Basic Photography Course

302.291X

the camera to convert light rays into electrical impulses.
The cathode-ray tube converts the electrical impulses

back into light in the receiver (monitor).

CAMCORDERS

As a nonspecialized Photographer's Mate without a

motion-media NEC 8143, you will be concerned mostly
with recording motion-video images using a single
camcorder. A camcorder has a single VTR directly
attached to the camera to form a camera and recorder
unit.

Each camcorder comes with manufacturer's

instructions on how to use the equipment. Because there
are a great variety of camcorders in the Navy, you must
consult the instruction manual supplied with your
machine for best results. One common motion-video
camera used in the Navy is the Hi8 video camera
(fig. 13-8).

The Hi8 camcorder is a small camera-VTR unit that

records amazingly high-quality pictures and sound
compared to a video home system (VHS) camcorder. It
uses a special 8mm (about 1/3 inch) cassette with
metal-oxide coated tape. These tapes are similar in size
to an audio cassette tape.

A tempting practice while operating a camcorder is

to shoot all videotape in the automatic mode. On the
Sony Hi8 camcorder, when the AUTO LOCK switch is
set, the iris, focus, white balance, sensitivity, and shutter
speed (1/60) are set and adjusted automatically. If left
unnoticed, there are several circumstances under which
the AUTO LOCK mode will produce poor or

undesirable results. You, as the camera operator, must
pay attention to the subject and the surrounding

situations to produce quality motion-video coverage; in
particular, brightness levels, focusing, color tempera-
ture of the light source, and subject movement.

Brightness Levels

The single greatest influence on picture quality is

the brightness level. When the brightness level is too
low, the recorded image looks grainy and flat. By
familiarizing yourself with the brightness level of the
subject, you can improve your recordings tremendously.
In situations where the light level exceeds 100,000 lux,
such as snow-covered scenes or a beach scene on a clear
summer day, an ND filter is required. Under other

daylight and bright, indoor conditions, the automatic iris
is capable of adjusting to provide excellent results;
however, in a low-light situation, such as spaces onboard
ship, auxiliary lighting may be required to provide clear,

sharp images. Another alternative, when available on
your camcorder, is to increase gain. By increasing the

gain, you increase the level of amplification of the video
signal. This increases the contrast and provides a
higher-quality recorded image.

In some situations, such as high-contrast scenes or

backlit subjects, you must adjust the iris manually. Just
like the aperture on a still camera, when the subject is
backlit, open up the iris. When the subject is too bright,
you must close down the iris.

Manual Focusing

There are situations when you must manually focus

the camcorder to obtain sharp images. In the
autofocusing mode, the system uses a sensor at the
center of the viewfinder screen to adjust the focus
automatically; therefore, in situations where there is
insufficient light, the subject is strongly backlit, or with
subjects consisting of flat colors or little contrast (such
as bulkheads or the sky), the autofocusing mode may
not function accurately.

Other situations in which you should use manual

focusing are as follows:

When the subject has finely detailed repetitive
patterns

When one subject is close to the camera and
another is far away

When the subjects are located behind screens,
nets, or frosted glass

When objects pass between the camera and the
primary or intended subject

13-9

contents

Basic Photography Course

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DOFMaster for Windows On-line Depth of Field Calculator DOFMaster for Mobile Devices On-line Depth of Field Table Hyperfocal Distance Chart Articles FAQ Recommended Books Support Contact Links Home As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.	contents <- previous page next page -> 302.291X Figure 13-8.Hi8 video camera. the camera to convert light rays into electrical impulses. The cathode-ray tube converts the electrical impulses back into light in the receiver (monitor). CAMCORDERS As a nonspecialized Photographer's Mate without a motion-media NEC 8143, you will be concerned mostly with recording motion-video images using a single camcorder. A camcorder has a single VTR directly attached to the camera to form a camera and recorder unit. Each camcorder comes with manufacturer's instructions on how to use the equipment. Because there are a great variety of camcorders in the Navy, you must consult the instruction manual supplied with your machine for best results. One common motion-video camera used in the Navy is the Hi8 video camera (fig. 13-8). The Hi8 camcorder is a small camera-VTR unit that records amazingly high-quality pictures and sound compared to a video home system (VHS) camcorder. It uses a special 8mm (about 1/3 inch) cassette with metal-oxide coated tape. These tapes are similar in size to an audio cassette tape. A tempting practice while operating a camcorder is to shoot all videotape in the automatic mode. On the Sony Hi8 camcorder, when the AUTO LOCK switch is set, the iris, focus, white balance, sensitivity, and shutter speed (1/60) are set and adjusted automatically. If left unnoticed, there are several circumstances under which the AUTO LOCK mode will produce poor or undesirable results. You, as the camera operator, must pay attention to the subject and the surrounding situations to produce quality motion-video coverage; in particular, brightness levels, focusing, color tempera- ture of the light source, and subject movement. Brightness Levels The single greatest influence on picture quality is the brightness level. When the brightness level is too low, the recorded image looks grainy and flat. By familiarizing yourself with the brightness level of the subject, you can improve your recordings tremendously. In situations where the light level exceeds 100,000 lux, such as snow-covered scenes or a beach scene on a clear summer day, an ND filter is required. Under other daylight and bright, indoor conditions, the automatic iris is capable of adjusting to provide excellent results; however, in a low-light situation, such as spaces onboard ship, auxiliary lighting may be required to provide clear, sharp images. Another alternative, when available on your camcorder, is to increase gain. By increasing the gain, you increase the level of amplification of the video signal. This increases the contrast and provides a higher-quality recorded image. In some situations, such as high-contrast scenes or backlit subjects, you must adjust the iris manually. Just like the aperture on a still camera, when the subject is backlit, open up the iris. When the subject is too bright, you must close down the iris. Manual Focusing There are situations when you must manually focus the camcorder to obtain sharp images. In the autofocusing mode, the system uses a sensor at the center of the viewfinder screen to adjust the focus automatically; therefore, in situations where there is insufficient light, the subject is strongly backlit, or with subjects consisting of flat colors or little contrast (such as bulkheads or the sky), the autofocusing mode may not function accurately. Other situations in which you should use manual focusing are as follows: When the subject has finely detailed repetitive patterns When one subject is close to the camera and another is far away When the subjects are located behind screens, nets, or frosted glass When objects pass between the camera and the primary or intended subject 13-9 contents Basic Photography Course <- previous page next page ->	As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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