Lens ($2,098.00)
- Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM Lens ($2,398.00)
- Sony VG-C4EM Vertical Grip ($398.00)
- Sony 160GB CFExpress Type A TOUGH Memory Card ($398.00)
- Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery ($78.00)
No comments:
Post a Comment