inchindown
Established Member
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2010
- Messages
- 98
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I am a stills photographer, although now retired. With more time available for hobbies, I've decided to have a go in the video arena. I don't really have a general subject area in mind. I have several hobbies and I live in the Scottish Highlands. I'm not that interested in "people" stories. I quite like the area of "how things are done". I'm intersted in birds and butterflies.
The only movie camera I've ever handled was a Bell & Howell clockwork film camera, and that was about 40 years ago. Even then it was only for a module in my professional photography course.
So the new world of digital video is a bit out of my normal comfort zone.
I don't have easy access to shops which sell video equipment due to where I live in the Highlands.
I've already chosen my camera - A Canon Legria HF-G25. Apart from some spare batteries and an external mic, I've not gone overboard with buying accessories yet.
I have some very good tripods from my stills days, but the heads on them seem too stiff and jerky for video work where you might want a smoother pan and tilt movement. So I'll be looking for a good quality tripod head suitable for video work. What is a good video tripod head.
I'm not sure about lighting. The Canon ones seems too expensive for what they are and don't appear to be all that useful in the dark anyway. So some advice is needed on a good light for the G25 which will work both indoors and out.
Any additional advice on accessories will also be much appreciated.
I'm also interested in looking at online tutorials or good books, which might help keep me on the right track. I don't just want to be firehosing the camera everywhere. I think I need some guidance on how to break an idea for a movie into manageable blocks for shooting and then bring them together in an editing package.
A question that has been puzzling me recently is whether you can combine video footage from different cameras into the same movie. I now have 3 cameras which can shoot video. A stiils camera, my phone and now the G25. Does it really matter which camera the footage comes from? I realise there will be quality differences between the cameras, but will I have any problem combining footage from these 3 types of camera?
I've bought Cyberlink PowerDirector 11 Ultimate Suite (PC), but haven't used it yet. I've been playing around in Windows Movie maker and the software that came with the camera. Neither of these seem to be doing it for me. So have I wasted my money on PowerDirector?.
I appreciate that editing package is likely to have much more than I can currently cope with, but I don't intend being a novice for ever. I'm hoping I will be able to develop my skills so I can take full advantage of its features.
So I'm hoping I'll be able to pick up some useful information in this forum which will help me on my way to becoming a fairly good videographer, so thanks in advance for any help you good people might be able to offer.
The only movie camera I've ever handled was a Bell & Howell clockwork film camera, and that was about 40 years ago. Even then it was only for a module in my professional photography course.
So the new world of digital video is a bit out of my normal comfort zone.
I don't have easy access to shops which sell video equipment due to where I live in the Highlands.
I've already chosen my camera - A Canon Legria HF-G25. Apart from some spare batteries and an external mic, I've not gone overboard with buying accessories yet.
I have some very good tripods from my stills days, but the heads on them seem too stiff and jerky for video work where you might want a smoother pan and tilt movement. So I'll be looking for a good quality tripod head suitable for video work. What is a good video tripod head.
I'm not sure about lighting. The Canon ones seems too expensive for what they are and don't appear to be all that useful in the dark anyway. So some advice is needed on a good light for the G25 which will work both indoors and out.
Any additional advice on accessories will also be much appreciated.
I'm also interested in looking at online tutorials or good books, which might help keep me on the right track. I don't just want to be firehosing the camera everywhere. I think I need some guidance on how to break an idea for a movie into manageable blocks for shooting and then bring them together in an editing package.
A question that has been puzzling me recently is whether you can combine video footage from different cameras into the same movie. I now have 3 cameras which can shoot video. A stiils camera, my phone and now the G25. Does it really matter which camera the footage comes from? I realise there will be quality differences between the cameras, but will I have any problem combining footage from these 3 types of camera?
I've bought Cyberlink PowerDirector 11 Ultimate Suite (PC), but haven't used it yet. I've been playing around in Windows Movie maker and the software that came with the camera. Neither of these seem to be doing it for me. So have I wasted my money on PowerDirector?.
I appreciate that editing package is likely to have much more than I can currently cope with, but I don't intend being a novice for ever. I'm hoping I will be able to develop my skills so I can take full advantage of its features.
So I'm hoping I'll be able to pick up some useful information in this forum which will help me on my way to becoming a fairly good videographer, so thanks in advance for any help you good people might be able to offer.