www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

I am looking to get a full HD video camera so I can take macro videos of butterflies and moths. My current one, a horizon 720p HD video camera has died, focus is blurry and it randomly turns off when recording, so time for a change. Some videos I did take with camera before it died:

http://youtu.be/MkgN3Qh5YHo

http://youtu.be/_xzV0dcVOTg

http://youtu.be/4C47PkRLOHw


So basically I am looking to get a camera that can take videos close up like that but with very good quality (or best you can get for the price) as I want to record videos of small moths (micros or small macros) or early stages such as small caterpillars etc... My old Horizon has a f/3.2-6.8.and had a led light that turned on so I could use it at night.

I have up to £160-170 to spend

Originally I had planned on upgrading my Canon 500D to 60D but with moving house in next couple of months and one thing or other and don't have a lot of money to spare, can't afford to do that right now, so looking for a full HD video camera to do the job instead. Can anyone advise me?

Got myself a HD video camera...JVC, can't recall the make of top of my head, has image stabilization, face detection and x40 optical zoom, f2.8-3.6 so going to test it tomorrow after I charge it, was £200 and had £100 off. Time to start getting butterfly videos. Saw numbers of orange-tip today, would like a video of one of those.

Dave McCormick wrote:Time to start getting butterfly videos..

Absolutely - get to it, Dave. Look forward to seeing the results!

Cheers,

- Pete

Thanks Pete. I was able to get one video of a female holly blue. It was fluttering around a large holly bush and stopped only a few inches away from me. I have a few niggles about the camera though (JVC Everio GZ-HM301BEK). Video is below. Wish I had have had my 500D when I saw the holly blue (only had my HD video camera then) as the butterfly was less than an inch from me, and I could have touched it as I was so close, don't get that often, usually they are too far or high up to get that close to.

When you shoot a video of say a landscape or not using zoom, the video looks as if it had a watercolour filter applied to it, so for landscape videos, I am going to us my Canon 500D. The camera won't get very close to something small, but my old Horizon HD video camera can only do that since the foxus is blurry when zoomed out, so can use that. The manual focus on the JVC is a little slow and can be annoying when trying to shoot something that won't sit still long such as a butterfly, but auto focus is quite fast and works well for that. Not good to use in low light situations but my horizon is good for that since it has a built in light

However the JVC does have advanced image stabilization and even wind control (tries to stabilise image during windy conditions) and it is good for animals and plants close up. It can take time lapse video and can use up to a 32GB SDXC which will record 13 hours of HD video on highest setting (won't last that long on battery but still good). Has settings for different locations such as indoors or in a forest. Sound is quite good on the JVC too. Buttons are a little fiddly to use but not too bad.

Have been watching my The Beautiful Butterflies of the British Isles DVD to get ides on how to film the landscapes and butterflies and I am going to my relatives bog this weekend to see if small heath and orange-tips are there. I was going to go on Saturday but rain is forecast (I wanted rain as its so hot and dry but the one day I didn't, it decides to rain!)

I am advanced at video editing so can work around all my issues, just need to get a bigger camera bag to lug all my equipment around. Also getting a mini HD motion detection video camera (can fit in your wallet) so going to use that for moth trapping to put the camera near the trap and record videos when moths come to the trap as it can record 720p HD video for 2 hours non stop but only records when something moves past the camera and for £20, not bad price.

Here is the Holly Blue video - 1080p HD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe94HqVnn8w[/video]

Got a Small White (Female rejecting male) in meadow near my house, tried taking a video of a small tortoiseshell in area but it was too hard to as it was flying too fast. 1080p HD


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se88ewhtwaY[/video]

That small white in particular is a really good video, Dave! I'm very impressed with the quality.

Guy

Did that Holly Blue lay an egg on the holly flower, or did my eyes deceive me?

Dave

Thanks Guy. The first holly blue was just a quick shot to test the camera. Found out it does have lowlight settings but quality is a little grainy at that.

Did that Holly Blue lay an egg on the holly flower, or did my eyes deceive me?

If it did, it was quite fast as it didn't stay around long, it could have been testing the buds for a good place to lay, have seen them lay there for past 4 years. Do they lay an egg fast?

Dave,

I just had another look. Right at the start of the bit on the flower cluster (1:06), the abdomen is curved round, and then again at about 1:22 she does it again, with a pause long enough to lay one?

Dave

Some years ago I invented the word 'oviposturing' for this kind of activity (if she didn't actually lay, that is). Please feel free to use this term - I'm hoping to get it into the OED.

Guy

I shall do my best to introduce it into everyday conversation, Guy, so as to give it some currency!

Dave

Hi Dave,
Loved the Holly Blue video...excellent!!! I am looking for Holly Blues just now in South East Scotland and this video gives some excellent footage of behaviour and habitat to look out for. It can be a bit of a needle in a haystack trying to find butterflies that may or may not exist in an area.

I also have bought an HD camera for filming this year...I can tell you that I am having trouble in the field deciding wether to use my video camera or my DSLR....by the time I decide my subject has buzzed off...GRRRRRRRRR!!!

More vids Dave please! Excellent stuff.


Iain.

Thanks. If your looking for holly blues, search around any holly you find. Since I found my first in 2007 (which was the first record for the area) I have seen them around nearly any holly bushes, but has to be ivy somewhere nearby

I also have bought an HD camera for filming this year...I can tell you that I am having trouble in the field deciding wether to use my video camera or my DSLR....by the time I decide my subject has buzzed off...GRRRRRRRRR!!!

Yes, Its annoying I know it too well, if I know the subject will stick around, I'd photograph it then take a video (unless there is something odd about what the subject is doing... hope that didn't come out wrong...anyway that would be interesting to take a video of first.

The convenience with my JVC, it turns on and off by opening the view screen instead of pressing a button to turn on/off.

Just been testing the various features (the user manual is basic and doesn't explain things well) there is a telephoto macro setting which works very well and the close-up macro produces sharp video. Has night modes (didn't see them before, just have to test them).

Testing out the camera again, got a video of a male cockchafer that I had caught in 25W UV energy saving bulb trap in my garden last night. 1080p HD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs-ZNb6-nf0[/video]

I have thought about what I would like to do with getting videos of butterflies, moths and other related things (wildflowers, habitats, trees, dragonflies, birds etc...) and I have decided to make a sort of mini series on lepidoptera, each episode focusing on a different aspect of butterflies and moths. Thinking one episode could focus on how moths and butterflies fly, how they warm up and how different species fly another I am going to focus on habitats and biodiversity within and the importance of them and what you can do to attract wildlife to your garden. Want to do a few different episodes to start but may take a year or more to do this, need some ideas, if anyone has any, be appreciated.