4K Ultra HD Infrared Night Vision and Full Spectrum Camcorder - Ghost Hunting Camera

First off I should make it clear that I am a professional cinematographer. I’ve worked on countless commercials, feature films etc. and I’ve been in the film industry professionally since 2005. I was recently hired to be the camera op for an upcoming feature film about ghost hunting and that has led me here, to this camera. I’ve worked with cameras that range from $100 to $100,000 or more. I’m saying this so that you understand where my thoughts on this camera are coming from. I’m not some guy who just decided to chase ghosts and got his first camera.So let’s talk about Cleveland Paranormal’s conversion to full spectrum of this camera, to which they did a fantastic job. No fault there at all. The full spectrum mode works as it should and you will get phenomenal results. I have spent a few days now just filming the world around me in full spectrum, simply because it’s so cool to see!The problem with the camera comes from BenQ, who are the manufacturers of the camera. They are selling this as a 4K camera, which it is not. It’s a 2.5K camera (it even says it in very small print on the side of it, near where you put in the SD card), which is then up-res’d to 4K for output. This is important because it means that those ever important details get fuzzy as they are duplicated to make a larger image. Combine this with the incredibly compressed MP4 video codec, the seriously slow autofocus and really low zoom capability and you get a camera that really can’t deliver it’s claims.Now this isn’t to say that the camera can’t be used for it’s intended full spectrum or IR purpose, because it absolutely can. You just need to know going into it that you won’t get a true 4K image and that it has some quirks. The biggest quick is that there is no 3.5mm mic jack, which means you have to buy a separate USB to 3.5mm cable to use an external microphone with this camera. This is a terrible design flaw from BenQ.Again, all the issues with the camera are from BenQ, not Cleveland Paranormal, who did an excellent job with their conversion on the camera.All this said, it is only a couple hundred bucks for a full spectrum pseudo-4K camera, which isn’t bad. If you leave it zoomed all the way out you actually get an okay image. This is definitely how I will be using it for my company’s work. The included .45x wide angle lens is a nice addition.So in summary, CP gets 5 stars for their conversion, but BQ only gets 1 star for making such a poorly designed camera, hence the 3 stars.One last thing to note: in either the reviews or questions section here, someone had put that this isn’t not Mac compatible. This is absolutely untrue. I use Mac’s for my post production work and it plays and edits with zero problems on my MacBook Pro and Mac Pro. I needed no conversion software or anything like that. So it is Mac compatible :)

The media could not be loaded.  * I will upload the video again as this attached version does not do the video quality justice* Here is my review of this camera (mine is a BenQ M33 model, not sure about which ones they mod these days). I really like this based on the lack of complete zero light / IR capability offered in camcorders currently on the market. Here are my complaints on this camera, which I think is important to list first. - Wide-Lens will get a shadow due to the embedded IR light when it is on. I had to put electrical tape over it or not use the included lens.- Embedded IR light is of no good use and just saps the battery quicker. This should be left out since people use external IR lights anyway and to extend battery power.- This camcorder only accepts a standard battery size, it would be nice to have the option for a greater mAh capacity (extended) battery.- Shoe mount on top of camcorder for external IR light or microphone (see below)- Microphone input as the internal mic is not great (especially for distant audio). This would need the top-mount shoe if you wanted to connect both an external IR light and mic.Aside from the above items for the supplier to consider, I would suggest a good monopod if you want to not tire out your arm and avoid hand-shake while shooting. Works great for using the still-shot feature on this camera too. The visual quality is excellent, I just wish the above points would be considered as I would definitely buy another one. Attached is a quick clip of a video I shot for our team at the time.

Was a little hesitant to buy these because of how cheap they were and the fact that they were branded for paranormal investigations. However, after using them during my latest shoot (at the legendary Roff Home in Watseka, IL) I can't say I'm dissappointed. They handle easily, capture sharp footage, and feel light in your hands without feeling cheap. Definitely going to come back and buy three or four more so I can have stationary cams set up throughout my hunts.