So after breaking down and analysing different opening sequences and learning about different camera shots, we where ready for our first practical lesson in the world of cameras.
Firstly we where introduced to the tripod. A tripod is a three legged stable prop for the camera, with the tripod you can determine hight and angle. However what tripods do is isolate the hands from the camera, this eliminates any camera shake. To level the tripod we would ‘bubble’ the tripod head which would create a level plane for the camera. Once we had set up the tripod it was onto the cameras.
We where taught about three different cameras, the Sony NX5, the Sony FS100 (the one we used for the majority of the time) and finally the Canon 5D mark III. I know what does this all mean? Don’t worry to sum it up the Sony’s are ponies… While the Canon is a black stallion of a device, with beautiful crisp image quality toping the majority of cameras in the game… except from the REDs… I apologising for blaspheming.
Anyways, since we mostly used the Sony FS100 we are going to talk about that one. Once we clipped the quick release into place and the camera was secure we begin playing with that tank of camera. We slipped in the battery which the arrow on the battery would link up to what the direction it would go in. Then we plugin in the lens to the body and we where ready. Firstly we zoomed into a static object and twisted the focus wheel on manual focus to eventually it was sharp. Once it was sharp, we could zoom the camera back out and that is how we would get the possibly sharpest image possible. Now the camera is focused we used the white balance button on the side of the camera which looks like ‘WHIT BAL” and we would press that while the camera is focused upon a white static subject. Now it would automatically adjust the settings so that the lighting appeared as it did for our eyes, but know on the camera. We would be able to view this from the LCD display which would flick up from the camera, here we could make all our framing adjustments and determine weather the camera was in focus or not.
The sony FS100 is a camera that would be mostly used for music videos because it is less run and gun than the NX5 however the Canon 5D mark III is taking over that game.
Till next time,
Ashen
