What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

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wyldfyre1
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What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 76635Post wyldfyre1
Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:12 am

Hello! I am looking for information on the type of camera that AntsCanada uses to film his ants. My son has an ant Channel called antsCali on YouTube and I would like to get him a good ant camera for his birthday. I think it has to be 4K? Anyway if anyone has any advice on brand, model, etc please let me know! Thanks! :D

pilotbill
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Location: Austin, TX

Re: What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 76675Post pilotbill
Thu Apr 15, 2021 9:02 am

I'm not sure of the camera he uses, but I used to own my own photography and video production business a few years ago so I can be of some help. 4k would be extremely helpful because it would allow you to zoom 4x and still keep 1080p hd quality. I would look at sony mirrorless cameras or canon. Those are my preference. Most digital cameras are fantastic video cameras as well and are what the vast majority of youtube videos are shot on. The second thing you will want to invest in is a good macro lens. A macro lens allows you to focus and shoot very close to your subject and it will pick up the smallest details. This is a must for filming insects.
Bill
Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor
Ant Enthusiast

wyldfyre1
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Re: What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 76677Post wyldfyre1
Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:18 am

Thank you so much that is very helpful! Will look in to those

RuinedDrone
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Re: What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 76678Post RuinedDrone
Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:20 am

The main issue with filming ants is you looking mostly at macro, with the lens close to the subject and in this case getting a good depth of field can be tricky, some macro lens are more focused on shallow depth of field with high resolution meaning ants moving back and forth in frame will quickly move out of focus, indeed you might struggle to get both the head and abdom in focus togather, while you can scrasfice image quility/light gathering to incress this. Macro photography is an art and can get very technical.

I have used both a £20 raspberry pi cam and got this which is pretty decent.

https://youtu.be/E2GrZvs_qoE

as well as the HQ raspberry pi cam module and got lots worse.

So its as much about understanding and playing about with it as having a high quility expensive camara.

do you want still or moving images, in light or dark (IR camaras) etc.

Personal I now run a £10 raspberry pi with either the £20 pi IR cam v2 and / or the Raspberry pi HQ camara. And both can get good images for streaming your ants just to enjoy watching.

I dont suggest these for profesional youtube channels, but as you can see from my stream its a decent picture and a great way to learn about capturing images from an ant colony. As you learn about the ISO, Focal lenths, apatures, etc etc you will know what to look for in an expensive camare right for your specifice requirments. A camara to monitor the out world and watch the ants as a group has very different requirments and specs to one like i had close up of her with her eggs.

My advice, start simple with some thing aforadable, figure out how it works and expect results not to be "perfect" and then once you figured it out splash out on the kit you know you want.

RuinedDrone
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Re: What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 76679Post RuinedDrone
Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:29 am

Pilot Bill to clarify when you say abouy zooming in to 4K and keeping 1080P quility, this is of couse assuming software zooming or cropping. optical zoom of course does not lose any resolution.

But its a good point to make as often even with a macro lens you will be trying to cover an area that one ant may only take up a small part of the image so having the capacity in the raw image to zoom in and crop in software is very very useful.

The other thing you may eventualy want to look in to is endoscopes, which you can insert in to a nest (gently, very gently and carefully) to see under ground. dont want to go digging to much but even the view just a few cm's in to a nest opening can be fun to watch and see ants climbing over the camara.

AntsLuxembourg
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Re: What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 87158Post AntsLuxembourg
Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:09 am

wyldfyre1 wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:12 am
Hello! I am looking for information on the type of camera that AntsCanada uses to film his ants. My son has an ant Channel called antsCali on YouTube and I would like to get him a good ant camera for his birthday. I think it has to be 4K? Anyway if anyone has any advice on brand, model, etc please let me know! Thanks! :D
To give you some help in regards to quality, you could look into the topic of macro photography. Usually that is all about using macro lenses to get good pictures and video quality on very small objects and animals.
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

SolenopsisKeeper
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Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2021 11:41 am
Location: United States, Florida

Re: What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 87184Post SolenopsisKeeper
Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:04 am

AntsLuxembourg wrote:
Fri Jan 21, 2022 7:09 am
wyldfyre1 wrote:
Tue Apr 13, 2021 11:12 am
Hello! I am looking for information on the type of camera that AntsCanada uses to film his ants. My son has an ant Channel called antsCali on YouTube and I would like to get him a good ant camera for his birthday. I think it has to be 4K? Anyway if anyone has any advice on brand, model, etc please let me know! Thanks! :D
To give you some help in regards to quality, you could look into the topic of macro photography. Usually that is all about using macro lenses to get good pictures and video quality on very small objects and animals.
True, there are some good “mobile lenses” but they will not be as good as the cameras
When you accidentally reply to yourself…

AntsLuxembourg
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Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:17 am
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Re: What exact type of camera does AC use for filming?

Post: # 87229Post AntsLuxembourg
Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:20 am

SolenopsisKeeper wrote:
Sat Jan 22, 2022 9:04 am
True, there are some good “mobile lenses” but they will not be as good as the cameras
Those lenses are for the camera. Of course a camera that is 4k capable is obviously better than one that can only do 1080p, however with a makrolens, you can improve that general quality again since you can bring the camera much closer and focus on the details.

Here is a picture that might help you to understand the effect it can have.
Image
Of course I'm no expert, however I consider myself to have a healthy general knowledge about non political and useful things and of course there are differences between makro lens and makro lens since some lenses have a different form or zoom or whatever it's called. I saw something about 100mm and 60mm to give you an idea.
Doing some proper research is the best way to start an antcolony.

Need help or want to help? https://forum.AntsCanada.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=18153#p70566

Currently not keeping any ants anymore.

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