Hello all -

My father just handed me his new and precious toy - a Sony Digital HD Handycam, with the words "take lots of video" For those of you who do shoot video while on safari, are you familiar with this full of bells and whistles thing? Any secrets, problems or praise?

Dad says its idiot proof - sometimes I don't think he knows me very well.

1
Try to keep your zooming & panning to a minimum. It's great fun but can really be annoying on the TV at home & make you giddy.
It's OK to zoom say from the buffaloes head to show the size of the heard but then to zoom in again to a calf is too much.
The same again with panning say from left to right to show the vista OK once but twice never. Far better to go for short 4/5 second bursts. Use the zoom to frame a shot not to make it!

2.
As this is your first cam trip I assume you use a still camera mainly. Buy a hide mount or some such steadying device, I have a mono pod & a couple of strong velcro straps so I can bind it to an upright in the vehicle you can then set the cam running & concentrate on your stills photography. I now have a number of different mounts but still often have to resort to the straps.

3
If an action is taking place set the cam up & let it run. A lion yawn is never as good if your shot starts halfway through the yawn.

4
If you have Windows XP you can download a very good free editing software, Movie maker. Rather than letting the camcorder rule you set it going & edit out the "Bag Shots"
(I have dust bags that when hand held videoing I can hold the camcorder in the bag when moving to keep the dust to a minimum if in the midle of action I some times forget to switch off....Hence "Bag shot")

5
It will be almost impossible to obtain a good natural soundtrack, on board mic's pick up every sound not wanted even your own breathing! You can falsify a sound track when editing or uise back ground music.

6
Remember spare batteries, charge & discharge them a few times before you go to bring them to their peak charge. The little pop out screen uses a lot of battery power so use the eye piece when possible.

7
Got something good? Worthy of the Geographic channel? If your cam uses Mini DV flick the little tab over so you can't record over it! If you must show your footage back at the lodge have another ready to record tape to hand. I was once checking the video of Golden Leaf monkeys in the Borneo forest when there was a commotion close to hand an Orang was passing through the canopy I tried a number of times to get video without success but I did succeed in taping over most of the Leaf Monkey footage!

8
Tapes, take twice as many as you think you'll need! And record each tape through the camera with the lens hood on, you will then have a counter to find each segment not a must but it helps a lot at editing.

9
Don't take video of just animals if you watch a wildlife documentary you will see that only about a quarter of the film is of the actual subject the rest is of trees, people, that sort of thing. Take some video of while traveling out the side, looking back & forward.........Even 5 minutes of just lions gets very very boring!

Hope this helps, will post more if need be!
- Edited by kipper on 28.04.2008, 16:57 -

Thanks Kipper - I have done some video work - but it was in the dinosaur days when it took two people to lug the equipment around. One feature that intrigues me on this camera is the night function. There is an easy to access button for filming at night - then there is super night vision with infrared - but no indication in the book on when to use the super versus the regular. Guess I'll walk around the house with the lights off tonight to try and figure out the difference.

I looked at your videos and Jan's and just loved them all.

Sorry VeeR we crossed paths as I edited my post my screen went belly up & I've had to dig an old one out of the attic to finish. the edit.

Kipper - Thank you for all the tips. Just wait until we get back I'll probably drive you crazy with editing questions.

All video goes on the hard drive in this model - there is a flashcard for stills - and somehow I can take a still shot while still recording. I don't understand how - so I just say its magic. My husband has a good still camera, and a good eye I'll probably leave most of the stills to him.

I have used Movie Maker to do a collage of stills with music background - I do like that program and hope it works with the Sony format.
This thing records sound in surround sound - again magic. Thankfully it looks like we'll have a private vehicle at Duba Plains - it looks like I've finally got my wish for quiet on a drive.
I am off for another battery as backup - one in camp charging - two for the road.

When you talk about falsifying soundtrack - is that just editing existing or using music in those spots where I need to delete noises? I used my point and shoot on video last year for a Delta motorboat ride and it had to be all music because the motor was deafening.

We start our malaria meds tonight - it is starting to feel so real.

I just got a camera and have only started practicing with it.

One thing I already noticed:

The camera has plenty of super-high-tech features like 2000 x zoom, night-vision, and and and...

All rubbish !! The best quality and best to watch on TV is still what the camera provides in standard mode. Either the camera can not focus or the image is blurry or or or... just never becomes pleasant to watch.

Stick to the standard (optical) zoom of up to 40 x and use it gentle.

It is also easier to see what you film. When you zoom in too much you easily loose the object and start searching it again. All this searching will be on tape but the desired object (or action) is often lost

Bring plenty of tapes and IMMEDIATELY LABEL THEM !! Saves you search for empty tapes on safari and overwriting the footage you wanted to send to National Geographics.

One favour - If you come across some scenarios on how NOT to behave on safari, I would highly appreciate if you could record it for me. We are trying to make a film about this and are desperately seeking for such footage. Thanks.