That, and its successors, look like amazing cameras. We have just been adjusting to the idea of spending $1k--the current unit, the EX3, retails for $13k.
My instinct tells me that we are better getting a $1k (or less) camera and learning what matters most to us, then spending $13k and realizing that we could have comfortably done well with less. One factor is size and portability. Virtually all of our videocam use would be for oral histories, where the camera would be mounted on a tripod and pretty much left pointing at the respondent for the whole interview. A small device that could be handheld, or mounted on a tripod, that saved in reasonably high def, is ideal. (Small, because not all staff here are hefty, and because we will have a LOT of equipment for some events. What I really want is the digital equivalent of a mini-dv cam; but without those unreliable mini-dv media. The closest equivalent I see today is something using the newish (and still funky for editing) AVCHD format. The Canon HF10 actually looks plausible for our purposes. 16GB cards should hold about 1.5hours each, which would work very well for the uses we anticipate now. The immediate scenario that we are looking at is something we call the roadshow. That is a party where we invite several respondents to bring images or objects for scanning, and they also share stories. In some cases they share together, and we would also tape individual oral histories onsite--but relatively short ones, as we'd want to tape everyone. We have some nice digital audio recorders, but I don't know how much they would be used--it seems really clear that people are comfortable talking to a camcorder, and that people love seeing the video along with hearing voices, so we end up with a more accessible recording in that sense (that people will enjoy listening enough so that they actually listen more). But, this is just me blathering. I may be totally off-base in terms of real needs, or better ways to gather these types of materials. And lots of people are going to submit interviews and images taken with their cellphones, for goodness' sake, so there has to be a limit as to how much I am willing to obsess about resolution and quality. ari On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 4:04 PM, Bill Gardner <billgardner1 at mac.com> wrote: > Hi Ari, > > We are using Sony EX1 solid state HD recorders very successfully, see > also the Panasonic P2 system. > > Also look for the FLASH XDR HD field recorder that uses SD cards. > > Regards > > Bill Gardner SWT > On 27 May 2008, at 20:03, Ari Davidow wrote: > > > The idea of using video for oral histories (vs. audio only) seems > > to be > > still of some controversy among oral historians. But, we used video > > for one > > huge project last year, and I say, no going back. Especially when we > > consider that these are recordings for people to view and interact > > with > > (how, we haven't yet determined) on the web, the use of audio seems > > so, > > well, last century. > > > > So, if you are recording video at events, or in gathering oral > > histories, > > what cameras (digicams? video recorders?) have you found that work > > well? I'm > > pretty sure that we're ready to go the all-digital route-- > > downloading data > > from mini-dv tapes to the computer is a pain--but I don't want to > > end up > > with the video equivalent of mp3s--files of relatively low, > > lossily-compressed video that will cause us great depression ten > > years hence > > when, had we something even as good as .avi files of the 2000s, we > > could > > generate better public viewing versions than today's mpegs. > > > > ari > > _______________________________________________ > > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum > > Computer Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l > > _______________________________________________ > You are currently subscribed to mcn-l, the listserv of the Museum Computer > Network (http://www.mcn.edu) > > To post to this list, send messages to: mcn-l at mcn.edu > > To unsubscribe or change mcn-l delivery options visit: > http://toronto.mediatrope.com/mailman/listinfo/mcn-l >
