Low light examples? Hi,I'm curious for those who own this camcorder to hear specific examples of what films OK indoors. I realize this is hard to do in text but if you can give examples, like -if you're filming in a kitchen at night with the kitchen lights on, is it OK? -If you're in a living room in the late afternoon without direct sunlight and a north facing windowLike I said, I know this is a lame way to ask and if you know of videos showing results I'd love to see them! ThanksPS CNET has a helpful overiew "As expected, in low light the video displays more noise and a somewhat compressed tonal range, but retains a significant amount of detail and fares above average compared with the rest of its class." Low light examples? Hi,I'm curious for those who own this camcorder to hear specific examples of what films OK indoors. I realize this is hard to do in text but if you can give... » Read More Low light examples? Hi,I'm curious for those who own this camcorder to hear specific examples of what films OK indoors. I realize this is hard to do in text but if you can give examples, like -if you're filming in a kitchen at night with the kitchen lights on, is it OK? -If you're in a living room in the late afternoon without direct sunlight and a north facing windowLike I said, I know this is a lame way to ask and if you know of videos showing results I'd love to see them! ThanksPS CNET has a helpful overiew "As expected, in low light the video displays more noise and a somewhat compressed tonal range, but retains a significant amount of detail and fares above average compared with the rest of its class." « Show Less
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Kitchen at night should be OK. Probably won't have that sharp HD look though.In your second example just make sure your subject is not silhouetted against the window and you should be all right. The camera is quite good at coping with most shooting conditions automatically.However, in my first week of using the HF100, in a darkened restaurant, I made the mistake of not turning the on-board video light on.I had read it is not very good and eats up the battery, but I should have used it. The video came out very grainy.Across a table for two is probably the best time to use it. I didn't shoot much anyway, so it wouldn't have used much battery.Oh well, I'll try it next time. Kitchen at night should be OK. Probably won't have that sharp HD look though.In your second example just make sure your subject is not silhouetted against the window and you should be all right. The camera is quite good at coping with most shooting conditions automatically.However, in my first week of using the HF100, in a darkened restaurant, I made the mistake of not turning the on-board video light on.I had read it is not very good and eats up the battery, but I should have used it. The video came out very grainy.Across a table for two is probably the... » Read More Kitchen at night should be OK. Probably won't have that sharp HD look though.In your second example just make sure your subject is not silhouetted against the window and you should be all right. The camera is quite good at coping with most shooting conditions automatically.However, in my first week of using the HF100, in a darkened restaurant, I made the mistake of not turning the on-board video light on.I had read it is not very good and eats up the battery, but I should have used it. The video came out very grainy.Across a table for two is probably the best time to use it. I didn't shoot much anyway, so it wouldn't have used much battery.Oh well, I'll try it next time. « Show Less
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I came across some good example clips at vimeo.comIf you go there and search "HF100" and "night" or "low light" you will find what you are looking for.The streaming clips are in Flash but you can also download higher quality clips to give a better idea of the camcorders capabilities.
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From what I have read, and I have read about this camcorder and the TM700 & TM900 extensively, is that the low light is slightly poorer than the TM700. I imagine it has to do with it not have the same 3CCD sensor setup with seperate Red,Green and Blue sensors, it has a single sensor "MOS" setup. It is good in low light, especially in it's price range, it is one of the best just not quite as good as the TM700 or the TM900. For a step down from the TM900 (that's VERY expensive) you can also look at the SD800. It has almost all the same features and the same 3CCD setup, but just lacks a few of the features. Actually after looking at the product description on another page it seems I was correct, an excerpt is below: "The HDC-TM700K uses three separate "MOS" sensors for video that approaches professional quality. The sensors process reds, greens, and blues separately, for color reproduction that's vibrant and true-to-life. The sensors also capture images in lower light conditions better than regular CCD sensors, so you get better detail in shots taken in dim settings."
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Hello, Terry, I utilize the camera to film my YouTube cooking show. It does seem to have a problem maximizing standard light sources (apartment lighting), which might impact your filming. I have personally struggled to get the light sensors to create bright video even when every light in the kitchen is on. On the plus side, the camera does produce high quality, very large image files. It works for YouTube, but how it would translate to a full blown filming depends on if you are utilizing industry lighting or shooting in bright sunlight. If so, it should work well. If you are going to film in low light or darkened outdoor conditions, you might want to search elsewhere. Hello, Terry, I utilize the camera to film my YouTube cooking show. It does seem to have a problem maximizing standard light sources (apartment lighting), which might impact your filming. I have personally struggled to get the light sensors to create bright video even when every light in the kitchen is on. On the plus side, the camera does produce high quality, very large image files. It works for YouTube, but how it would translate to a full blown filming depends on if you are utilizing industry lighting or shooting in bright sunlight. If so, it should work well. If you are going to film... » Read More Hello, Terry, I utilize the camera to film my YouTube cooking show. It does seem to have a problem maximizing standard light sources (apartment lighting), which might impact your filming. I have personally struggled to get the light sensors to create bright video even when every light in the kitchen is on. On the plus side, the camera does produce high quality, very large image files. It works for YouTube, but how it would translate to a full blown filming depends on if you are utilizing industry lighting or shooting in bright sunlight. If so, it should work well. If you are going to film in low light or darkened outdoor conditions, you might want to search elsewhere. « Show Less
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The video quality outside and indoors is superb- I have 2 of these cameras in fact ( because I shoot videos and want to get 2 different angles at the same time) The resolution and quality is pretty sharp.. To be honest though, I only shot once in "low light" and it came out somewhat grainy BUT I cant blame the camera for that because I did not make any adjustments to the camera settings beforehand... For instance there is a tiny button called "light" which will emit a bright light onto the subject etc.. (which I had not done).I can tell you for the money this camera is well worth it and lasts a long time.. The one I purchased first ( 7 yrs. ago) is still working great! The video quality outside and indoors is superb- I have 2 of these cameras in fact ( because I shoot videos and want to get 2 different angles at the same time) The resolution and quality is pretty sharp.. To be honest though, I only shot once in "low light" and it came out somewhat grainy BUT I cant blame the camera for that because I did not make any adjustments to the camera settings beforehand... For instance there is a tiny button called "light" which will emit a bright light onto the subject etc.. (which I had not done).I can tell you for the money this... » Read More The video quality outside and indoors is superb- I have 2 of these cameras in fact ( because I shoot videos and want to get 2 different angles at the same time) The resolution and quality is pretty sharp.. To be honest though, I only shot once in "low light" and it came out somewhat grainy BUT I cant blame the camera for that because I did not make any adjustments to the camera settings beforehand... For instance there is a tiny button called "light" which will emit a bright light onto the subject etc.. (which I had not done).I can tell you for the money this camera is well worth it and lasts a long time.. The one I purchased first ( 7 yrs. ago) is still working great! « Show Less
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I need a camera to watch a room in my house when im away. I would like to be able to view it from my iPhone or computer. I would like for it to record like dvr but it has to be very discrete. I have wifi at home. I this camera the one I should choose? If possible 2 rooms would be ideal.
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Hi there, I own this camera since this April and took around 8000 pics since, about half of them in very low light. With this camera, you do not even need to use the flash in 99.9% of the cases. (this is why I chose this camera in the first place) In case it's really dark and you don't have any lightsource, you can use the flash and it is sufficiently strong so your photos will look good. But usually, you really don't need the flash at all. I made perfect shots (photo and video) in dark dimmed pubs as well as beautiful nightshots walking around NYC all without using the flash. But if you insist, it's there, and it's perfectly fine. Hi there, I own this camera since this April and took around 8000 pics since, about half of them in very low light. With this camera, you do not even need to use the flash in 99.9% of the cases. (this is why I chose this camera in the first place) In case it's really dark and you don't have any lightsource, you can use the flash and it is sufficiently strong so your photos will look good. But usually, you really don't need the flash at all. I made perfect shots (photo and video) in dark dimmed pubs as well as beautiful nightshots walking around NYC all without using the flash. But if you... » Read More Hi there, I own this camera since this April and took around 8000 pics since, about half of them in very low light. With this camera, you do not even need to use the flash in 99.9% of the cases. (this is why I chose this camera in the first place) In case it's really dark and you don't have any lightsource, you can use the flash and it is sufficiently strong so your photos will look good. But usually, you really don't need the flash at all. I made perfect shots (photo and video) in dark dimmed pubs as well as beautiful nightshots walking around NYC all without using the flash. But if you insist, it's there, and it's perfectly fine. « Show Less
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Any indoor video is relatively poor unless ample window light is present. I would say it is sufficient for capturing family moments but not for quality video. Personally I like the little camera.
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Daytime photos/video are great. However, night time would be a problem...the quality is not good.... I would not recommend it for that purpose.....hope I helped answer your concerns...
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Barry/Richard,I'm still having a heck of a time trying to get a decent snapshot of my dog indoors with typical family room lighting ( not dark but not bright either ) with the S8000. If he so much as wiggles his tail, all is a blur. With higher ISOs I don't expect much sharpness. Faster shutter leads to very dark pics. What am I missing? Do I have to use flash - a tripod is out since he won't sit still that long.Thanks guys,Tony
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Greetings!I suppose it's a low budget film. Unless you have good illumination, I don't recommend it under low light environments. The Lo-Light mode has a bad performance.Also remember this is not a professional camera. Good luck in your project, hope I can watch it when released.
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The unit doesn't simply see into darkness: it still has to have some kind of light reflected back to it in order to see anything. That's where those little dots around the camera lens come in. They're infrared lamps, and they're really nothing more than little flashlights, except they're sending out a wavelength of light we can't see with the naked eye. Take the best, most expensive night-vision goggles used by any of the top military units in the world, and they won't see a thing in the dark without their accompanying infrared lamps. Take another look at the lamps around the lens on the baby unit - they're incredibly tiny and not very powerful (the MBP20 is a pretty bare-bones model, after all, despite all the touted features). Picture a very tiny, weak, regular flashlight and imagine the feeble light THAT would put out in a dark room, and you'll understand why Motorola had to put four of the IR lamps around the lens instead of just one. So that's the science. Now for the actual suggestions. Low-tech and cheap: Find a way to move the camera closer to where the action is. If you're trying to use the night vision feature then you're obviously trying to watch your child while they sleep, and the camera doesn't have to take in a wide field of vision. Just try to position it closer to the crib or bed. High-tech and relatively cheap: You can purchase an additional (and much more powerful) IR lamp for around $40 online, and you can also probably find one in your local sporting goods or home security stores. Your child will still be sleeping in total darkness, but the MBP20's infrared camera will be able to see much, much more. This won't make the video screen on the parent unit any larger, but it should maximize what you can see. Good luck! .
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I took some sample pics in the house at night with just lights on. They looked OK without the flash. I find with indoor pics I usually don't like the flash because it seems to wash out the photo.
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If you are using the camera normally, lighting is as important as it is with any other camera. Using the infared mode, it seems to work a little better in low light than total darkness as the infared (on my camera at least) is not very strong. You get about 5-6 visual at most depending on your angle in total dark where as you might get 10 to 20 feet in low light, but it may be harder to distinguish things at the greater distances.
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Low light is a heavy concern. I've just placed my order for this in Amazon. One of the main reasons why i avoided high definition, was due to editing limitations. So if you would like to edit videos like me, get this cam until the softwares for editing catches up with sony.
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Mine is ok at night because any motion that triggered the recording feature also triggered my motion light in the area of camera focus. I have mine set to the ultimate focus for the area it covers,but I don't believe you can alter the focus once it has been recorded.
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Mr.V, if you can't get good pictures indoors with the A630, please have the camera checked. I can get perfectly good shots by the light of a single candle. Something's not right if your camera is blurring everything indoors.
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I've got a Red 6 I bought 6 weeks ago. Haven't really used it on game yet but did a fair amount of experimentation on day and night shooting and distances, motion, etc. A few of my night shots were very washed out. My yellow lab was maybe 8 feet away when he triggered the camera. Seems like subjects closer than 20 feet end up over exposed. Another test was of me in the yard at night 20 feet away and I showed up clear as well as my neighbor's house wall that was over 60 feet from the camera. While reading your note I thought of something you might try in case your camera is over exposing your night shots with too much infrared for the closer shots. Try using some black electrical tape cut in small pieces and placed in front of a few of the IR leds to block out a portion of the light they emit. Also try not to have a lot of dry light colored grass in the photos to cut down on the amount of IR reflection back to the camera. Good luck. One last thought, it could be that the software that must distinguish between Color Daylight exposure recording and switching the unit to exposing for IR black and white may be having a problem during that transition period when its switching prematurely (too early) to IR and the combination of IR and still existing twilight is overexposing the shot. I suspect that might be your case.