The fact a mid range phone camera can look good, even next to a professional camera is impressive. I suppose learning a camera is just another possible avenue for model railway enthusiasts to explore these days. And if you enjoy it, then more power to you.
I have a DSLR and experienced all the same issues that you mentioned. Yes, I can get great photos with it, especially when I use image stacking software. But getting good video is a PITA. My camera has tracking focus which allows me to "point" at a moving object (say, a loco) to set the focus, and the camera will in theory stay focused on it. But even when that works, pretty much everything else is out of focus. And of course, getting the best results always required a lot of time consuming fiddling with settings, etc. I have a mid-range Oppo camera that takes good photos, but its video is pretty ordinary. So I bought a (then) top of the range Samung S22 phone specifically for its camera qualities. To say that it has changed my model railroad photography would be a massive understatement. I carry in my back pocket whenever I'm running trains or visiting layouts, and it takes me just a few seconds to pull it out and take great photos or shoot excellent video. Its native small aperture provides excellent depth of field and it has multiple lenses which allow me to zoom without software interpolation. The best feature (IMO) is that it has image stabilisation in video mode, so I can walk along with trains as they run around a layout and get video that is sharp and steady. I still use my DSLR when I have the time to fiddle with the settings, etc. and add extra lighting. But for convenience, the S22 is far better. th-cam.com/video/VHR7N17p5zE/w-d-xo.html
I like the quality of your Oppo camera. It's quite impressive how it makes great recordings without having to fiddle around with settings A, B and C. Personally, I have been filming my layout on a very good camera but it also needed to retake, experiment etc and honestly, that expensive piece of kit came less and less out of the cupboard... Especially since I have a new lower midrange smartphone (A25) now that can do everything just as good (or even better) without needing an extra me to operate it 😊 I might now just as well sell the camera...
It's also worth remembering that all cameras work better if there's more light. I should have talked about that too! So investing in better lighting can sometimes be more effective than buying a better camera.
I used a Canon 200D for years, and now I use a mad exspensive Sony 4K camcorder XD DSLRs are infinatly better than phone cameras though. If you practice with the DSLR, you will find that its far better in general than a phone camera. The auto focus should be far better on the DSLR aswell. Practice makes perfect. Screw about with it in your time off, its great fun! Also I would advice that you absolutley CRANK the video bitrate as high as you possibly can, TH-cam really suffers with low bitrate at 1080p. Which is why I upscaled all my videos to 4K a few years ago, to overcome the god awful compression that youtube puts on everything. Your video editing software should have the option for bitrate or something with a similar name, in the export settings. Crank that number as high as it will go before exporting the video, it will help ENOURMOUSLY!! Have fun!!
Nice video showing the pros and cons of both. DSLR needs lots of practice just to take photos, pick it up everyday and practice.
The fact a mid range phone camera can look good, even next to a professional camera is impressive.
I suppose learning a camera is just another possible avenue for model railway enthusiasts to explore these days.
And if you enjoy it, then more power to you.
I have a Sony dslr too and makes my railway look so much better than my phone.
Thanks I found that interesting though I’m not techie enough to give any advice!
I have a DSLR and experienced all the same issues that you mentioned. Yes, I can get great photos with it, especially when I use image stacking software. But getting good video is a PITA. My camera has tracking focus which allows me to "point" at a moving object (say, a loco) to set the focus, and the camera will in theory stay focused on it. But even when that works, pretty much everything else is out of focus. And of course, getting the best results always required a lot of time consuming fiddling with settings, etc.
I have a mid-range Oppo camera that takes good photos, but its video is pretty ordinary. So I bought a (then) top of the range Samung S22 phone specifically for its camera qualities. To say that it has changed my model railroad photography would be a massive understatement. I carry in my back pocket whenever I'm running trains or visiting layouts, and it takes me just a few seconds to pull it out and take great photos or shoot excellent video. Its native small aperture provides excellent depth of field and it has multiple lenses which allow me to zoom without software interpolation. The best feature (IMO) is that it has image stabilisation in video mode, so I can walk along with trains as they run around a layout and get video that is sharp and steady.
I still use my DSLR when I have the time to fiddle with the settings, etc. and add extra lighting. But for convenience, the S22 is far better.
th-cam.com/video/VHR7N17p5zE/w-d-xo.html
Great insight, thanks for sharing!
I like the quality of your Oppo camera. It's quite impressive how it makes great recordings without having to fiddle around with settings A, B and C. Personally, I have been filming my layout on a very good camera but it also needed to retake, experiment etc and honestly, that expensive piece of kit came less and less out of the cupboard... Especially since I have a new lower midrange smartphone (A25) now that can do everything just as good (or even better) without needing an extra me to operate it 😊 I might now just as well sell the camera...
It's also worth remembering that all cameras work better if there's more light. I should have talked about that too! So investing in better lighting can sometimes be more effective than buying a better camera.
@ I use a floor lamp with a 24w 6000K (daylight) LED lamp in it. I use it from behind the camera.
Oh...sold my camera ages back 😂 Doh!
I used a Canon 200D for years, and now I use a mad exspensive Sony 4K camcorder XD
DSLRs are infinatly better than phone cameras though.
If you practice with the DSLR, you will find that its far better in general than a phone camera. The auto focus should be far better on the DSLR aswell. Practice makes perfect. Screw about with it in your time off, its great fun!
Also I would advice that you absolutley CRANK the video bitrate as high as you possibly can, TH-cam really suffers with low bitrate at 1080p. Which is why I upscaled all my videos to 4K a few years ago, to overcome the god awful compression that youtube puts on everything.
Your video editing software should have the option for bitrate or something with a similar name, in the export settings. Crank that number as high as it will go before exporting the video, it will help ENOURMOUSLY!!
Have fun!!
I did consider a camcorder, but at my budget a second hand DSLR has a bigger sensor. It's a big complicated expensive world out there!
I think that camera has tracking focus. It memorize an image and try to focus on it while it is moving.
I'll have to try that! Thanks.
the best of a S'L'R camera you can change lenses 24 to 109 or a wide angle lens that is all I use with a canon camera that I have had for 20 years