Do you ever think about starting your own YouTube channel? I'll be the first to admit, I don't have a formula for success; just a few observations about growing my channel, Airailimages.
If you want to make video and still photos of action, like aviation or railroads, or other forms of transportation, a lot of cameras and combinations of cameras can be put to use.
Today I am using the Sony a6500 camera body with a Sony 18-to-200-millimeter power zoom lens to make both video and high resolution still images. That one camera body and that one lens cover a lot of ground. The Sony 18-200 PZ lens is an APS-C lens. When used on a crop-sensor camera like the a6500, it has a focal length more like 27millimeters to 300 millimeters in 35-millimeter film equivalency.
I'm shooting this video for use on YouTube in 1080P high definition at 120 frames per second. That gives me plenty of room for using some of it in slow-motion later. Without over-doing it, a bit of slow motion is like the classic movie film equivalent of over-cranking; using more frames per second than natural, and slowing it just as bit for added inherent smoothness that results.
I have the Sony a6500 set in Manual mode. ISO speeds are 100 to 400, with Auto ISO picking the best for exposure each time. I vary the shutter speed between 1/250th of a second, 1/320th, and 1/500th of a second when shooting bursts of high resolution jpeg still images. At the end of the day, I have usable video as well as publishable still photos as I switch between video and still photography on different aircraft passes. I try to keep the aperture at f8, a common sweet spot for lenses.
The Sony a6500 body has in-body image stabilization, and the 18-to-200 millimeter OSS lens is also optically stabilized. Some reviewers say both sets of stabilization share the workload, yielding super smooth results.
After uploading all the days image files to my computer, I use PhotoShop elements to bring out the best still image quality I can. The video, and the drop-in still photos, I edit in Vegas video editing software.
By shooting both HD video and high-resolution still photos with one camera, I have been able to make videos and illustrate news articles about the same topic. That's double bang for the buck, and I like working efficiently. Plus, it makes the amount of gear I lug around less bulky and cumbersome, always a bonus, especially if you are on your feet for hours beside a runway.
This has proven to be a workable camera-and-lens combination to get the job done. Decent high-resolution stills shot in bursts are fantastic, and the hand-held video is quite stable.
The power zoom lens makes it possible to zoom while shooting video, although the fastest zoom mode is still slower than I'd like. And once I have the camera and lens set up the way I want, it still takes practice, practice, practice to feel comfortable with this set-up for action at the airport.
I bought my a6500 camera and the PZ 18-200 lens used on E-Bay, and I have not been disappointed. I look for bargains, and figure what my top bid will be, and sometimes I am outbid, and other times I win. But the result for me has been more affordable than buying brand new.
Now, kick back and enjoy a sunny day at the Boise airport as airliners, business aircraft, military planes and general aviation are captured on short final approach. Look at those legacy Marine Corps F/A-18s, and the USMC KC-130J tanker.
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