Subscribed, and agree! Every camera has become so good now, which I think is great, it levels the playing field a bit, but where I think (hope) happens is what people DO with the thing rather than just tell me about the thing 🙏🏾
Hey Kofi, thank you. Appreciate it. It’s really like the old “show don’t tell” - Hopefully there’s good life left in it and it goes the right way. Love your work btw 🔥
@ I think it will! Numbers don’t lie, people show up in droves to the latest gear video, but that extra little bit and putting context to that gear I think is going to breath life back into the niche 🙏🏾
💯- yeah they do. But for all that do there’s always only a handful that will subscribe. They’re like magpies. Onto the next shiny thing and they may not come back but the ones that do are at least the stable baseline of growing a community. 🙏
Vik! So many things come to mind as I watch this. Not the least is that you pulled the mental chatter right out of my head. It is indeed hard for me to carry on with TH-cam as well, but I really hope YOU do as I could listen to you talk about bog roll. Ironically I found you when I got my OP3 earlier this year for one of those “settings” videos. But you’ve hit all the points about the state of TH-cam videos in our niche. I think that’s why some are reaching back to do reviews of old or weird camera gear. I struggle to carry on with fresh ideas even though I’m fortunate to have some long term loans of very good camera gear to use. But a few months back I did a sponsored video on some grip gear and I don’t think it even has 250 views yet 😂 And yes people are lazy. They won’t crack open the camera manual themselves. I get the stupidest basic questions all the time. I shall work harder on the story structure. (And thanks for your reply to me on your last video, even though it probably pained you to reply.) If you’re looking for an idea to make a TH-cam video about I’d love to see your actual process of using Chat GPT to help generate ideas and story lines etc. That’s a huge black hole in my head right now. Lots of high level stuff but no trusted details on the how-to side of things. Or just send me to a person/video who can teach me if you’re not into making it yourself. Happy holidays to you and your family. Hope your wife recovers, your health stays on the upswing, and that you can re-energize in whatever way is best for you. If that means leaving us for a few months, or forever, all the power to you! I totally get it. Hugs from Calgary, Canada.
Thanks so much Marlene. We’re doing really well now. I totally get it about the questions but it’s part and parcel. The ones who don’t read the manual never really do much in the end let alone have a good reason for the camera in the first place. And that saddens me as it buying it for the sake of it. The fresh ideas thing is always a struggle but what I’ve done over the years is have a backlog of “must make” videos. So there’s always something to fall back on should / when the need arises. The sponsored videos are great in one way if they do well and deliver value. Otherwise they’re momentum killers. I’ll put ChatGPT into the list 🙏 And right back at ya. Enjoy the festivities.
Definitely a combination of things. Saturation of niche, plateauing of technology (I’m not sure it’s stagnation, that maybe implies that there’s some missing feature that we really need, or at least that there’s mainstream demand for), focus shifts to content that doesn’t require anything other than a phone - lots of creators who might have become talented filmmakers have ended up doing TikTok instead. This relates to the lack of desire to learn skills when you can “be successful” without them. So probably a less people getting serious about filmmaking than before. I think that’s a great point you’ve made. We are getting lazier and AI has made this standard practice. Doesn’t bode well long term for many things.
Fair point about ai making us lazier. But it took considerable prompting for me to get into my funeral suit 🤣 The saturation of niche is also fair but I do think over saturated is just another opportunity for people to not even give it a go. Every niche is saturated or borderline saturated at this stage. Great point on the phone.
You have a gift with storytelling for sure. When I found your channel I was not only informed but entertained. I genuinely look forward to your videos. Actually one of the few people that I subscribe to where I watch every video, all the way through. Keep em coming and keep telling great stories!
I really enjoyed this video & I do keep hoping & praying story telling isn’t dead. I started my channel to do this type of channel, I actually really enjoy story telling channels & the channels where we get to know the person on the channel! You definitely hold people’s attention so well, and are a genuine talker, you’re just being yourself and that’s what I like in channels & want to become. I have enjoyed your videos, keep being you & prayers for your wife. ❤
Indeed. You get the same thing on bike groups. People obsess about the latest kit. I use a 1970s Raleigh to get around. It’s a struggle to not say something very sarcastic when another person asks about the “best” settings or “I’m going to upgrade, what lens should I get?” Go read a book on photography. Learn things, try them out, learn more.
Fair point. Raleigh choppers FTW. Yeah. Totally get that. What’s the best lens? Well this is the one that’s best for me, dunno about you. Watching is definitely the new reading I fear. I read a tonne for years but over the last few my reading is done digitally. Great comment. Thanks for dropping by.
Hey Larry, yeah. Gaming was the first to get swamped I guess. Where else do you see it? And what makes other creators in those saturated spots stand out?
It won’t die. But it’s totally over saturated. Reviews vids are absolutely important but they sometimes get lost in the “overview” videos which are glorified marketing
@VicBarry I agree, I skip those, or skim through them. I'm mot interested in long term durability, video performance and battery life in sub zero temps as well as mid summer heat, video quality, esse of use. All the normal stuff. So watching someone unbox and repeat marketing bla bla bla while not giving any real info and wasting 15 mins is pointless.
Great video, sums up everything in the camera world. And cameras themselves...? I still get the odd person walk up to me when I'm photographing events wanting to find out what camera I'm using. My response, these days, is "does it matter? They're all pretty much the same. Oh, this one? I chose this one because it's a good all-rounder for hybrid working and I happened to have the lenses to go with it. The end." Boring! More story. Definitely. It makes things more interesting.
It needs something to jab the consciousness of viewers, TH-cam is similar to how TV was, I guess, the challenge is that TH-cam is instant gratification, and Shorts are that quicker fix when the audience, who generally are trending to having the attention span of a goldfish,, need one. If we look at cooking shows on TV, for example, the older types went away, and fresh new talent came and changed the story of how it was told. Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey are good examples. So perhaps we need more swear words when something is shit, it's shit, and call it shit, that's going to mix up the rhetoric a bit, I feel. Just my thoughts away, Pal. Another good video
@VicBarry you know, I think part of it are the embargoes the companies set when sending out products. Then everyone wants to be first and it feels like an onslaught of the same video. I completely get what you mean about Peter McKinnon, really enjoyed that last whiskey vid he did too. It's all about the storytelling.. everything else will follow after that.
@ great point. The embargo thing kills me. I’ve had entire schedules fall apart because of some company shifting things at the last minute and then it’s a scramble to fill a gap. Yes. Absolutely enjoyed the whiskey vid as well
You are so correct about getting products to review. It can be a royal pain in the rear. I have only had a few want to send me something to review but most of them are pure junk. I am not going to waste my time on a tech gadget that is nothing more than toy. I will In the future, be more selective of what I accept. Great video Vic!
Thanks Ron. I’ve turned down more stuff than I’ve taken at this stage. Unless it’s something I’ll genuinely have a need / use case for then it’s unlikely I’ll take it.
Tech is reaching a plateau, plus absolute saturation. There's only so many interesting things you can see 10 times over. With "Game Changing" being something which happens all the time, it's not really Game Changing.
i unsubbed from so many channels this year. Its essentially the home shopping channel 24/7 with creators with zero integrity , out to get that bag and zero regard for their audience. There is a way to do it but many creators just use their audience to farm affiliate links, sell merch, review free stuff and bang in a sponsor aswell. Its shopping fatigue, shill fatigue and zero creativity as everything is a copy of a copy of a copy. Its bad, infact its worse than that.
Yeah. Totally fair point. On the flip side a lot of creators this is their full time gig or a side hustle with the hopes of it becoming a full time gig. I see plenty who you describe but at the same time there’s a good few who have always kept their integrity. But totally get how it’s like a home shopping channel.
Actually older Gopro cameras only were usable in summer, spring, autnumn, as the battery was flat in sub zero temps. So atleast that ha improved now 9 to 13 all can record in extreme low temps like - 20c. But I've not tried them yet still on Hero 7,but I can't record for most of the winter. But otherwise Gopro hasn't improved much, since few years ago, video quality got improved few years back, but then not so much if at all, and still sucks in the dark about as bad as 7. But I see the competition does much better in the dark. 🤔 But as for cameras, it seems like all brands have great or good cameras. But 4 Session. Was usable in sub zero, but its so tiny camera it gets hot. But top models are still way too expensive for me, I simply can't afford it. I hope the tech trickles down some day. I've not turned stupid yet. I love long form content.
I don't see the point of making same video somone did, without atleast adding more information, others didn't. Some vids parents much help lirk super short reviews or overviews. Some are. But one area I see lack of content is polarising filters. Which I'm currently looking I to, but can't find any info on what's the evs for me.
Fair point. Thanks for that. Out of curiosity how many polarising filter videos would you need / watch? I get there’s plenty of use cases but there’s not an infinite amount of content that can be built from them
@VicBarry I've never seen any comparisons, most ar end filters reviews , I saw some but hard to consider when I don't know the results. But the perfect kit doesn't exist, something like Nisi Jetmag but adjustable polariser would be awesome. It's rumored so maybe I should wait no idea if it will ever happen. But I've seen some polarizer reviews, but it's only few brands, and when considering several brands and one only see a few it's like roulette. But I see Nisi nd filters look good, so if polariser are as good then I guess si should get them. But I want something that doesn't exist yet. I'm sold on the Nisi Jetmag, but no adjustable magnetic polariser yet. I probably watched all of the few I can count on one hand. I actually discovered Sigma has filters, never seen anyone review them. I see Kase has magnetic ones but not adjustable. Not sure wha tto get, I want something fast and easy to use, ieth great results. I looked at Nisi Swift it looks neat but not magnetic. 🤔 I often suffer from paralysis from analysis. Ball heads is another area where I can't find any proper info about on of one si can buy in Norway. Not sure wha tto buy, been about a year of research still can't decide.
@VicBarry I'm currently looking into ball heads, it's been a year of looking, but still can't decide. And those reviewed, I can buy, those interested i can buy I don't see reviews of. I want something not too heavy, but it has to be robust and proven.
@@VicBarry I think tech has hit a serious wall. Is it fixable? I think most will take the easy route which has always been the case and the people who actually learn the tech and are innovators will be most successful because they offer something different. The youtube game is always being the first one to do something new. I think shutter, exposure and frame rate will die and be a thing of the past. So is it fixable in the sense of things going back to how they were. No Is it fixable that we can make it in the camera niche? Yes as long as we stay current and find a innovative way of using the new tech.
@VicBarry i just feel that more and more people are just happy with their camera phones and feel reviews and interest in any other kind of cameras is dwindling, considering the quality of camera phones now, including video quality and all the accessories you can get. Gimbals, filters etc. I just feel the traditional dslr type cameras are more geared for a more pro photographer but then thats more a niche market and makes for less popular videos. Could be wrong mind, just my initial thoughts
@@whatsnottohike no. I think that’s very observant to be honest. Phones are now absolutely mass market for video. And “normal” cameras are probably more niche than ever because of the phone quality. As a purist 🤣 I don’t think they’re there just yet (very close though) but for 90% of people or more they are absolutely more than enough.
@@VicBarry yeah. I mean, theres still the pocket 3 which is awesome but as the camera is not great on it, it's more geared for just video. I think its just the times we live in and that camera phones are just getting better and better that unless you're a pro photographer needing a dslr and zoom lenses etc, then phones will be enough. It's a shame but the current reality i feel. Cheers!
Subscribed, and agree! Every camera has become so good now, which I think is great, it levels the playing field a bit, but where I think (hope) happens is what people DO with the thing rather than just tell me about the thing 🙏🏾
Hey Kofi, thank you. Appreciate it. It’s really like the old “show don’t tell” - Hopefully there’s good life left in it and it goes the right way. Love your work btw 🔥
@ I think it will! Numbers don’t lie, people show up in droves to the latest gear video, but that extra little bit and putting context to that gear I think is going to breath life back into the niche 🙏🏾
💯- yeah they do. But for all that do there’s always only a handful that will subscribe. They’re like magpies. Onto the next shiny thing and they may not come back but the ones that do are at least the stable baseline of growing a community. 🙏
@@VicBarry I will say the non-gear focus videos have more subscribers vs views than gear videos , maybe a mix of both is helpful 🫡
Vik! So many things come to mind as I watch this. Not the least is that you pulled the mental chatter right out of my head. It is indeed hard for me to carry on with TH-cam as well, but I really hope YOU do as I could listen to you talk about bog roll. Ironically I found you when I got my OP3 earlier this year for one of those “settings” videos. But you’ve hit all the points about the state of TH-cam videos in our niche. I think that’s why some are reaching back to do reviews of old or weird camera gear.
I struggle to carry on with fresh ideas even though I’m fortunate to have some long term loans of very good camera gear to use. But a few months back I did a sponsored video on some grip gear and I don’t think it even has 250 views yet 😂 And yes people are lazy. They won’t crack open the camera manual themselves. I get the stupidest basic questions all the time.
I shall work harder on the story structure. (And thanks for your reply to me on your last video, even though it probably pained you to reply.)
If you’re looking for an idea to make a TH-cam video about I’d love to see your actual process of using Chat GPT to help generate ideas and story lines etc. That’s a huge black hole in my head right now. Lots of high level stuff but no trusted details on the how-to side of things. Or just send me to a person/video who can teach me if you’re not into making it yourself.
Happy holidays to you and your family. Hope your wife recovers, your health stays on the upswing, and that you can re-energize in whatever way is best for you. If that means leaving us for a few months, or forever, all the power to you! I totally get it. Hugs from Calgary, Canada.
Thanks so much Marlene. We’re doing really well now. I totally get it about the questions but it’s part and parcel. The ones who don’t read the manual never really do much in the end let alone have a good reason for the camera in the first place. And that saddens me as it buying it for the sake of it.
The fresh ideas thing is always a struggle but what I’ve done over the years is have a backlog of “must make” videos. So there’s always something to fall back on should / when the need arises.
The sponsored videos are great in one way if they do well and deliver value. Otherwise they’re momentum killers.
I’ll put ChatGPT into the list 🙏
And right back at ya. Enjoy the festivities.
Definitely a combination of things.
Saturation of niche, plateauing of technology (I’m not sure it’s stagnation, that maybe implies that there’s some missing feature that we really need, or at least that there’s mainstream demand for),
focus shifts to content that doesn’t require anything other than a phone - lots of creators who might have become talented filmmakers have ended up doing TikTok instead.
This relates to the lack of desire to learn skills when you can “be successful” without them. So probably a less people getting serious about filmmaking than before. I think that’s a great point you’ve made. We are getting lazier and AI has made this standard practice.
Doesn’t bode well long term for many things.
Fair point about ai making us lazier. But it took considerable prompting for me to get into my funeral suit 🤣
The saturation of niche is also fair but I do think over saturated is just another opportunity for people to not even give it a go. Every niche is saturated or borderline saturated at this stage.
Great point on the phone.
You have a gift with storytelling for sure. When I found your channel I was not only informed but entertained. I genuinely look forward to your videos. Actually one of the few people that I subscribe to where I watch every video, all the way through. Keep em coming and keep telling great stories!
That’s super feedback to get. Thank you 🙏
You are a gifted story teller. Keep it up.
I’ll take that 🤘 Thank you. I’ll keep trying
I really enjoyed this video & I do keep hoping & praying story telling isn’t dead. I started my channel to do this type of channel, I actually really enjoy story telling channels & the channels where we get to know the person on the channel! You definitely hold people’s attention so well, and are a genuine talker, you’re just being yourself and that’s what I like in channels & want to become. I have enjoyed your videos, keep being you & prayers for your wife. ❤
Great perspective. Thank you for the kind words. We’re doing good now. Thankfully 🙏
No 😂 you have an edge, most others don’t have your accent
🤣 Thanks.
Indeed. You get the same thing on bike groups. People obsess about the latest kit. I use a 1970s Raleigh to get around.
It’s a struggle to not say something very sarcastic when another person asks about the “best” settings or “I’m going to upgrade, what lens should I get?”
Go read a book on photography. Learn things, try them out, learn more.
Fair point. Raleigh choppers FTW.
Yeah. Totally get that. What’s the best lens? Well this is the one that’s best for me, dunno about you.
Watching is definitely the new reading I fear. I read a tonne for years but over the last few my reading is done digitally.
Great comment. Thanks for dropping by.
Ahhhh… not a Chopper. A Twenty. Three speed hub, step through frame, generator lights. Fine for going to work or Tesco.
This information could be applied to other niches such as cooking and brewing where I dwell. I don’t think it’s only for cameras channels.
Hey Larry, yeah. Gaming was the first to get swamped I guess. Where else do you see it? And what makes other creators in those saturated spots stand out?
Photography niche won't die.
People want useful vids. Reviews, comparisons, nice videos.
It won’t die. But it’s totally over saturated. Reviews vids are absolutely important but they sometimes get lost in the “overview” videos which are glorified marketing
@VicBarry I agree, I skip those, or skim through them. I'm mot interested in long term durability, video performance and battery life in sub zero temps as well as mid summer heat, video quality, esse of use. All the normal stuff. So watching someone unbox and repeat marketing bla bla bla while not giving any real info and wasting 15 mins is pointless.
💯
Great video, sums up everything in the camera world. And cameras themselves...? I still get the odd person walk up to me when I'm photographing events wanting to find out what camera I'm using. My response, these days, is "does it matter? They're all pretty much the same. Oh, this one? I chose this one because it's a good all-rounder for hybrid working and I happened to have the lenses to go with it. The end." Boring!
More story. Definitely. It makes things more interesting.
👏
Ha. Great point Claire. I often wonder on these people go home and then just buy the same camera instantly. Doubt it 🤣
It needs something to jab the consciousness of viewers, TH-cam is similar to how TV was, I guess, the challenge is that TH-cam is instant gratification, and Shorts are that quicker fix when the audience, who generally are trending to having the attention span of a goldfish,, need one. If we look at cooking shows on TV, for example, the older types went away, and fresh new talent came and changed the story of how it was told. Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey are good examples. So perhaps we need more swear words when something is shit, it's shit, and call it shit, that's going to mix up the rhetoric a bit, I feel. Just my thoughts away, Pal. Another good video
Cheers bud. Good point. Maybe there’s something in the swearing thing lol - it’s a GIGANTIC struggle for me not swear in videos 🤣
Great vid, also love how you changed the editing between the two towards the end of the vid so it's not just bang on beat.. nice one.
Thank you 🙏 what do you reckon? Are they dead?
@VicBarry you know, I think part of it are the embargoes the companies set when sending out products. Then everyone wants to be first and it feels like an onslaught of the same video. I completely get what you mean about Peter McKinnon, really enjoyed that last whiskey vid he did too. It's all about the storytelling.. everything else will follow after that.
@ great point. The embargo thing kills me. I’ve had entire schedules fall apart because of some company shifting things at the last minute and then it’s a scramble to fill a gap.
Yes. Absolutely enjoyed the whiskey vid as well
You are so correct about getting products to review. It can be a royal pain in the rear. I have only had a few want to send me something to review but most of them are pure junk. I am not going to waste my time on a tech gadget that is nothing more than toy. I will In the future, be more selective of what I accept. Great video Vic!
Thanks Ron. I’ve turned down more stuff than I’ve taken at this stage. Unless it’s something I’ll genuinely have a need / use case for then it’s unlikely I’ll take it.
Couldn’t agree more, Vic. Spot on! Gear can be such a trap. Here’s to creating more stories.
Thanks Jackie
Good man Vic. Loved what you had to say. Subscribed. 👍😊
Hey Don 👋 🇮🇪 Thank you. Appreciate the sub
I watch ZERO short-form content. Life is too short for that stuff.
Very true
Tech is reaching a plateau, plus absolute saturation. There's only so many interesting things you can see 10 times over. With "Game Changing" being something which happens all the time, it's not really Game Changing.
Hey Peter, great point. Game changing is totally over used at this stage. Granted I’m guilty of it on occasion in the past
i unsubbed from so many channels this year.
Its essentially the home shopping channel 24/7 with creators with zero integrity , out to get that bag and zero regard for their audience.
There is a way to do it but many creators just use their audience to farm affiliate links, sell merch, review free stuff and bang in a sponsor aswell.
Its shopping fatigue, shill fatigue and zero creativity as everything is a copy of a copy of a copy.
Its bad, infact its worse than that.
Yeah. Totally fair point. On the flip side a lot of creators this is their full time gig or a side hustle with the hopes of it becoming a full time gig. I see plenty who you describe but at the same time there’s a good few who have always kept their integrity.
But totally get how it’s like a home shopping channel.
I love the thumbnail!!!!!!
Thanks buddy
Actually older Gopro cameras only were usable in summer, spring, autnumn, as the battery was flat in sub zero temps. So atleast that ha improved now 9 to 13 all can record in extreme low temps like - 20c. But I've not tried them yet still on Hero 7,but I can't record for most of the winter. But otherwise Gopro hasn't improved much, since few years ago, video quality got improved few years back, but then not so much if at all, and still sucks in the dark about as bad as 7. But I see the competition does much better in the dark. 🤔
But as for cameras, it seems like all brands have great or good cameras. But 4 Session. Was usable in sub zero, but its so tiny camera it gets hot. But top models are still way too expensive for me, I simply can't afford it. I hope the tech trickles down some day.
I've not turned stupid yet.
I love long form content.
Great or good cameras. Exactly. It’s really reached a peak I feel.
Never! There's a whole year ahead where creators will recycle and update this years content. Yay! 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 but what about the year after Tim? 🤔
I've learnt alot as newbie from your vids and craic
Hey Dave, glad to hear it. Thank you. Appreciate you watching.
I don't see the point of making same video somone did, without atleast adding more information, others didn't. Some vids parents much help lirk super short reviews or overviews. Some are.
But one area I see lack of content is polarising filters. Which I'm currently looking I to, but can't find any info on what's the evs for me.
Fair point. Thanks for that. Out of curiosity how many polarising filter videos would you need / watch? I get there’s plenty of use cases but there’s not an infinite amount of content that can be built from them
@VicBarry I've never seen any comparisons, most ar end filters reviews , I saw some but hard to consider when I don't know the results. But the perfect kit doesn't exist, something like Nisi Jetmag but adjustable polariser would be awesome.
It's rumored so maybe I should wait no idea if it will ever happen. But I've seen some polarizer reviews, but it's only few brands, and when considering several brands and one only see a few it's like roulette. But I see Nisi nd filters look good, so if polariser are as good then I guess si should get them. But I want something that doesn't exist yet. I'm sold on the Nisi Jetmag, but no adjustable magnetic polariser yet. I probably watched all of the few I can count on one hand.
I actually discovered Sigma has filters, never seen anyone review them. I see Kase has magnetic ones but not adjustable. Not sure wha tto get, I want something fast and easy to use, ieth great results. I looked at Nisi Swift it looks neat but not magnetic. 🤔 I often suffer from paralysis from analysis.
Ball heads is another area where I can't find any proper info about on of one si can buy in Norway. Not sure wha tto buy, been about a year of research still can't decide.
@VicBarry I'm currently looking into ball heads, it's been a year of looking, but still can't decide. And those reviewed, I can buy, those interested i can buy I don't see reviews of. I want something not too heavy, but it has to be robust and proven.
I agree
Hey Steve, thanks for dropping by again. You think it’s fixable?
@@VicBarry I think tech has hit a serious wall. Is it fixable? I think most will take the easy route which has always been the case and the people who actually learn the tech and are innovators will be most successful because they offer something different. The youtube game is always being the first one to do something new. I think shutter, exposure and frame rate will die and be a thing of the past. So is it fixable in the sense of things going back to how they were. No Is it fixable that we can make it in the camera niche? Yes as long as we stay current and find a innovative way of using the new tech.
I say mostly, yes. Shame, but it's the reality imo.
Cheers for the comment. Why do you think that is?
@VicBarry i just feel that more and more people are just happy with their camera phones and feel reviews and interest in any other kind of cameras is dwindling, considering the quality of camera phones now, including video quality and all the accessories you can get. Gimbals, filters etc. I just feel the traditional dslr type cameras are more geared for a more pro photographer but then thats more a niche market and makes for less popular videos. Could be wrong mind, just my initial thoughts
@@whatsnottohike no. I think that’s very observant to be honest. Phones are now absolutely mass market for video. And “normal” cameras are probably more niche than ever because of the phone quality. As a purist 🤣 I don’t think they’re there just yet (very close though) but for 90% of people or more they are absolutely more than enough.
@@VicBarry yeah. I mean, theres still the pocket 3 which is awesome but as the camera is not great on it, it's more geared for just video. I think its just the times we live in and that camera phones are just getting better and better that unless you're a pro photographer needing a dslr and zoom lenses etc, then phones will be enough. It's a shame but the current reality i feel. Cheers!
Cheers for the follow up