Back in December of 2006 I was considering buying my first video camera. At the time I was looking at HD consumer cameras but as I was researching I started to see the benefits of choosing a camera with more professional features such as manual controls and XLR mic inputs.
The Sony HVR-A1 was at the upper limits of my budget so before taking the big step of spending that kind of money I managed to persuade Jigsaw systems to let me borrow one of their demo cameras for a weekend.
This video was shot during that weekend and shows all the mistakes that most people make to begin with, including overuse of zoom, and leaving the camera on auto resulting in too much gain.
I wasn’t very happy with the low light performance of the camera so didn’t buy it in the end, deciding to save for a while longer and eventually buying the even more expensive Canon XH-A1. Looking back now I’m sure the camera would be capable of better footage if I’d known how to use it properly!
music: “Golden Porsche” by Mogwai - Buy on iTunes
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