camera lesson 1

In the studio (17/09/15)

Last Thursday we had a lesson in the studio to get an introduction about the cameras and how to approach some of the equipment when in the studio or in a filming situation. The first thing we did was split into groups and set up a tripod, which was a lot simpler than it looked at first, we then got to experiment with the height of it which gave me a clear idea of the kind of angles you are able to create with the tripods alone. After this, we looked at three different types of cameras, the Sony NX5, Sony FS100 and a Canon 5D.

After looking at these cameras (when they were in their boxes) we got them out in our groups and set them up on the tripods. To set them up on the tripod you have to hold down a button on the side and slide the camera in the tracks. Once the cameras were fully set up and stable, we then got to play around with the different features on the cameras and just generally get to know how they work.

 Each group got a go on the different cameras in turn and we got to know which cameras would be best suited for which type of video and which cameras we preferred to work with. For example my favourite is the Sony NX5 because I find it very easy to use. However when taking this camera off the tripod you have to be careful not to bash the lens on the tripod as this camera is top heavy. My least favourite to work with is the Canon 5D because it is a little different to the other cameras and more difficult to use (in my opinion).

We were also taught how to make sure the camera is straight. To do this you have to hold the camera at the top and manoeuvre it around from the bolt at the bottom until the small air bubble to the side of the camera is in the centre of the yellow circle surrounding it. After trying this out on the camera a few times, we moved on to how to put a battery in. This is very easy, you simply push the battery in, and slide it either up, down, left or right (it differs on certain cameras) and it should click into place.

When filming, the shot must be in focus to stop it from looking strange or abnormal. To make sure the camera is in focus you must zoom in as far as you can and focus the lens, then zoom back out so it is focused on every aspect. We were also taught how to white balance a camera. White balance is needed for when the white objects in a shot do not look like they do in person, to do this you have to get something pure white and zoom in on it so the whole shot is taken up by something white, you then press the white balance button so that the camera can adjust to the lighting. This can be used when filming in daylight.

 This is an image I took of two of the cameras set up on the tripods with the background we were working with.