Intro to video cameras

This is a Sony High Definition video camera.

Our intro lesson included different aspects of shooting video, using tripods and setting the correct parameters for the video.

First of all we learned how to use tripods, and bubble the camera. This included setting up the mic for the camera and using batteries.

We then moved on to camera controls, some of them were:

Aspect ratio : modern widescreen televisions support 16:9 aspect ratio, therefore the camera must be set at this ratio. However older televisions use 4:3 ratio.

Shutter speed : shutter speed is a value that is used to describe how long does it take for a mechanical 'door' between the lens and the film to open and close for each frame. This controls how much light falls on the film and is used to reduce or increase motion blur while taking pictures or shooting videos. The higher the shutter speed the sharper the objects will appear. Usually 1/50 is a good setting for most situations.

White Balance Settings : this is a parameter used to correct the balance of light. Human eyes do this automatically, however when the camera is set on auto it might be wrong, which will lead to unnaturally looking photos/video. This may also be altered for creative purposes. Usually we can use presets that are built into the camera to choose the environment we are filming in to make sure white balance is right. This is a very important setting because without it video may look unrealistic.

Gain control : gain control amplifies the signal that is coming in the camera, which makes the picture lighter or darker (controls the brightness). It is useful for increasing or decreasing the brightness of the picture without changing the other parameters such as shutter speed. However too much gain can cause noise problems with the photo/video making it seem very grainy. To change the gain on our camcorders we pressed the gain button and used the weel to adjust the parameter. There is a small number of situations where the gain control is useful. Usually it should be set to 0, to eliminate all extra light coming into the camera.