possibly unusual requirements for camera?

[Chris Coulson]

I film cat behaviour documentaries for YouTube, and I use a Sony FX1 for filming, but it's a lot of fuss to get it ready, and by the time you're ready, the behaviour has finished!

I'd also like something with sort of dashcam functionality, where you can leave it filming all day, overwriting old footage, in the hope of capturing a particular behaviour,and when the behaviour happens, you can then stop it's overwriting function?

I was getting excited about a DSLR canon 650d, but it's too slow and hunts with the focus too.

I was also wondering about getting a nice compact mirrorless camera as they're quite quick to point and shoot, although I understand they're limited to 29mins and 59 seconds of footage per take?

But I'm beginning to think I need a camcorder still... Can anyone recommend something that starts up quick, and has this constant filming capability?

Budget is probably under £1000?

[Nate Haustein]

The new GoPro 3 has a continuous looping video mode. It can be powered by USB and is about as simple as you can get. I have the black version and for the most part I'd recommend it for these purposes.

[Shaun Roemich]

In my immediate circle, we have had a number of GoPro Hero3 Black media files go corrupt, both with the shipping firmware and the recent update.

We have stopped using it for important recordings.

YMMV.

[Chris Soucy]

Hi, Chris..............

The Canon XL1/ 2 cameras have the facility to shut off the VCR section, disabling the tape drives.

So disabled, the camera section will run for ever, 24/7 as long as it is powered from a mains supply.

In such mode, a feed from the Firewire port to a PC with a 2 or 4 TB external hard drive dock will allow the camera to record pretty well 24/7 using very simply NLE software.

There's no "power up" delay as it's always "powered up" and shooting.

We used this tactic in London shooting something like 4,000 hours of video of urban foxes at night (using IR triggered floods) and a LP VCR deck with 4 hour tapes, from memory.

Quite what modern HD cameras have such an ability I know not, though I believe my Canon XH A1 does.

Chip recording cameras may, but...............?


CS

[Chris DeVoe]

This will sound kind of weird, but the latest thing in security systems is 1080P cameras. This month, CostCo has an 8 channel security DVR with 4 cameras for $899 in their current flyer, $300 off. They have a 2 terabyte hard drive, and they are built so all cameras record 24/7, recording over old video by default. The connection between the cameras and the DVR is SDI.

These are all fixed focus cameras, but then so are the HD Heros. They have the advantage of being equipped with IR LEDs, would would seem to be perfect for nocturnal creatures like cats, and you can capture footage of them moving the furniture around (which must be what they are doing at night to judge from the noise). And you could plug other HD-SDI cameras into the other inputs of the DVR, like the Canon XH G1.

[Trevor Dennis]

Originally Posted by Chris DeVoe

...and you can capture footage of them moving the furniture around (which must be what they are doing at night to judge from the noise)

Amen to that. Ours get up on the roof at night and chase each other around. We only have thin aluminium roofs here (because of the earthquake risk) and it sounds like someone is playing with a drum kit above your head!