Video and Photography
Last Updated 9/25/03
Put your mouse over the pics for info.
4/25/00
- I just upgraded from an old analog camcorder to a digital cam, the Sony
DCR-TRV10 mini DV, $1199.00 at Cameraworld.
If you want the lightest and smallest cam, go with mini DV. The pics can be
pulled off the video tape to Sony's memory stick, and then spit back into
your computer. Cam comes with a 4 meg memory stick, about 40 pics in fine
mode at 640 X 480 resolution. You can get bigger, (8 meg, 16 meg, 32 meg,
64 meg), memory sticks to hold more pics if you need it. Here's a pic of turkey
camp in California on the opener for 2000 from the cam.
Zoom
is 10X optical, 120X digital, and I also bought the Sony 2X telephoto lens,
($100.00), to help on the long shots. Forget the digital zoom, the pics are
too grainy even for Mr. Magoo to enjoy. So far no turkeys or deer just some
birds *L*. They have wide angle lenses also to shoot the extreme close-ups.
Battery life is 3 hours with stock battery. I bought a 9 hour ($109.00), just
in case. Spare 3 hour battery is $50.00. 6 hour battery is $75.00
I mounted the cam to my turkey shotgun scope with an upside down Weaver ring, (about $35.00 for the base and 2 rings). It lines up with my turkey scope perfectly. For camo I use a cammy handkerchief and some Velcro to hide the cam, I didn't want to paint it like everything else I own. I just have to remember to turn it on when tommy arrives. I've used the cam like this on varmint rifles, but I don't know if it will take the magnum blast from a turkey load. We'll see here soon. I just hope I'm not talking to Sony customer service with pieces in my hand *L*. I'm going to try and rig up a mount for my bow next.
Auto
white balance or you can set it at 4 different settings like indoor/outdoor.
Manual or auto focus and auto exposure. Cam has external jacks for headphones
to monitor sound, which you can record at 12 bit or 16 bit stereo and edit
later. This audio is CD quality so you can make your own turkey calling practice
tapes.
Other jacks included are Firewire, S video, LANC, etc. Has a remote so you can control the cam from afar. Self timer to aid in getting yourself in the video/pics too. AC charger is part of the deal, but you have to charge the battery in the cam. You can get optional AC/DC chargers for about $100.00 to charge the battery without the cam.
The
cam also has "Night Shot", which is an infrared light good out to
6 feet. You can get an optional 60 foot light ($100.00). The cam has a shoe
on top to mount an external shotgun mic or light. The mic zooms in when you
zoom the video lens. Too kewl. The cam has Sony's electronic image stabilization,
not optical stabilization. It works pretty good to stop the wobbles.
Sony is poised to release the TRV20 and TRV11 this month (May 2000), which is the new version of the TRV10, better resolution, (1 megapixel), and a few other goodies. JVC just released the 9800 model which looks promising and there is always Canon to look at. I didn't want to wait for the new models and miss turkey season, plus I'd like to let someone else do the shakedown on them first.
Tripods, Heads and Other Mounts
For
a tripod I bought the Bogen
Mini Pro 3001 tripod for $79.00. It has a minimum height of 12.25" (even
lower with leg modification and shorter center post), and will extend up to
a height of 59.5". Folded up the tripod is 20.5". Weight is 3.75
lbs. and max load is 11 lbs. The Bogen 3001 has 3 telescoping aluminum legs
that have 3 click-stop position settings to aid in the ease of leveling and
screw knob locks to lock the leg height position. Many prefer the lever leg
locks for quicker setup. The center column is reversible to mount the cam
underneath between the legs if needed. There is also a threaded hole (10mm),
to mount Fastex buckles for quick-release attachment to a pack. To ease the
pain on the shoulder while hiking short distances with the tripod, I added
some pipe insulation from the local home improvement store to the tripod legs.
For a good website on how to pick and modify a hiking tripod, check out Jack
Luer's Tripod website.
For the tripod head I purchased the Bogen # 3130 Micro Video Head/Quick Release. This is a fluid pan and tilt head with an adjustable pan handle. The pan handle can be set up for either left or right hand side operation. The head also includes a quick release plate with a security release to prevent accidental release. The head weighs 2 lbs., has a max load rating of 9 lbs and is 4.5" high. The quick release plate is Bogen #3157 and has a 1/4" screw for mounting the camcorder. I painted the tripod camo with a camo spray kit from Hunter Specialties. The kit comes with 4 colors and a leaf pattern stencil. I added a level bubble since this head came without one. The pros use ball heads but they are more expensive and with a ball head you have to check and re-level the horizontal plane with every adjustment. Being able to level and lock the horizontal plane and then forgetting about it with the pan/tilt head works out better for me, especially on landscapes.
To
me, the camcorder is hard to hold with the palm strap and use the zoom and
manual focus controls. I came up with a custom grip using a Pachmayr pistol
grip that cost just $13.00. I then used hot glue to build up the hollow inside
of the grip to a flat surface to mount the camcorder to using the tripod mount
thread. I hot glued a 1/4" coarse thread bolt into the pistol grip to
insert into the tripod mount in the camcorder. With this mount I find it much
easier to hold and aim the cam and still be able to do manual focus or use
the zoom button.
For
filming while hunting, I came up with a way to mount my Sony camcorder on
my Remington 870 shotgun. The scope I have on my 870 is a 1 X 4 Leupold Variax
II shotgun scope. I used a 1 piece Weaver top mount base (Weaver #87A), and
Weaver 1" detachable top mount rings (Weaver # 49071), medium height
style. I cut the top mount into a shorter piece with a hacksaw, and then mounted
the rings upside down on the scope (see pic). I then use a 1/4" coarse
thread screw up through one of the Weaver base mounting holes to mount the
cam. The base mount has a thumbscrew quick release, so you can take the cam
off in a few seconds. The only drawback is the mount on the camcorder is metal
embedded into the plastic frame of the cam. Be very careful when your cam
is mounted on your weapons scope, as it won't take much of a blow to snap
off the cam. I only mount the cam when I am in a shooting position Don't even
think about walking around with the cam on your scope, because you will be
holding pieces in your hand when you bump into a tree or other obstacle.
INDOOR
LIGHTING - The Sony line of miniDV cams under $1,900.00 do not take very
good video in normal indoor lighting, so if you plan on doing some videoing
inside with normal tungsten (incandescent) lighting, you need to look at the
JVC, Panasonic or Canon camcorders. Bottom line, Sonys suck in low light.
PROGRESSIVE AND INTERLACED SCANNING - The Sony TRV10 does not have progressive scanning. Cameras with a full frame shutter are marketed as progressive scan cameras and have the ability to capture moving objects with full horizontal and vertical resolution. The Sony TRV10 is an interlaced camera and can capture moving objects with only half the vertical resolution (but full horizontal resolution); this is due to the design of the CCD sensor. The JVC and Canon have progressive scanning. Interlaced scanning is a picture constructed from interlacing two pairs of fields, each containing half the scan lines, as in today’s analog TV’s. The purpose of interlacing is to minimize flicker inherent in lower-bandwidth images. Progressive Scanning is a picture constructed from single frames containing all the scan lines, progressing from top to bottom, as in today’s PC monitors. Progressive scanning provides a simpler method of constructing images but requires a faster scanning frequency and a higher bandwidth.
FOCUS - The Sony TRV10 has 3 focus settings, manual, auto and infinity. I find manual works out the best because in situations like filming through a barbed wire fence, the cam in auto mode will try and focus on the fence. In manual mode you do have to be quick with the focus when you pan to a different shot.
OPTICAL
STABILIZATION - This features tries to determine unnecessary shaking of
the camcorder, and eliminate it. This is a very highly recommended feature
for all camcorder users. Optical Image Stabilizer - This is a two lens system
used with a type of liquid between them. When you shake the camcorder, both
lens shake proportionately to each other producing a more stable image at
playback because the light is shifted and picture is adjusted accordingly.
Electronic Image Stabilizer - There are two types of this digital technology.
Both produce a lower picture quality (increased graininess) then the optical
image stabilization. These features contribute to the extended consumption
of power, lessening the amount of time the battery is suppose to last before
it's next charge. Sony calls their electronic image stabilization "Steady
Shot". Canon is renowned for their optical image stabilization system.
LENS - 1/4 CCC (Charged Coupled Device). approximately 680,000 pixels, effective pixels approximately 340,000. Focal length is 5/32" - 1 5/16" (3.3mm - 33mm). When converted to a 35 mm still camera, 1 11/16" - 16 5/8" (42mm - 420mm).
LUX - This is the term used to describe the rating used for pickup devices (It is the minimum amount of light needed to be put through a pickup device and still create a recognizable picture). It is a standard measure of light used by an individual manufacturer. Different manufacturers use different Lux ratings, making it difficult to compare the lux of different camcorders of different brands.
MANUAL SHUTTER SPEED ADJUST (PROGRAM AUTO EXPOSURE) - There is no manual shutter adjust on most Sony camcorders that are under the $2,000.00 price tag, you just get 7 automatic exposure settings of spotlight, soft portrait, beach and ski, sunset and moon, landscape, low lux, sports lesson and portrait . This I found to be a pain as I was videoing animals with a 2x tele lens on tripod to pull still pics off of and you really need a fast shutter speed to get the pics as clear as you can. The best the Sony's can do is in "Sports" mode which is 1/250th of a second shutter speed. A speed of 1/10,000th of a second is recommended and 1/8,000th of a second will work okay. Low lux mode had a 1/4 of a second shutter speed, the rest of the modes had 1/60th of a second shutter speed. The normal shutter speed is 1/60 (light comes into the camera 60 times per second). This might cause fast moving objects to come out a little blurry. By increasing the shutter speed you can catch faster moving objects. The drawbacks to this are that less light is let in (harder to get better picture quality) so it would be a good idea to use this feature only in well lit conditions.
WHITE
BALANCE - There is no real manual white balance control, you just get
4 settings of auto, hold, outdoor and indoor. Auto, hold and indoor are 3200K,
outdoor is 5800K.
LCD DISPLAY AND VIEWFINDER - The TRV10 comes with a color LCD display that is 2 7/8" w x 2" h, 3.5" diagonal. Pixel count is 184,580, (839 x 220). I find the bigger LCD display handy when I'm reviewing a scene I just shot or pics I want to capture to memory stick. The LCD is a pain to work with in bright sunlight like most of them are. Another drawback is it is tough to focus with the LCD, I find the viewfinder easier to focus with but you have to put your head down to look into the viewfinder. The LCD has a bright/dim adjust on the display and the display swivels to aid in monitoring the action.
TAKING STILL PICS OFF THE VIDEOTAPE - I use this feature a lot to take scenes I have recorded and pick out the parts I like best and then store them on a Sony "Memory Stick" as an image. I find this is easier than to take a bunch of pics and hope I got the lighting and angle right. With a 10 second shot of video I have more of a chance of getting what I wanted in the scene. The supplied Sony "PictureGear 3.2 Lite" software that allows you to download the pics from the Memory Stick works good, but it is excruciatingly slow on the supplied serial cable interface and memory stick reader. Sony has an optional floppy drive memory stick reader adapter for about $100.00 I hardly ever fill up the 4 meg memory stick, but if you take a bunch of film and pics you can upgrade to an 8, 16, 32, or 64 meg stick. These memory sticks aren't cheap though, about $1.00 per meg.
Image resolution is 640 x 480 in JPEG file format. You get a choice of Fine or Standard settings for pics. Fine has the image compresses to about 1/6th, standard has the image compressed to 1/10th of the original image. Fine pics are about 100k in file size, standard pics are about 60k in size. You can get 40 images in fine mode on a 4 meg memory stick, 60 images in the standard mode. You can view all the images you have on your memory stick on the swing out LCD or in the viewfinder by using the index display. You can get better pic resolution if you have a firewire card and do the image capturing on your computer. The quality of the images you can see in the above pics which are from my Sony TRV10 cam. Using a Sony 2 x tele lens does make the pics a bit grainy, especially around the edge of the lens. The 2 x tele lens also vignettes when you have the zoom all the way out, but will disappear about 1/4 of the way into the zoom.
SOUND
RECORDING - The audio is pretty good, I videotaped a calling covey of
California quail that a bobcat had flushed in front of me and then played
it back and the covey assembled on my calling from the cam playback speaker,
at least until they saw me. Motor background noise was not evident on playback.
Sony offers a shotgun mic that works off the accessory shoe that zooms along
with the video zoom. Too slick. There is a stereo minijack (3.5mm), for a
headset to monitor your recording and a minijack for an external mic input.
Recording is in 12 bit or 16 bit stereo.
SONY NIGHTSHOT - The "NightShot" Sony has works okay, it's like looking through NVGs (Night Vision Goggles), or a starlight scope. For you tech heads the video is mono chromatic. For filming at night or real low light it works up close but you need the optional IR light to film out past 6 feet. The optional IR light only works out to about 50 feet. There is an onboard NightShot light that you can turn on in the menu. There are also 2 "Slow Shutter" settings that help brighten the subjects by more than 4X. The first slow shutter speed is 1/15th of a second and the other slow shutter speed is 1/4 second.
These
2 "Night Shot" pics are from a night time coyote hunt near Niland
California. The first pic on the right is just with the onboard night shot
light on and the distance is 4 feet from the guy with the rifle. The camcorder
was handheld in both these shots
The 2nd pic on the left is of a Kit fox that came into a call. The distance is about 50 feet and there is a red spotlight on the kit fox. As you can see the pics are grainy from the lack of light and a bit blurry from the slow shutter setting.
ZOOM - The Sony TRV10 has a 10x optical zoom which is adequate for most filming. The zoom button is a bit tricky to get a smooth zoom, it creeps along as you first begin to push it then bam! you're right on top of your subject. With some practice and steady concentration, a decent zoom can be pulled off. Sony could do better here on the button control. Forget about digital zoom numbers, the pic quality degrades dramatically as you zoom digitally.
BATTERIES
AND CHARGING - The Sony InfoLITHIUM batteries are the best I've seen out
there for a power source, even if they are pricey. The "remaining battery
time indicator" display on the LCD cover is real handy, it tells you
how much time is left on the battery in minutes. The batteries are easy to
put on and take off. The 120 vac charger is easy to hook up to the cam to
recharge the battery while it is on the cam. You have to buy an additional
120 vac or 12 vdc charger if you just want to charge a battery to have it
ready to go when the 1st one dies. Make sure you carry at least one spare
battery, I had one battery just go flat out dead on me, and another time I
had bumped the cam on/off switch on. It's supposed to shut down after several
minutes, but it didn't and when I looked I had 5 minutes of of a 3 hour battery
left. Thank goodness I had a spare battery left. The cam comes with a small
3 hour battery and you can get longer life batteries. The only drawback to
the longer life batteries is they are thicker and stick out the back side
of the cam where you have your hand and fingers. I bought the 9 hour battery
as a spare and later wished I had just gotten another 3 hour battery.
LENSES AND FILTERS - Definitely buy a clear/UV protective filter just to protect the camcorder lens from getting scratched. This protective filter should be the best quality that you can afford. The Multi-Coated filter products will give you the best results. Filters without any optical coating may reduce the image contrast, or sharpness due to unwanted lens flair You don't want to know how much a new lens costs to replace a scratched camcorder lens. If you film a lot in bright light with strong glare like around water or snow skiing, a circular polarizing filter is another must. This type of filter will give you rich blue skies and overall color improvement in your images. The circular polarizing filter also will help knock down the strong glare which results in terrible flares on your video. Another use for this filter is if you want to film through glass which has reflections on it. I ran into this videoing a beautiful sunset thorough the clouds while on an airplane flight over the desert southwest. Another use I found was while in the local museum, there were some animals and displays I wanted to film, but the glass just ruined the video with all the reflections. A circular polarizing filter allowed me to film in both instances. Filter size on the TRV10 is 30mm. There are adapter rings available to step larger diameter filters down to the 30mm thread.
LANC
CONTROL - What is LANC control you say? Sony has a tripod that has a remote
control on the tripod arm that allows you to zoom with just the push of a
button while you kee your eyes on the LCD display or viewfinder. This remote
control plugs into the LANC connector on the cam. The only problem is you
have to get the Sony tripod to get the LANC control and the LANC control is
not adaptable to other tripods since it is a proprietary setup unique to Sony.
REMOTE CONTROL - The Sony TRV10 comes with a slick little infrared remote control. It comes in handy to just sit the cam down on the table, plug it into the S-video jacks on the T.V. or monitor, and click away. Sony also offers a infrared hookup for the T.V. where you don't even have to hook up the S-video cables called LASER LINK. You just plug the LASER LINK IR receiver into the T.V. and set it on top of the T.V. Now all you have to do is turn on the cam and sit back and push the remote buttons to play or rewind tape.
TAPE- miniDV tape is a bit more than HI-8 tape. Wal-Mart has a pack of 2 miniDV tapes for $18.99. You have the option of getting the tape with a 4K memory chip on it, but the cost is greater with the memory chip tape. The memory chip tape is handy for archiving and searching tape for scenes. Most people I have spoken to say its not worth the extra money unless you tend to swap tapes a lot and need to find the last frame quickly. One tip many video pros recommend is using the same brand video tape in your camera to prevent dropouts and other problems. One huge drawback to the Sony TRV10 cam is that to change a tape, the tape door is on the bottom of the cam, so if you have the cam mounted on a tripod or handgrip, you have to take the cam off to change tapes. Major bummer.
