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DIGITAL SNAPSHOTS
Making movies is within your reach
By PETER WEINBERGER
Many people new to digital cameras are not
aware you can shoot good quality digital movies with most
point-and-shoot digital cameras. Although they don't have the
features to replace a video recorder, there will be occasions
where shooting video will come in handy. Here are some
guidelines.
Getting started
With most cameras, go to the setup menu and
locate the movie mode. Some models with have a dial or button
on top of the camera. In any case, changing the setting to
movie mode is somewhat cumbersome. Use the highest resolution
whenever possible.
How it works
The low- to mid-priced cameras will limit
to how long you can record to 1-3 minutes. Be aware that movies
use up space in the memory card quickly. When ready to record,
press the shutter button and a small icon will appear in the
viewfinder letting you know it's rolling! Press the shutter
button again and your movie will stop. Make sure to frame your
shot beforehand, since with most cameras cannot zoom while
shooting.
More options
Most new camera models have sound with the
movies. It's great if you want to do a voice over while
shooting. Not so great for hearing everything else. The good
news is some models have no recording time limit. Shoot until
the memory card is full. This could mean up to an hour of movie
time.
Final thoughts
Since movies are saved in a different
format (look for an AVI, MPG or MOV at the end) they may not
download into your computer like still images. Check your
manual, but you may have to manually copy them onto your
desktop.
Even cameras that cost under $200 like the
Nikon Coolpix 2100 have a movie mode. You can find it by
looking for the movie camera symbol.
