Tools & Tips

Stripe Your Tripod
Here's a foolproof way to make your partially-extended tripod level on a flat surface if it doesn't have a bubble level. First, lay your tripod on its side and extend its legs fully. Now place a yardstick or ruler on each leg as flush to the rubber foot of each leg as possible. Take a felt-tip marker and mark off increment lines on the outside of each leg using whatever increments of the ruler you desire (i.e., one inch, 1/2 inch, etc.). Make sure to mark each leg the same way. When in use, just set up each leg to the same number of increments and your tripod will be level.

Dave Yonley
Richardson, TX

Mike Mount
Mikes sold for camcorders usually clip onto an accessory shoe. This creates problems if you have a compact camcorder that doesn't have an accessory shoe.

One neat solution is to screw the microphone directly to the tripod mounting hole on the bottom of the camcorder. This is easy to do because many microphone mounting brackets already have threaded holes that attach to standard mike stands and tripods; just be sure the mike pod you're using isn't one of the ones that doesn't have this standard-sized hole. Find a 1/4-inch diameter bolt and saw off a 1/2- to 3/4-inch length, depending on the depth of the hole in your microphone. Carefully file off the edges of the sawed end so you'll have a usable thread. Screw one end into your camcorder and you'll be able to attach your microphone directly to this mount.

Peter Spiro
Toronto, Canada

A Better Mousetrap
Radio Shack sells a nice little PZM microphone that I use to record, among other things, room tone during musical performances, lectures and presentations. Too bad it's not wired as a balanced microphone; then again, it's not a $300 unit.

But wait--it is wired as a balanced microphone! Radio Shack simply chose to add an unbalanced phone connector to give it wider appeal. If you cut off the 1/4-inch phone plug, you'll find two wires, a red and a white, and a shield. By attaching an XLR male connector (red to pin two, white to pin three, and shield to pin one), you'll get a decent balanced mike for a decent price, one that you can move around without much concern for cable length. Also, you won't have to worry about someone stealing your $300 mike.

Dan Daniel
San Francisco, CA

Camcorder-Caliber Case
A letter in a recent "Tools & Tips" about making hard-shell cases was nice, but my system works better and is easier. The sporting goods department at K-Mart offers a double pistol carrying case which has a nice outdoor design. It's a reasonably priced hard-shell case with egg crate foam inside. If your equipment is thick, you can remove one of the three layers of foam to make more room.

Vince Piserchio
Scranton, PA

Peekaboo Light
If you suspect your remote control doesn't work, point it at your camcorder and look at it through the viewfinder (or a monitor) while pushing the button. If it's working correctly, you'll see a light flashing. The reason you can "see" the infrared through the viewfinder is that the image sensor from your camcorder responds to infrared light, which is invisible to your eyes. I have tested this on a camcorder with a Newvicon tube and on one with a CCD; the flashes of light were brighter on the CCD, but still visible on the tube type.

Jean Des Rosiers
Montreal, Canada

Sidekick
I own a Sony Hi8 camcorder that has an infrared (IR) remote control option. Recently I had to activate the camcorder from the side as I walked into the picture. Since the infrared receiving window was directly above the lens, this made normal activation impossible. I solved the problem by sticking a small (one cm square) mirror perpendicular to the IR sensor, using double-face tape. Because of the angle, I was able to activate the camcorder 45 degrees in front and in back of it. To shoot from the other side, just turn the mirror over and re-adjust.

Bob Found
Calgary, AB

Nylon Pops
Instead of spending $17.95 on a pop filter for voice-over microphones, you can build one for a dollar. Buy an embroidery hoop (at least four inches in diameter). Loosen the screw to separate the inner hoop and stretch an old pair of nylons over it. Put the outer hoop back in place, keeping the nylon taut while tightening the screw. Then cut off any excess pieces of nylon. A coat hanger made of pliable wire will hold the filter in place while using the microphone.

Richard Earle
Grafton, MA