| *Always
bring extra tapes and batteries with you. If something happens
to the first one, it's good to have a backup.
*Most camcorders have a "recording check"
button which rewinds a few seconds of tape and plays it back
in the viewfinder. When finished, it positions the tape right
back where you left off. Use this button early in your taping
session to be sure that your camcorder is functioning properly.
It is really aggravating to tape an event and find out when
you get home that the video head(s) was clogged or a tape
broken.
*When recording, do everything very slowly
and smoothly. Moving quickly tends to make you "sea sick"
when you watch it. Try to avoid walking with the camera on.
* Don't over-zoom. It's difficult to get
a stable picture when you are zoomed to the maximum. Plan
your zooms carefully. Don't search around for a target while
zoomed. Find your target in "wide-angle" and then
zoom toward it.
* Auto focus is nice in the right places,
but it is not always the best way to record. If there are
objects in the foreground but you wish to record more distant
subjects, the auto focus can easily get confused by motion
of the camera or nearby objects. Switch to manual focus and
adjust it for the objects you want to record. They will then
stay in focus. The same is true of auto-iris (if your camera
allows you to switch to manual).
* If you put a date and time on the recording,
put it in the first sequence and then turn it off. It's irritating
to have the date and time in every shot.
* Make a point of checking that the "record"
indicator is on in the viewfinder each time you go into the
record mode. Make sure to stop recording at the end of a sequence.
A lot of tape has been shot of people's feet, floors, and
the inside of camera bags. This also uses up your battery
power and may make you lose shots later.
* Label your tape immediately. One unlabeled
tape looks just like every other one and you may accidentally
tape over a special event just to time shift a soap opera.
If the tape is one that you really want to keep, break off
the erasure protect tab on the back side of your VHS or VHS-C
cassette (or slide the switch on 8 mm cassettes).
* When recording indoors don't forget to
set the color balance switch to the position for incandescent
light. If you don't, everything tends to look too yellow and
too red -- colors will not look natural.
* Use only lens tissue or a clean, soft cloth
to clean your camcorder's lens. Using tissues may leave you
with a greasy mess since some brands of tissue have skin lotion
in them. A cloth with unseen particles of dirt on it can permanently
scratch your lens.
What
is Videotape ? | Audio
& Video Tape Preservation |
Video
Tape Conversion to NTSC or PAL or SECAM | Save
a Videocassette |
How
to Get a Digital Video Recorder | How
to Buy a VCR | How
to Videotape Sports Action |
Transfer
Audio From a Videotape to a Computer | Transfer
Audio From a Videotape to a Cassette |
Transfer
Video Onto the Computer | How
to Program a VCR | Video
Tape Formats |
Video
Tape Time Comparisons | Tape
& VCR Tips | Camcorder
& Recording Techniques
|
