Comments are closed on this post. Winner TBD next week. Thanks!
“Oh my god, you guys are OLD! You HAVE to do video!”
That’s a video blogger I’ve found myself in the company of at a meetup or two and were he not packaged as what otherwise seems like a nice guy, this sentence would end with “and then I skewered him with my chopsticks.” No need. Plus, while I don’t agree that I have to do video, I do see the value in it. I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t a little curious about what I could do with the medium were I to have the tools to produce interesting footage.
“Cut to the chase,” you are thinking, I know it. I’m giving away a video camera. Actually, JVC is giving it away, I’m just the facilitator. The camera is a nice one, the JVC Everio HM-550. I’m doing a random draw– one lucky commenter will their bloggy paws on this compact little gadget that opens a whole world of complicated production questions.
And that’s what you have to do to qualify. Tell me your nagging question about video. Hardware, software, hosting, production tools, whatever… what do you wish you knew about video that you don’t already know? And if you’re a video whiz but just wish you had newer hardware, leave me a tip, some tiny piece of useful advice for a video novice. No question, no tip, no camera. That’s a pretty easy requirement and it helps me know you’re a real human. One comment only, entering more than once disqualifies you and I’ll check, I’m fussy that way. JVC will ship worldwide, though if you’re dinged with custom fees, that’s your responsibility — heads up on that. I’ll close comments on May 31st and draw a winner using Random.org.
I’ve been noodling with the exact model I’m giving away — JVC gave me one to review. My impressions so far?
- Wow, it’s teeny tiny! I’m AMAZED by how small and lightweight it is. Stack two Flip cams. It’s about like that. Maybe a little bigger.
- It’s fairly easy to use. I haven’t cracked all the features yet, but the controls are well placed and the onscreen tools are easy to use.
- I appreciate that it’s got a decent chunk of on board memory. You can buy flash cards, but you don’t have to.
- The video is sharp and clear, even in fairly low light.
- I don’t know bunk about shooting video. My stuff is shaky and boring as hell so far.
- The auto-focus is a little odd sometimes. I shot a bunch of “out the window” stuff in the rain and couldn’t figure out when it was focusing on the rain spattered glass and when it was focusing on the landscape. The photographer in me wants to control that and can’t figure out how.
- The battery life seems great, but I always recommend carrying a spare, regardless.
- It’s right handed. If you’re a lefty, you might be frustrated by this.
- Mac folks, my outdated version of iMovie (6.x) wouldn’t read the .mts files generated by the camera.Also, in the latest version of Windows Movie Maker, the files played but had no sound. There are some compatibility issues, clearly.
And hey, just in case you’re curious, here’s a “video postcard” we shot a few weekends back when the sun was (intermittently) out. I’m keenly aware of the flaws, but if you know more of video than I do, I welcome your comments on how to fix them — and yes, that can count as your entry. Don’t talk with your mouth full of salmon burger doesn’t count, wise guy.
Video Postcard: Seattle
Doh! I forgot a question: do I need a fancy mic to do voice-overs or is a, say, iPhone headphones mic good enough?
Question: So what is the minimal amount of gear you should take with you but create great looking and sounding videos? (This is before the editing process)
It’s so complicated being a flashpacker with all the range and options we are given (especially as everything is getting so cheap!). I mean, when traveling we have laptops, cords, memory cards, card readers, microphones, batteries, chargers… so much STUFF to carry! I’d like to create a list of the bare minimal gear required and just take that!
I’d like to learn more about lighting. What kind of lighting/equipment would you recommend for someone looking for an easy to set up, relatively inexpensive lighting arrangement to shoot videos inside her home or in other people’s homes?
Thanks!
Love this giveaway!
A great travel video tip: as soon as you arrive at your destination, take video/pictures of your room before you even bring the bags in. Make everyone stay outside and get those shots!
The room will never look as beautiful as it does right then and you’ll be able to show your friends exactly how nice a room you had.
Salivating over that camera!
Megan
I want to learn to find that video “eye.” I can look at something and see a good still shot, but I don’t know how to translate that in my creative brain to “that would make a good video.” Once the decision to make a video is made, then I need to know how to set it up to make it happen in a effective way.
Have lots of experience with a camera but not so much with a video camera. So my question is, can you control the aperture for depth of field with this camera? Or is it always max to get good lighting?
I don’t want or need another camcorder, eh well I want but don’t need so I’m taking myself out of the drawing.
I have been known to sling a video or two. I understand the enthusiasm of your friend but you don’t have to do video on your blog. It would be cool to do it on your terms such as once in a while, when the mood hits or when you have the time.
Time is the killer. You have to have a chunk of time set aside if you are not doing talking head video. Once you have a plan and a work flow it might not be as much of a time sink.
To convert .mts and .mod videos I recommend a program called MPEG Streamclip from Squared5. This is a free conversion program for both Mac and PC Users. Convert it to an .avi format and you will be able to bring it into iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.
I’m working on a kind of video notebook of things that folks might want to know about getting started in web video. It is a work in progress. So all of the great questions that have been asked I’ll convert to answers when I get a chance.
Agree with Virginia, I can do great photos sometimes, but just don’t “see video” or how to string shots together. I can’t picture an end-result so I don’t know where to start.
Plus, we have a Flip HD: it’s battery life has always been only 20 minutes. It was a complete waste of money.
For some folks, using video is natural. They appear to think in sequences of images, in rolling sound. For me, I enjoy still images and am always surprised by the clutter in video snippets. I forget to stop talking or that I can say relevant things. Also, I am clueless about editing.
How does one create focus with a moving image?
That is my question.
Interesting, would like to know if the compatibility issues with osx are solvable in any way, maybe using final cut pro.
If I won the video, I’d probably be most interested in doing interviews from various destinations around the world. Therefore, I wonder what’s the best external mic for recording video?
I’ve posted a few very rough video’s up and I’m just looking for an easier video camera to do the job. This camera you are giving away looks amazing.
Stumped how come video in cam won’t burn to Dvd correctly & puts chapters out of order?
Middle-aged techno dinosaur lusts after video cam and dreams of creating her first ever 21st century travel vids.
Suppose I am traveling with my netbook. It has a 4GB SSD, so I can’t store any raw video on the computer itself. What would you recommend for cloud-based storage and a cloud-based video editing service?
I am not sure on how to do editing. I see everyone around on the internet that say they edit pictures. I would love to learn how to make my pictures look really great. Mine don’t always turn out the way I want them too.
How do you import video from an old jvc video camera on to a dell?
I was wondering if anyone knew any cheap (or free) programs out there that had a decant 3 way color corrector. Something like the one in Final Cut 3. Thanks.
-David
Pam, I’m no video expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I will say software like iMovie makes things really easy to do. Just download the video, import, and start cutting, chopping, adding graphics and music, and before you know it, you have pretty good amateur video! The drawback to video IMO is the size and storage of the files. But storage is pretty cheap these days. Aloha!
I’ve tried a few short video clips, but I’ve yet to come up with much usable footage.
I see a lot of folks are wondering some of the same things I’ve been wondering about…lots of my questions already asked here.
I did one short interview clip with a local author, but the ambient noise where I filmed made it unusable (fortunately, I took a couple of stills with my point-and-shoot). How do others deal with ambient noise in a situation where there really isn’t a completely quiet corner to do a quick interview clip?
I’ve not used a video camera in AGES and would love to have one to document my work – better than a camera. Who knows? Maybe I’ll make YouTube vids for framers. How do you put a video on YouTube?
My naging question: Does this video camera have better audio capabilities than the Flip? I’ve basically had to stop using my Flip outside because the ambient sounds get picked up so much, and the quality is so seriously downgraded as a result, that the resulting vids are distracting to listen to.
I’ve been invited to start writing for one of those “city-directed” websites on the topic of beginning beading (beaders). Have done my research and developed hundreds if not thousands of bookmarks sorted by topic for presenting in-depth review and coverage of each topic. I’m also working on affiliate programs. What I would really love to do is present videos from the very new beader/jewelry maker (me) from juried craft shows, national & local bead shows, bead artists (interviews) and more. But all I have to work with is the webcam on my laptop and about 90 seconds of video on my cell phone. Would love to be able to do all those things my mind is thinking of….and loads it isn’t aware of yet.
When editing video, can you separate the music but leave in sound effects?
I consider myself reasonably savvy in the photography world, but my question is…
What kind of control am I giving up when I make the change from stills to video? I’m used to setting apertures, shutter speeds and all that jazz. You know, making the photo *mine*. Does moving to (or adding) video mean giving up the sort of creative control I’m used to?
Are there are any consumer grade camcorders that allow you to control and change the depth of field?
I have been lucky to have found a job that requires me to travel! As an actor (traveling with a certain “curious” monkey – and previously with a ticklish red monster), I have had many opportunities to explore the country. Along the way I created a puppet character and have been filming a video travelogue of our different experiences and locales.
One of the things I learned quickly (especially when working with the puppet) was that finding an interesting perspective can be a very rewarding challenge! Like you, I started with a lot of my footage aimed down and comfortable, but I urge you to start playing with angles and depth in your videography.
I know that I still have a lot to learn in video production, traveling, and especially how to merge the two worlds, but I would love an opportunity to step up my game with better technology to find new challenges and improve the overall quality of my projects.
Thank you so much!
I’m planning on traveling to Japan and Dubai this summer. I don’t want to carry anything too big and I won’t have a way to download what I recorded until I get back to the States. What kind of camera should I purchase? I’ve heard so many great things about these portable video and shoot camera’s but I don’t want to miss anything while I’m away. I’m pretty sure point and shoot won’t zoom but the size is awesome! By the way, I have a Mac and I know that may be an issue.