Cameras to film a flight
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You have more choices of format with a digital. You don't need a viewfinder, so there are mirrorless cameras which are as good as an SLR. I personally want something that will go in a shirt pocket, these can have up to 8x zoom but obviously don't have as big lenses as a DSLR or mirrorless. At the top end, there are digital backs which will go on the back of a Hasselblad or Rollei, so you can use your existing analogue camera. At the bottom end, there are £ 15 cameras which do 1080p but the lack of zoom, focus, and a decent sized lens mean that they aren't even as good as a phone camera. But they're no loss if you drop them, and they will film 60 minutes of 1080p video.
Last edited by justapax; 11th April 2025 at 22:56. Reason: More stuff
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From: UK and Italy
Joined: Jun 2022
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From: England
There are a few compact cameras with optical zooms that do 1080p/30 for under £120 if you search reputable places like Warehouse Express or Park Cameras. They seem to be badge engineered. The Kodak's have a "traditional" small sensor (some of the others are really tiny) and you can pick between a small 28-140 or a less compact superzoom. Image quality won't be up there with the DSLRs or the latest mirrorless cameras.
Or London Camera Exchange (not just London) have a second hand Sony WX300 that will do 1080p/60, is pocketable and has a 28-500 lens, and you'll have budget left over for a couple of aftermarket spare batteries and filters.
Or London Camera Exchange (not just London) have a second hand Sony WX300 that will do 1080p/60, is pocketable and has a 28-500 lens, and you'll have budget left over for a couple of aftermarket spare batteries and filters.
Joined: May 2024
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From: Near SOU
I use a Nikon Coolpix L820 bridge camera.
Mine is a little over 12 years old yet does the 1080 HD video with stereo sound, has all the bells and whistles that a more expensive camera would have (when released in 2013 it was the top of the range L series)....I also own a Nikon D5000 DSLR and tbh I prefer using the L820 bridge since the DSLR is a bit of a faff with changing lenses and having to lug it all about in the carry on luggage and, most importantly, the quality of images is actually better on the L820.
Build quality of the L820 is superb, as per usual with Nikon.
Cost wise, they are very good....currently several very nice secondhand L820's on eBay for anything tween £50 to £150
The possible caveat is that they run on 4 x AA batteries and not the normal lithium....but you can use rechargeable AA's if wished. The AA's give the camera a nice, balanced feel in the hand and I generally manage around 300 shots per set of 4 batteries (Duracell, non recharge).
You may feel put off by the age or buying secondhand, but there is no need to be, Nikon are tough cameras, easy to use and maintain and even dedicated camera shops still supply quality secondhand L820's with warranties, they are a popular variant. I totally recommend that you take a look at the L820 since it has so much built into it that you find on far more expensive cameras.
Mine is a little over 12 years old yet does the 1080 HD video with stereo sound, has all the bells and whistles that a more expensive camera would have (when released in 2013 it was the top of the range L series)....I also own a Nikon D5000 DSLR and tbh I prefer using the L820 bridge since the DSLR is a bit of a faff with changing lenses and having to lug it all about in the carry on luggage and, most importantly, the quality of images is actually better on the L820.
Build quality of the L820 is superb, as per usual with Nikon.
Cost wise, they are very good....currently several very nice secondhand L820's on eBay for anything tween £50 to £150
The possible caveat is that they run on 4 x AA batteries and not the normal lithium....but you can use rechargeable AA's if wished. The AA's give the camera a nice, balanced feel in the hand and I generally manage around 300 shots per set of 4 batteries (Duracell, non recharge).
You may feel put off by the age or buying secondhand, but there is no need to be, Nikon are tough cameras, easy to use and maintain and even dedicated camera shops still supply quality secondhand L820's with warranties, they are a popular variant. I totally recommend that you take a look at the L820 since it has so much built into it that you find on far more expensive cameras.
Joined: Dec 2012
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From: UK
What exactly do you want to use the camera for? Is it [mainly] for filming flights? If that is the case, what you really want to look for is a camera with built in OIS [Optical Image Stabilization] on the video side as well as for still shots and if you want to film long periods out of a window on an aircraft also look for a good support that will attach to the window, to save you holding the camera for a long period.
I'm not going to suggest a individual camera as what one person may like is not to other's liking. You really need to make a list of all the usage criteria that is important to you and then look for cameras that fit the bill. Then armed with a shortlist, actually go to a camera shop and try out some of your short listed cameras to see how they feel and how intuitive they are to use.
One thing that I've always had to have on my digital cameras is a viewfinder [either digital or optical] as I've found trying to take shots outside in bright sunlight using a rear screen is a complete non-starter for me, as most [if not all] screens are virtually impossible to use in bright sunlight.
I'm not going to suggest a individual camera as what one person may like is not to other's liking. You really need to make a list of all the usage criteria that is important to you and then look for cameras that fit the bill. Then armed with a shortlist, actually go to a camera shop and try out some of your short listed cameras to see how they feel and how intuitive they are to use.
One thing that I've always had to have on my digital cameras is a viewfinder [either digital or optical] as I've found trying to take shots outside in bright sunlight using a rear screen is a complete non-starter for me, as most [if not all] screens are virtually impossible to use in bright sunlight.
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One thing that I've always had to have on my digital cameras is a viewfinder [either digital or optical] as I've found trying to take shots outside in bright sunlight using a rear screen is a complete non-starter for me, as most [if not all] screens are virtually impossible to use in bright sunlight.
I am left-handed, and therefore left-eyed, and the viewfinder of most cameras is on the left. In the analogue days I had a Rolleiflex (viewfinder on top, twin-lens reflex) but it was too big and cumbersome to take on planes so I also had an Olympus XA which I used to shoot through with my nose in the way, which wasn't ideal, as the XA used your vision of the subject through the viewfinder to put two images of the subject together to manually focus. Digital cameras with a screen on the back are much better for me, even if they don't work in bright sunlight, and the controls are on the wrong side.
I'd dearly love a digital version of the Olympus XA, it had manual everything, and fit in a shirt pocket. I'm really looking for the closest digital equivalent to an XA in form factor, but with optical zoom and colour temperature adjustment, and 1080/60Hz, which of course an analogue camera couldn't do, you had to load different film, and didn't do cine. I don't mind if colour temperature is buried deep in the menus, if you go from filming through the window to filming the inside of the cabin (or filming your lunch), you need to adjust the colour temperature.
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: France
Thank you for your suggestions. Yours, and others', suggest I need to take the train to London and visit a camera shop.
I am left-handed, and therefore left-eyed, and the viewfinder of most cameras is on the left. In the analogue days I had a Rolleiflex (viewfinder on top, twin-lens reflex) but it was too big and cumbersome to take on planes so I also had an Olympus XA which I used to shoot through with my nose in the way, which wasn't ideal, as the XA used your vision of the subject through the viewfinder to put two images of the subject together to manually focus. Digital cameras with a screen on the back are much better for me, even if they don't work in bright sunlight, and the controls are on the wrong side.
I'd dearly love a digital version of the Olympus XA, it had manual everything, and fit in a shirt pocket. I'm really looking for the closest digital equivalent to an XA in form factor, but with optical zoom and colour temperature adjustment, and 1080/60Hz, which of course an analogue camera couldn't do, you had to load different film, and didn't do cine. I don't mind if colour temperature is buried deep in the menus, if you go from filming through the window to filming the inside of the cabin (or filming your lunch), you need to adjust the colour temperature.
I am left-handed, and therefore left-eyed, and the viewfinder of most cameras is on the left. In the analogue days I had a Rolleiflex (viewfinder on top, twin-lens reflex) but it was too big and cumbersome to take on planes so I also had an Olympus XA which I used to shoot through with my nose in the way, which wasn't ideal, as the XA used your vision of the subject through the viewfinder to put two images of the subject together to manually focus. Digital cameras with a screen on the back are much better for me, even if they don't work in bright sunlight, and the controls are on the wrong side.
I'd dearly love a digital version of the Olympus XA, it had manual everything, and fit in a shirt pocket. I'm really looking for the closest digital equivalent to an XA in form factor, but with optical zoom and colour temperature adjustment, and 1080/60Hz, which of course an analogue camera couldn't do, you had to load different film, and didn't do cine. I don't mind if colour temperature is buried deep in the menus, if you go from filming through the window to filming the inside of the cabin (or filming your lunch), you need to adjust the colour temperature.
You don't need to set the colour temperature in the camera, it's very easy to do in post processing. You can leave it on auto and fiddle around with it later. As I and others have suggested, you do need to try actual cameras in an actual shop. I would like to add, when you have found the camera of your dreams in a shop, buy it from the shop. That way they can stay in business, rather than using their expertise and then buying on eBay.
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You dont have to go to London to find a good camera shop. I suggest you contact a nearby photographer or club and ask for a recommendation. .
You don't need to set the colour temperature in the camera, it's very easy to do in post processing. You can leave it on auto and fiddle around with it later. As I and others have suggested, you do need to try actual cameras in an actual shop. I would like to add, when you have found the camera of your dreams in a shop, buy it from the shop. That way they can stay in business, rather than using their expertise and then buying on eBay.
You don't need to set the colour temperature in the camera, it's very easy to do in post processing. You can leave it on auto and fiddle around with it later. As I and others have suggested, you do need to try actual cameras in an actual shop. I would like to add, when you have found the camera of your dreams in a shop, buy it from the shop. That way they can stay in business, rather than using their expertise and then buying on eBay.
Most of the big London shops also have ebay sites, suggesting they have already adjusted their prices to ebay shoppers. I would have no problem buying second-hand from a camera shop that offered a warranty, whereas I would be reluctant to buy anything except brand-new from ebay, you never know when a dealer is going to shut up shop. BonnieLass has suggested second hand, although her suggestion wasn't a shirt-pocket camera (to be fair to her, I hadn't specified this as a desideratum at the time) and I'm seriously considering this now, from a reputable shop.
In other news, I've got my scanner to talk to my Linux computer, a victory of perseverance over common sense, 1990s scanners were never meant to talk to 21st century operating systems. I have some aviation pix from the 1980s taken with my Olympus XA that might be worth putting up in the thread 'Pix', which has scrolled off the front page, to my regret, I really enjoyed seeing other peoples' pix. Most of my pix were taken with Kodachrome 100 film, I also took a lot with Ektachrome 40 (I think) slide film, but these usually weren't of aviation subjects.
My hand is steady enough that I can take long exposures, one of the features I like of the long obsolete Fuji MX-2900 zoom that I still have is the ability to take long exposures aloft, using my body as the stabilising platform when the aircraft is moving due to turbulence. The reason why the MX2900 is obsolete is that it only has 16 MB of memory, even with an external SD card, whereas what I want to do is film video.
