| Ranked Posts: 134 |
| Greater Manchester |
|
 #4 Re: Tips 22/01/2008 @ 08:18:09 |
   |
|
| In reply to post #3 ... |
I realise this is a mega old thread I've dug up but those are some great tips and exactly what I've been looking for! 
Cheers |
|
|
|
| Ranked Posts: 308 |
| Staffordshire |
|
| #3 Re: Tips 16/12/2004 @ 21:38:14 |
|
|
| In reply to post #2 ... |
Excellent tips dude I read them and was like hey there are other films geeks on here too.
The only major concern I have with a comcorder in the snow is making sure it doesn't suffer from water damage, what it is the best way without having to buy a £200 water case. Plastice bags?
And great tip for all you outdoors guys and gals for both film and video. put your camera into a sealable plastic bag before going into a warm enviroment. this will stop condensation forming and will allow the equipment to adjust to room temperture slowly.
gaz |
|
|
|
|
|
| #1 Tips 16/12/2004 @ 13:34:42 |
|
|
| Revision #1 (Last edited: 16/12/2004 @ 13:41:36) |
(This post is work in progress, currently its just random thoughts off the top of my head)
Buying a Camcorder:
* READ REVIEWS
Obvious, but try not to just go into a store blindly and get 'sold'. Do your research. Check sites like http://www.camcorderinfo.com for example.
* ZOOM
Optical zoom (typically 10x or 12x) is the only important figure with regards to zooming. Digital zoom (often advertised 100x-700x) is not very useful at all so don’t pay it any attention. Digital zoom just makes the image blocky and blurry.
* MEGA PIXELS
It doesn’t really matter how many bloody mega pixels a camcorder has got – mega pixels really only refers to the quality of the STILL pictures that the camcorder can take. But we only care about making snowboarding videos right?
* FILTER SIZE
This is only a minor point, but take note of the "filter size". That is, the size of the ring on the camcorder lens to which filters & lenses can be attached. If you buy a cam with an obscure, or less common filter size, it will make buying accessories much more painful (you will often need to use adaptors). My camcorder is 30mm, but I wish it was 37mm - it seems a lot of the good cams out there are 37mm. Hence im tending to invest in 37mm lenses to future proof myself.
Using a Camcorder on the slopes:
* AUDIO
Make sure you set the camera to record 16-bit (CD quality) audio. My camcorder came setup to record 12-bit (lower quality) by default. The only reason to use 12-bit is it allows you to record an extra stereo track ( "audio dub" ) onto the tape i.e. do a voice over. Something you are very unlikely to want to do…
* MONOPOD
Get a monopod! It has so many uses …
When you are at the bottom of a slope filming a mate at the top using 10x zoom even the tiniest shake of the hand will produce a 10x bigger shake of the image. Its very hard to get good zoomed shots without using support. A monopod gives that support but its more convenient than a tripod. You can get monopods that weigh under 500g, and collapse to under 50cm, and cost under $50. Many snow backpacks have holders on the sides for holding shovels which equally well carry a monopod - and make you look like a real pro!
The monopod I have is made by Velbon (see http://www.velbon-tripod.com ). It has quick release legs to make it quick to extend/retract. Also has a urethane grip for better ... grip, and also stops bare skin sticking to it when its frozen!
Monopods also help tremendously when doing panning shots (i.e. when the camera rotates to follow a subject or film a scenic panorama). The image will be much steadier and you will be able to pan more smoothly.
Monopods can be stuck into the snow for more stability. This also allows you to film yourself (or at least be part of the group shot!) if you stick it in hard enough (oo-er!) to stay upright. Obviously the camera is insulated from the cold/wet snow, and at the right height … the same can’t be said for trying to find a nearby rock or tree to perch your camcorder on.
Last but not least monopods can be great fun, and let you pull off some cool shots! If you fully extend your pod you can use it as a boom, letting you film from high up or from strange angles. Try following your mate down the slopes while filming him from high above his head or right up his a*se. Its kinda essential to combine this boom idea with a fish-eye lens described below for best effect…
* DIGITAL ZOOM
Make sure you turn Digital zoom off! Digital zoom gives you increasingly poor image quality the further you zoom in. Having it enabled will only encourage you to zoom in way too far, which is just gonna make your footage super jerky on top of being blurry and pixilated!
* IMAGE STABILISATION
IF the camera is being seriously shaken about i.e. you are filming as you ride, then turn off image stabilisation (i.e SteadyShot, EIS etc). Image stabilisation is great at dealing with vibration during normal handheld operation but when the camera is bouncing all over the place it can sometimes actually overcompensate and make the image more jerky.
* TAKE YOUR TIME
This is probably one of the hardest things to learn about filming … but its really important to take your time when you are doing panning shots of scenery etc. Try not to rush! At the time its easy to be impatient and quickly wave the camera through 180 degrees to capture the scenery, but later when you watch it back you will be disappointed - the shot that felt like 10 seconds is actually 2 seconds long. Way too quick for the audience to appreciate!
* USE BEACH/SNOW PROGRAM
Again pretty obvious, but remember to use the snow/sand/beach setting on your cam when you are filming on snow. The reason is that snow conditions are usually very bright so you want to make sure you footage is not overexposed.
* LENSES
(basics)
One of the most important attributes of a lens is its magnification factor. If a lens is described as 3x, then it’s a zoom lens – an object will appear 3x larger/closer. If the lens has a value of less than 1x then that lens is a wide-angle lens – it makes objects appear smaller/further away. For example, a 0.6x lens means an object appear as 3/5ths (0.6) the original size. Or to put another way: if you were filming a 1m wide door which filled the frame, then you attached a 0.6x lens, you would now be able to see an extra 33cm to either side of the door (1m/0.6) i.e. you have a 66% wider field of view. What does this all mean in practical terms? Read on…
- FISH-EYE
A fish-eye is an extreme wide-angle lens (typically <0.5x). It will give your image pronounced barrel distortion, and very exaggerated perspective. The fish-eye is a staple of skateboarding, snowboarding and music videos. It allows you to get up very close to the action, while at the same time keeping the subject and all the surroundings in shot. Its awesome for getting stylistic close-up shots, whether that be following someone down the hill, launching off a kicker, or at the apex of a half pipe. If you can only have one lens, make it a fish-eye. It will take your shots to the next level, and is great fun.
- WIDE-ANGLE
A wide-angle (typically 0.5x – 0.7x) is very useful when you are in a cramped environment i.e. indoors, back of car etc. If you try to film indoors without a wide-angle lens you will find you just end up with a images of walls – you don’t get a sense of space at all. Compared to a fish-eye you are getting very little or no distortion, so the shots still look “normal”. Wide-angles are also useful for scenic panoramas.
- ZOOM
Using a zoom lens effectively requires you to have proper support (i.e. tripod or monopod). I would say when starting out don’t waste your money on a zoom lens. My reasons for that are: getting far enough away from your subject (typically your friends!) to justify using a zoom lens requires significant organization and communication – something that just isn’t likely to happen, esp when starting out. The standard zoom on a camcorder of 10-12x is usually more than adequate.
I’m bored of writing now! 
|
|
|
|