Video camera for beginners
got a hot tip from 2 seven... told him how challenged I am with tech...
he mentioned FLIP VIDEO CAMCORDERS...
they are now dinasours, because someone put one in a cell phone... now there is no need for the flip video, so they went extinct...
it has a back / forward and a trash button...
and then a start/ stop record button... press the button = record... press again = stop...PERFECT !
plugs into a usb port ...for slo-mo editing...
new from $45 to $299... used...shop wisely...
Discussion
my comment was for the guys like me that don't want extra buttons...
got a couple adjustable spot lights on a tripod in the garage attic... time will tell if I will ever master it?
won the auction... flip video camcorder... $17.95 free shipping.... 3 buttons, forward / back... trash... and take video / stop video.... cain't wait...
$17.95
- Yup, that's one I used to have. Easy to use. Welcome to the future! — redlinederby
- back to the future... — model40fan
Good lighting is a really big help with the quality of the videos...you'll want 'diffused light'...maybe pickup a couple cheap fluorescence lights from Wally-world and have them over the track but not in the shot.
my 2 cents :)
got it today... complete... has a charger block that plugs in the wall, I just have to plug the flip out usb into it... NO WIRES ! ... testing to come .
- works... charged batts... took video... trashed it...maybe race a couple cars saturday... — model40fan
Ah, the Flip Video Camcorder—a relic of the "simple tech" era! It’s wild how phones killed dedicated devices, but I miss that one-button recording. If you’re reviving old footage, pair it with a 4TB NVMe SSD (2.5" Rugged Industrial) like the WD Red SN700:
Why? Massive storage for HD clips + slo-mo edits without lag (3,500MB/s speeds!).
Durability: RI (Rugged Industrial) handles heat/shock better than spinning HDDs—perfect for vintage tech tinkering.
USB-C Bonus: Use an enclosure to make it a high-speed archive drive for those Flip .AVI files!
Nostalgia + modern muscle. ????????
Several years ago I bought a cheap-o flip camera at Odd Lots...it was like $20. Very low-res but it worked well and very straight forward, nothing fancy. Great if you're just looking to get any video and aren't picky. Smitty's right...since the smartphones are all-in-one devices now, many of the single-purpose devices are cheaper.
A quick search on Amazon will find you a bunch of video cameras under $100. Just read reviews and make an educated guess. Most video-only cameras will be plug-n-play USB style rather than needing some fancy app or software to use it.
I recently got a GoPro wannabe camera at my local computer store. It was $40 and boasts the wide-angle lens and whatnot. It's okay. Small and durable, no real features. Going to be using it for my monthly races once I figure out the angles and stuff.
However...one final note...getting good video is more about lighting than it is camera quality. It doesn't matter if you have a $1000 camera, if you shoot in your basement without good lighting, the result will be a video that looks like it was shot in a basement with poor lighting. Put the money you save on your camera into buying some white light bulbs and some fixtures. Your videos will look 100% better without doing anything else.