Make Better Video With Your Dslr Or Camcorder

By Alex Sally

Make better videos with your camera or camcorder

An easy way guide

Alex Sally

This best-selling beginners guide to making video is a 'must read' for anyone with an interest in filming with their dslr, camcorder or compact camera. If just one of the tips in this guide improves your videos, it will prove to be the best accessory you buy. With money saving tips and advice on buying and choosing a dslr or camera, this short guide is full of useful information the novice video maker needs to know. Making videos should be fun and this guide is essential reading whether you are new to making videos or want to make your videos better. This easy to follow guide gives you;

10 (free!) tips and tricks to improve your videos

Tips and tricks on filming videos with a dslr, camcorder or compact camera

How to choose the right camera or camcorder

How to make money from youtube

Guide to filming wildlife and people

Easy step by step instructions on editing and sharing your videos the “no hassle” way

Modern cameras are capable of taking great video. Canon dslr's like the 1100d, 700d and 600d can all be used great video. Nikon cameras also include the ability to take brilliant film with their their d3200, d3100 and d3300 range if you know how to the best from them. Sony mirror-less cameras like the a65 and a77 have camcorder like autofocus and fantastic video quality but do you know how to get the best results? Many bridge and compact cameras by Sony , Panasonic, Nikon and Fuji have easy to use movie modes if you just follow a few basic rules.

Alex Sally is a photographer and film maker and this book is an essential beginners guide to get you shooting great video. His wildlife films are now widely watched on the internet, with over 100,000 views. They have been featured on the BBC website and radio and watched around the world. His easy steps to making video will help you to save money, make better videos and have fun doing it. His website of photographs and wildlife films also has videos and tips to compliment this book can be found at Wildaboutfilms.com
Don't buy a camcorder or camera without reading this money saving guide first! Illustrations to accompany this guide are also available at wildaboutfilms.com

A note from the author
My films have now had over 100,000 views but when I started making videos, I made just about every mistake that’s it's possible to make! I could have avoided a lot of frustration if I had read just a bit of good advice. That’s where this guide comes in. This is the book I should have read the day I bought my first camera.
The background to this book is that after spending many years with a passion for photography, I set myself the challenge of trying to make wildlife films using a Canon 600d. Having learnt many lessons and made many mistakes, I now find that I am often asked questions by people who watch my films. Mostly people want to know what sort of camera to use, or what editing programme to buy. I try and respond to everyone with as much advice as I can. Those answers form the backbone of this guide.
On a personal note, I hope you enjoy this guide and feel inspired about making video and films after reading it. If you have enjoy this guide can I ask a small favour? Please leave a comment or review for the book, however short, I really appreciate the feedback. Many Thanks, Alex Sally

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alex Sally
• Release date: Mar 18, 2014

Alex Sally

please visit th authors home page at www.wildaboutfilms.com

Book preview

Make better videos with your dslr or camcorder

Alex Sally

Copyright 2014 by Alex Sally

Smashwords Edition

illustrations ; Alex Sally

Also by the author

Creating a wildlife pond

contents

Introduction

Why video?

Getting started

Easiest way to share my videos? Youtube or save onto a disk or Bluray?

How long to make a video (an example)

Equipment you need to make great video

Ten ways to improve immediately (and for free)

What does all the jargon mean?

Which camera should I choose?

Should I get a dslr or camcorder?

The techy bit. Editing

Work flow

How to get views on youtube or even make some money out of it?

Filming wildlife

Choosing a camcorder camera or dslr

Making video with a dslr... what to expect

Canon t3i (or canon 600d ) also similar to canon 550d

Making video with a camcorder... what to expect.

Panasonic x920 (or tm900 ) also similar to lots of hd camcorders

Thank you.

A note from the author

Most modern cameras are capable of taking great video. Dslr's from Canon like the 1100d, 700d and 600d can all take great video. Nikon dslr's also include the ability to take video with the likes of their d3200, d3100 and d3300 but are you getting the most from it? Sony mirror-less cameras like their a65 and a77 have camcorder like autofocus and fantastic video quality but do you know how to get the best from it? Many bridge and compact cameras by Sony , Panasonic, Nikon and Fuji have easy to use video modes but are you using it?

Let me start with a confession. When I started making videos, I made just about every mistake that it's possible to make! I could have avoided a lot of frustration if I had read just a bit of good advice. That’s where this guide comes in. I want this to be the book I should have read the day I bought my first camcorder.

The background is that after spending many years with a passion for photography, I set myself the challenge of trying to make wildlife films using a run of the mill, camcorder. Having learnt many lessons and made many mistakes, I now find that I am often asked questions by people who watch my films. Mostly people want to know what sort of camera to use, or what editing programme to buy. I try and respond to everyone with as much advice as I can. Those answers form the backbone of this guide. My wildlife films are now widely watched on the internet (with over 100,000 views on youtube) and I have a good idea of the many easy steps you can take to save money, make better videos and have fun doing it. My website has photographs and links to my latest wildlife films as well as videos and tips to compliment this book. Wildaboutfilms.com .

Introduction

If you are reading this, you are probably in one of three camps:

1. You've got a camcorder or camera that takes video, and want to know how to make videos with it.

2.You're thinking of buying a camera and wonder if the video feature is worth having.

3. You fancy trying video, and are baffled by what is best to buy, a compact camera, camcorder or dslr?

And who wouldn't be confused by all the different cameras and camcorders on the market? Whether you are looking at a camcorder or camera the choice is absolutely mind blowing and let's be honest here, every six months, or less, a new model comes out and the marketing people would have you think six month old technology is steam age.

Why video?

For a start off, isn't it a lot of hassle?

It needn't be. Like so many things in life, you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Hopefully I will explain a lot of ways of producing nice video without too much jargon and so that the process is both simple and enjoyable. Rather than use a long, confusing glossary of technical terms I will endeavour to keep it simple.

Aren't photos just well ...better?

Yes and no. As someone who loves taking photos and filming, I think they are just different but can go well together. It's true a photo is easy to share and you can stick it on your fridge and who doesn't do that? But a little video clip can go on youtube or saved onto your computer disk and is easy to share online.

frame your video shots as you would a photograph..leaving your subject space to look into

"

Why bother ?"

Imagine watching a few seconds of old home movie of great grand parent that you never knew. Or of a child’s first steps. Maybe even your parents as children. However they were filmed, even on old cine film with no sound and the 'click click' of the reels, it's still a glimpse into the past. We are glad whoever did the filming, took the time to save those moments on film. Hard to believe but today that same process and idea of 'capturing the moment' could be on a tiny memory card we have on our mobile phone and save onto youtube . In years to come it's unlikely anyone will care how we filmed it or what camera we used, it will be watched just because of the subject.

Of course that’s a sentimental reason you may want to video something but there is another which I think covers everything else? To make something lovely. A little video or film just as you would a photo.. Your flowers in the garden, family on the beach. Fido playing ball or a loved one on a day out.

It is here I feel I have already gone too far without telling you something very important that others may not want to tell you....

You can make a video that you enjoy watching with a phone, a camcorder or a camera. You don't have to have fancy equipment. You might want a fancy camera for certain things (see the chapter on filming wildlife) but the best thing to use is what you already have.