If you're like me, your love of the outdoors consumes you and you enjoy the small details that happen and you see each trip as much as the adrenaline and thrill you feel from hooking a big bass, reaching the wind-cooled summit of a mountain or taking ol' Mossy Horns while he chases a doe through the November woods. That love has led me wanting to share those experiences and memories with others, which has resulted in me now filming - I know that technically if you aren't using film it is not really filming but I use the terms "video" and "film" interchangeably so bear with me throughout this - my hunts and fishing trips as well as the occasional hike and eventually a skiing adventure or two. While no professional (just yet), I do want to get the best footage I can and that all starts with the most important piece needed to obtain said footage: The video camera. This first part in a 6-piece series will be centered on the many video camera choices to choose from when it comes to taking video in the outdoors. I do want to point out that the following parts in this series will be looking at the keys to taking video for hunting and fishing and not while partaking in other outdoor centric activities, however the same principles and equipment I will discuss will also apply to getting the best footage possible during anything you do outdoors. That being said, let's dive right into things.
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I've got a pair of Cooper's Hawks nesting behind my house so today I wanted to find and share a photo of these beautiful birds of prey in action, which you can see below thanks to the photograph (#3 of 49) by Rob Palmer that I found on FalconPhotos.com. The video for this week is from Go Pro and is their video showcasing the capabilities of the Hero3 Black Edition, mixing in clips of the amazing footage it is able to capture in such a small package as well as the pictures it produces and that you can turn into time-lapses. Enjoy! As I mentioned in my "what's on the horizon" blog update last week, I'm working on a series for those interested in entering the foray known as outdoor video. To kick things off, I've post a video below (excuse the lovely hotel room setting, glare on my glasses and my frazzled look, it was a long day!) basically of me going over the things I want to cover in this series and basically what to expect. Hopefully you'll be looking forward to each part of the series I post up and the information will be useful. You'll also find below the video a set of links to websites I visit daily for information not just concerning outdoor video, but also just videography and photography in general.
-C.B. So just wanted to post two quick reviews of the camera gear I ordered and finally got in the mail (of course both pieces of equipment had to come in while I was working in Mississippi these past two weeks!).
First up is my Vanguard Alta+ 263 AT tripod. I chose this tripod because of the price ($110 new on Amazon), reviews and specs. It met the requirements I was looking for in a tripod, from everything like in the field photography and videography to "studo" interviews. It's light enough to throw over my shoulder and carry back in the woods without too much fatigue setting in while also being sturdy enough to not shift when panning the camera, though the first leg setting isn't the best for this (need the middle leg setting for the best stability it seems). All that being said, let me list out some of the specs (you can find more after following the link above): Weight: 3.31 lbs Leg Sections: 3 Material: Aluminum Leg Lock Style: Flip Lock Feet: Rubber with retractable spikes Leg angles: 3 (25 degrees, 50 degrees, 80 degrees) Extended Height: 60 1/4 inches Folded Height: 22 5/8 inches Max Load: 11 lbs Features: Hook to hang bag/counterweight, padded leg wraps, rubber shock mount to protect equipment if center column slams down, carrying case Now we have the one item I wanted last year that I just never got: A LANC remote. I won a Varizoom VZ-Rock for a steal of a deal on ebay ($62 lightly used; these are $250 brand new!) and am very pleased so far with it after a little testing. The side-to-side rocker for the zoom control is smooth and very controllable while the focus rocker works decent too; I am just going to have to get used to it in order to get smooth focuses though. The only complaint I have with this remote is that the button to turn on/off the data on the LCD screen doesn't seem to work. No big deal though since I am used to all of that being up there anyway, plus for $62, who can complain about that? If I really wanted to get it fixed, I could send if off to Varizoom and they would fix it for $70, which would still put me over $100 less than a new one. All in all, it does the job intended and is a great addition to our video arsenal this year! All that is left for me to get are a Zoom H1 for the Go Pro (audio is the key ingredient to good video and the Go Pro's on-board mic is seriously lacking), a set of wireless mics (a big investment and might not happen this year) and Beachtek adapter, and finally a light for those early morning/late evening "camp" shots as well as nighttime recovery. Got an opinion on the items I touched on in this entry? If so, let your voice be heard and leave a comment! -C.B. |
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Sometimes the great ideas that we have just need something to bring them to the forefront. The Inside Out team will be putting our talents to work and sharing our knowledge and love of the outdoors with anyone who wants to listen. Archives
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