Topic: Is an iPad mini good for brickfilming?
The title says it all.
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The title says it all.
I wouldn't recommend an ipad, or an ipod at all. You will be severely limited in the amount of angles you can take, and the quality will not be very good. I highly recommend getting a webcam.
Well, this is a very subjective question, but I'll be as objective as possible.
Technically, an iPad mini is inferior to webcams and other cameras in most every way. The camera quality can be worse (though, sometimes it can be better, depending on what webcam/camera you are comparing it to), the iPad is sort of an awkward size for animation. If you were to use a tablet or phone, I'd go for an iPhone or something similar because of it's size (though, I know, you didn't ask about that, that's just an extra 
). The focus and manual exposure on the iPad is bad too, as you have little to no control over the settings.
In short, I agree that an iPad Mini isn't too good for animation, but for learning, sure, you can use it before taking the leap into a better camera.
I sort of agree and disagree with the last two comments. While a webcam or pretty much any other camera would be much better, I think you could actually utilize the iPad Mini very well for animation. For a few of my previous films, I used my iPod with its 5 MP iSight camera to a great effect with a cheap app called Stop Motion Studio. It allows you to manually control focus, exposure, as well as white balance, so it's very handy. I know that an iPod is significantly smaller than an iPad, and it would be a bit challenging to get the right angles, but I believe using an iPad Mini is quite doable, especially for a beginner. Of course though, if you can get your hands on a good webcam or even a good D-SLR then by any means, go for those.
Of course though, if you can get your hands on a good webcam or even a good D-SLR then by any means, go for those.
I know this is a bit off-topic, but I wouldn't go for a DSLR unless you're really serious about animation. They are a very large expense, even if you think you have all the things you need, you won't, there's always more. For an average animator or a beginner, a webam is basically perfect, because it doesn't require tons of attention or fancy expensive software to get working.
I know this is a bit off-topic, but I wouldn't go for a DSLR unless you're really serious about animation. They are a very large expense, even if you think you have all the things you need, you won't, there's always more. For an average animator or a beginner, a webam is basically perfect, because it doesn't require tons of attention or fancy expensive software to get working.
As someone who currently works with DSLR, I agree completely. I have invested many hundreds of dollars into my DLSR, lenses, extension tubes, and more. They are not cheap and not a good option for most brickfilmers. Several webcams are fantastic for brickfilming, and I bet many brickfilmers on this site would be able to recommend some.
The best camera is the one you have available to shoot with, right now.
I don't think you should wait until you get better equipment to start trying to make videos, because everybody has to start somewhere, and there will always be that next piece of better equipment that you don't have yet.
GHB explained it well as far as the iPad -- I have seen a number of situations (animation workshops for kids for instance) where people were able to quickly and easily create animations using an iPad and the results were not bad because there is some ability to have manual controls if you use the right app. It's a very limiting tool in some ways but it might be okay for starting out. If you have the money to invest, upgrading to a Logitech C920 is a relatively affordable option that would give you a lot more flexibility and, I believe, better images.
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