FAQs

There are two types of zoom, optical zoom and digital zoom. While using Digital zoom the camera takes a look at what it’s “looking at”, and digitally zooms in, usually two or three times closer. The problem with digital zoom is that you lose quality when you do this, therefore it is not recommended for hunters. The optical zoom lenses actually “move” you closer to the subject of the video without sacrificing quality. The higher the optical zoom rating the farther away you can be to take a video and still get a clear, close-up image. If you are hunting using a bow then a 10x zoom will be enough zoom for you as your subject is not going to be that far away from you. If you are hunting using a gun or are up in the mountains then I would recommend a 20x optical zoom to be able to capture the subject far away. For example: If you are in the mountains and the sheep is 200 yards away from you then using a 20x optical zoom the camera brings in the subject to 10 yards on the camera.

With the new camera technology they are now being able to place them into smaller cameras meaning you wont sacrifice footage quality with the secondary camera. 

We would recommend using the Canon HFS series cameras to capture a secondary angle. There are three models in the HFS series. HFS200/20/21. All these models will capture HD footage. The basic model, HF-S200 is equipped with two SD memory card slots. The HFS-20 can record up to 12hrs HD footage with a 32gb internal flash drive and equipped with two SD memory card slots. The HFS-21 can record up to 24hrs HD footage with a 64gb internal flash drive and equipped with two SD memory card slots. These cameras are perfect if you need to just set them up and press record. You will never have to worry about switching out tapes or SD cards because of their Relay Recording function that automatically switches video recording from one SD memory card to the other without losing a second of film! The audio on these cameras is very good. These cameras do allow for a shotgun microphone to be added with a mini shoe to universal shoe adapter. 

Some other options:

Shade Cam- Camouflage Sunglasses that features a pinhole CMOS video camera with built in 4gb memory that allows for 3hrs of video. Add a micro SD card for another 6hrs of video. Includes 3 sets of interchangeable lenses. This is used to capture the Hunter's perspective or whoever is wearing the sunglasses.

GoPro's HD Helmet Hero- World's highest performance wearable 1080p HD Video and Still Photo. Record up to 9hrs with a 32gb SD Cart (not included). Waterproof to 180'. Included are mounts for attaching to 3 helmets and 2 pieces of gear or vehicles, as well as a head strap.

These cameras that we sell are the same cameras used in a lot of different filming conditions but we fill like these are the best ones for the outdoor world. None of the Canon or Sony video cameras are waterproof but we do recommend rain covers which allow you to use your video camera in the rain and it will protect it.

There are a lot of situations where we get hunters and cameramen who have dropped their camera out of their tree stand or even accidentally run over it. The manufacture warranty will not cover this and therefore you will be left without a video camera. We recommend the MACK Warranty which is like a type of insurance for your video camera. This is going to cover the fall from the tree stand and the time you accidentally ran over it. It will also cover any other normal wear and tear and accidental use. It will also now cover water damage as long as the product can be retrieved. If will not cover  the video camera if it is lost or stolen. This is a 3-year-diamond warranty that will also come with two free cleanings for the video camera and one free head cleaning. The 3-year Mack diamond warranty is the best accessory to protect your video camera from the outdoors!

After you record your filmed hunt there are different options to do with that film. You can hook up your AV cables that came with your video camera directly to your TV to showcase your footage. Another option is to transfer your footage from your camera to your computer to use to edit the film or burn directly to DVDs. To do this you connect a firewire cable from your camera to your computer. Since most computers do not have a firewire port we here at Campbellcameras.com have created a capture device that allows you to plug into your camera and connect to your computer using a USB port. Once you have downloaded your footage into your film you are now ready to edit it using your favorite editing software. Campbell Cameras has teamed up with the Campbell Outdoor Challenge to bring you the Campbell Outdoor Video Editor, an easy to use editing software specifically designed for the outdoors. This breaks down other editing software into more useful terms and allows for customization specifically designed for outdoorsman. This has over 30 animal sounds and includes different transitions and effects. To learn more about this Campbell Outdoor Challenge Video Editing watch this video:

Most hunters, being first time videographers, rely a lot on the LCD screen. This is an okay tactic but the videographer has to be careful because sometimes what they see on the LCD screen is not actually what is being recorded. This is the difference between Canon and Sony video cameras. Canon’s LCD screens have a lower resolution then the actual camera itself therefore it does not depict what the camera is actually recording. Sony cameras have a higher LCD resolution depicting a more accurate image.

When choosing a video camera the recording option is very important. Most video cameras record to what is called a MiniDV tapes. These come in 60 min tapes which can be expensive over time. When you are going to transfer your video footage from your camera to your computer MiniDV tape video cameras are going to download your footage in “real time” meaning if you have an hour of film it will take an hour to upload to your computer. This is not that important unless you are in a hurry to edit your footage. Other recording options are recording to flash memory. This records to a flash card of different sizes for different recording times. The benefit of flash cards are the faster transfer times for downloading your footage to your computer. 

When filming in the outdoors there are a lot of obstacles in the way such as tree limbs and therefore using manual focus is recommended. If you use auto focus the camera will focus in on the tree limb in front of the animal instead of the animal itself. If you use manual focus then you have the capabilities to focus in on what you are interested in filming. There are usually two types of manual focus.

Before you buy a camera it is important to determine what type of filming you will be doing and to determine the audio that you will need. If you would like to record the voice of the hunter then wireless microphones are what you need. If you would like to capture the ambiance of the the area that you are filming then a shotgun microphone, which is a microphone that sits on top of the camera and extends the reach of the internal microphone, is recommended for you. If you are looking at using both wireless mics and a shotgun microphone then you must look for a camera that has XLR ports which allow you to use both of these at the same time. There are Beachtek Audio Adaptres to use with cameras that don’t have the XLR port options but it is important to decide if this is what you want to do before you buy your camera.

The best hunting typically happens right as the sun rises and sets; therefore, low light capabilities of cameras are very important to hunters. To find the low light rating of video cameras you will look at the LUX rating. The lower the LUX rating the better the camera is in low-light situations. There is no standards in LUX ratings and so you have to know how the brand rates their cameras. Sony rates their LUX ratings as straight out of the box without making any changes to the camera. Whereas Canon’s LUX ratings are the lowest that the camera can possible go with changing different settings. Beware that the film quality goes down and becomes more grainy as you change the settings to bring in more light to the camera.

To determine what camera is right for you the first step is to decide what you will be using your camera for. If using only for personal use to film your hunts and family then standard definition is all that is required for you. If you are planning on using your camera for film production; including creating dvds or a tv show or for a chance of getting your filmed hunt on a TV show then I would recommend you look for a High-Definition Camera. Most TV Networks now require that all footage be filmed in High Definition. 

I would recommend anything from our website. They are all a good fit for a trip.