Learn How To Effectively Capture Both Still And Video
Text & Photography By Jeffrey Nielsen
Up until a few years
ago, there was no question—you used a still camera for
stills and a video camera for motion. Now that boundary has
blurred. Many digital still cameras have a Movie mode, and many
digital video cameras include a still-photo button. So, when
you want to travel light, can one camera do the job of two?
As with most things in life, it depends.
A video camera is designed to make motion images that will look
good when played back on your living room television. That’s
an image made up of 480 effective scan lines, each about 720
pixels long. When digitized, that makes each TV frame about
a 0.3-megapixel image, and 30 of them are needed per second.
Compare that to a basic pocket-sized digital still camera today,
which hosts a 3- to 5-megapixel sensor. With a 3-megapixel sensor,
each image will have 30 times more information than a frame
of video. But for still photography, you don’t need to
process 30 frames a second; 30 images in an afternoon is more
likely. The purpose of a digital video camera and a digital
still camera, then, is different in terms of image resolution,
the number of images that can be captured and the speed at which
they’re processed and stored.
What about those cameras that
claim to do both? Well, there are compromises. It’s easier
to design a camera to do one thing well. The more functions
built into a device, the more compromises to be made by the
engineers. Think about combining the fuel efficiency of a compact
car with the cargo capacity of a pickup—it’s difficult
to have both.
Still From Video
Let’s start with still shots from a video camera. In the
simplest form, even with old analog videotape, you can grab
one image from the motion stream, a “still frame”
or “freeze frame.”
A frame of video is made up of two fields. In standard American
television (some new high-definition systems are different),
half of the image is drawn first, on alternating lines—this
is one field; then the other half of the lines are filled in—the
second field. Each field, then, is 1/60 sec. When the camera
or the subject is moving, fields 1 and 2 will be slightly different
images. For video, this is ideal, as it smooths out the transition
from image to image for your eye, reducing the chance of seeing
a strobing effect. In a still frame, however, the two different
fields reduce image resolution, creating a blurred image.
The still frame also is limited to television’s resolution.
While a 720 x 480-pixel video frame looks fine on today’s
big-screen TVs filled with image-processing circuitry, it looks
terrible in even a 3x5-inch print.
Shooting in Photo mode on a video camera helps this to a degree.
In this mode, the camera will grab one still frame from the
camera’s sensor and record several seconds of it onto the
tape. This reduces some of the blur between fields inherent
in a regular still frame, improving image quality, but it’s
only a 0.3 megapixel-sized picture. If you want a high-quality
still image, you need a still camera.
There are new digital video cameras that include 1- to even
3-megapixel sensors, which promise to produce images that can
result in decent 4x6- to 8x10-inch prints. However, you’ll
likely find that printsmade from comparable-resolution still
cameras will deliver better results.
Video From Still
What about shooting video with a still camera? Many digital
still cameras have a Movie or Video mode. The still camera has
a much larger sensor to work with, so you might think the video
image would be great. Alas, the Video mode on a still camera
has limitations, as well.
Many still cameras don’t even capture a full-resolution
or full-motion television image. Often, you’ll only get
a 240 x 320-pixel image, or only 10 to 15 fps. Although you’re
starting with a high-resolution sensor, the camera doesn’t
include the processing and buffering power, necessary resolution
and frame rate to render full-resolution video frames. The video
output will be good enough to produce thumbnail-sized QuickTime
video, but it will look worse than a black-and-white rerun if
you play it on your entertainment center.
Don’t forget that video requires a lot of memory, even
though each frame is only a 0.3-megapixel image. A 256 MB memory
card will hold only three or four minutes of full-frame video.
Of course, the more still images you put on your camera’s
memory card, the less room you’ll have for video. You’d
need a pocket full of memory chips to match the storage capacity
of one miniDV tape.
Making A Decision
So, still or motion? Which camera should you bring on your next
trip? What do you enjoy shooting? If you like taking still photos,
don’t start shooting videos just because your cousin is
always showing off his travelogues, or vice versa.
Luckily, today’s still and video cameras are incredibly
compact, allowing you to carry both without burdensome weight
and bulk. The greater challenge arises in the midst of a special
moment—deciding whether to capture it with still, video,
or both.
If you’re hiking in the mountains, most likely you’ll
have plenty of time to stop and compose every beautiful scenic
still frame, and carefully plan each video scene and camera
move. If you’re in the middle of the crowd at Carnevale
and shooting a parade, you’ve got to be quick. You need
to anticipate what’s coming next and how you want to shoot
it. In the five seconds it takes to put down one camera and
pick up the other, the whole scene can change.
Let’s say you hear a band coming around the corner. It
would be ideal to capture the action on video and use the music
for the soundtrack when you edit your video. But next there
are some revelers in colorful costumes that would make a memorable
still image. Get ready to switch cameras.
Being Ready
To shoot both scenes, you need to have each camera available
at a moment’s notice. If the cameras are small enough,
you should be able to hang them both on neck or shoulder straps
so they don’t bang against each other. Another option is
to wear a small belt pack or shoulder bag that allows you to
quickly drop in one camera and pull out the other. Or you can
hang the larger camera on a neck strap and keep the smaller
one ready in a convenient pocket. Try different arrangements
and see what works best for you.
You’ll need to rely on presets more than manual controls.
Make sure to check your exposure and white-balance setups before
the event starts. One drawback of the features in a digital
camera is that they’re often buried in menus. When the
action is fast, there’s no time to click through the options—you
must be able to use your cameras on instinct. So get to know
your gear thoroughly before the trip. Choosing a camera where
controls are on dedicated buttons and knobs rather than buried
in menu screens will make them faster to work with as well.
Carry spare batteries, tapes and memory cards in a convenient
pocket.
As always, when you’re in a crowd, keep an eye out for
your own safety and security. Any big event will bring out its
share of pickpockets and purse snatchers, and an unguarded camera
is a prime target. The lighter you travel, the less you’ll
stand out as a tourist and a potential target.
Tips
For Better Video
Whether you’re shooting video with a video camera or grabbing
clips with a still camera’s Movie mode, some techniques
always apply.
Keep your camera as stable as possible.
Although most video cameras have an image-stabilizer feature,
it can’t compensate for big bounces; this feature simply
smoothes out jarring motions. Shoot using the LCD monitor, keeping
your arms tight against your body. A camera will be much more
stable this way compared to holding it away from your body.
A pocket-sized or lightweight tripod can be a great help, whether
it extends only a few inches or a couple of feet.
Lead the action. When panning
to follow action, say, a float in the parade, don’t center
the subject exactly in the frame, but keep the frame moving
a little ahead of the object. When you have enough footage,
don’t stop the tape right away. Stop the camera and let
the object move out of the frame on its own before you stop
recording. If the action goes on too long, you can edit it later.
Use good lighting. When outside,
position yourself so the sun isn’t pointing straight into
the camera; this can result in flare and blooming. Blooming
occurs when the pixel is overloaded by light, which results
in a noticeable loss in image quality. Yes, silhouettes can
be dramatic, but only if you want that as a special effect,
not for a whole afternoon’s footage. You want the sunlight
shining on your subject, not in your eyes. If taping with manual
controls, make sure your exposure is set properly for a good
tonal range, black to white. If on auto exposure, check to see
if compensating with a 1/2-stop over- or underexposure improves
the image.
Get lots of coverage. Shoot
a variety of angles of each subject and different focal lengths.
When the band marches past, get a wide shot, close-ups of several
instruments, or maybe crouch down to capture their marching
feet or shots of the crowd clapping along with the music.
Pay attention to the sound. If you plan to use live sound in
your editing, record several minutes of ambient sound free of
distracting noise or talking. Don’t talk when taping; your
voice is too close to the camera’s microphone. If you want
to narrate, do it later when editing.
Carry extra tapes and batteries.
An hour of tape may seem like more than you need for the day,
but you might find the best image at 62 minutes into your shoot.
