Getting Started: Manual Controls (page 2)

The subject of light entering the camera leads to a discussion of iris control. You know about the iris in your eyeball; it's the colored muscle that controls the amount of light entering the eye.

The iris in your eye is always in automatic mode. It constantly regulates the amount of light flowing in, allowing you to see properly. While your camcorder's iris control mimics this function fairly well, there are times when you'll want to manually let more light into the unit.

Suppose you are shooting a subject that is considerably darker than its surroundings. Under ambient light conditions, the subject may be difficult to see. You might be shooting an object against a very bright background--perhaps someone standing indoors in front of a window. This would make your subject appear to be little more than a silhouette. By opening the iris manually, however, you can counter the effects of the overly-bright background and make the subject visible again.

What about shooting at a high shutter speed? The higher the shutter speed, the darker the shot. Opening the iris may compensate for the decreased brightness of your shot.

When it's simply too dark to see clearly you can try opening the iris to maximize the amount of light entering the camcorder.

Manual control of your camcorder doesn't stop with the aforementioned items. Some high-end camcorders allow you to zoom manually--without the assistance of the unit's servo motors. This capability allows you to vary the speed of your zoom dramatically. Audio levels can even be adjusted in some units, so that you can "pump up the volume" on the fly, if necessary. Many units allow you to color calibrate them manually by pointing the camcorder at a white object and using the manual white balance button.

The most important thing to remember about manual controls, however, is that they are available to you when you need them. In most home video scenarios, you'll find your camcorder's automatic settings work just fine. For those times when you must jump into the captain's chair, though, don't be afraid to take the controls.

• Digg This!
• del.icio.us
• Technorati
• StumbleUpon
• Reddit