Camera and techniques

Cameras - mini DV - 3 chip cameras give a better quality picture with truer colour reproduction.They cost approx. $1,000 more than single chip cameras but give a much better result. If you can afford it, they are definitely worth the extra money.

Although mini DV cameras work adequately set to fully automatic mode you will always get a superior result operating the camera in manual mode.

Use the camera’s automatic exposure mechanism as an internal light meter. Then set the camera to manual exposure to lock in the exposure setting. By doing this you will avoid the camera varying exposure whilst in record mode.

Take another auto exposure reading when the light conditions of the scene change (ie sun goes behind cloud) or you move the camera for a new set up.Likewise - zoom in to your subject and use autofocus to find focus then set the camera to manual mode to lock in the focus point. This will stop the camera from focus hunting whilst in record mode. Reset the focus with each new camera set-up.

Keep zooms to a minimum - or work to edit them out in post production. As a general rule, frame your shot before hitting the record button on your camera. Try to avoid using the zoom to postion your frame size whilst you are recording.

These simple steps will greatly aid the look of your footage.