Camcorder, infra-red, telescope purchase recommendations?

[Lenny Lens]

Hi, and thank you for this forum.

Apologies for the length of this post, especially if I’m going over old ground here; if similar questions have already been answered in other threads, would it please be possible to let me know where to look? I couldn’t find the specifics. Thanks.

First off, I’m a total “newbie”, so please forgive my ineptitude. All-in-all, there are a number of things I am looking to buy:

1) Camcorder
2) Infra-red filter
3) Telescope (to attach to the camcorder, if needed).

I suppose you could say I’m a “sky watcher”; as an example, I’m hoping the new purchases will allow me to get very close-up and detailed footage of planes at cruising altitude (about 30,000 feet), in the day as well as at night (hence the additional infra-red filter) – as well as to be used for normal filming purposes.

So, the type of camcorder… (gulp!)… I just don’t know where to start. There are so many choices. At present I have an old Sony Digital 8 camcorder with 20x optical zoom, which connects to my PC via Firewire. I would like the new camera to connect the same way.

But what type? Hmmn, well I would like to have a lot of recording hours, so I was thinking of one with a harddrive. Am I right in thinking the harddrive models give the most recording time? What are the cons?

Picture quality and zoom: I will use digital zoom in editing software so am only concerned about excellent optical zoom. Is HD really needed? If possible I would like to avoid the HD price tags and get a cheaper non-HD camcorder if it does what I want, as I don’t have the means to play HD anyway. I would like the picture quality much better (especially with zoom) than the Digital 8 I already have.

The infra-red filter… can these be added to most camcorders? I don’t want to buy a camera and then realise a filter won’t fit.

Here’s a filter I was looking at:

IR Pass Filters & Infrared Lens for Sony NightShot 0lux X-ray Video Cameras Vision Cam Xray Digital Camcorders Film Voyuerism CCD 0 lux Panasonic NightView KAYA PF Hoya RM RM90 RM100 Shott RG RG780 RG830 RG850 RG1000 1050 1060 nm Kodak 87 87A 87B 87C

although I’m not sure it covers the distance I’m looking for...? I would like a filter so that I can see the beams from TV remote controls and film in the night as clear as day (NOT like Sony’s dismal Night-Shot feature on my Digital 8).

Will the filter in the link do the job? Any recommendations?

The telescope… if needed. I was impressed by this:

How to attach a Camcorder to a Telescope

And would like the option of doing something similar. Would I need something on the actual camcorder so that the telescope can attach? Again, I don’t want to buy a camcorder and then realise a telescope can’t attach. Also, if a telescope is attached, where would the infra-red filter be placed – on the camera or the telescope’s lens?

Any recommendations for the telescope? Can the telescope be fitted so that you can zoom in and out with the camcorder controls?

My budget: the best value for money is obviously preferred, but I’ll stretch to whatever gives me what I’m after.

Thank you for reading. Hope you can help.

[pauluk31]

Why not get a zoom adapter for the camcorder?

It will be quite hard to track a plane with a telescope.

I would be interested to know how you get on as I have the same kit.

[Lenny Lens]

Hi Paul,

Thank you for that suggestion, I wasn't aware of a lens adapter (see - total newbie here), but if it makes things easier than using a telescope that sounds ideal.

Could you let me know what your kit is? Any recommendations for the camcorder and filter? Would the filter go over the adapter?

Cheers.

[Lenny Lens]

I've had a look around on the web but am a bit stuck about the optical zoom. What would the equivalent of 40x optical zoom on standard definition be for high definition? I wanna get the best optical zoom.

I've been looking at the Panasonic SD9, Samsung Sc-HMX20, Canon HV20, and JVC GZ-MG330. Anyone like to comment on them or throw a new one in for consideration? The Samsung seems well-praised...? The JVC's a lot cheaper and standard definition - anyone tried that? (I'll look around the forum in case it's reviewed.)

Currently with the old Digital 8 I'm using, the DV AVIs are easy to edit in the NLE program I use, but I see some of the new camcorders' files are MP4, which don't work on my NLE. So I'll throw that into the equation too: I'd like a camcorder with excellent zoom and stabilization, excellent picture quality, which records in files such as AVI, or something I can just put into an editing program as soon as it's downloaded onto my computer's hard-drive, without rendering into another codec inbetween.