…Also, I just realized you have a third option.
If you’re pretty technical, there’s this Canon firmware hacking software called magic lantern:
That you can load onto a classic EOS M:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_EOS_M
The M and its now obsolete lenses it are cheap, and magic lantern gives it rather excellent video recording capabilities. Smaller cameras just can’t compete with its big sensor.
But if you don’t consider yourself much of a tinkerer, I’d avoid that route.
Also, if you’re trying to beat a smartphone optically, modern mirrorless cameras are good. And not embarrassing to hold. This is my little R50V next to an older body:
And I am not a vlogger. It’s my travel/family cam.
Though TBH I’d recommend a used Panasonic Lumix S9 instead. That will utterly blow a smartphone out of the water.
…But it’s not cheap. A used S9 with a 18-40mm lens is $1000, and that’s a steal in the photography world. The R50V with a kit lens is like $700 new, and that’s as cheap as these video-centric cameras get.
What’s wrong with a smartphone?
I don’t mean to come off as abrasive, but phone cameras are very good. You aren’t going to beat them optically for $200. The biggest shortcoming is stabilization vs mini cameras on a gimbal, but you can get around that with Gyoflow for free:
https://docs.gyroflow.xyz/app/getting-started/supported-cameras/mobile-phones
Check out the Blackmagic video app, too.
Yeah. Exactly
I’m bristling at this because it’s exactly what Trump does here. Some local official screws up or does something bad, and it’s blown up on Twitter and generalized to all “Democrats.”
…no? From my perspective, that’s like saying:
Democrats and police worked to protect the slavers and stop the rescue of slaves from out of the province.
When it was really the city, or at most state-level government getting in trouble. I know China isn’t federalized to the extend the US is, and it’s technically true since all govt is CCP, but still.
It sounds like you are implicating national officials when there’s no mention in the source.
Party officials and police worked to protect the slavers…
Seems like local government. Right?
Concealed camera revealed that the local police refused to take action to rescue the slaves. Later the reporters were allowed into the illegal brickyards with the company of the local police. Concealed camera showed the police keeping them from rescuing children who were not from Henan which showed obvious local government protection for the illegal brickyards.
As the scandal received immediate media attention, it also caught the eyes of the major party and state leaders, including CCP General Secretary Hu Jintao and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Governor Yu Youjun of Shanxi province offered an unprecedented self-criticism, took responsibility, and tendered his resignation on 30 August. He was replaced by Meng Xuenong, an official who had been sacked as Beijing mayor after the SARS outbreak.[8]
That’s because the sensor is small. Newer phones and mini cameras will all be weak in dim light, outside the absolute extremes like Huawei and Sharp phones.
Check out a Canon EOS M, ~$250 on eBay, or any older SLR that supports MagicLantern firmware. That’s the absolute best way into better indoor video, as its image sensor is like 6-10X the area of a phone’s. Not sure what lens is best for M-mount, but I can look around if that’s of interest.
It’s not as small as a phone, but about as small as a point-and-shoot.