Fish n' Clips™ Video Cameras
The topic of video cameras is so broad that we felt that
the experts should put in their 2 cents worth. Therefore,
we direct you to the forum where we have a video section
that is devoted to cameras and videography.
We encourage you to share your experiences with specific
cameras, your favorite one, or ask questions about
what camera is best for your level of expertise or
situation. This field is constantly changing and only
sites that devote themselves to this subject can keep up
with all the products offered and the new ones that
come out throughout the year. So whether you are an
amateur just starting out or a professional, please, go
to the forum and ask the experts or let others know what
you think of a product or camera feature.
I will make a couple of suggestions based on the assumption
that you are a novice looking for advice, you want to make
a basic good quality home movie, download it to your
computer, and use commonly available editing software to
make a DVD.
Format
A digital camera using the MiniDV format will give you the
quality and flexibility you require.
Image Quality
DV camera image quality is affected by how many CCD (charge
coupled device) chips are used to create the image. Less
expensive cameras use one chip for sampling the image's
color components - red, green and blue. They sometimes
smear or bleed colors. The more expensive cameras use
three chips, one for each color. This makes for sharper
color images. Which one? If your plan is just to post
your film on YouTube or email it to friends, the single
chip is fine. If you plan on ever doing any higher quality
work, the three chip is better if you can afford it. We
recommend a three chip camera.
Camera/Editing Software Compatibility
Not all cameras work with all editing software. If you
have a favorite editing program, make sure your new camera
is compatible before you buy. Conversely, make sure the
editing program is compatible with your camera before you
buy or download it.
Ports:
Different types of ports come standard on
different cameras.
Make sure you can plug your camera into your computer to
download.
If you want to plug in an external device, such as a head
cam, there must be an AVI port to receive it.
Zoom
Don't be taken in by claims of big digital zoom
capabilities, no digital zoom produces a good
picture.
We use a Panasonic PV-GS300. It takes very good video and
is easy to use.
Have some great tips on Cameras? Post them on
the Fourm
for others to use.
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