New to Video and Video Terminology

Hi folks. I am very much looking to get into videography and enjoy reading the information that is available here but must confess to being rather baffled by a lot of the terms and the underlying technology.

But I want to and am willing to learn.

So...can you assist me in directing me to perhaps a book, some other sites, or some other kind of resource that offers a "primer" that would put me in a better position to make an informed choice about a camera?

Thanks, as always, in advance.

-Matty

Matty,

Welcome to Wet Pixel and the videography forums. Because there is an ever changing market of camcorders I do not think that you will find one book per se recommending one camcorder over another. Because you are interested in videography you will have to recognize that the editing process will be a big part of your decisions. Not all editing applications are compatible with all camcorders and thus, having any kind of a clue as to what editing applications you have in mind will be a part of your decision. For PC users there are several good editing apps such as Premier Pro, Avid and Edius. If you are a Mac user there is Final Cut Pro Studio, Final Cut Express, iMovie and others. I do not know of PC editing sites which will have discussion forums, tutorials and the like but I am sure they are out there and others on here can direct you to them. For Macs I would recommend www.kenstone.net, www.lafcpug.org and www.2-pop.com.

You will also have to decide whether you will move directly into shooting with an HD or HDV camcorder or start off slower with a Standard Definition camcorder. Once you make that decision and then decide how much money you are willing to cough up, others on wetpixel can properly advise you.

You are contemplating getting into a wonderfully creative and enjoyable advocation. Go for it but do it wisely and with as much research as possible.

Steve B)

So...can you assist me in directing me to perhaps a book, some other sites, or some other kind of resource that offers a "primer" that would put me in a better position to make an informed choice about a camera?

There's also Annie Crawley's: "Your Guide to Creating Underwater Video" DVD. I've not seen it but her work is excellent. http://www.anniecrawley.com/dvd_books/index.htm

I am about six months into the learning process; I'd suggest reading the articles on this site and on Ken Stone's Final Cut website. The articles, and this forum, have been a big help to me. Here is a link to one on how to make high quality underwater videos.

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/underwater_video_1.html

There is a lot to learn, but its fun (mostly)!

Here's a DVD I picked up at the Amphibico booth from the Beneath the Sea event.

http://underwatervideobasics.com/dvb/

Hi Matty and welcome,

I strongly suggest that you also get some ear plugs! At times people may be shouting at you to get this camcorder or that housing etc. As Steve strongly suggests, make your choice after long deliberation and go with your choice. The tech world is changing at such a pace these days that it's hard to keep up, especially in the computer / editing and camera worlds.

Look after your equipment and it will look after you.

You can always PM the folks here should you have personal questions which you don't wish to have displayed in the public domain. But you will find that we are a welcoming bunch with time to spare to write and share our work experiences. There are a few of us here who work full time in underwater video / photo and as such whilst we may not be able to answer questions immediately I'm sure one of us will do so in due course.

Welcome again,

Mark.