Video Camera Skills

TechShop: Video Camera Skills

This is the presentation used to support the Video Camera Skills lecture.

Slides

You can view the slides here or follow the link at the bottom of the page to download a PDF of the slides.

Click here to view the presentation online

FAQ's

Q: How do I get my video from a DV tape or SD card onto a DVD?
A: If new to video making, use Apple's iMovie to capture and edit your video. Use iDVD to burn your finished video as a video DVD. If you are alreay familar with using iMovie, why not explore the extended features of Final Cut Pro. If you don't need to edit your video, then you can do a direct transfer to DVD in the Time Based Media Studio.

Q: What camera or format should I use?
A: Decide on how your finished video will be displayed (TV, projector, computer, web, 4:3 or 16:9?) and also whether you want to archive the original camera footage. The answers to these questions will help you choose which format to use, and therefore the camera to borrow.

Recording Format DV tape or SD card? High Definition or Standard Definition? Frame Aspect Ratio Camera Models Comments
AVCHD SD card HD 16:9 Canon HF M306, Panasonic AG-HMC41, Panasonic AG-AF101 Best quality; high definition good for computer & web; can be converted to standard definition for DVD; SD card must be copied to your own hard disk to archive
H.264 CF card HD 16:9 Canon 7D, Canon 5D mkII, Nikon D800 High quality; high definition good for computer & web. Easy to use with Premiere, will need optimising with Final Cut Pro X
HDV DV tape HD 16:9 Canon HV30 High quality; high definition good for computer & web; can be converted to standard definition for DVD; tapes can be kept as archive
DV DV tape SD 16:9 Canon HV30, XM1, XL1, MV700, Panasonic GS250, GS120, GS22 Good quality; standard definition for DVD, computer & web; tapes can be kept as archive
DV DV tape SD 4:3 Canon HV30, XM1, XL1, MV700, Panasonic GS250, GS120, GS22 Good quality; standard definition for DVD, computer & web; tapes can be kept as archive

Tips

  • Plan your video before you start recording.
  • Make a storyboard to help you visualise how you want to frame your shots and what shots you will need to record.
  • Record the same thing from different angles to give you choices when you edit.

Links

Canon HV30:

Download a PDF of the presentation
(Safari Users: Pause the cursor at the bottom centre of the screen and choose 'Open PDF in Preview' or 'Save PDF to download folder' from the overlay that appears.)

Panasonic GS250:

Download a PDF of the presentation
(Safari Users: Pause the cursor at the bottom centre of the screen and choose 'Open PDF in Preview' or 'Save PDF to download folder' from the overlay that appears.)

Video Tips Online

Vimeo Video School Online tips!

Fundamentals of Video: Cameras and Shooting, a Lynda.com Tutorial.

Video Journalism Shooting Techniques, A Lynda.com Tutorial.

How to get the best out of a HD DSLR, A Lynda.com Tutorial.

Manuals

Canon HF M306 (AVCHD)
Canon HV30 (HDV & DV)
Canon XM1 (DV)
Canon XL1 (DV)
Panasonic AG-HMC41 (AVCHD)
Panasonic GS250 (DV)
Panasonic GS120 (DV)
Panasonic GS22 (DV)

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