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Review: Panasonic HC VX870 4K camcorder
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- Опубликовано: 12 авг 2024
- At long last, my full and, as usual, rambling review of Panasonic's 4K consumer-grade camcorder, the HC-VX870 (essentially the same as the WX-970 but that also has an extra camera on the LCD)
I am of course an idiot with regard to the self-levelling feature: you turn it off with one of the few physical buttons on the camcorder, which I completely overlooked as they're otherwise so limited in use!
PLEASE, PLEASE NOTE: this video has been extensively recompressed not only by me so as to make the upload a manageable size - it was still 4GB! - but also then by RUclips, so the video samples shown inherently do not reflect the camcorder's ability. There's no way round this other than me buying a 100Gb-upload leased line (that ain't gonna happen).
Don't miss these individual test videos which are of higher quality as they were a lot shorter (and therefore smaller):
4K unedited footage straight from the cam:
• Panasonic HC-VX870 (WX...
4K edited footage:
• Panasonic HC-VX870 (WX...
Full HD (50Mbps, 50p) straight from the cam:
• Panasonic HC-VX870: HD...
Stabilisation, Zoom and audio tests • Panasonic HC-VX870: St...
And see also my playlist of Sony AXP33 videos (this camcorder's nearest rival):
• Sony AXP33
Buy the VX870 at geni.us/TS_PannyVX870
For updates, follow me on Twitter:
/ ukairscape
A cracking review, excellent! Prior to me purchasing one your review really goes into the nitty gritty of this cam, and im really glad of it as im kinda thinking twice now on its purchase. You point to all the " most important " Pro & Cons with beautifully
shot footage along the way (and that's not all down to the cam) THANK YOU.
Thank you!
By far the best review I have seen on this camera I came very close to buying three of these cameras. I was Thinking that because they shoot 4K they would work well for weddings and other special events that I do, after watching his review I think he saved me from making a bad decision. He sums it up very well by saying it's a great Little camcorder that you can take it along on holiday, get some great shots and still be able to stick it in your pocket, anything more than that probably not so much. I also enjoyed his personality, seems like the type of guy I'd like to go down to the local pub and have a pint with as you Brits would say. I'm an American I live in the center of United States Lincoln Nebraska but visiting UK is definitely on my bucket list. Keep up the great reviews, just became one of your subscribers and gave you thumbs up.
That's very kind, thank you! Hope you manage to visit here some day. Regards
what did u get then if not this?
I got this camera today to shoot my woodworking videos and wanted to see some reviews on it. Loved your review! Very useful! Liked your way of presenting a product! Best!
Thank you!
+UKAirscape Could this camera be used for interviews of people and/or b-roll tours of facilities/offices ? If it is not suitable for that kind of use, like you hinted in your video, would you mind suggesting an alternative camera around the same price?
I have and use HC-v770 for several years. It seems this camera is a 4K version of the same. Perfect review. Thank you.
Thanks for a very thorough and watchable review! Really helpful information to guide our decision on what to buy next.
Thanks :-)
Great review, thanks for the settings regards to saturation, exposure etc
I've been looking at this camcorder, not able to make up my mind, until your review of it. Thanks so much, very informative!
It's awesome
excellent review - thank you for your time in reviewing this camcorder.
Cheers!
Great review , informative and entertaining , no questions.Thanks for making me decide to wait for a 4k 920 , i've got the 850 and thats a great point and shoot want to move up a level.
Great; glad you liked it. Thanks!
Excellent review with some great pro and con arguments for getting/using this camera. We recently bought this camcorder (for exactly the use you describe - point and shoot with a better quality). The more we use and get to know this camcorder the happier we are with our purchase! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, great review!
Traveller Thank you!
You are welcome!
Just bought this camcorder, many thanks for the in depth review :)
Amazing review! It helped me to understand the use,functionality and the potential of this small 4k camera.
Thank you very much! I think i made a decision of buying the right videocamera, for family traveling, while still getting the acceptable video quality.
It's ideal for that purpose, I think. Have fun!
enjoyed the review, very helpful!
Hi,
I thoroughly enjoyed your review of the VX-870 camcorder. It's now December, 2019. I recently purchased a used VX-870 camera in the USA on eBay. It came with lots of pricey extras and at a much cheaper price. Prices have come down a lot! It seems to work very well for what I'm going to use it for. I especially liked your advice on using a small piece of fake fur to cover the microphone to eliminate most wind noise. A suggestion if I may: I would also add a thin piece of acoustically transparent foam underneath the fake fur to act as an additional windscreen.
Regards, Tom
how much u got it?
Very thorough! Excellent work! Thank you.
Nice one, cheers
Pleasantly surprised that when you popped up I recognised you from your Canal boat series, great review I’m here as I’ve a bid on this camera so I am just checking it out to see whether it’s worth my money as a cheap lock off camera that if I record in 4K would allow me some extra edit scope to do slow Ken burns type zooms on the locked off footage. Thanks you’ve dispelled some doubts I had. Ps it’s uncanny how much at 18:49 the plant looks like a Chicken lol
We've had this camera for 3 years now and it works great, never had any issues with it. We want to purchase a second camera for our RUclips channel and we've come across some similar models, the hc ex 980 and the hc ex 981, but we fail to see the differences between this models and the hc ex 870. Any idea on what the differences are? Cheers
Hi. I haven't studied the detail on the 980/981 but as far as I'm aware, Panasonic hasn't really done anything dramatic in terms of updating its camcorder line up in quite a while so the latest generation. I think, are much the same as what went before.
The device is so beautiful, I wish I could get one like that for video recording, so good, thank you for your video.
Heck of a review, thanks
Very much enjoyed this review - thanks :) Subscribed to your channel!
+The Tech Chap TV Terrific! Cheers
No problem - in fact If you have a moment I have a question about video cameras. I currently use a Canon 70D for filming. It's fantastic / really high quality, but I film a lot of screens/displays and it's terrible for the moire/aliasing affect. In your experience, are camcorders like the AX33/VX870 good versus issues like Moire, and more generally - are similarly priced camcorders superior for video to DLSR's (like the 70D).
Many thanks!
I wouldn't generically say camcorders are better at moire because I've always had issues with it even on broadcast-spec camcorders. Really, screens are best captured using screen capture software in my opinion (if possible) or via a capture card that takes HDMI in from whatever device was feeding the screen.
As for "are camcorders superior for video" - there's no single right or wrong answer here. Camcorders tend to be better for ergonomics and for shooting "on the fly". DSLRs make beautiful images but are impractical in many operational ways. So it really depends what you want to do.
Thanks very much for your reply - that's very helpful!
I really enjoyed your review, very detailed….
I’ve had mine for over a year and I love it! To stabilize the shots better I use it with a my Glidecam HD2000 and my video comes out as smooth as butter. As you mentioned it’s outstanding for a quick grab and record as is, especially on vacation etc. To get around the SD card problem I put a quick release and pop the camera off to get the card out. Before, major time consuming and frustrating to unmount. I use mine to record commercials for my business and get great footage, I do my post edits in Premiere Pro CC to color grade etc. but not required. I give this camera a big thumbs up and would highly recommend it. A bit limited for a pro but extremely user friendly if you’re novice. You’ll get footage that you’ll be proud of…
Thank you for your review, it helped me get started…
Thank you; sounds as though you've got a good workflow sorted. Cheers
Thanxs for the review, I bought it in the end and I'm quite happy, except in low light, its pretty limited...
Yes, any small-sensor camcorder will be like this really.
Hi, thanks for a good review.
Did you ever found the way to stop that anti-roll function?
excellent review.
Thank you!
thanks for the Info I just got this one for my channel I heard it has decent night vision
Hi, how do you turn on/ off light manually at the front of the camera? Can you do that?
Great video! I also have the same model, which auto mode I should use for video shooting? HD or HDR mode? If How do switch to HD mode ? I subbed.
Awesome review ...the best on YT. Could you run us through how to use slow motion and the different FPS available on this camera ?
Unfortunately not because I sold that camcorder ages ago, sorry.
I know im a little late but to turn off level shot you just have to press the button directly below the play movies button.
It goes from off>level shot>level shot strong.
Randomly clicked on this video looking for a camcorder review and immediately said WHAT YOU?! Not used to seeing you away from a Narrow boat!
Hahahahahaha!!!!! Yes, I've had this channel for years ;-)
Have just bought this camcorder for all my future channel videos. It's early days but I already hold it in high regard.
With regards the level shot function, it can be turned off by repeatedly pressing the level shot button on the side of the camcorder. It also turns off if the spirit level is selected.
Thanks, yes I discovered that a while after shooting the video!! Have fun.
Fantastic review! I'm very interested in the tips and tricks video you mentioned about this camera, I'd love to see that! I've checked on your channel but haven't found it. Could you please respond with a link? Huge thanks to you for such an excellent review!
+eveRide ADV If it isn't there, I probably never got round to making it, sorry. I've since sold the camcorder too. Oops.
GREAT REVIEW!!
Cheers!
Hello! I'm trying to find a good 4k video capturing camera for an average cheap price. I've done alot of sketches on my sparetime for a long time, but I've never got it right. I'm just looking for a camera that is easy to work with and has alot of options within it. Is this what I am looking for? UKAirscape
Wish you had talked about the frequency response settings, I don't know wtf it is and can't find it on Google.
Very nice review.
Thank's
Cheers
what would you choose, panasonic 970k or sony ax100?
which one has better features and quality?
Oh, the Sony is easily the better camera both in features and technical quality. But I never got on the the Sony (I tested its identical HD-only variant the CX900, there's a review here on my channel somewhere) and I found its implementation to be awkward. That said, a lot of people really like it. So I'd say see if you can try one before you buy. It also depends what you're after. The Panasonic's a better "point and shoot" travel cam, the Sony's for the more serious video maker.
UKAirscape i ll use it for utube videos.
repair pc and cell etc
+UKAirscape The Sony is also nearly 3 times the price isn't it ?
Yes.
+UKAirscape So an unfair comparison. Thank you for this review UKA. It is one of the best reviews I've seen of any consumer device. All the info I needed to go ahead and make the purchase. Cheers!
cara vc pode me ajudar comprei uma camera desta ela envia 4k no cabo hdmi ??
Very nice review . Has Panasonic made any changes in newer 4k models that were a problem in this one? Like the cold shoe position, ear plug door , etc . Thanks
Not as far as I am aware, unfortunately.
I am not a techie so please bear with me. Any ideas how can I upgrade the firmware on this camcorder? I cannot do so when connected to my Mac using USB. Additionally when in Intelligent Auto mode the camcorder loses focus from the primary subject if there is any background movement.
very nice quality
thank you.
Hi I have just recently bought this camera for a wedding and have used it only once. The trouble I had is I turned the record on and off several times during the day when filming and when I downloaded the footage instead of playing it all together like my old video camera did it was in the separate parts from when I was turning it on and off. So basically it was all in little files so when one finished I had to open another. Is there a way to play back the footage all at once like a video cam would?
Hi. No, digital camcorders will generally create a new clip each time you press record (I do recall a professional JVC camcorder that would concatenate them but it was an oddity). You will need to use some basic editing software to stitch them into a single compiled clip.
I would really appreciate if you could share the ideal setting for this camera in terms of color as you mention at the end of this video. Thanks again for the helpful video!!
Well it's all personal preference of course but I like colour saturation up to +5 (max), exposure to -3, and white balance +1. Sharpness I've left alone.
Great video, we have bought this camera to film speakers at events we arrange. It seems to film in continuously, but then split when taking the footage off the camera it splits it into 20 minute segments. Do you have any idea why this would be?
Yes, that's normal due to the filesizes and a technical limitation. It's important that you bring them into your video editor using its "import" function rather than copying and pasting in File Manager / Explorer or whatever because that way the files get re-concatonated into a single entity.
I don't get it, I've been recording myself with a bunch of different settings but everything sounds too low when I turn the db down. Why should I turn it down as you said when it doesn't improve the sound? When I use the headphones I can hear static sound but when I watch the footage I heard pretty much nothing unless I turn it up a lot.
I don't understand the question, sorry. Audio should ideally be recorded using manual control such that any peaks in sound (for example, at the start of sentences) hit about -12dB on a calibrated scale (I cannot recall if this camcorder's on-screen levels meter shows proper calibration as I no longer have the camcorder), maybe -6 if you're sure nothing is going to be any louder. Typically camcorder such as these use auto levels but turn the gain up enormously when the sound levels are quiet such that you hear a lot of hiss, and then they compress any peaks so you lose all the dynamic range. The result is horrid sound. By using manual adjustment and setting it correctly for the loudest peak, you avoid the wild volume changes and "crushed" sound that the automatic function gives.
Hi there - excellent review - quick question however- I have bought this camera and got it today. I've recorded a few short videos in 4k and tried to play it back on my media player on my Windows 7 pc. Windows media player wouldnt open it, so I have used VLC Player to play the videos back - however they seem to randomly lag. If I pause it and play it, it continues fine. Is this normal? Is this a problem everyone has? How do I avoid this? Is it because it is a hi-res video? Sorry the questions, just trying to get my head around why it is lagging. Thank you!
Yes, it's because it's a very high resolution video which requires a lot of computing power to decompress and display and quite simply your PC isn't up to it. You need a nice fast hard disc but even more important a supremely fast processor. You may be able to play it back at half size (use VLC's image size setting) but even then it could stutter.
Hi again, a video showing how to set up the recommended adjustments would be greatly appreciated. I find it difficult to do following the panasonic manual. Much appreciated
Wildlife HD Yes, I will do; a bit busy at the moment with various other things but I will get round to it!!
Hello. Great Videos. what is the best camcorder I could buy for holiday. I would like a high bit rate camcorder with as much detail as possible. I was thinking either this or the Ax33? Are there any others
keep up the great work. I look forward to your new videos . take care
Either would be fine for holiday use but the Panasonic is smaller and lighter to carry around.
I'm so confused... Should I be in manual and it still does things by auto?
Brilliant
Thanks
I just got this to do simple recording in a studio
Mic will be a professional mic anyway and the purely to use on Facebook live or RUclips (entry level)
Is it still a good
Choice ?
Given good lighting, good sound and appropriate care and attention, this cam can produce a perfectly good picture for Facebook or RUclips. You realise you can't use it directly into a computer like a webcam though, yes? It would have to go via an HDMI capture card.
Hi there, good review and sorry if you have answered this question in previous comments. I want to use this camera at times as a monitor camera ie connect it to a laptop capturing footage into some analysis software for sports training purposes. One of the issues with a lot of cameras is that if they are switched on but no buttons are pressed or it is inactive for several minutes they either go into a demo mode or go into standby. With some you can switch this option off. Does this camera have the option to do this?
In addition based on me using this for cricket so quality over distance is also required, do you recommend any other cameras in this kind of range that may suit this purpose better? Thanks
Hi. Unfortunately I don't know the answer to that question and suggest a good rifle through the manual (easily found online) may be your best route to an answer. As for others, it depends on your definition of "quality" but if you're sticking to this price point, your options are limited anyway. Bear in mind that even on a little camcorder, the more you zoom, the shallower your depth of field will be.
Just a little suggestion to those with this camera (or, to be fair, any camera) that I've not often seen...
The battery that comes with the camera is a bit small (1940mAh). You can buy a spare one from Panasonic for about £60. Ebay have various options rather cheaper, or you can do what I did and buy a USB battery pack (usually for charging phones while travelling) and get many times the capacity of any of the slot-in batteries for peanuts (eg. about £12 for an Anker 5,200 mAh or £20 for a 16,000 mAh version)
+thewinelake Thank you for this suggestion. I did this and it is nice to have such a large battery although it can be hard having a cord running from the portable battery to the camera.
Plus the USB battery pack will charge the Panasonic battery when the camera is switched off.
Hi, enjoyed your review very much.
I have one question that your review didn't cover.
When you want to film yourself and watch at the flip-screen at the same time. Do you have to start/stop the recording with the recording button on the back of the camera, or do you have the possibility to start/stop it from the touch screen?
Regards Morten
Good question and, with many apologies, I can't remember (I sold the camcorder a while back although I wish I hadn't). Perhaps someone else who has one can step in and answer..?
Great review, the only slight criticism is that it could have done with a bit more sample footage, maybe overlayed while you were talking. That's only a really minor thing though and apart from that I don't think you could have done a much better job.
Thank you. I seem to recall I uploaded a selection of separate test footage videos around the same time for anyone who wanted more examples.
Very good review thank you. These camcorders are now only £349 in the UK (2019). I have 3 Sony SR12's which I use in HD for my music video's on YT. I want to upgrade to three 4K camcorders.They are always on tripods in my living room. I do a lot of Zooming during the editing stage. Can I ask what camcorders you think would be best suited to my needs. The ones I'm looking at are this one, The Sony AX33, Sony AX53.but there may well be others. I would be very grateful if you have time to reply. Thank you Phil.
The AX53 is certainly better than the AX33 (better sensor etc). If you're just putting them on tripods and clicking "record" then the Panasonic's might well be all you need, I know a lot of people like them. They're fiddly to configure manually but as you're just doing it then letting them run, it wouldn't be an issue.
@@UKAirscape Many thanks for your reply - yes I'm sure the VX 870 would do all I require appreciate your advice. Cheers Phil
will the HC VX 870 be very good for filming aircraft etc at airshows displaying and look great on a 4k tv
It's not really an answerable question. Whether it's any good at filming aircraft will depend more on the skill of the operator than the camera. Ditto for whether the footage looks decent on playback.
nice review
Thanks
have u tested the 120 fps mode in the camcorder yet then. ?. great review by the way.:-)
Thanks. No, I didn't test that as I have no real use for it, sorry.
Excellent really helpful video thank you. I am using this as a video cam but I can't get rid of the onscreen icons which show up on the streaming. Any ideas? thank you.
I am not sure if this camcorder has a "clean" HDMI output, which is what you need. If it does, there'll be an option in the menus called something like that.
A lot of older cameras and camcorders never had the option to switch it off as they were designed before the requirement for clean output for streaming came about and it was assumed people would use the HDMI for monitoring while filming (and therefore need the icons etc showing)
Excellent thorough review, I enjoyed watching it. I'm looking for a camera to film my RC helicopter flights and I watched the footage from this camera I noticed the birds flying past did not look good, in fact all the fast movement did not look good. Can you recommend a camera that would suit my needs? At the moment I'm using a gopro 4 black and have been recording and posting in 1080 60, but would prefer something with a good size screen and zoom.
Thanks Dave
How do you mean "not good"? What cam is "best" depends on your budget and experience. Please see my "what camcorder is best?" video earlier on my channel. Cheers
I mean that the movement seemed a bit jerky and the birds appeared to have trails. I saw a review of the Sony FDR-AX33BDI and that was £750. that would be the absolute top end of my budget, and would prefer to spend much less if I can. I will take a look at the video you have recommended. Thanks
+Dave Beach It may look slightly jerky because I'm in the UK so film at 25fps, your 30/60 would look fractionally smoother. The trails is standard motion blurring I suspect. Bear in mind at 4K none of these consumer grade camcorders will film 60fps.
Can anyone help me in attaching the Leica dicomar front piece?
Great review - so I went and bought one from Currys/PC World for a price of £498. As a matter of interest, what video software/ PC do you use for editing. Cheers.
Good price! I use Sony Vegas Pro 13.
Hello, thank you for your very clear review. Perhaps you can help this Dutch camera seeker to find the best camera for mainly using it on tripod doing interviews indoor, loving sharp images and sounds and paying about max 800?
I can never say which camcorder is the best for anyone because I have no idea of your expertise or real needs. You need to do some research yourself rather than look to someone else to present you with a single answer. Please watch my video at ruclips.net/video/nKGmMy_Phwc/видео.html for the reasons why.
Hi, what is that plastic thing on the end of the lense that you screw on? What is it used for?
Lens hood? Stops sun giving you flares and may help keep the rain off a bit.
Hi I am based in the UK. Have you any idea how to update the firmware on the HC-VC870? I have tried many sites with no success. I am not very technical. Thank you, in advance.
No idea. It will be documented on Panasonic’s own website, categorised under firmware downloads.
is there a head to head comparison w/ the sony ax53 , which is close in price? i know you did a great such comp for the BOSS v OIS , but no other functions
I seem to recall the VX870 came out at the same time as the AX33 (the prior model to the AX53) so I wouldn't have done a comparison between the VX and the 53. I vaguely remember discussing the AX33 and VX870 though, have a scroll back through my videos.
Can you use it while the battery is on charge? For example, if I were to buy one of these for filming my face while playing computer games in long streaming sessions (I'm talking many hours at a time) where the battery life is just not good enough, could I just leave it plugged in on charge the whole time and leave it recording? Also, is it possible to use this as a webcam whereby I can save the footage directly to the computer? or does it only record to an SD card?
+Slimjadey I think - don't hold me to this - that you can film whilst it's powered off the mains but I'm not sure it would charge the battery while doing so. To record the footage on a computer, you'd have to use the HDMI output from the camcorder and a suitable capture card (such as one of those from BlackMagic) to capture the video. It won't "stream" directly to a computer ie appear on the computer's devices list as a camera.
Alrighty cool. Thanks for that! :)
Really like your style - reminds me of Bernard Falk - remember him?
Comparison with X920 as an HD camera?
Bernard Falk, crikey that's going back a bit... The VX shoots HD at 50Mbps so the detail ought to be better but of course it's a single chip cam where the x920 has 3 which should give better colour. X920 better for anyone who likes manual control too (has nice focus ring)
Does HC VX870 give you a clean HDMI out? For example for use With Livestream online broadcasts?
+Bent Ulleland With apologies, I can't remember (as I have since sold the camcorder) but I *think* so. Worth noting that the HDMI out is not active when recording in 4K mode though so you'd need to record the broadcast with some other device.
Another question, how can I adjust the sound volume when I shoot, if I'm filming a party with very loud speakers that I can saturate the sound. Thank you
I don't remember exactly but there's an option for audio levels in the menu somewhere.
any suggestions regarding a tripod purchase for this little baby?
Depends on your budget and use. Good tripods - I mean, proper ones - cost hundreds of pounds.
Can you advise a novice? I use IA+ for 4K. I frequently encounter a problem with the camcorder in that it will not focus on the primary subject (for example a bird in a tree) but often focuses on something in the background, such as a brach (or even walls). I have tried manual focus but, as you have noted, by the time I fiddle around it is too late. Do you have any suggestions what I may be doing wrong?
Camcorders are fairly stupid really and have to guess at what you want in focus; generally anything that's occupying most of the frame (eg tree) will win over anything else. Hence why many modern cams now have touchscreens where you can prod at it to say what you want focus in. In the absence of this, if the cam can't work it out then manual focus is your only option.
@@UKAirscape Thank you for taking the time to reply in an informative and amusing manner. I will act on your advice. It's back to touch screen. I enjoyed your video.
I am looking at buying this or the Sony AX53. The Panasonic is $599 US and the Sony is $849 US . The camera will mostly be for RUclips and some class settings. What would you recommend? Thanks.
"RUclips" could mean anything so I can't advise given that criteria. In terms of class filming, I'm a fan of the Sony and I think it does better in lower-light scenarios than the Panasonic but if all you need is a record of the lecture then either would probably do.
Any chance of a follow up, further down the line, tips and tricks, video.
I just picked one of these up for £1 from a camera shop, the previous owner had charged it using the wrong source, I found it still works as long as you externally charge the battery. No hot shoe and no hood but the hot shoe I don't need and the other I'm sure I can find a better 3rd party hood. I might even look at rewiring it to remove some of these issues. :D
Unfortunately not; I sold the camcorder after doing the review. Sounds as though you got a great bargain. Have fun :-)
Will do. I think the lens cover is also stuck, but I have a good Billingham camera bag and various covers. :D
What would you recommend? I am looking at buying a new camera to shoot my RUclips Videos. I have been using a Logitech 1080p Webcam so any proper video camera would be an improvement, but I'm conflicted at which to choose; This Panasonic HC-VX870 or the cheaper HC-V770M or even go for a hybrid Bridge camera like the FZ300. I will be shooting in 1080p on a tripod or using a shoulder mount and it will be used to record my gaming controller reviews. Any suggestions of which one to go for? Also do you know if any of these camera have Live HDMI Output - would like to plug into a monitor instead of having to look at the small LCD screen while recording. Any advice of which of 3 cameras I should go for?
Just to clarify, these aren't games themselves you're reviewing but bits of hardware? (I know nothing about computer games). So you need yourself to be in shot plus the item your reviewing?
+UKAirscape Yeah, so basically hardware reviews. I occasionally film myself in a video or two, but most of time its going to be filming the hardware with me behind the camera. So I just need something that is going to give me good quality without any blurriness when I move the product around, (as that is what my current webcam has been doing, going in and out of focus when I move the product around).
And I've just seen a sale that's near me that has the HC-vx870m about AUD$100 cheaper than the other two models, so even more tempted on that one now. Would it be good for product reviews?
The VX certainly should do a better job than a webcam of keeping things in focus and you can always set the focus manually if you need it kept constant. Like all small camcorders, it needs lots of light to get a good image, so you're going to want to invest in a pair of softbox lights (they're not hugely costly) to light your items from either side.
The advantage of the VX is that you can shoot in 4K and render to HD which means you can crop in on the recorded image (at HD resolution) to give you a full resolution alternative shot (for example I used this technique in the Sony NX100 review to do the close ups on the camcorder)
PS the downside is that the VX870 will not output to HDMI when filming in 4K; a right nuisance.
This or the Panasonic HCX 920 for 1080 HD?
I'm thinking about exchanging my sony 405 this, it has horrible video in indoor settings
You had me laughing when you spoke about the wind jammer
I can't even remember what I said in that review but glad it had you chuckling! Cheers
I sure wish I'd discovered this video before buying the VX870. I've spent days discovering things I don't like about it. My biggest complaint is the stabilisation... far inferior to the stablization in my Canon S120... when you walk and film at the same time the results are very unpleasant. I'm thinking of selling it right away. Could it be that stabilization can go haywire and requires a trip to the Service Counter? Please advise.
I suppose it's theoretically possible but unlikely I'd guess. Almost no camcorders have great image stabilisation when walking in my experience except Sony's "BOSS"-equipped ones because they gimbal the lens and sensor. Anything else is inferior. See the tests and review I did on the new AX53, great when walking.
Looking at getting a 4k camera and I already have a Panasonic and its a great 1080p/50 camera. It has terrible wind noise outside so do you recommend the make shift windjammer or a proper shoe horn mic? Where do you get the fluff from ?? With a budget of approximately £800 and taking the windjamming and 4k as a priority function which camera do you recommend? Thanks. Richard.
Rycote make the best furry windjammers but they are not cheap. But they are the best by far. You don't mean "shoe horn" by the way, you're referring to the cold shoe mount. You'll get better sound from a separate mic but that's a separate issue to the windjamming.
As to the camcorder, you've a very limited budget there especially if you want a mic and decent windjammer as well. Plus I can't really recommend without knowing your expertise, intended uses etc.
May I politely ask that you watch my video about "which is the best camcorder" (ruclips.net/video/nKGmMy_Phwc/видео.html), and follow my suggestions.
I'll start you off by suggesting you're really looking at things like Sony's new AX53, last year's AX33, Panasonic's VX870 (don't bother with the new models or the 900-series, they just add a pointless second camera in the LCD screen). In terms of stills cams that take video maybe Panasonic LX100 or G7
+UKAirscape At the moment I film trains. I'm amateur... although you can see my videos online on youtube. I have had 2 pieces paid for so far, so probably thats quite good. I'll take a look at your video as you suggested. Something that nobody seems to have concentrated on in reviews is the 50/60hz defaults of cameras. I noticed recently that on my TV and new monitor which work at 50hz, the video I make is so much smoother due to its native 50hz compatibility. But with YT, even with Google Chrome being used, the video jerks or stutters. And being that monitors are generally only 60hz, its probably best to have a UK camera that can do 60hz out of the box, rather than a 50hz version. So my new camera would likely need to be 30fps, 60fps rather than 25/50 etc. Also out of interest what is the bitrate of a raw file for these 4k cameras?
+atomiswave1971 No, that's a really terrible idea unless you are solely going to make videos for the Internet and since you're starting to be paid you may well need to deliver on DVD sometimes so stick with 50Hz / PAL format because that's what people in the UK will expect. Honestly. Besides there are no UK-specific consumer cameras that shoot 30/60, only imports or professional models that are designed to be switchable. Or a lot of action cams irritatingly won't shoot 25/50 because they're made for the US.
Playback shouldn't be jerking, RUclips plays all my stuff back smoothly at 25p (does it play back smoothly for you?)
I wonder whether when you're watching on telly you've plugged the camcorder in directly but when you're watching back on YT you've accidentally rendered your finished file to 30/60 (from a 25/50 orginal) which will indeed cause jerkiness as the render has to "invent" the extra frames. Make sure you render out at 25/50 when you're done editing.
They don't shoot raw but the typical (compressed) bitrate is 60-100Mbps
+UKAirscape None of my footage plays back as smoothly on laptops and most peoples PC's because the native hz is 60hz on the display and my native content is 50fps. You may think its smooth, but when you film trains and the train gets quite big on the screen you can see it jump in steps. When you play the same file via streaming to the TV (50hz/60hz compatibility) it is so much smoother. I just upgraded my monitor to a U2414h Dell and it also supports 50hz and that point it clicked. What I really want is something that will play its best quality online. According to the specs these 4k cameras are supposed to shoot at 30fps, so that puts it firmly in the 60hz range/type of video. I will take your advice and get the windjammers you recommended. Which editing software do you use out of curiosity? And thanks for the bitrate, it helps measuring file sizes but I am guessing moviemaker doesn't support h.265 yet. I was thinking about buying the Sony movie studio editing software. I assume this 4k camera shoots in h.265?
H.264
hi, i'm looking for a camcorder to shoot short films.
is this panasonic vx870 good for short films?
If not, which camera would you recommend me? (my budget is 700/750 euros)
+Giovanni Bollati It's as good as any other tiny consumer-grade camcorder but the more crucial element is your ability. It depends on what your experience is and how capable you are. A superb camcorder can look terrible in incapable hands and vice versa.
Thanks for pointing out the idiosyncrasies of this great-on-paper camera.
I've been out of the videocam scene for a while and am in the market for a new one. I have been using my old SD60 for years, but recently I have been looking for something to shoot indoor video. Could you advise me if this VX870 will perform better?
In my time, there used to be something called 3MOS which was supposed to be better for low light but that seems to be gone now. Is image sensor size the main thing I should be looking for? My SD60 is 1/4.1" 1MOS in case that helps. This one says 1/2.3"
Bonecrusher27WTF It's not that simple. For low light ability you want a combination of large sensor, fewer pixels and the latest CMOS technology. So, for example, an HD camera with a 1/4" chip will probably be better in low light than a 4K camera because the latter squeezes four times as many pixels onto the chip so each pixel picks up a lot less light.
Equally, as you recall, three sensors are better than one for colour reproduction because you have dedicated pixels for each colour (R, G, B) instead of interpolation from a single sensor.
The one thing the VX870 is not is a low light camera despite a sensor of 1/2.3" because it's cramming in the pixels. Even in HD mode (where it can aggregate pixel data for an HD image), it isn't brilliant. Small camcorders just aren't good in low light.
The best low light small camcorder I've seen is Sony's PXW-X70 which is a semi-pro unit. There are two consumer-style lower priced units that look like a cut-down version of this (namely the AX100 and CX900) but they're not nearly as good in terms of ergonomics and useability in my opinion. I didn't like either of them.
UKAirscape Wow thanks for the fast and detailed reply. Really appreciate it!
Any idea why Panasonic stopped the 3MOS?
From what you've written I'm thinking I may actually have no choice other than to get a DSLR, probably the Canon 70D.
Bonecrusher27WTF No, no idea why Panasonic gave it up. I mean, it still exists in their top-spec "enthusiast" HD camcorder, the HC-x920 but that's now a couple of years old. They appear to have jumped onto the 4K bandwagon rather than developing their core technology. A lot of people are filming on mobile phones now or DSLRs (despite the many drawbacks of both), maybe they've decided it's not economic to push camcorders much.
A DSLR with a good, fast lens should do better in low light than a compact camcorder. Of course then you have the issues of keeping things in focus (if tracking any movement) due to the shallow depth of field plus the wretched ergonomics of stills cameras being used for video. But given practice, and ideally time to set up each shot, they can be lovely. Audio's another matter entirely...
Great review. Im looking to buy a camera for shooting music sessions. Mostly just stationary shots in a controlled 3 point lighting environment. I'd need to obviously set up all the settings how I want them i.e. white balance, iris, shutter etc and maybe manual focus. I know you say it's fiddly but considering the environment I'd be shooting, the fact I'd be setting everything at the start of the shoot and leaving it and the price point, would you say this is one of the best options? (for the price bracket). If not, are there any alternatives that spring to mind? I'd really appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks.
I do wonder, given the spec and circumstances you mention, whether a DSLR-type (probably one of the mirrorless ones these days) might not be better, to give you that "arty" film look with nice shallow depth of field and a better ability to deal with the high contrast of light and dark areas which music videos usually have. You'd need to sync the sound with a separate, good quality audio recorder in the edit of course but that's no hardship. The VX870 is really more of a "point and shoot", "tourist type" camcorder.
+UKAirscape thanks very much for the advice. I've just had a look at the mirrorless cameras and been utterly blown away by the Panasonic gh4 footage. may have to save for longer for that! Probably worth it though.
Yes, if you can afford it - and the time to learn to operate it to its best abilities - then I think you will be rewarded in your circumstances. Do not neglect separate audio recording though as the sound on these types of cameras is usually piss poor, notwithstanding the add-on XLR unit you can buy for the GH4. Have fun.
+UKAirscape Oh don't worry about the audio side of things, I've got that covered, I'm an audio Engineer. Thanks again for the advice, saved me from jumping into something too quickly and possibly being disappointed!
Going on a USA road trip, already have a 1080 camcorder that takes good video but its not 4k, Is this worth the upgrade?
Mine does everything I want it well but my urge is 4k! UHD, going to be doing 4-5000 miles in 2 weeks plenty of national parks and treks.
I can't really answer that for you because if it's worth it is only a question you can know the answer to. Is it worth it to you??!!
Hi, great review, I just orderd this one. Have you found a soution to turn off the auto gyro function?
Auto gyro????
I mean the auto stabilizer system that tries to adjust your camera tilting.
Oh yes, there's a control to turn it off. Can't remember what it is as I sold the camcorder a while ago but it was easy to do.
I found a button inside behind the screen, it seems to solve it. Thanks anyway for great reviews. You are helping a lot of us with you good work.
Oh yes, that sounds familiar. I remember being surprised how easy it was when I found it ;-) Cheers
I am looking for camcorder around 1000$-1500$ for filming celebrations like weddings and birthdays. I am doing this semi-professionally and I can't pay more than mention for a camcorder. I think this camera would be a good choice. Any thoughts?
It would be a terrible camcorder for semi-pro use. It's not going to handle indoor situations well due to the relatively low light. And it's awkward to adjust manually which you'd really need to do it properly. The minimum spec camera I recommend for semi-pro use is Sony's PXW-X70.
UKAirscape
Thanks for your response, but sadly I don't have the budget for it.
I apologize if this has been asked. Is the LCD hard to see in bright sunlight?
I've never yet found an LCD that isn't!
Thank you
thank you very useful
Glad you liked it :-)
i ahave a full hd panny with the same design of lens closer automatically opening and closing , and it has gotten stuck. I'd rather have the cap or the manual mechanical cover
My preference is for a manual cover that's built into the lens hood, that way it's manual but it can't get lost.
Any difference in focussing speed between vx870 and x920? Seems that the price difference is negligible. My main thing is filming orchestral performances, so OIS not so important, but handling lowlight (including being able to maintain focus) is.
Alex Lake It varies; the Sony of course has the advantage of being able to select focus using the lens ring and do it yourself very swiftly. No camcorders autofocus well in the dark either because they rely on clearly-defined contrast lines to work out whether things are sharp or not.
Also, in picture quality terms the lowlight handling is NOT a strong feature of either of these (nor any small camcorder) and the sound performance won't be great unless you plug in an external mic and even then for an orchestra you may need long mic cables which means you want balanced audio etc etc.
Your best bet, if you can afford it, is Sony's PXW-X70; proper balanced audio and excellent low light (for a small cam) even when you add gain. It can be a bit slow to autofocus but I believe a recent firmware upgrade should have improved things.
UKAirscape Oh, I never use the camcorder for the sound (well, only to get sync with the proper recording - eg made with Zoom)
UKAirscape And thanks for the tip on PXW-X70, but that's a bit too "Pro" for me - both in terms of price and size. I think I may just bide my time and buy the x920 or vx870 (for about £550ish). I'd be curious to know how the price of semi-pro gear comes down with time (eg. will a PXW-X70 be available for close to £1,000 in 12 months time?!)
thewinelake You're in the UK? My VX870 - which has been used only for these reviews and is immaculate - will be up for sale soon at a reasonable price if you're interested. I tend to sell the camcorders on once they're reviewed as I haven't got infinite funds to keep buying new stuff without selling the old! Message me via Tubeshooter.co.uk if you like.
Highly unlikely that the PXW will come down to that level ever; I'd imagine it would be superseded before that happens.
Hi, at £280 right now do you think this camera is v good value?
That's a very decent price, I reckon!
thanks alot I was just about to buy one .... but I wonder why so many are at cheap prices . I don't think this what I need for a small budget movie
No, it's not really a "movie" type camera even on a budget. More a point-and-shoot. Maybe one of the lower-end DSLR type stills cameras that shoots video might be better for you, Panasonic LX100 maybe?
did you mention the HDR video mode?
No because (and I'm trying to remember this, it was a long time ago) I think the so-called HDR mode was really just a low-contrast mode, a sort of pseudo-HDR, rather than what would be labelled as HDR today (ie S-Log or V-log type gamma curves)
Dumb Question here
Can you still take photos with this Camcorder?
Not dumb, many camcorders can do this. Unfortunately, I can't remember if this one does, sorry :-(
hi mate. do you know if i will be able to run a live feed of the 870 into my comp for streaming using OBS. Thanks
It won't live stream like a webcam straight into the PC; you'd need a video encoder with HDMI input in the computer, taking the video from the camcorder.
UKAirscape bugger. Wouldnt it output via USB at all. I'm led to believe the 770 will do this. Do u know if that's the case
I'm 99% certain no (and likewise for the 770) -but I stand to be corrected. I no longer have the 870 so can't check.
Very nice review. Got this camera yesterday to film some hidden camera pranks, needed something basic where I could connect a WiFi mic system. The mic plug also annoys me as we need to film with the screen closed (to hide it easier) while controlling through a smartphone. BTW, the app that controls the camera via WiFi is incredibly fast, latency is very low comparing to other cameras. A couple things I'd like to know is what type of SD card would be optimal for standard HD on this camera and what is the difference between 1080p 50M and 1080p 28M. Thanks
You'll need a "class 10" card for standard HD, even a cheapish one should do as long as it's marked Class 10. I prefer to buy decent brands like SanDisk, Lexar etc.
The 50 and 28 refer to the bitrate (amount of data) used to record the image. 50 is technically much higher quality because it uses so much more data. The downside is that means much bigger files to store and edit. And, for many things frankly you won't see the difference between 50 and 28!
If you're shooting fast motion such as sports, or really detailed scenes (trees, intricate objects) then 50 could be worth it; else you might as well stick with 28 and save yourself some storage.
+UKAirscape so the SanDisk Ultra 15MB/s class 4 of 16 Gb wont do the thing right? I've been watching some clips on my Imac and it played 'choppy', I don't know if that was for lacking the right codecs or due to the SD card
+Wild Eye Studios I don't think that will work well; faster is nearly always better (up to a point). You could have playback issues as well (eg if you're trying to play back directly from the card rather than importing onto the iMac hard disc) but if you have too slow a card, it won't be able to keep up with all the data being written to it by the camcorder. Get Class 10 and you should be fine. They're not costly nowadays.
+UKAirscape also, you recommend editing this HD mp4 clips on FCP 7 or Premiere Pro? I'm surprised this camera doesn't output in MTS as the retailer told me most of this cameras use MTS. Thanks for answering
Not sure about FCP7, it got left behind quite a while ago when FCP X came out. HD clips should be fine though, I believe. As for PP, if you have the latest version via their subscription plan then yes, it'll deal with it easily. I wouldn't worry about the file extension, underneath it all these files are all essentially variants of H.264
I want a CCD camcorder and everything has cmos which I absolutely hate. Are there any CCD camcorders anymore?
No, that technology's now considered out of date. Its sole technical advantage was the full-frame readout at once so no "skew" on pans but everything else about it - image quality, sensitivity, power consumption etc - has been vastly superseded by cmos. Why do you hate it? The advantages well outweight that slight skew and flash banding issue.
I absolutely hate the skew and jelly effect of cmos which makes it no use to me. Looks like I will be buying a camera from 2004 the sony HDR FX1E.
I would strongly advise you don't waste your money on that. No matter how much you hate jelly, that tech is years behind what a modern cam can do, even with cmos side effects.
UKAirscape
How am I going to record videos of lightning without a CCD camera? Lighting happens so fast that with cmos I only see a bright flash across half the frame but with CCD I get the whole thing.
Ah well now that makes more sense in that you have a specific technical application. I can't give you a good answer to that but I still would suggest old HDV ccd tech like the FX1 is not the best answer.
I would suggest you try chatting with Alistair Chapman who is a Sony XDCAM expert and - more relevantly for you - a storm chaser with specific expertise at what you're doing. His website is www.alisterchapman.com/ and he has an active forum there. Hope that helps.
Just got one, 2 days. enjoy watch your video Thanks, save time reading the book. I notes something, subject is around 2 feet if you zoom in the subject it turn out of focus even in maunel mode cannot focus. is it normal.
Yes. When a subject is very close, the camera will be unable to focus if you zoom on it. This is normal on a lot of camcorders.
Did you end up finding out if you can disable the gyro?
Great vid!
Huh?
Sorry for not being specific enough; at one point, you mentioned that when you tilt the camera slightly, it readjusts to be filming at that angle as if it wasn't tilted at all. You then mentioned that you haven't found a way to disable this yet, so I was curious if you did in the end.
Thank you for your time!
Oh, yes. You can. In fact, there's a dedicated button for it on the side of the camcorder; so obvious that I entirely missed it!
Oh nice! Thank you very much for your response. :)