Thread: Smallest, "good" quality video for under $2k?

I know, it's a weird ask coming from me but I don't know consumer cams really.

We have a client that needs to do unobtrusive follow-alongs at major retail store. This needs to be card based, "high" quality and size is a factor. Real small handheld would be ideal. Budget is up to $2000 but obviously cheaper is better. Just for a size idea, they thought my Canon FX100 (which is tiny) was way too big. It's being run by amateurs, so auto everything, no external audio, straight bare-bones with decent video quality for indoor well lit department store.

Thanks.

gopro?
....

Good call on the GoPro. Mounting it could be a challenge, however. Maybe a chest harness?

This one has really good IQ: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...eady_Full.html

I am loving my gopro. The wide angle might be a problem, but you have 3 setting available in 1080 I think. If you use the skeleton back, the audio is ok. Is this a hidden camera type thing, or can it be mounted in the open?

This is for idiots to use. A gopro I don't think would appeal to them since there is no screen, not great audio and isn't idiot proof). It's not something you can just hand to anyone and is intuitive to use with the holding of buttons to get into different modes, etc. I want to give them a form factor that everyone knows, you flip out the screen and push the record button. I don't want them to have the ability to screw anything up.

They are literally just going to be following some people around a department store and getting their opinions on the store layout, ease of navigation, accessibility, etc. It really doesn't need to be fancy, but has to be small and not very noticeable to other customers. I think I'll look deeper into that Panny. That's the second time it has been brought up to me for this question on 2 sites.

A Flip Camera may work well in this situation. http://support.theflip.com/en-us/home

Reasonably cheap, incredibly easy to use, decent audio, decent video, would work for handing out to store employees to record.

The only thing is that there is no removable media, instead they would need to connect to a computer and get to the files that way and with the built in USB makes it easy for anyone to connect to any computer.

Canon XA10 is really small, and good quality. Right around 2k.

You still have to capture the video though, so that may be too intense for them.

Originally Posted by Phildo_Baggins

You still have to capture the video though, so that may be too intense for them.

I'll be doing that anyway.

Originally Posted by systemoverblow'd

I'll be doing that anyway.

Then that would be my vote. Comes with 64gb of internal memory, and you can transfer shots in-camera onto SD cards for submittal/storage, etc. Full auto, with option to run everything manually. Reasonably intuitive touchscreen controls.