Video system(s) for demonstrating

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

Can any one recommend or give me any hints about video systems for demonstrating woodturning.

I'm a techo so I understand electronics & I can hook up a VCR, DVD, TV etc, (I can even set the clock on a VCR ) but I know bug'rall about video cameras.

Can anyone help?

[PaulS]

Cliff,
Most video cameras these days are miniDV, which record onto a tape. Using this you can then download from the camera onto your pc, using a firewire cable hooked up to a video capture card.

You edit the stuff on the computer, you can add sound tracks, titles and fancy transitions between scenes. You can then save your work into different formats with different resolutions. You can copy it back onto the miniDV tape and loose no quality.

That is that way I have done it, but i have an old machine (PIII 800) and it only just copes.

I have scene the cameras that record straight onto a DVD, i reckon these would be the go. Cause then you can just take this disk out and pop it straight into your pc and copy and edit the movies etc.

Video editing is memory hungry, you need the ram, and also the harddrive space.

I haven't really said alot about cameras, but i hope this helps.

Paul

[bitingmidge]

Cliff,

I won't make mention of any particular computer platform here 'cos my bum still hurts from the last time , but there is one well know brand that comes standard with a fairly good amateur video editing suite and a DVD multi media product so you can make an interactive DVD (go back to last chapter and that sort of thing) and burning stuff to match.

In terms of producing feature movies it's basic stuff, but one of my kid's uses it on a cheap machine to do rough-cuts before serious commercial editing, and we've used it in the work environment for years producing professional looking results. Perfect for the home handyman I reckon!

Forget just filming without editing...even at the most basic level you will need to do some editing.

Try to find whatever the PC equivalent of iMovie or iDVD is .

Is that sort of what you were looking for by way of an answer??

Cheers,

P

[Simon-UK]

Cliff,

The previous two replies are perfectly correct but I am not sure answer the question you are asking? Are you intending to publish of the web or just provide a video overview of what is being done at a demonstration for example?

If it is the fromer, then ignore this post.

However, if it is the latter then I may be able to help. I use mini CCD camera every day as part of the 'day job' You can now get colour CCD camera for less than £50 (GBP) which is 20mm dia, 45mm long. This will strap to a tailstock / bed mounded backet very easily and need not get in the way. It will give standard video out signals, so you could feed it into a monitor / PC / VCR etc. The downside, this small size / cheap price they will be fixed focus and with no zoom. However, mounted on the tailstock they will give an excellent view and I think zoom would be unnecessary. Also, if you opt for one with a pin hole style lens then the depth of field is excellent and will not need any focus adjustment, so your demonstrator (or you!) can work away without any interuptions to mess with the camera.

Hope this helps - let me know if you need help with suppliers. I can at very least let you know what is available in Europe so you have a spec to go searching in your neck of the woods!!

Best of luck

Simon

[Little Festo]

Hello Cliff,

Just looking at my minni DV camera all you need to do is feed the signal from the camera's video out to you TV (or VCR). There should be a video out (analog) that will directly plug into the back of the TV (where the VCR plugs in). You may need to check that the camera has this connection - almost all have. It is probable better not to connect the audio cable to the TV.

You shouldn't have any problems, it's a simple exercise. Check with you local video camera shop if you have problems.

All the Best - Peter

[echnidna]

Hope you get it right Cliff so you can video the spray painting course at Major Panic's workshop!!!

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

Thanks guys, it's live video that I want, not recording & editing at this stage.

It's for making it easier for a number of people to watch one demonstrator at the same time.

Can anyone recommend a camera(s) for this sort of work?

[PaulS]

Cliff,
Any video camera can be set up to show live video on a tv. You just use the cable usually supplied to connect the camera to a vcr.

I have a Panasonic miniDV camera, and have been very happy with it. They seem to be about a third of the price that they were when i bought mine 3 years ago.

One thing to watch out for is the zoom. Like still cameras, ignore the digital zoom, you are really interested in what the optical zoom is.

But it may be cheaper to use a ccd camera that simon is talking about...

Paul

[JackoH]

I've got a,(an) Hitachi video camera which does a great job, not digital. I'll sell it real cheap. 2 years old and hardly used. e-mail me if interested.

[RETIRED]

Cliff, in most cases for a demo you need 2 cameras if they are fixed.

One slightly back (about 6" from centre line) from the headstock and above so that it shows the action without tools or hands in the way.

The other positioned just off horizontal centre aimed straight and level with the headstock centreline.

I have done demos with a 3rd camera at the back of the headstock showing the back of a bowl from above.

The best set up I have seen is at the Peninsula Woodturners Guild when doing demos there. If some one is from there they may be able to give you a bit more info.

HTH.

[journeyman Mick]

How about another camera strapped to the side of the demonstrator's head? I know it sounds silly, but then the audience could see it from the turner's perspective. With the size of cameras nowadays I'm sure it's possible. Then you could be a real tech head Cliff!

Mick

[RETIRED]

Or chisel cam?

[vsquizz]

Cliff, any good digital camera will have an video out so you can plug it straight into a TV. I have used mine to do fishing rod building demo's and as a web cam.


Cheers

[Alastair]

Guys

Some of the 'off the wall' ideas are not that impractical.

I skydived for years with a video camera mounted on my helmet. With the "surveillance" type cameras available today this would not be onerous, and would give the turners perspective.
A similar concept would yield the "chiselcam" What better way to demonstrate the basic cuts?

[Cliff Rogers]

OK, thanks for what we have so far, but...

It still seems that there at least 3 or 4 sorts of camera I could use.

Apart from the Hitachi analogue that Jocko wants to sell,
Can anyone recommend a BRAND of camera(s) for this sort of work?