New Vlog Camera (Day 3392 - 3/9/19)

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The vlog starts out with Stephen with him saying that he mentioned yesterday that there was some really big news for the vlog. The big news is that they got a new vlog camera! Stephen says that getting a new vlog camera is difficult because it has it's own identity. He said that getting a new vlog camera basically changes the characteristics of the videos. Stephen says that the benefits of updating the vlog camera is the new features and upgrades. But, he has to consider whether there have been enough updates and features in newer cameras to warrant changing vlog cameras.

This time he decided that there were enough new features, so he decided to switch from using the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX10 camera to the Sony Alpha 6400 camera. He says that the Alpha series has been really popular among YouTubers especially the Alpha 6500 camera. Stephen said that he had been following the development of the Alpha 6400 camera since it was announced in January and if was finally released a week or two ago.

He then talks about how he has been vlogging for almost 10 years now. Stephen says that he has never had a vlog camera that has had a microphone jack because all the vlog cameras have had built-in microphones. The Alpha 6400 is the first vlog camera to have a microphone jack, so he got the VideoMicro RØDE Microphone. Stephen then says that one of the reasons he got the Alpha 6400 was that it has an interchangeable lens. He said that an interchangeable lens is important because for the LX10 camera he tended to put it in his pocket and over time dust and debris got into the lens mechanism due to it not being completely sealed off. When he sent it to Panasonic to get fixed, they refused to honor the warranty because they claimed he "abused" the camera. This situation caused Stephen to distrust Panasonic's warranties and policies.

Stephen says that as much as he doesn't like Panasonic's policies, they make good cameras. However, he said that the auto-focus of the LX10 was horrible which could be seen in the vlogs over the years when the camera had trouble focusing. In contrast, the Alpha 6400 has the best auto-focusing system in any camera according to Sony. Stephen then talks about how he was originally considering some other cameras, but he got used to the flip screen on the LX10 that he wanted the new vlog camera to also have that feature. He mentions that the LX10 was the first vlog camera to have the flip screen and the Alpha 6400 is the first Sony Alpha camera that has a flip screen.

Stephen then unboxes the Sony Alpha 6400 camera. He said that you can get the camera in 3 different ways: with only the body of the camera, with the 18-135 kit lens, or with the 16-50 kit lens which is what he got. Stephen says that he is happy about the 16-50 lens because the widest the LX10 lens can only go is 36mm which is not wide at all. He said that the LX10 is only good for vlogging if you have long arms and are as tall as he is since that is the only way you can be in frame. Stephen says he chose the 16-50 lens because it is 16mm which will allow for a wider shot and he doesn't want a huge form factor. He says that the 18-135 lens is a great lens, but it is just too big. Stephen then takes out warranty papers, manuals in different languages, and finally the Sony Alpha 6400 camera with the 16-50 lens already attached. He describes the Alpha 6400 camera as being a little bit larger and heavier than previous vlog cameras, comfortable to hold, of better quality, and having a good grip. Stephen says that he dislikes the metal loops on the side of the camera (the metal loops are for camera straps) and says that he will probably cut them off since it makes noise when moved, which is not good for vlogging.

Stephen then talks about how people were bashing the Alpha 6400 camera when it was released. One of the reasons they were bashing it was because it doesn't have IBS (In-Body Stabilization). Stephen says that this isn't an issue for him since none of the vlog cameras have ever had it. He said that the LX10 camera technically had IBS if you shot in 1080, but they only shot vlogs in 4k. Stephen says that it is fine as long as you have lens stabilization which the 16-50 lens has. He mentions that a lot of prime lenses that don't have stabilization which should be fine if you are only using the camera to take pictures, but not if you want to film something. The other reason people were bashing the camera is because the hot shoe is in the way when you flip up the screen. Stephen says that if you put a microphone on the hot shoe, which he is going to do, the flip screen will be obscured. He says that one solution could be to put it in a cage which would move the hot shoe to the other side of the camera. Stephen says that it is not an issue for him because he doesn't watch the screen, he just uses it to check the focus or his framing. He said that for this new camera he shouldn't have to worry since it is supposed to have the best auto-focusing system. He mentions that the back part that holds up the flip screen is a bit strange though.

He then proceeds to take out the rest of the things in the box like the battery, the USB wall charger, the USB cable, the camera strap, and the viewfinder hood. Stephen says that he doesn't use the viewfinder because he doesn't take pictures with the camera and the viewfinder hood will also get in the way of the flip screen, so he probably won't use it. Stephen then talks about how he did a lot of research before getting this new camera. He said that a lot of people were expecting a 6700 camera or a 7000 camera to come out. Stephen says that if those come out in the future, they might get them sometime down the line. He also thought that it was good to get a new camera for their upcoming international trip.

Stephen then talks about how he also got an AC adapter and a 3rd party charger and batteries. He said that some people only use the OEM batteries which probably work better, but they are expensive. Stephen says that based on his experience 3rd party batteries work nearly as good. He said that even if they don't, the amount of charge they hold and how much they helped you is still good for the fraction of the price you paid compared to the OEM batteries. Stephen says that using 3rd party batteries may require you to carry more batteries, but he says that this isn't a problem for him.

He then unboxes the VideoMicro RØDE Microphone. Stephen says that RØDE has a lot of options for vlogging microphones and that the one he got was one of the cheapest ones. He said that it costed less than $60. Stephen says that based on his research, this was a great choice for a microphone and it even comes with a "dead cat". He mentions that he has seen marketing material that has referred to the "dead cat" as "dead kitten" possibly because it's small. He says that he will just call it "dead cat" since "dead kitten" makes him feel sad. Stephen then says that the microphone also comes with shock mount. He said that he is impressed with the quality of it for the price he paid.

Stephen mentions that he had watched some reviews of the microphone on YouTube where people tried testing the microphone in studios and in real life vlogging situations. He said that the microphone performed well in those videos. Stephen then puts the microphone in the shock holder onto the hot shoe. He said that this might not be the final placement of the microphone especially if it blocks the flip screen. Stephen then shows the side of the camera where there is a USB port to charge the camera battery while it is inside, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm port for the microphone jack. He mentions that some people were complaining that the camera doesn't have a headphone jack, but he says that the headphone jack would be more suited for higher line cameras. Stephen then plugs the microphone into the camera, puts the "dead cat" on, slides the battery in, and puts in a spare memory card. He tries to turn on the camera and realizes that the battery probably doesn't have any charge, so he puts in one of the 3rd party batteries. Stephen then takes the lens cap off and turns on the camera. He realizes that it is impossible to see the flip screen with the "dead cat" on. Stephen says that he doesn't need to put on the "dead cat" when he vlogs inside, but it's probably not gonna work long-term. He then shows the movie recording button which is a tiny red button on the camera.

Stephen starts to film himself with the Alpha 6400 camera. He comments that it feels weird to have a new camera. Stephen says that with this new camera he only has to hold the camera a small distance from his face, so he is glad that the shot is wide. He also demonstrates how he can zoom by only pressing the button with his thumb and zooming into his face. Stephen then says that he would prefer to move the microphone. He then takes the microphone off to show how it sounds without the microphone. Stephen says that the built-in microphone is an improvement from the microphone on the LX10 since they are located in front of the camera instead of on top of the camera. He then asks viewers not to judge the new camera too harshly since he hasn't had time to change any of the settings.

Stephen said that it feels good to have an interchangeable lens, an auto-focusing system, and a microphone jack. He also says that it feels nice to move away from Panasonic because he felt wronged by the company. Stephen then mentions that starting tomorrow the vlogs are going to be filmed with the Alpha 6400 camera. He said that the vlogs might be a little rough looking for a week or so since it's going to take him a while to find the settings he likes.