JMartJr
Senior Member.
For many of the amateur "research groups" (so NOT the Skinwalker Ranch folks) the tech helps THEM feel like they are doing something serious as well. Anything from just a simple tape recorder to the flat Earther's beloved Nikon p900 -- it may be theatre even in those cases, but the audience is also the performer (as well demonstrated in "Scientifical Americans" by Sharon Hill.)Using tech the general public isn't familiar with helps them add a layer of "we're experts" to what they're doing, and a veneer of mystery to what is seen as it's often less interpretable (yay - more noise!). On top of that, because it's not cheap and common tech, it actively discourages attempts at replication. So you have to trust them and their interpretation of what they're seeing. Which is OK, as they've already persuaded you they're experts. It's theatre, that's all.