Camcorder, highish speed

[mshelton]

Thinking about getting a camcorder or some form of high speed camera to take some slo-mo footage of groundhogs this summer. Anyone out there tried this, and maybe through a spotting scope, hoping to capture the show.

 

[jonbearman]

I would go to a higher end camera store and get educated on what works and what doesnt.

 

[Taildrag15X]

I've used high speed equipment before to show how our book binding equipment worked at an operating speed of 18,000 bph/5 books a second, about as fast as you can make paper behave. I learned alot about photography in the process of doing these demo shorts, foremost the cost and range of equipment required. Luckly we have a State U in town which is where I found my Techs and equipment ready and willing to work, the carmea was called Photron.

 

[onelastshot]

I have a cannon GL2 camcorder I picked up last fall for a moose hunt. The camera is more than I will ever need and used by professionals as well. New I believe they run upwards of $2,500. I picked up one on ebay for about $700 with many extras included. A newer generation came out a couple of years ago causing a dramatic price drop. Make certain you have several batteries and extra film.

Lastly, don't skimp on the tripod, a high quality heavy duty stand is critical. The cheaper ones simply do not hold up in hunting-shooting situations.