If you can read this, you need to download the Flash Player.
Read more about buying and using this type of camera for video:
Buying a point-and-shoot for video
Basic kit: Gear for the multimedia reporter
This video was shot with a Canon PowerShot SD700 IS 6MP Digital Elph Camera. This is a still camera no larger than the palm of your hand. The street price is about $300 U.S. You can see details at Amazon. (Check elsewhere for prices -- if theirs is high this week. It varies.)
Nothing was done to enhance the audio. This is the audio as the camera recorded it.
The camera stores an AVI file on an SD memory card. The image size is 640 x 480. After copying the AVI to my MacBook Pro, I did a very simple edit in iMovie and saved it. I didn't realize I was saving it at 720 x 480, which probably introduced a little image distortion.
Next, I opened it in the Flash 8 Video Encoder and made an FLV, outputting it at 360 x 240 -- which is what you see here. The instructions for doing that are in my Flash video tutorial (PDF).
I decided to post this video when I had listened to the audio with both headphones and through speakers. Give it a listen yourself and see what you think about the quality.
I shot this at our local Hoggetowne Medieval Faire on Jan. 27, 2007. I was sitting in the bleachers, surrounding by the cheering spectators.
The FLV is 3.7 MB. The SWF is 40 KB. The frame rate is 15 fps.
Mindy McAdams
University of Florida
Read my blog: Teaching Online Journalism