need help with camera!!!

[griff silver]

Is there any advice out there for trying to video tape bright cut engraving? polorizing lens etc.. please help thanks. If you follow the link to my sight I have put up a crappy try, I would gratly appreciate any advice on what equipment to buy.

 

[jlseymour]

Griff,
I'm no expert but, I have used the studio lighting on tripods with soft lights when we did some video for the local cable channel at Xmas a few years ago...
I don't remember the wattage, but when I find them from where Joan hid them over Thankgiving because of house guest I'll let you know...
Sam's is our Resident Photo Expert...
Not a bad video, just some dark spots...
What are you using for lighting???
Thanks for sharing I would love to see more...
Jerry

 

[Sam]

Griff: The two main issues with your video are lighting and lack of closeup detail. When doing this type of video, lighting can be a real pain. I have all sorts of clamp-on lights, light banks, etc, and it's tough getting it just right. There's no easy solution that I know of, and I have so much stuff around my bench when shooting video that I have to squeeze through to get to my vise. Trial and error is the key. Just remember that the object looks best when reflecting a white surface overhead (same as still photography).

While we can see you engraving, we can't really see the cutting action very well. Some video cameras can focus very closely, but have to be so close to the subject that they interfere with lights by casting shadows, or you bump them with your hand. I shoot with a 1/2" CCD camera and special long distance macro lens (same as we use in the classrooms at GRS). The downside to this setup is that the camera is just a camera, not a recorder, so you'll need an external recording device, microphone, mixer, etc. As you can see, shooting high quality closeup video requires serious commitment and expense.

 

[griff silver]

thanks

That was shot with a $50 dollar laptop webcam, where might one get 1/2"ccd camera and will it plug into a computer? thanks for your help.

 

[Sam]

The CCD cameras we use don't plug into computers. They have S-video and BNC outputs. The BNC can be converted to RCA with an adapter which will get you into a TV. Maybe some computers have S-video inputs. Mine don't, but it's possible some pro setups do. You could then record directly into your PC, but that still doesn't get you sound since CCD cameras have no sound or recording capabilities. You can shoot reasonably good video with a consumer grade camcorder, but for high resolution closeup work which shows very sharp detail of the graver making a cut is a different game altogether. I certainly wish it was easier.