Choose and use simple
camcorders to create
Hollywood-style results
By Ibarionex R. Perello
If I
had any doubt of what could
be achieved with an affordable
camcorder and a bit of
imagination, it was swept
away while attending a
high-school film festival.
As I watched, kids from
San Fernando High School
in Southern California
shared short live-action
and animated films they
had created with cameras,
computers and software.
Viewable at www.sfett.com,
the films come complete
with music and special
effects. These kids reminded
me of how far video filmmaking
has advanced while becoming
more affordable.
Although some of us would
love to own a camera with
enough bells and whistles
to rival the instrument
panel of a space shuttle,
today’s selection
of sub-$1,000 camcorders
offers great image and
sound quality, and enough
features to make our videos
of family, vacations and
sporting events something
worth watching.
Cameras
Buying a camera in this
price range used to mean
giving up a lot. Today,
you get a lot of bang
for your buck, with features
such as full digital
recording, higher color
accuracy, reduced chromatic
aberration and high-end
functions, including
image stabilization and
progressive scan recording.
With all of the camera
specifications and mar-keting
hype flying about, it can
be a challenge to make
the best choice. But it
has been my experience
that by evaluating a limited
number of features, you
can easily determine which
of today’s cameras
best suit your imaging
needs.
Format
When it comes to camcorders,
digital video (DV) is the
way to go. While Hi-8 cameras
are available for a few
hundred dollars, miniDV
camcorders are far superior
because they record digitally
rather than via analog
and provide 500 lines of
horizontal resolution—100
more than analog. Although
both record to tape, digital
recording means there will
be no loss in image quality
when the video is duplicated,
unlike analog, whose image
and sound quality are reduced
with each duplication.
DV cassettes come in two
sizes: Standard/Full Size
(125mm x 78mm x 14.6mm)
and miniDV (66mm x 48mm
x 12.2mm). The former is
for pro/commercial use
while miniDV is what’s
available in consumer-line
camcorders.
Some DV cameras record
directly to recordable
DVD discs rather than tape.
They offer the convenience
of creating a DVD that’s
playable on a console player.
Because there’s a
variety of DVD formats
(DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW,
DVD-RW and DVD-RAM), make
sure your DVD player will
accommodate the DVD format
used by the video camera.
The video for such cameras
is compressed more than
a standard miniDV recording
and results in reduced
image quality.
Lenses
The zoom lens of a camcorder
is one of its most hyped
and most misunderstood
features. While some cameras
promise 20x or higher magnification,
it may not be achieved
optically, but digitally—meaning
by cropping into the image
sensor and simulating a
higher focal length, but
sacrificing image quality.
Choose a camera based on
its optical zoom range
instead. The specification
chart should include the
35mm-equiv-alent focal-length
range. A 10x optical zoom
might have a 35mm equivalent
of 40-400mm, for example.
Most zooms start at a focal
length of 40mm or higher.
So if you desire a wider
focal length, make sure
the camera allows for the
attachment of lens adapters.
Sound
The built-in microphones
of today’s video
cameras are very effective
in picking up ambient sound.
These omni-directional
microphones are positioned
in front or on top of the
camera body. We recommend
choosing a video camera
whose microphone is positioned
on the front unless you
know you want to include
your own narration while
recording.
Some cameras feature a
zoom microphone, which
narrows its pick-up area
as the lens zooms to its
telephoto position. For
more precise sound recording,
an external microphone
is best. For that, your
camera will require an
external microphone jack.
Also, to ensure good sound,
choose a camera with an
earphone jack that allows
you to confirm the quality
of the sound as you’re
recording.
Image Quality
Video cameras have large
LCD displays, which you
can use to compose images,
but they’re not the
best way to judge image
quality. Connect the camera
to a high-quality monitor
or television instead.
A good test of image quality
is to point the camera
at a high-contrast scene.
Cameras with poor quality
will show significant chromatic
aberrations, which may
appear as a tinted halo.
Cameras that feature progressive
scan recording help to
improve sharpness and color
accuracy. Like television
sets, some video cameras
create the video image
using “interlacing.” This
is a scanning mode that
alternates between two
fields (odd- and even-numbered)
to create the image. Progressive
scanning displays all frames
in sequence to produce
a full frame with improved
color accuracy.
Convergence
Video
cameras increasingly
are making it possible
to create still images
along with moving
ones. Utilizing the
video camera’s
CCD, these cameras
offer resolutions
of 2 megapixels and
even higher. The
ability to switch
between video and
still capture with
just one device is
a great convenience.
Image quality won’t
be comparable to that
of a still digital
camera, even of the
same resolution, however.
This is because it
takes more than resolution
to make a good image.
Video cameras are designed
and optimized for video,
with secondary consideration
provided to still images.
While video cameras
will deliver acceptable
results, take along
a compact digital camera
for maximum image quality
for your prints.
Output
Interface
To download your video from your
camera to a computer, you need
a FireWire interface. Also known
as IEEE-1394 or iLink (Sony), it
offers a data transfer rate of
up to 400 MB/sec. Although many
video cameras also include USB
2.0, this interface is used to
download still images captured
and recorded to a separate media
card. Despite its speed advantage
(480 MB/sec.), USB 2.0 doesn’t
deliver a sustained data transfer
rate, which, if too slow, results
in dropped video frames.
Apple computers all come with built-in
FireWire. Many current PCs do as
well, but if your system doesn’t,
you can add one using a FireWire
expansion card. This interface
not only provides you with the
means to download your video, but
also allows you to rewind, advance
and pause your camera using the
controls available in your video-editing
software.
Manual
Controls
While video cameras are designed
to produce excellent results automatically,
sometimes you need to manually
control focus and white balance.
Manually controlling the white
balance is important when shooting
under mixed lighting conditions
or when the camera is being fooled
by colors in the scene. Low-contrast
scenes make automatic focus difficult;
manually focusing the lens ensures
that you get sharp results.
Batteries
One of the most important details
to consider is battery power. Video
cameras include a rechargeable
lithium-ion battery, which provides
a few hours of power. Invest in
a higher-capacity battery, however,
so you don’t run out of power
during the middle of a shoot.
We recommend purchasing a camera
whose battery is attached to the
rear, rather than a compartment
built within the body. The latter
limits you to the same capacity
battery as your original. With
the external battery design, larger,
higher-capacity batteries can be
easily attached. While it adds
weight to your camera, the battery
delivers longer shooting time.
Shooting
The Best Video
To achieve good-looking video,
follow the same principles when
shooting still images. Shoot under
the right light, carefully compose
your frame and use a variety of
angles and focal lengths.
Video cameras may be marketed as
capable of shooting under very
low-light conditions, but the quality
of the image won’t be particularly
good. You’ll capture an image,
but it won’t be something
anyone will want to look at for
any period of time. If the ambient
light isn’t sufficient, use
an artificial light source. We
suggest one that uses its own power
source.
Compose your image with care. It’s
easy to become preoccupied by the
movements of your main subject,
but ignore what’s happening
around it. If not, the result is
a video with distracting elements
in the frame. Either move closer
to your subject or use the optical
zoom of your camera.
A lot of video is shot at eye-level,
but the presence of a video camera’s
articulating LCD makes positioning
the camera at different angles
and positions much easier. Don’t
hesitate to position the camera
low to the ground or over your
head to get a shot. Such dramatic
changes of perspective provide
a variety of video that’s
beneficial when editing.
Take a cue from motion pictures
and record short scenes. Allowing
the camera to record indiscriminately
often results in a lot of unwatchable
video. Previsualize the important
moments you want to capture and
keep the shots relatively brief.
Include a wide establishing shot,
close-ups and reaction shots from
people in the scene. This mix of
shots makes it easier for you to
create a dynamic video.
