HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-12-02, Page 42Camcorders capture holiday family memories
Today's lightweight and easy-to-use
camcorders make it simpler than ever to
capture holiday family memories forever.
"Although camcorders make it easier
than ever to record holiday gatherings,
beginners should understand that practice
is the best wav to make top quality home
tapes," says Sally Browne, executive
director of consumer affairs at the Elec-
tronic Industries Association (EIA).
Tohelpnovices get the best results from
their new camcorders this holiday season,
Ms. Browne offers a few handy home tap-
ing tips.
1. Get to know your camcorder! Ms.
Browne says: "First, read the manual
_from cover to cover, and then experiment
with a few practice tapes before you try to
capture the magic of Christmas morning,
for example. You wouldn't want to miss a
wonderful shot because you are not yet
familiar with your equipment.". ..
2. Plan your shots. Before you tape the
holiday family reunion, take a moment to
plan exactly what you expect to record.
Perhaps you want to catch the look on the
children's faces when they open their
presents. Visualize the scene you wish to
record and plan your angles.
"Remember, video is ideal for capturing
the initmacy of a moment through
closeups." Ms. Browne advises. "If you
are shooting indoors, try to avoid long
shots and stay close to the action."
3. Do a pre -shoot test. Before you tape,
check your equipment with a pre -taping
test. Is the camcorder functioning? Is the
lens clean? Are the batteries fresh? Is the
lighting sufficient? Do you have enough
tape on hand? Are you,using top-quality
tape?
4. Check the light in the room. If the
lighting is inadequate, you may have to
make adjustments, such as providing addi-
tional lighting, manually adjusting your
aperture, or even rethinking your angles.
_Directly photographing an unwanted
light source, such as a lamp, may leave a
white flare in your picture. Backlighting,
or -placing a light behind your subjects,
could cast heavy shadows that obscure
their faces.
Lighting becomes especially important
during the holidays, when such items as
Christmas trees can interfere with normal
lighting situations.
5. Keep it steady. Beginners find that
quick camcorder movements turn tapes in-
to a visual jumble. Try to stand in one
place while shooting-, and take care to
make your "pans" slow and steady. If you
wish to get close to the action, use the
zoom.
If you can't avoid moving the camcorder
to catch a moment, consider using a
shoulder harness or a tripod for a steadier
picture.
And, remember: Unlike most 8mm
movies, camcorders record sound. What
you say from behind the camerawill be
heard on the screen.
6. Label and date your tapes. "Make it a
practice to Label your cassettes with the
date, the place and even the names of the
people in the tape as soon as you finish
shooting," says Ms. Browne.
7. Take care of your investment! After
you have finished your last shot, take a
moment to cap the lens and return the
camcorder to its case.
If you set your camcorder down for a
Page 21
mement, make sure it isn't near a TV or
an electrical appliance, or you may in-
advertently erase your tape.
With very special tapes, you may even
wish to dub a copy for repeated viewing
while keeping the original master in a safe
place.
Like books, tapes should be stored stan-
ding on end in their sleeves, away from
moisture, sunlight, heat, dust and
household appliances.
After viewing your tapes, it is a good
idea to remove the tape from the VCR i n-
meditely to prevent damage to both the
tapes and the delicate VCR recording
heads.
8. Service your equipment regularly.
Generally, it is a good idea to have your
equipment inspected once a year to keep it
in good working order.
"If you buy only one service contract, it
is a good idea to buy one for your cam-
corder," says Ms. Browne. "And, if your
equipment requires maintenance, make
sure that your dealer is certified to service
it."
9. Travelling tips. If you are travelling
out of town for the holidays, it is a good
idea to carry additional tape, a battery
charger or batteries.
A word to the wise: If you are flying,
checking your camcorder with the luggage
is one of the easiest ways to lose your
equipment.
Of course, passing your tapes and equip-
ment through the airport X-ray may result
in erasing those holiday memories.
10. Always use top quality tape. "When
you are recording special moments, it just
doesn't make sense to cut corners on
tape," she says. "Premium quality
videotape is one of the easiest steps you
can take to making better tapes."
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