Handheld Video Camera Settings: Easy Does it! May 23rd, 2012 / Comments: 0 Today we’ll cover another topic, via our video expert partners at NYVS. This will be time well-spent if you have a handheld camera, and want to use one of these devices to shoot polished, professional-looking video. There are tons of settings to tweak on these cameras. So many, in fact, that you might find yourself getting confused. This could be especially frustrating when you are just looking to capture a great moment and you don’t have time to figure out all of the adjustments. But the good news is that a little knowledge can go a long way. And better yet, the basic, simple default settings usually do the trick. Let’s see what NYVS has to say about the topic: <a href="http://www.pixorial.com/watch/4c682031a9816384266dcc7d36255cf1" >99_BC1-L1-IntroCamera_HQ.mp4</a> As NYVS points out there are a few basic controls and settings that are universal to pretty much all hand-held cameras. Once you start with a fresh battery (and a spare to make sure you have enough juice for a longer shoot), it’s easy to dial in the settings you want. 1.) Turn the camera on. 2.) Switch it to recording mode. (You’ll see this on your LCD display.) 3.) Set it to “Auto” or “Easy” mode, which makes the camera take care of the technical adjustments automatically. 4.) Leave “Auto-focus” ON. 5.) Use start/stop to record and end recordings, and the zoom control to widen and tighten shots. 6.) Activate the “Backlight” function if your subject is in front of a bright light or window. (Otherwise, leave it off; under normal conditions, Backlight will make everything appear washed-out.) The bottom line? The learning curve with most handheld cameras is very, very fast. Follow the above steps, take a few test shots to get in your comfort zone, and start shooting!
