Camcorder articles from August 1998

Camcorder archives from August 1998

The top 7: the pick of the 1998 camcorders.(Evaluation)(Cover Story)
August 1, 1998... Each year, the editors of Camcorder & ComputerVideo magazine make their selections of the top camcorders. In our opinion, these are the models that stand out above the rest. For this year, we've made our choices for seven categories of...

Is it time for a change: how to know when you should replace your old camcorder.(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 1998... When the washing machine doesn't wash, it s time to replace it. When the TV remote doesn't click, it's time for a new one. When your family is afraid to get into your old clunker for a trip to the store, it's time to trade it in for a newer...

Just like the pros: tips and techniques to make you a better videomaker.
August 1, 1998... Most of us are familiar with the famous story about how you get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice. Using your camcorder is like any other artistic endeavor: It takes a lot of skill--and that comes from a lot of practice--to give...

Getting started in Internet video: videomakers are in a great place to take part in this explosive field.
August 1, 1998... Videomakers Are In A Great Place To Take Part In This Explosive Field No question about it: The Internet is where it's happening these days, and the convergence of the Internet and computer-video technologies is the new frontier in...

How to copy right: transferring old images to video.
August 1, 1998... A Simple Matter--To transfer your photographs to vieo, put your camcorder on a suitable tripod and position the pictures for best lighting, focusing, and framing. Most camcorder users at one time or another have transferred photographs or...

Summer safety for your camcorder.
August 1, 1998... During the summer, camcorders get taken to beaches, mountains, parks, pool parties, Little League games, soccer matches, barbecues, Sunday-afternoon dance parties, weddings, and many other demanding venues. Every event begs to be recorded for...

Desktop editing with control: a system that adapts to all levels from hobbyist to prosumer.
August 1, 1998... A System That Adapts To All Levels From Hobbyist To Prosumer An edit controller enables you to accurately blend scenes together. However, I haven t always had highly accurate edit controllers. My first encounter with one was the FutureVideo...

Clip art and desktop video: how to buy images at the right price.(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 1998... I often write about paint and image-processing programs and how they can be used for desktop video. How useful these programs are depends to a large extent on your artistic skills. For some of us, artistic skills can be a problem. Fortunately,...

Let Boris do it: a special effects software program that plugs in.(desktop video)(includes related article)
August 1, 1998... Let's face it: You're not up with the times unless you can add some flashy effects and transitions to your video. If you're concerned that computer programs to create these effects cost like the dickens and are difficult to use, read on. I...

Using AE modes: how to take advantage of the automatic exposure capabilities of your camcorder.
August 1, 1998... Videotaping in outdoor light is no picnic, even when you re shooting at a picnic. At least half the struggle in getting a good image--be it film photography, digital photography, or video--is proper lighting. And when it comes to camcorders,...

Avid for the video hobbyist: the digital editing pioneer unveils affordable new software.(includes related article)
August 1, 1998... I've been following digital video editing for more than 10 years. I fondly recall a long-ago watershed NAB convention, when a new company called Avid introduced a new tool for broadcast video production. It was called nonlinear video editing,...

Sanyo VPC-X300: an all-in-one camera for the still digital photographer.(digital camera evaluation)(includes product specifications)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1998... Digital cameras are evolving. Only last year, the cameras I evaluated were relatively affordable standard-resolution models (640x480), with LCD display panels and limited internal memory. Soon afterward, a second wave of digital cameras rolled...

RCA CC6391: striving for the golden mean.(camcorder evaluation)(includes product specifications)
August 1, 1998... The search for the perfect camcorder is like the proverbial search for the Holy Grail. We're told that Something Marvelous exists, or that it could exist. In the case of perfect camcorders, however, the reality is this: There are too many...

3-legged friends: you really do need a good tripod.(Buyers Guide)
August 1, 1998... The lowly tripod: is anything in videomaking so underrated? Many camcorder users believe that all they need to do is hold their hands steady and turn on image stabilization. After that, they can get great video anywhere, anytime. Well, in...

Video wizard: a $269 video capture card that includes a TV tuner.(video card evaluation)(Evaluation)
August 1, 1998... Video Wizard is a truly remarkable video capture card from Micro Conversions. Just released for PCI Power Macs, its features include accelerated QuickDraw (computer) graphics, accelerated QuickTime (movie) capture and playback, S-video and...