I am by no means an expert on taking video of hunts, but I have been attempting to do so since the 1980's. I have tried everything from lugging around thirty pounds of camera components to using the small, hand-held video cameras. Next up is just using my iPhone. I have purchased so many gadgets and accessories to try to find a combination that works well for trying to video solo hunts that I have a whole drawer-full of them.
Here's my take based on my admittedly "amateur" attempts and experience:
If you are videoing someone else hunting, the simplest method is to simply get a relatively-good, hand-held camera (or even one of the newer phones that have great cameras) and film the action. There are many small, hand-held video cameras on the market that are inexpensive, but quite adequate for filming what is usually going to be the close-in action of turkey hunts. Although you can forgo the use of a tripod, I recommend using a good, sturdy, easily-operated tripod to eliminate "jumpy" video which is common when someone just holds the camera to take video (and obviously, it you are solo-filming, a guy has to be quite the "juggler" to manipulate a hand-held camera and a gun at the same time).
On the Tactacam: I have a 5.0 (about a three-year-old model) and have never used it. The reasons: I am not all that impressed with the video it takes. The operating functions are unnecessarily difficult (seems to me). If you attach it to a gun, you only get video of where the gun is pointing which, in my view, complicates matters in a hunting situation. (Note: I am sure there are others that have spent enough time using the Tactacam that they have overcome what I see are the shortcomings...I have just not had the patience)
Other gun-mounted "Go-Pro"-type (or small, hand-held cameras/phones that use attachment brackets: Same limitations...gun has to be moved around and pointed in the direction of the action, but I think these are superior to Tactacam-type units in that they are generally easier to operate and allow fairly simple real-time review of the video. Seems to me that gun recoil at the shot is an issue with any type of gun-mounted unit.
Tripod-mounted cameras: This is my personal "fallback" option for videoing hunts. Most any camera with video capabilities will work when set up on a relatively stable and easily operated tripod. Generally, the only operations needed are pushing easily-accessible buttons to turn on and manipulate the zoom function, and manipulating the tripod to point to where the action is. Additionally, most cameras nowadays have the small review-screens so you can easily observe what you are filming in real time.
Now, the obvious limitation for any filming (and especially solo filming) is movement when trying to manipulate camera, gun, and/or tripod functions. After all the years of filming hunts for myself, I have yet to figure out a really good system of covering up movement other than just waiting for the turkey(s) to be where they won't pick it up. Simply stated, that is a pretty tricky situation regardless of what you are using.
Again, these are just the opinions of a guy that likes to try to video my hunts for my own review and memories...and do it in the simplest and somewhat-least-expensive manner I can and without going overboard with it...although that definition of "overboard" would probably be debatable in my case based on that drawer-full of junk I have...
