One Thing You Should Buy Before Your Video Camera
While it’s possible to get great hand-held shots with your digital still camera, it’s much harder to hand-hold a video camera. Video often requires slow steady pans up or down or side-to-side. It’s very hard to do this without a tripod.
And yes, almost all video cameras have image-stabilization features, they can’t come close to the stability of a tripod.
Tripods are bulky and good ones are heavy. And I personally don’t go anywhere without one. I am tired of the overused bouncing hand-held video style you see on MTV. I do think there’s a place for hand-held shots. But they should be the exception not the rule.
Try using a tripod the next time you shoot some video. You’ll be amazed at how much better your video looks.
And if you want to work like the big boys – try building your own $20 .
I’ll have more on tripods in future posts, including which ones to consider.
Scott, can I be the first to ask: “What camera should I get?”
)
Seriously, I have an old Sony 8mm DV camcorder that still works quite well. I do look forward to some camera reviews. Is there a big two like Nikon/Canon in the DSLR world or is the field more broad in video? I actually have no idea what to begin to look for in evaluating a video camera.
Thanks.
pathdoc
November 12, 2008 at 3:00 am
@pathdoc I am going to take a different approach to this question on this blog.
Here’s your answer: Canon HV30
Scott Bourne
November 12, 2008 at 3:15 am
I really wish certain productions would knock it off with respect to intentionally jerky camera use. I love Battlestar Galactica, but their jerkyness and rapid zooms, overshoot then pulling back, really annoy me.
I don’t think there is a need to worry about the “big two” for Consumer video cameras, because they don’t have so many incompatible accessories to worry about. A photographer might worry about a lot of lenses and cameras working together, Canon Vixias and Sony Handycams aren’t like that.
If you get an HV30, you don’t want to buy a new MacBook, HV30 only transfers video over Firewire, and MacBook no longer offers it.
Jeff
November 12, 2008 at 10:39 am