Video Camera For the 2023 Storm Chasing Season

[Austin Honeycutt]

Has anybody used or would recommend a mirrorless camera like the Canon EOS M50 mark II or the Panasonic G7? They are both around $500 with the basic lens. I would probably end up spending another $200 on lenses. Would one of these cameras work well or is there a better option in the $500 range?

 

[Jeff Wright]

Something to look out for down the road:

Passive millimeter wave sensor allows pilots to see through rain and fog

The Vū Cube can see airfields through rain, clouds, and fog at a range of several miles.

www.vision-systems.com

This New System Can See Through Fog Far Better Than Humans

Developed by MIT researchers, the technology could be a boon for drivers and driverless cars

www.smithsonianmag.com

MIT Engineers Develop a Low-Cost Terahertz Camera Using Quantum Dots

The new terahertz camera device provides greater sensitivity and speed than previous versions, and could be used for industrial inspection, airport security, and communications. Terahertz radiation, also known as submillimeter radiation, has wavelengths that lie between those of microwaves and vi

scitechdaily.com

I want to see drones with these things…

 

[Mike Vetter]

I just bought a Fuji X-T3. I got the X-T3 because it is pro grade but reasonably affordable. I spent $600 on the body and will probably end up spending about another ~$400 on a wide range zoom. It has 10 bit color which is essential for color grading footage later (DaVinci Resolve is amazing). Cameras struggle figuring out things like exposure and white balance under these storms with all the weird lighting, so refining things in post is important to me.

The Sony A-series cameras that Ethan mentioned are awesome, but they run well into the thousands to get a camera with 10-bit color (only the new ones support it). So if you have the cash get a Sony Alpha series camera. If you want something you can color correct that doesn't break the bank, look at a newer Fuji XT series camera...

 

[Austin Honeycutt]

I have really been looking into the Canon M-50. Everybody says that Canon has good colors. I believe it says that it has 14-bit color. And it is only $400 with the kit lens. I really wish somebody could show me some storm chasing footage of the Canon M-50.

 

[Mike Vetter]

I have really been looking into the Canon M-50. Everybody says that Canon has good colors. I believe it says that it has 14-bit color. And it is only $400 with the kit lens. I really wish somebody could show me some storm chasing footage of the Canon M-50.

So the M-50 does shoot 14 bit photos, but it only shoots 8 bit video. Video quality is pretty mediocre from what I've seen...

I do have a Canon EOS-M (~$200 - the earlier version of the M50) which you can hack with Magic Lantern and shoot 10-14 bit raw video, which is insane. However it isn't super reliable and requires a lot of playing with to get it to work reliably. There is a really cool facebook group dedicated to running magic lantern on it.