Switching to High Def!

New Videos will be shot with a Sony SR-11 High Definition Camera.

After playing with a few video posts last week I decided to invest in a decent video camera. I like using video, its much quicker to make a video than it is to set up and shoot individual photos. While video won’t replace photos for everything, some projects, like building trackwork, are well served with a bit of video.

The videos I posted last week lacks a bit in quality. Details are hard to make out at the resolution from the camera I was using, and uploading the video to YouTube only made this worse.

The camera I was using is about 3 years old. When we bought it we thought digital video was more advanced than it really was. While it is called a digital video camera, it still used magnetic tape, which is digitized when copied to a computer with software. This is nice for editing, but the quality just wasn’t there, so the camera really didn’t get used all that much.

So we moved up to a High Definition (HD) camera. Things have really advanced in the last few years to say the least! This camera has a built in 60gig hard drive, no tape. So the video all stays digital. It records in full HD so there is no lost detail. Combined with YouTube now streaming HD video and the results are great!

The video above is a short test shot done with the new camera. Its not much on content, just a short pan of the wrong engine sitting on some of the Terminal trackwork and a few Jordan Miniatures vehicles. When you watch it be sure to click on the little HD button to ensure it is feeding the high definition version. For a real treat, watch it full screen.

-T.

About the Author:

I'm your host, Tim Warris, a product developer in Port Dover, Ontario. Since March of 2007 I have been documenting the construction of the former CNJ Bronx Terminal in HO scale. For my day job, I design track building tools for Fast Tracks, a small company I own and operate. Fast Tracks makes it fast and easy to hand lay your own trackwork. Stop by our website to learn more!

Posted by: Tim | 03-15-2009 | 10:03 AM
Posted in: Latest Posts | Video