Wide-angle and telephoto lenses render images differently from the way we naturally see things. Skilled videographers can exploit these differences to create effective shots. Many people use wide-angle lens settings only to "back away from" subjects and telephoto settings to "move clo

Feel the Power The size of the camcorder makes it feel sturdy–we can’t help but wonder if you need a license or some broadcast call letters to carry one of these around. For an ENG-style camcorder, it’s rather compact and extremely lightweight. If shooting off the shoulder is your

"Sweet barking cheese!" I said, "this is the filthiest camcorder I've ever seen!" Jennifer may have been a hotshot producer with six Emmys, but she didn't take care of her equipment. "Hey, it's a tool," she replied, "it's not a countertop."

DV Caddie DV Caddie’s Shoulder Rest adds stability to small camcorders by making more contact with the user’s body. The long support piece is designed to rest on the user’s shoulder, while the short piece can either be held against the chest or used as a handle. The accessory can a

Professional videographers usually follow this one rule of thumb: when it comes to camera movement, it must be motivated. Because it looks cool, is usually not a valid reason for using tricky camera moves. Instead, you can use camera moves to change the viewer’s perspective making what you sho

Q: I am going to shoot a Star Wars fan film with the Canon XL2 camcorder, and I was wondering if I should film the lightsaber fight at 30 frames per second. If I shot the whole movie in 24 fps and shot the fight scene in 30 fps, wouldn't it make the fight scene appear to take place in slow-mo

Solid as a Rock A solid foundation for good video production should be built on, well, a solid foundation. And investing in a sturdy tripod is one of the best ways to increase the professional look of your wedding, industrial or educational productions. The problem with most heavy-duty tripods is th

Government-mandated HD television broadcast standards and the widespread availability (if not affordability) of HD televisions contribute to creating a demand for HD content. While Sony’s HDR-FX1 is not meant to compete with $20,000 professional HD solutions, for small shops, local event video

In the first television revolution since the 1950s, 2006 will mark the year when America goes digital. In that year, by government mandate, digital television (DTV) and HDTV (high definition) will be a reality. Of course, many Americans will upgrade to widescreen high definition TVs over the next fe

Upgrading its popular DSR-PD150, Sony’s latest DV camcorder, the DSR-PD170, is a serious consideration for people eyeing the Canon XL1s, the XL2 or the Panasonic AG-DVX100. The PD170 comes packed with pro features, such as built-in XLR connectors and easy access to manual controls. While it do

Without dynamic moving shots, videos can look, well, old-fashioned. Hand-holding is fine, but without a Steadicam, the results lack the creamy smoothness of dolly shots. Professional dollies (like the Microdolly Hollywood system) are affordable for small enterprises, but you can also make fluid movi

boom (verb) (pedestal) Vertical camera move (“boom up,” “boom down”) often making use of a boom or a jib. composition Visual make-up of a scene, including such variables as balance, framing, field of view and texture, which are all aesthetic considerations. Good composition t

Most of us don’t think twice about the shutter speed that our video camera is using. True: it can be set to manual, but since the camera can automatically take care of it, why should we bother? The answer is that you gain control. And you get control over more than just exposure. This means th

Batteries are an essential piece of the camcorder technology puzzle. Without important developments in delivering portable electric power in a small package, we’d never have the small, portable camcorders we’ve come to take for granted today. For the most part, camcorder batteries are ve

It’s important, more now than ever, to take advantage of preserving your movie treasures. Every day that goes by is a day that degrades your celluloid movie memories. Now that DVD is an affordable option, it’s time to do that film to video transfer. It’s an easy process, but there

The first step on the path from amateur to professional is to put the camera down! Weekend warriors use camera supports only when forced to, whereas the pros are exactly the opposite, going hand-held only when no better camera support will work. The reason is that old devil frame: that rigid border

If you’ve seen a high-definition (HD) television program on a wide screen high-definition TV and said, "Wow!" then you already know what HDV looks like. HDV? Don’t run to your dictionary. If you find it, HDV will be defined as the Hepatitis D virus. In the past, no one in his

The number one accessory that we would recommend for your camcorder is a decent tripod. If you budget is extremely tight, a cheapie from the MegaMart is better than nothing, but a good tripod with a true fluid head will never let you down. And your tripod will probably last you the rest of your life

$1,699 Canon One Canon Plaza Lake Success, NY 11042 (800) 828-4040 www.canondv.com There are a lot of fine cameras out there, but only a few knock our socks off every year. The Canon Optura Xi definitely left us with ten cold little piggies. With full manual exposure controls (with zebra stripes fo

So, it’s finally time: you’ve decided to buy that camcorder. What are you planning to do with it? Are you planning to edit your footage? Do you want to output to other formats? If the answer is, “No, thanks, I just want something to capture a bit of video every once in a while,R