There is so much good working being done by independent producers. The problem is getting that work seen to a larger audience. Web video can grease that wheel a bit by showing a trailer of what you film is about.
From the Vimeo page:
In the 1970's, a small group of residents in the Ozark Highlands of Arkansas organized and successfully halted the U.S. Forest Service’s planned aerial applications of herbicides. Now the group battles their rural electric cooperative to protect the region’s organic farms, wells, springs, and the Buffalo River, the first National River in the United States, from being contaminated by herbicides once again.
This is a trailer on a group of people trying to keep their area clean and pesticide free. Commercial interests like Carroll Electric have other ideas. Looking at the trailer on another level there are examples of skillful blending of still images, audio and video to help tell the story.
The big take away is that we do have the power to document and product our environment. This is one way to do it.
From San Diego comes a video education and advocacy center. New Media Rights.org provides resources, advice on legal issues and video tutorials.
This is one of their video tutorials on how to perform jump cuts, match shots and cutaways.
Per the website:
NMR believes no one should hold a monopoly over creativity, and seeks to encourage a vibrant, citizen created grassroots, non-hierarchical creative community that provides alternatives to traditional media. Over time the use of creative commons and other open source type licensing will result in a more robust public domain.
A quick look at the web site seems to have a lot of information for the perusing such as
As part of researching cameras and camcorders I go to a lot of different web sites. I don't care if you are a advertiser, fan boy or girl, or reviewer I'll check it out. Let me share a brief example of what you will find that you can apply to your own research process.
Advertorial Videos
TigerDirect is a vendor of computer products. It is one of the few places I trust to make computer and gadget purchases online. For a number of years they have produced in-house commercials about some of the products for sale. This is their video on the Nikon L110.
Here is the deal, you will never hear them bash a product. The intent of the videos is to get you excited about buying the featured item from the web site.
I usually see these ad videos as I'm exploring a specific product at TigerDirect. I can compare what is in the specs on the site and what is being displayed in the demonstration. These videos also go by the name of ComputerTV.
This will be a growing trend. Just found out that B&H Photo has advertorial video about the camera.
Actual Users Reviews
Adam owns the camera and he gives a real world interpretation of what is important to him as well as a demonstration of the camera.
It's not slicked up but it is honest and I got to see what 720p video looks like from the camera. I always check multiple user videos to get a sense of what a device can do.
Tech Media Reviews
I do check out places like CNet, Steve's DigiCam, CamcorderInfo to get the scoop on the goodies.
This is Josh on the Nikon L110. There is a format to the videos that I appreciate. A section on the features, a demonstration and then an opinion if it is a good or bad product. CNet will never really trash a camera or camcorder but they will point out areas of concern like the slowness of the zoom or the grain that appears in low light.
In all of the above videos I listen for the common ground, flick out the hype and get a sense of what the camera can do. This helps me to make an informed decision about purchasing the camera and at what price point.
I got folks slipping me Samy's product brochures, photo magazines and Fry's ads. It is a beautiful thing. As a teen I read and lusted over Nikon cameras. It was like dreaming of owning a Corvette.
It was unrequited love that I had to walk away. A love denied is painful but life goes on. Yet there are yearnings.
Nikon was slow to incorporate video to their product line. Their business, heart and soul is still photography. The market changed and when arch rival Canon make the move to include quality video on still cameras there was no choice. HD Video seems to be included in almost all of the newer compact digital cameras.
This is a test video from HarryZPhone on the Nikon S8100:
Here are the video relevant specs for the camera:
Image Sensor CMOS Sensor Size 1/2.3 in.
Lens 10× optical zoom, NIKKOR ED glass lens
Lens Focal Length 5.4-54.0mm (angle of view equivalent to that of 30-300mm lens in 35mm[135] format)
Lens f/-number f/3.5-5.6
Storage Media SD memory card, SDHC memory card and SDXC Memory Cards. Not compatible with Multi Media Cards (MMC)Storage
Power Sources One Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12 (supplied)
AC Adapter EH-62F (available separately)
Charging Time 3 hours and 50 minutes (when using Charging AC Adapter EH-68P and when no charge remains)(Approx.)
Battery / Batteries Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12 Battery Life (shots per charge) Still pictures*: Approx. 210 shots Movies: Approx. 1 h 20 min (HD 1080p)
As expected due to the compact size of the camera the image sensor will be small. There will be good images but this isn't going to record a television show anytime soon. I like the small size and the fact it does record 1080p video.
The f 3.5 to 5.6 will do fine outside but indoors videos will need more light. Understanding this ahead of time saves me grief.
The Li-On battery will last about an hour. If it is a standard rechargeable battery I should be able to pick up a back-up battery but that adds to my overall costs. If I bought it that might be an expense I'd be willing to take on.
The video file format of .MOV/.MPEG-4 works for me, I have QuickTime Pro and other video editing programs can read the format.
Love the optical zoom on compact devices but one of the problems is that the zoom may or may not work with the movie mode. On some compact cameras you have to zoom where you want to record and then start recording the video.
I'd have to check it out if I was interested. I could be.
Digital image sensors are used to record digital images and video. Like glass and film there is a wide range of sizes and quality. That quality is dependent on who makes the sensor, the size and other features of the camcorder.
That is all well and good but as a consumer what should folks look for on the package or on the product specific detail?
Hold on for a half second – I need to dip into the past to make the present clear.
This is an example of a Kodak 110 film negative. There are images on the 13mm x 17mm negative. Depending on the quality of the camera used the print could be very grainy or a small quality print.
Even if a quality 110 camera was used to take the photo there is only so much data or information that can be stored on the negative. There is also a built-in limitation on how large you could make the print.
A 135mm film negative (I just remembered that is the correct name) aka a 35mm negative is larger.
The negative is able to capture more of the image data, greater details and tonality. There is more surface area covered with emulsion to capture the details.
Like the man said, everything old is new again.
Here is where the dollars and sense comes in to play. If you have a lick of sense before you purchase a camcorder look at the sensor size. If the sensor size is not on the package or web site spec sheet move on down the line to those vendors that do mention the image sensor size.
The digital sensor size really should be measured in millimeters but because video is involved there is a historical carryover from analog video tube technology. It is also a good way to hide how small the sensor is in reality.
Digital image sensors between 1/8 and 1/1.6 inches are used in cell phones, web cameras and most consumer camcorders.
If the sensor size is within this range, with other factors taken into account, then the video recording expectations are that:
Outdoor recording will be adequate.
A fast lens meaning an f/stop of around f 2.8 or wider to allow for more light is present.
Indoor recording will be crappy unless you have a lot of light, excellent lens or the ability to adjust the amount of light coming into the device.
The constant is the size of the digital image sensor. The larger the sensor the better the quality of the image or recording.
Or looking at it another way, the smaller the sensor the less expensive the camcorder can be and the potential of a reduction of image quality.
Bottom Line
When looking to buy a camcorder look for keywords such as Image Sensor, Optical Sensor Size or Sensor.
There should be a number expressed in inches or millimeters to describe the size of the sensor. If the sensor is described X.X megapixels be on the alert for further non-disclosures.
In general, the smaller the sensor the less expensive the camcorder. Keep in mind there are other parts of the camcorder to consider in order to ensure a quality purchase.
This is series of posts that attempts to explain in plain language the technical specification sheet that many camcorders have on the package or at the web site.
Take a song, images of a iconic performer and a few hundred folks and you have an every evolving music video. The Johnny Cash Project gives participant the opportunity to design frames of the movie. This is a short
This is a mini-doc of some of the people participating in the project. At the 2:48 mark you can view the music video at it appeared in September 2010.
In the early days of photography the image sensor was a pane of glass coasted with a light sensitive emulsion. Time moved on, the technology improved and the image sensor became a strip of acetate coated with an emulsion placed on the surface of the file.
Digital cameras, web cams and camcorders all have image sensors. Instead of glass or film there is a light sensitive chip.
When you snap a photo or record video you are exposing the digital image sensor to light. The sensor processes the image data and stores that information into internal memory, a memory card or a hard drive.
There are two types of image sensors, CCD and CMOS. On the consumer photo and camcorder level you are going to see CMOS level sensors on the product specification sheet. Size Matters
This is the quick and dirty explanation. Well, not so dirty as is shady. Not all image sensors are created equal. Some are lovingly crafted. Others are survivors of the reject bin. There are different size image sensors for various uses and price points.
It depends on the manufacturer. Some producers insist on quality throughout their product line. Other vendors focus on delivering x-amount of quality for a certain market segments.
I cannot leave out the knock-off kings and queens manufactures. These companies live to reverse engineer a product and rush to market in order to cash in on uninformed consumers.
Another Way to Think About Image Sensors
Internet web cams have a physical space restriction, so small sensors are used. Inexpensive web cams have really small sensors that produce a grainy image no matter how much light you throw at it.
The better quality and generally more expensive web cams have a larger area to record an image. There is a built-in limitation. You can only place a certain size image sensor in a web cam.
For pocket and web camcorders you can have a slightly larger sensor but that sensor is not going to record well indoors or in low light conditions.
An inexpensive pocket camcorder with a tiny sensor will do much worse recording indoors than an larger sensor in a pocket camcorder.
Here is the rub; there are very few pocket camcorders that perform well indoors. These products were originally designed as outdoor devices. The image sensor (as well as the lens) determines the quality of the image or the recording.
Full size consumer camcorders have larger sensors and more features to support those sensors like back-lighting, white balance, manual exposure to take full advantage of the capabilities of the image sensor.
How Does Knowing This Help Buy A Camcorder?
Remember your fractions or millimeters. For example, a 1/4 inch image sensor is larger than a 1/6 inch sensor. When checking out the specs look for the size of the sensor.
When you are buying a camcorder be clear with yourself about how you are going to use it. If you need to record indoors then a pocket camcorder might not be the best purchase. That device was designed for outdoor activity use.
If you still need to buy a pocket camcorder then look for models that have the largest image sensor you can afford at your price point.
If you need crystal clarity of image, color and excellent quality then you really want to pay attention to the size of the image sensor.
This is part two of my series on understanding the camcorder specifications or specs. You find the camcorder of your dreams only to find it is missing a feature you need or it is out of your budget. You move on to search for the perfect camcorder.
There might be other purchase options available to you if you understand about product make and model numbers.
Manufacturer: The company that makes the camcorder.
Sanyo
Brand Name: The name of a specific product line.
Sanyo Xacti
Model or Product Number: The specific name of a camcorder within a product line:
Like all marathon events National Videoblogging Podcasting Month aka Vlomo10 the pace is a steady flow of videos. I don't get a chance during the week so check folks out so this my opportunity to point you to the action so far.
It would make more sense to do this on the 15th but that ain't gonna happen.
Speaking Their Mind
Documentally with a most excellent Sunday Sprout on the mainstream media's misunderstanding of Twitter and social communications.
Richard Macney has a master page where you can check out his Vlomo posts. (Wish I thought of that.)
Richard Arblaster with a unintentional message to pharmaceutical manufacturers. You have nothing to worry about.
Benny Crime - The future, sports almanacs, the cat. I love this guy but he goes more places in 1 minute than I can keep up with.
Looking At Their Environments
A number of vloggers are recording their local areas, events or conceptual places.
I do go on about knowing the specs of a camcorder before purchasing; it can save you money and lost memories. The specs are the performance specifications of a device. This is my attempt to make reading the specifications easier.
For the newbies I'll try to point out items in the specification that can help you to understand if this is a good purchase.
Part 1 - Who Made the Camcorder?
This seems like a no-brainer but it can be tricky. These are the known players that have a strong photography heritage and still put out great products:
Canon Kodak Panasonic
You are going to get a certain level of quality from these vendors. They make an effort to provide a range of products for newbies and for professionals. These companies view their customers as a potential long term relationships which will generate brand loyalty.
Manufactures that have an extensive electronics history:
Sony JVC Samsung
These companies make a wide variety of products. They get electronics first and photography second. The vendors make good camcorders but the company sees their consumers as a purchase opportunity: a hit it and quit if you catch my drift.
The Innovators:
These are the folks that figured out how to give consumers what they wanted. In this group:
Pure Digital/Cisco's The Flip Creative's Vado Sanyo's Xacti
The innovators bring excitement and force the establish companies to get off their butts and follow their lead. The innovators are pathfinders but they can become established leaders.
The Faded Glory Licensed to Other Vendors:
Sadly there are three that come to mind:
RCA Polaroid Vivitar
These companies no longer manufacture products. The vendors rent or license their names to other companies to make products under the legacy brand names. You have to examine the package carefully to find out who actually makes the device.
The Clones, Knock-Off, Copy Cats
I'm not totally hating on these type of manufactures. If the legal knock-off is good you can save money. But there are sharks in the water. I'm not going to mention them just yet. You need a little more information to help identify them.
Knowing who you are dealing with can really help you avoid buying a substandard camcorder. There is no guarantee that you won't get a lemon but you can reduce the chances by sticking with the kind of vendor that is compatible with your needs.
I do need a HD camcorder but I'm debating with myself to stick with the pocket camcorders or move on up to the next level.
Then again, I ventured into the Apple store and the iTouch was calling my name. So was the iPad and the Mac Air. And there is a consideration about moving everything to a Smartphone.
Decisions, decisions.
The Xacti VPC-PD2BK is looking mighty tasty. From the web site here are the specs:
Full HD videos, 1080 30p (1920 x 1080 pixels)
10MP photos
3X Optical Zoom
Stereo Sound Recording
Compact, candy-bar type form factor
37 mm wide-angle lens
Compatible with SD, SDHC, or SDXC (up to 64GB) memory cards
Mini-HDMI port
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Rechargeable via USB port
Size: 2.48(W) x 0.87(D) x 4.36(H) in
Weight: 3.7oz
One of the things that I need is the ability to get closer to the subject.
This is a Sanyo PR video about the features of the camcorder.
The pocket cams generally don't have optical zoom without user modification. 3x is the bare minimum but it does help. The wide angle lens doesn't hurt either.
I do perk up when OK Go has a new video. This is a case where my attention is being diverted by the camera that recorded the video, the Samsung NX100. They have teamed up for a video project promotion.
The video below was recorded on the NX100. Last Leaf
I'll give Samsung major props for associating themselves with the band. These guys get promotion and OK Go has the actual music talent to back it up. That said, a totally Flash animated site makes it hard to find info about the camera.
True, I can just click and a scene falls into place. Spiffy. But as much as I like the band I do want gronk the specs on the camera.
The Samsung NX100 is a digital still camera that records video. Checking out some of the specs:
Photo: Image Sensor Type CMOS Sensor size 23.4×15.6mm Effective Pixel Approx. 14.6 Mega-pixels Color Filter RGB primary color filter Lens Mount Samsung NX Mount Usable Lens Samsung Lenses for Samsung NX Mount ust Reduction Type Super sonic drive Display Type AMOLED Size 3.0” Resolution VGA (640x480) 614k dots (PenTile) Field of view Approx. 100% User Display Grid (4types), Histgram, Icons : On / Off Viewfinder Type EVF (Optional) Focusing Type Contrast AF Focusing point Selection : 1point (Free selection) Multi : Normal 15points, Close Up 35points Face Detection : Max. 10faces Modes Single AF, Continuous AF, MF
Movie:
Movie Format MP4 (H.264) Compression Movie : H.264 , Sound : AAC Movie Clip With Audio or without Audio (user selectable, recording time : 25 minutes) Image size 1280x720 , 640x480 , 320x240 (Default : 1280x720) Frame rate 30fps Sound Mono Sound Movie Editing Still Image Capture, Time Trimming Editing Red eye fix, Back light comp, Photo Style Selector, Resize, Rotate, Face
Mmmm, I could be counseled. I'll check out some of the user test videos and get back to you.
The poetry videos audio continues to be a challenge. The use of a standard digital recorder did not help. I'm still looking for viable ideas so part of the process is to read ads, reviews, and opinions.
I'm checking out other options.
This is review or possibly an advertisement for the Olympus LS-10 from Guitar World. I'm not sure. There is an embedded ad for another product - sorry about that but I'm just trying to get a sense of what the product can do.
Well it seems that the LS-11 is the new kid on the block. This is a video from Sound on Sound with Amy Leslie explaining the new features.
I've written a few times on not buying super cheap camcorder. There is a difference between affordable, on-sale, clearance and cheap camcorders.
This is the tale of a sadder but wiser young man. He is giving you his opinion on why you should take the time to check out a camcorders.
There are things to watch for that can steer you away from a bad impulse purchase.
If the camcorder is in bubble wrap that is a prime caution alert. It doesn't necessarily mean it is crappy but the odds increase that it may be.
Look closely, is it made of metal or plastic made to look like metal? Is it really shiny, the kind of shiny that caught your attention?
The more inexpensive the camcorder is the worse it will do in recording indoors. There is a good chance the outdoor recording won't be that great either.
The word "interpolation" means that the camcorder uses a software program to magnify the resolution of an image or video. In reality it just makes your video look crappy. If you see that word anywhere on the package be concerned.
Brand names - be careful. Many formerly well known photographic and equipment vendors license there old product names to other companies that create camcorders. Vivitar, RCA and Polaroid camcorders are made by different manufactures. I'm not saying that these are stinky camcorders. It depends on who is actually making the device. You have to check them out and their reputation.
I have purchased inexpensive camcorder that work just fine. I have also bought some stinkers that didn't last a month. A little research can go a long way to save you cash and a lost experience.
Screencasting is a great way to teach, demonstrate or document online activities. People that are interested in e-learning, information design, education or those of us that need to show folks how to do some have all benefited from screencasting software.
I know I have. I have used it to help remind folks how to perform a certain computer task. This was after I explained how to open their e-mail program four times and it didn't stick.
TechSmith has a series of videos called The Forge. Sometimes there are demos and reviews. Chris McQueen handles that part of the series. Matt Smith interviews people that are in the business of using screencasting professionally.
This is a wide range of users so you can be exposed to a range of techniques. There is a diverse community of information creators that want to create better instructional videos. This is a good step toward servicing that population.
Full Disclosure: I have purchased Camtasia and SnagIt. I have used other screen capture software but I do prefer these two products.
If you want to learn more about video editing it does not hurt to have as much information as possible. Videomaker Magazine has a variety of free e-mail news letters that contain tips on how to work with video.
I just subscribed to the editing newsletter and got a bonus pdf of Videography Essentials. I've been a reader of the magazines on and off for a long time so I know the style of writing and instruction. They do deliver on giving solid information.
In addition to free content there are tutorial pdfs for sale, webinars and workshops that you can attend. If you are a self-directed learner of video this is a good web site to spend some time exploring.
Yes you can vlog frugal. I have wanted to buy a portable LED kinda light that I see in professional photography magazines. Small, great light output and very expensive.
Yet it doesn't hurt to have a spare light in your bag/kit/backpack. This is a stumbled upon option for those of us light in the wallet.
I was walking around in Big Lots and glanced at this little darling. I could see the possibilities. I plunked down $5 and it was mine. The lamp has 24 LEDs, three light levels and a blink mode. It runs off of 3 AAA batteries. The one I got even tossed in a skinny key chain LED to boot.
I guess it is a knock-off of a crafts person's hands free work light.
I'm sure you could find equivalent kind of lighting at a hardware store. I'm testing it out to see how to use it. Might be good for bouncing off of a close white card or reflector. If you put in on your head you will look goofy.
There are times when it cannot be helped. Wear your goofiness with pride.
You do pay for cheapness. That sucker stinks. No, the light works just fine. It is in the fabric. There is some kind of chemical that is wicked foul. You might want to air it outside for a few days.
I'm just going to try to do a quick link up with some of the participants. I can't do this every day but it is a good way to see what folks are up to.
It seems that the UK has taken the lead in uploading videos. The US is present and iPhone/iTouch device editing is on the upswing. Other countries are coming along and I got to ask the lyrical questions, where are the women folk?
We can't leave this to the guys. Even if you can only do one video this month please upload it and #vlomo10 on Twitter so that we have more ladies in the mix.
It is that time when folks take on the video equivalent of writing a book. National Videoblogging Posting Month has been called Navlopomo but is is easier to type Vlomo10. The nation part is whatever nation or principality you happen to occupy at this time.
It really is an international experience and the OZ/NZ folks seem to be kicking things off. I'll be at work by the time the UK and Europe flicks up some videos so there should be a bunch of stuff to view in a couple of hours.
For the newbies:
The goal is to post one video a day for 30 days.
It can be talking head.
It can be still photo animation with or without narration,
It can be animated text, photo, music or visual distortions'
It can be a video - however you define a video
It can be anything you want or have time to do. That time thing is the killer.
Post the video on your blog or web site. Many folks are loving Posterous but Vimeo, Blip.tv and YouTube are cool.
If you have a Twitter account you can use the hastag #vlomo10 to let folks know that you have a video ready for viewing.
It is currently 5:11 a.m. my time so folks are just getting started. I've recorded some ideas but I have to simplify if I'm going to make it to November 30th.
In the meantime, to find folks participating swing over to Twitter and in the search area type in #vlomo10. This will bring up a list of folks posting links to their videos.
