How many cameras do you have if you really stop to count and how do you use them?
- Digital point and shoot with video function
- DSLR
- Video camera with still photo function
- pocket camcorder
- cell phone with photo and video function
- laptop with still and video function
You might have a whole lot more than this, but let’s examine these main pieces of equipment and how to best utilize them.
How do you decide which camera to use for which shots? Your three deciding factors should be convenience of use, quality of recorded media and playback method.
Convenience of use means:
- Am I really going to carry this equipment around with me?
- Is this simple to use?
Quality of recorded media means, “Is it worth looking at?”
Playback method – decide up front how you will be showing this media:
- Internet (YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, etc.)
- DVD
- printed and framed or scrapbooked (photos)
- shoved in an album (photos)
- direct to TV (unedited right out of your camera)
Your answers to those questions will help determine what you use. Let’s look at each piece of equipment, when its use really shines, and how to display the media you recorded from that equipment.
Digital Point and Shoot Camera
The point and shoot camera is super convenient to stick in your backpack, diaper bag, jacket pocket, wherever. It is generally quite easy to use. The photos from these cameras are good in decent lighting conditions. The video is also acceptable in most well lit situations.
Photos from a point and shoot camera are usually of a high enough resolution for printing, enlargement, and inclusion in an HD movie. They can be saved at a small enough file size for posting to Facebook.
Video from a point and shoot camera can easily be uploaded to the internet and looks ok when edited into a home movie. It is generally edited pretty easily on most consumer software.
Most point and shoot cameras also offer image stabilization, either digital or optical. You always want optical image stabilization if it’s an option. This can steady the shot when you accidentally move the camera. This is especially critical when shooting video. Nothing worse than getting seasick watching your video.
Here’s an example of video taken with a digital point and shoot camera.
As you can see, the videographer had to be an accomplished skier to get this video. Even so, holding the camera steady at all times was probably not possible. Without image stabilization, you’d probably be sick from watching the video.
DSLR – Digital Single Lens Reflex
A DSLR will give you the best quality photos, hands down, in any situation. With the advent of the Nikon D90 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II you also get superior video capture.
There are some trade-offs for this quality. Your camera is bulky and heavier than most other options. You cannot use the LCD screen as a viewfinder when capturing video on most DSLRs.
Photos from a DSLR can be printed, optimized for upload to the internet, and (from RAW images) processed for customized exposure.
Video from a DSLR is of high enough quality to be used on DVD and even Blu-ray. It is of a format easily edited on your computer if necessary.
The DSLR is what you want to use for those beautiful posed and candid photos, especially in low light situations.
Video Camera with Still Photo Function
This category can be anything from your old miniDV camcorder with SD card slot, to a high-end flash memory camera. I put the low-end flash memory cameras in a separate category, for reasons you’ll see below.
These cameras, such as a Sony Handycam are pretty bulky, so they are not as convenient as some of the other options.
If you are planning to video a scene longer than a few minutes, this option wins. The lack of solid image stabilization and resolution in most other video options makes the video unwatchable for more than a couple of minutes.
These cameras can take still photos, although not of the quality in the still cameras. The resolution of still photos taken on camcorders is often not of high enough quality to print.
Depending on the camcorder, the video can usually be edited by consumer software. Footage from a direct to DVD camcorder is awful to edit. AVCHD video can also be difficult. Regardless of the format, you want a relatively new computer stocked with RAM before trying to edit your movies.
Video from a camcorder can easily be captured and uploaded to YouTube or encoded for DVD using programs such as iMovie on a Mac or Premiere Elements on a PC.
Pocket Camcorder
These include cameras like the Flip Video Ultra HD and Kodak Zi8. These cameras are super convenient to carry in a jacket pocket. They take video and still images.
The video is high definition, so it’s super clear. BUT, there’s no image stabilization on most models. The brand new Zi8 has digital image stabilization, but it’s still not that great.
These cameras connect via USB to your computer. Some of them are easily edited, but not all.
This is not a piece of equipment on which to capture a half hour ball game. But, it might be good for a two minute game of catch. Here’s a sample of footage from the Zi8.
You can see the shakiness of the video. Most of these cameras are limited to digital, as opposed to optical, zoom. This means it simply magnifies whatever video you are taking, rather than modifying the lens. Not great quality. It would get annoying pretty quickly.
Cellphone video and photos
The cellphone wins for convenience because most of us carry one everywhere already. It’s not going to win any other prizes though. The quality is usually awful. You wouldn’t want to print out these photos although they are fine on the web. The video would generally look terrible on a DVD but can be ok for YouTube.
Laptop photos and video
Believe it or not, I use my laptop to capture photos and video all the time; almost as much as my traditional cameras.
Think about it: you’re out in the backyard with the kids. They’re playing tag, you’re sitting on the patio working on the laptop. Great time to video a greeting for Grandma. No need to capture, edit, or compress this video.
Simply click record on your webcam. When the video is complete, click share and you can email or upload it.
You probably use it already for videoconferencing. Now just think outside the box.
Photos are quick and easy as well.
fun effects can automatically be added
Use your laptop any time you need to quickly send some photo or video. It’s much easier than connecting the camera and opening some extra software. The quality of photos is not good enough to print, but the video is good enough to share online.
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