How long does the battery last? And how good is the filming in normal light?
1259190
I wish I`d never seen this camera. Does that answer your question. It will not charge, It will not start, and the company refuse to answer any and all emails.
1259191
1 hour at best. Filming in bright day light is OK, but occasionally will give you auto focus problems. The auto focus system seemed to be struggling to get the image focused, they go blurred then sharpen back again once or twice in very bright day time in a 20 minutes shot. The problem is pronounced at night time. This don't come with image stabilization, must use tripod all the time. Overall I don't recommend this. Go for a Sony.
1259192
Battery life is ok. I bought an extra battery at local radio shack because I use it at night.I use it a lot for the infared light so not real sure about normal light but it does well at night. Only real problem I have yet to figure out is you can only use the software they have included and I cannot figure out how to put anything I have recorded on dvd.
1259193
i purchase an extra battery that last much longer because i was sure that the battery that was included wouldn't be enough for my use.
85458
Yes, it's a good camera in regular lighting. Can get grainy in low light. Camera is taped based so it's old format. You need an external recorded if you want digital files. Camera is HD or shoots SD. You can shoot on either tape for backup if you use an external recorder (like a Sony). I would look to newer cameras despite the fact this camera has done me well over the past 3 years. There are just newer cameras out there for just a bit more money. But tapeless is my recommendation or if you get the FX7 at a great price then it's worth it.
515587
You have to use the screen as a viewfinder when shooting video because the shutter is open and the mirror flipped up--so you can't see through the optical viewfinder. As for how long the battery will last, there are two things you need to know about shooting video with a DSLR. First of all, you can't shoot a single video shot lasting more than about twelve minutes because the camera will automatically divide the footage into segments. Which brings us to the second thing; the camera will shut itself down if you keep shooting continuous video for more than about thirty minutes to prevent the camera from overheating. If you, for example, want to shoot an entire event lasting an hour or more without ever stopping the camera, then you want an actual video camera such as a VIXIA or Handycam, not a DSLR. People who shoot films typically do not take single shots of longer than ten to fifteen seconds each. We take all our shots then edit them into a sequential story on a computer. We don't shoot a couple of hours of film and then edit it down into individual scenes. If you want to learn how to make video that doesn't suck, I recommend a book called "How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" by filmmaker Steve Stockman. So far, I haven't had the battery run out on me during a single day of shooting video, photography, or both over the course of a few hours--but again, I'm not keeping it running the whole time and firehosing the scene like you might do with a smart phone or if you were making a really bad movie like Cloverfield. It recharges rather quickly, but I wouldn't go more than two casual outings without recharging the battery if I were relying on just the one battery in the camera body.
263096
Larry I purchased this item less than a month ago - I video our church services and it takes about an hour and a half and the battery light shows only 2 bars out of 4 used - I estimate 2/12 to 3 hours maybe a little more - keep an eye on you battery bars - I also recommend purchasing a spare battery a little pricey but worth the peace of mine - bye the way the microphone and zoom are excellent I film from rear of church and choir and Preacher come thru great sound and looks. I WOULD RECOMMEND.
1591877
1) Battery life from the included battery ~800maH is about 50 minutes shooting at 720p at 60fps. I believe it is a little longer when you shoot at slower frame rates like 30fps. I bought a 1200 maH after market battery which took it to nearly 60 min at 60fps. 2) I usually use the camera in more or less bright sunlight outdoors at a pool. So optical and digital zoom is pretty good under those conditions which are generally optimal conditions for most videocams. I have not tried in lower light situations. 3) It saves in mp4 format which is perfect for most applications. I have a SDHC slot on my Mac and it's easy to copy from the SDHC card to my computer and do whatever I want, share or burn DVD.
1028752
Its actually not too bad. I use mine all the time in low light situations, but with any camera the lower the light your filming in it will start to look grainy. This camera comes with a light you can attach, so all you need to do is turn that on.
515588
I have actually never shot video but in my experience taking pictures it has a great battery. I've gone almost two weeks without charging.
891362
Yeah it's normal, it sucks battery big time :-( other than that it's a cool camera. You need to invest in Sanyo Eneloop battery. They're the best!.
934068
Battery here is not impressive, at least in comparison with my old Lumix LX-3. Turn camera off when not shooting should become a good habit. Also, there is no pause for video shooting and bno ability to get snapshots while playing.
1458165
What will really drain the battery is zooming in and out a lot during video. But if you just video recording without using the zoom a lot, it will last quite a bit.
615089
The filming quality is good, as long as you don't scratch the lens. This camera does not have an auto-close function on the lens. You have to remember to close it every time. I put it in a back pack for 20 min. and forgot to close the lens cover, it ruined the lens and camera. There is not a light, but it does record decently in low light.
1224810
same as most cameras. depends how often you are using video or just leaving it on. It doesn't seem to "burn" battery time. be sure to get a "floating" strap--realy worth the extra $6-8.
2019289
Depends how you're using your camera. If you're taking photos - you'll get approx. 4-6 hours of use, indoor photos with a flash will use up more of your batteries, and taking movies will absolutely eat up your batts, so yes, 10-20 minutes sounds normal if you are taking movies.
1817707
I have taken 300+ pictures mixed with a few videos on a fully charged battery. It will also hold a charge for a long time when not in use.
997402
I agree with Rick. The battery themselves are good as long as you buy genuine. So the real question is how long you want it to last. Also, if you are filming with a vg camera, you must have a 70 or 100. 30 and 50 do not work in those. Other handy cams are fine.
1978960
Nope, it's internal and hold power vey good with low light, aprox 3 hours and a half to 4 depends on ur work.
2015331
Depending on how much you use flash, delve frequently into menus, etc., you can usually expect pretty decent battery life. I've gone a whole day shooting over 200 exposures without depleting the battery entirely.