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Small Video Cameras
Video cameras are a great way to capture church family moments and store priceless moments in time. But as with all technology, Video Cameras evolve along with every other piece of technology. On the market today, you can find cameras that capture video on MINI-DV tapes, DVDs, flash memory, and even hard drives. My personal favorite is a camera with a Hard Drive that will capture videos in file format that makes editing video very easy. If you are doing simple home video work, you can find a really good deal on video cameras that have the internal hard drives.
Just within the past 4 months I have been asked to edit video using a few different formats. All of these projects have provided a few difficulties but have also shown me what my preference is as far as clips for editing. Back in February of this year, I was the technician for a church play called “Best Foot Forward” and ended up editing the video down from the best scenes out of the three nights. This job was made easier because the file transfer was simple. All I had to do was click on the files I wanted, copy them, and paste them into the folder I needed them. This of course allowed me to go enjoy a cup of coffee and a few chapters in my bible while the transfer took place.
On the flip side of the editing process, I’ve had to edit recently by importing clips through an interface from two Hi-8 cameras and a VHS camera. While the process was fairly easy getting them on to my computer, I still had to sit and make sure all of the clips were imported one at a time and have the person rewind and fast forward tapes. This process was a lot lengthier but understandable considering hard drive cameras didn’t exist when these clips were shot.
But now looking at prices for these cameras, I think you’ll find cameras of all formats in all price ranges. The MINI-DV cameras can range from what I’ve seen $150 to upwards of a few thousands for more professional cameras. DVD cameras can go from the $250 to $800 range but sometimes have limited record times due to the media used whether it is a Mini DVD or a full sized. And my pick for a good video camera being the hard drive camera, starts a little over $300 and can easily go above $1,000.
For the most part, each camera has its strengths and weaknesses but all are good options. I would not say one is necessarily better than the other because for certain people it may not be. My personal preference is for the Hard Drive cameras because it helps me edit video, where someone else’s preference maybe a DVD camera because it allows you to play the DVD right away in a player. If you decide to go and buy a new camera, its always good to do as much research as possible to see if it will work for you in all areas. Eventually I will most likely be looking at two or three of the more professional Hard Drive or Mini DV cameras for some of the work that I do with the church. The possibilities for neat and creative ideas are endless when you have an energetic group with energetic music and two or three cameras. All you have to do is have the know how in order to combine every thing.
If you have any topics for some of my future articles, email me at twotables.productions@gmail.com.
This article was written by Brian Dunn, Director of Event Technology, Vortex Youth Ministries.
If your Church uses media, the CMA offers membership that will give you free images and clips regularly. Check out the Images and Clips from our Patriotic, Easter, and Sermon Clips catagories at our Store.
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