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RE: camcorder mounting recipe

To: "Eric Linnhoff" <eric10mm@qni.com>
Subject: RE: camcorder mounting recipe
From: "Bill Fuhrmann" <bfuhrman@isd.net>
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 09:22:18 -0500
> Now to just find some tie-downs that don't have 2" straps on them.
>
> Hmm, maybe enough bungee cords (or coat hangers) and duct tape
> would do it.

You don't want something that stretches that much.  If you can't find the
rope ones with a ratchet, you can do the same thing with a light rope.

Depending on the camcorder, the tripod socket could cause a lot of bouncing
in the picture.  Some of the "light weight" cameras (Sony TR101, Ricoh R18H,
for example) have the tripod socket mounted to the plastic case of the
camera rather to a metal frame inside of it.  This allows the camera to
vibrate and I wouldn't trust it to hold up under the repeated bumps and
stresses.

I use a strap across the top of the camera to snug it down to my mounting
plate (due to the design of my car (Fiero), I have attached a mounting plate
to an appropriately positioned surface in the car instead of using a tripod.

Most small tripods have a small soft surface around the camera mounting
screw.  This may also allow more vibration depending on your camera.  If you
have a tripod that takes quick release inserts, you can make an insert for
your video camera that is solid and supports more of the base of the camera.

If you want to do a little research, one of the current video or computer
video magazines has a buyers guide for video capture cards in it this month.

You need to decide on the quality of the capture you want.

Still frames?
What resolution (640x480 is approximately equal to broadcast TV)?
What frame rate (TV is 30 frames per second)

You will find that many of the capture cards have a maximum resolution that
is at a lower frame rate (will look more jerky) than their maximum frame
rate.

The article (I happened to glance at it in a store yesterday) pointed out
which of the 30 frame per second cards produced good output when transferred
back to video tape after the video was edited and a number of other
considerations.



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