Lily
Okay, so I really want to enter a YouTube contest, but the entry has to be in video form. My problem is that my digital camera has horrible focus. I have the Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS Digital ELPH. It had fine focus when I take pictures, but when it comes to video, it's just bad. I need help because other people have said they have canon cameras that focus great. Also, the quality sometimes gets twice as bad when I upload to YouTube. :/ Any way to fix that too? Thank you so much! :)
Answer
Hi Lily:
I know that you asked this Question last week, but the one Answer didn't really cover what you wanted, so I'm glad you re-posted.
One of the problems people have with "point and shoot" cameras, is that they get kinda lazy (since they seem "easy" to use) and don't read the instructions... which sometimes aren't even printed, but located as a PDF on the CD-ROM in the box.
Blurry video can be due not only to lens-focus but also camera shake. Your camera has Image Stabilization (that's the "I.S." in the model name!) which can make a big difference in clarity of the final recorded image, both for video and stills.
And the biggest focus issues point-and-shoot owners have with shooting video is forgetting that half-pressing the shutter (even after starting the video recording) will "tell" the camera to re-focus. And if you have gotten into the habit of just quickly pressing the shutter all the way down to start a video recording, the camera will not have time to correctly pre-focus on your subject (there are motors and sensors that take time to "home in" on the intended subject).
Get in the habit of half-pressing the shutter at the beginning of each video sequence. You'll notice the image slightly blur & re-focus as your camera's sensors properly lock-in on what you really want focused. THEN you can press the shutter down the rest of the way and start the video recording. (This is a good habit for still photos, also.)
I'll put the full Canon PDF manual link in my Sources below, but at least take the time to read a good (and shorter!) article describing your Auto-Focus (AF) & Image Stabilization features, like this one by CameraLabs.com: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_SD1300_IS_IXUS_105/
The article's images & text will show the difference achieved with and without IS turned on, and describes the AF, focus zones/frames, spot focusing, and focus lock features.
Good photography and video takes practice, and if you take time to read up on the proper technique, your videos will look as good as other Canon users' examples.
Upload quality & YouTube settings are a whole different discussion, especially since we don't know what computer or Video Editing program you use. YouTube always re-encodes anything you upload, and this always loses some of the original quality. (I know you're just 13, so I won't get too technical here.)
The Canon ZoomBrowser EX software that came with your camera (or ImageBrowser/Camera Window for a Mac) has some basic file-transfer & YouTube uploading features. These might eliminate any unnecessary re-encoding (transcoding) of your footage, if you've been using other image browsing/converting or editing software.
After you master Focus and Image Stabilization, do a YouTube search (for tutorials) or a Yahoo!Search or Google with keywords "AVI Motion JPEG upload tips". [This is the video file type your camera produces.]
hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
Â
Hi Lily:
I know that you asked this Question last week, but the one Answer didn't really cover what you wanted, so I'm glad you re-posted.
One of the problems people have with "point and shoot" cameras, is that they get kinda lazy (since they seem "easy" to use) and don't read the instructions... which sometimes aren't even printed, but located as a PDF on the CD-ROM in the box.
Blurry video can be due not only to lens-focus but also camera shake. Your camera has Image Stabilization (that's the "I.S." in the model name!) which can make a big difference in clarity of the final recorded image, both for video and stills.
And the biggest focus issues point-and-shoot owners have with shooting video is forgetting that half-pressing the shutter (even after starting the video recording) will "tell" the camera to re-focus. And if you have gotten into the habit of just quickly pressing the shutter all the way down to start a video recording, the camera will not have time to correctly pre-focus on your subject (there are motors and sensors that take time to "home in" on the intended subject).
Get in the habit of half-pressing the shutter at the beginning of each video sequence. You'll notice the image slightly blur & re-focus as your camera's sensors properly lock-in on what you really want focused. THEN you can press the shutter down the rest of the way and start the video recording. (This is a good habit for still photos, also.)
I'll put the full Canon PDF manual link in my Sources below, but at least take the time to read a good (and shorter!) article describing your Auto-Focus (AF) & Image Stabilization features, like this one by CameraLabs.com: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_PowerShot_SD1300_IS_IXUS_105/
The article's images & text will show the difference achieved with and without IS turned on, and describes the AF, focus zones/frames, spot focusing, and focus lock features.
Good photography and video takes practice, and if you take time to read up on the proper technique, your videos will look as good as other Canon users' examples.
Upload quality & YouTube settings are a whole different discussion, especially since we don't know what computer or Video Editing program you use. YouTube always re-encodes anything you upload, and this always loses some of the original quality. (I know you're just 13, so I won't get too technical here.)
The Canon ZoomBrowser EX software that came with your camera (or ImageBrowser/Camera Window for a Mac) has some basic file-transfer & YouTube uploading features. These might eliminate any unnecessary re-encoding (transcoding) of your footage, if you've been using other image browsing/converting or editing software.
After you master Focus and Image Stabilization, do a YouTube search (for tutorials) or a Yahoo!Search or Google with keywords "AVI Motion JPEG upload tips". [This is the video file type your camera produces.]
hope this helps,
--Dennis C.
Â
Can the Ultra HD Flip cam and the Vado HD cam record up close?
SSG.Wentwo
I am concidering buying one of these two cameras. I do knife and gun reviews for youtube so I want it to be easy to use for that AND be able to record in good quality up close.. My question is if I take, lets say a knife, an hold it an inch from either the vado or the ultra HD camera lense while recording, how well will the picture be? Is it auto focus or does it have a "flower" option
Answer
Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB Pocket Video Camcorder
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JM1XWQ?tag=dcmb-20
REVIEW:
While other brands may catch more headlines the Vado HD is the small portable video cam for you. It combines portability, ease of use, quality with features that are not found on competing models. One thing that separates the Vado for the competition is its ability to record in standard definition, HD and HD+. Why is it important to be able to video quality options? Some medias do not need HD quality - when you upload videos to Facebook or YouTube HD videos take significantly longer to upload. However, there are times when it is great to record in HD... vacations... weddings... and so on.
Pros
- The ability to record using three levels of video quality.
- Great capacity! 2 hours of HD and 8 hours of standard definition
- Comes with a replaceable rechargeable battery
- Very large viewing screen, especially for the size of the camera
- Comes with a rubberized case
- Very simple to use - works great with both a Mac and a PC/Windows
- Smaller than a typical cell phone
- Comes with a HDMI port and cables - this allows you to plug the Vado HD directly into your HD television
Final verdict - A great camera that offers a significant amount of recording flexibility. The only real area for improvement is some sort of image stabilization capability , however to my knowledge, none of the cameras in this class offers this feature. My recommendation, buy with confidence!
////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Flip UltraHD Camcorder
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0023B14TK?tag=dcmb-20
REVIEW:
The Flip UltraHD Camcorder is the perfect supplement to larger consumer camcorders. It's a point-and-shoot camcorder. I carry mine in my pocket and am finding opportunities to spontaneously capture fun moments, like the one in my video here in this review (I was walking my dog at the time).
The only reason that it can't serve as my primary camcorder is that the zoom is extremely limited as you'll see in the video. And footage can get wobbly as there is no auto stabilization (you'll notice that, too, in this video).
This camcorder is designed for upfront and personal footage: parties, family gatherings, etc. I use mine to shoot video interviews for my blog, for example.
The quality of the videos is impressive: true HD! PC users will especially appreciate the intuitive and rather elegant "FlipShare" video editing software. I have a PC and a MacBook Pro. I prefer the FlipShare editor vs. Apple's iMovie because it's a lot easier to use.
Editing your video clips is a snap with FlipShare: there is no learning curve. You can then save your videos/movies onto your computer or share them with friends and family -- or the world via FlipShare "icons" that give you the following sharing options:
* E-mail
* "Greeting cards" (cute e-mail themes like Christmas cards or post cards)
* Upload them to myspace, YouTube or other similar sites
* Burn them to DVDs
* You can also capture high-resolution "snapshots" or photos from videos with one click of the "Snapshot" icon.
To create a move, click the "flip" button on the side of the camera to extend the USB arm and plug it into your computer. Then open the FlipShare software and select the clips you want to include. Next click the "Movie" icon. That begins an easy, self-guiding process to:
1) Add an opening title and closing credits (you don't have to, but it's an option. You can even add a cute "Recorded by Flip Video" animation at the very end, which I opted to do in my video here).
2) You can leave the default sound, or you can add music from the included library of seven songs (or upload a song (mp3 format) from your computer. You can then opt to play the music as soft (or loud) background music and still hear conversations, etc; or you can play only the music, removing the default audio altogether.
3) Name your movie -- then click "Create Movie" and the software does its magic. Done! It's that simple.
I love this little camcorder and recommend it.
Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB Pocket Video Camcorder
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JM1XWQ?tag=dcmb-20
REVIEW:
While other brands may catch more headlines the Vado HD is the small portable video cam for you. It combines portability, ease of use, quality with features that are not found on competing models. One thing that separates the Vado for the competition is its ability to record in standard definition, HD and HD+. Why is it important to be able to video quality options? Some medias do not need HD quality - when you upload videos to Facebook or YouTube HD videos take significantly longer to upload. However, there are times when it is great to record in HD... vacations... weddings... and so on.
Pros
- The ability to record using three levels of video quality.
- Great capacity! 2 hours of HD and 8 hours of standard definition
- Comes with a replaceable rechargeable battery
- Very large viewing screen, especially for the size of the camera
- Comes with a rubberized case
- Very simple to use - works great with both a Mac and a PC/Windows
- Smaller than a typical cell phone
- Comes with a HDMI port and cables - this allows you to plug the Vado HD directly into your HD television
Final verdict - A great camera that offers a significant amount of recording flexibility. The only real area for improvement is some sort of image stabilization capability , however to my knowledge, none of the cameras in this class offers this feature. My recommendation, buy with confidence!
////////////////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Flip UltraHD Camcorder
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0023B14TK?tag=dcmb-20
REVIEW:
The Flip UltraHD Camcorder is the perfect supplement to larger consumer camcorders. It's a point-and-shoot camcorder. I carry mine in my pocket and am finding opportunities to spontaneously capture fun moments, like the one in my video here in this review (I was walking my dog at the time).
The only reason that it can't serve as my primary camcorder is that the zoom is extremely limited as you'll see in the video. And footage can get wobbly as there is no auto stabilization (you'll notice that, too, in this video).
This camcorder is designed for upfront and personal footage: parties, family gatherings, etc. I use mine to shoot video interviews for my blog, for example.
The quality of the videos is impressive: true HD! PC users will especially appreciate the intuitive and rather elegant "FlipShare" video editing software. I have a PC and a MacBook Pro. I prefer the FlipShare editor vs. Apple's iMovie because it's a lot easier to use.
Editing your video clips is a snap with FlipShare: there is no learning curve. You can then save your videos/movies onto your computer or share them with friends and family -- or the world via FlipShare "icons" that give you the following sharing options:
* "Greeting cards" (cute e-mail themes like Christmas cards or post cards)
* Upload them to myspace, YouTube or other similar sites
* Burn them to DVDs
* You can also capture high-resolution "snapshots" or photos from videos with one click of the "Snapshot" icon.
To create a move, click the "flip" button on the side of the camera to extend the USB arm and plug it into your computer. Then open the FlipShare software and select the clips you want to include. Next click the "Movie" icon. That begins an easy, self-guiding process to:
1) Add an opening title and closing credits (you don't have to, but it's an option. You can even add a cute "Recorded by Flip Video" animation at the very end, which I opted to do in my video here).
2) You can leave the default sound, or you can add music from the included library of seven songs (or upload a song (mp3 format) from your computer. You can then opt to play the music as soft (or loud) background music and still hear conversations, etc; or you can play only the music, removing the default audio altogether.
3) Name your movie -- then click "Create Movie" and the software does its magic. Done! It's that simple.
I love this little camcorder and recommend it.
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Title Post: Video Camera focus help please?
Rating: 97% based on 975 ratings. 4,7 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
Rating: 97% based on 975 ratings. 4,7 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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