Zi8 Tweaks

Based on my own testing, the default focus in the Zi8 is best from 2meters and beyond. My "sweet spot" is well shy of that. Fortunately, the Zi8 can be focused as close as 1/2 meter by carefully adjusting the landscape/macro slider above the lens. The slider has a short throw, so it only takes about 1/16" of travel (away from the "mountain" icon!) to get me in my "sweet spot" for the up close and personal type of videos that I like to do. I focus mine so that everything from about 3/4 meter to about 2 meters is sharp and clear. I really don't care if the background goes out (slightly!), so long as my subjects are clear. I made a stop to limit the travel of the landscape/macro slider to that 1/16" on the "landscape" side. This allows me to readily switch from landscape focus to interview focus. I do not use the macro mode. One thing I found out straight away is that I do not like the Electronic Image Stabilization. To my eye, it makes it appear that the video is catching up with itself when panning. I also have no use for the Face Detection. I mean, in a fixed-focus camera, what use is it? I do like for my video to be stable, so I use a mechanical image stabilizer. It is a lanyard, actually. You know, the kind of "ribbon thingie" that you wear around the neck to hold an ID badge or a set of keys... I loop my right thumb through a loop in the lanyard and hold the Zi8 with both hands, keeping a small amount of tension on the lanyard. This keeps the camcorder "still enough", while allowing me to be mobile. When I require ultimate stability (at the expense of being mobile!) then I use a tripod       The Zi8 is a heartbeat away from being the ideal device for interview videos. The fixed focus means that I don't have to worry about some auto-focus system searching for something to lock on to when the light is less than ideal. The external mic jack makes the Zi8 more useful for doing video where there is likely to be background noise. I put the mic where my subject is, so their voice is "front and center". Speaking of the mic, my weapon of choice here is a little laptop device made by Hyundai... the HY-M12. It is an Ebay special that set me back about $6. It lives inside a (fake!) fur hat, to minimize wind noise. It has about the same sensitivity as the built-in mic, plus it is stereo. The small size and the "normal" sensitivity were the real selling points to me... until one day when I reviewed a video on my computer where my subject was twirling the mic between her fingers as she spoke. I heard her voice move from one ear piece of my headset to the other and back... Way cool!

I love pocket video!

This is my first post, so bear with me...
I am getting my feet wet in the world of video. I mostly like to do little "quick clips" where I ask people to introduce themselves and describe what they're up to. My weapon of choice is the Kodak Zi8. It is about the size and shape of a "touch" cellphone. I like the small size and "stealth" shape that allows me to video without undue attention from the busybodies of the world.

My intent here is to document my journey into the land of pocket video in general, and my experiences with the Zi8 in particular. I want to share any tips and techniques that I come across that make life easier with the Zi8