Best budget camera 2022

[Spacedoggy]

Hi all,

 

Following on from the recent thread about video editing software, I wondered if I could ask for some thoughts on cameras?

 

I know that this topic has been covered a few times already, but time has moved on and I have some rather specific requirements:

 

1. I’d like to be able to download the footage onto a Mac and edit it with iMovie. I really don’t want to mess around with cloud accounts or mobile apps, just an old school file I can download.
2. Would be great if there was some way of extracting getting telemetry data from it (speed etc).
3. Decent quality footage
4. Needs to be able to bolt securely to the roll bar.
5. Needs to be powered from USB/12v socket (<cough> for when I finally get it wired up).
6. Reliable and easy to use
7. As cheap as possible (£100-£200 ish?).
    

Happy to go with something several generations old if it meets the criteria.

 

Any thoughts?

[Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO]

Many action cams don't like to be recording continuously and hence overheat due to the processing power used for smoothing/stabilizing etc. I fell out with my GoPro hero 7 as I get fed up with it not stopping and starting when I wanted via the phone app. I'm now using a Insta 360X2(Not in budget, sorry) which so far appears to be great. I'd add the ability to use an external mic to your list as wind noise ruins most external mounted cameras. I use a cheap lapel mic in the footwell. 

 

As the X2 will only record for 30 mins max. I generally keep an eye on the recording length and stop and restart, to ensure certain parts of a drive are recorded. 

 

[Spacedoggy]

@Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AOThanks for sharing your thoughts.  I was tempted by something like a GoPro Hero 7, but was put off by the fact it uses a propriety format.  Surprised to hear that they are so prone to overheating though.   Also surprised that even with the newer cameras you only get 30 minutes of recording time.  Guess I'd need to add a remote start/stop button to the list?
 

It's likely I'm not going to hit all the criteria on my list but it's useful to get a better understanding of what I can reasonably expect.

 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Part of the problem is, we've "all" kind of got obsessed with Action Cameras that were designed originally for the opposite of how we use them, and what we want. To the extent, that enough petrol/gear heads use them now on cars and bikes etc, that the makers have tried to throw us a bone by including some software features that work well for us, image wise, and clamps and mounts suitable for vehicles.

 

BUT, we still have the issue that the actual cameras are designed to be miniature, all in one devices, easily worn on the body or head, for shooting action sports footage. So they're not designed to have permanent power supplies, or constant running.

 

There are cameras designed for vehicle use, which have much better focal length lenses for car to car filming, permanent power supplies, proper remote stop start buttons etc. BUT, because they're for such a small market, the prices are huge, fitting is more complicated, and frankly the technology lags behind the action cameras quite a bit.

 

You're probably almost as well, for what requirements and price you list, just looking at the really cheap knock-off clones of Go Pro's etc, and regarding them as almost disposable. - And lots of batteries/memory cards.

 

Or, go for a second hand decent camera system, from maybe a generation or two back, when someone upgrades to something newer.

[Spacedoggy]

@Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Secretary Thanks for your insights.  Looks like I might need to readjust my expectations.🙂

 

I was thinking that a decent second hand camera systems from a couple of generations back would be a good place to start, but I'm put off the Go Pros due to the propriety format (so I understand, anyway). Ideally I'd just like something that can save directly to SD Card that I can edit directly on my Mac.

 

Just wondered if anyone had any recommendations of cameras past or present that might be suitable (accepting that I'll have to compromise in some areas considering the budget I'm looking at / treat it as disposable)?