(2) Lightweight and hand-held camera equipment is usually battery
powered from a rechargeable battery belt containing silver-zinc nickel-cadmium
cells with options for the use of an onboard generator, an inverter supplied by
the vehicle generator, a battery system, or powerlines (main supply).
(3) Videocassettes and cartridges have flooded the market, some with
quad features and others using the helical format. The newest addition to the
family of VTRs is the much heralded videocassette or cartridge. Born out of
speculations in the education and home entertainment markets, the videocassette
(cartridge) is off to a roaring success. It is a self-contained cassette or
cartridge, somewhat larger than the common audio cassette which when inserted
in the appropriate machine, records or plays back hours of color programming
and sound through any conventional television system.
NOTE: Be sure to insert the record button or "little red
button" into the videocassette top. Without the little
red button, you cannot record.
(4) The main purpose of a tripod (fig 1-11) is to hold the camera steady
at the height that gives the camera a good angle or view of the scene. For
this purpose alone almost any tripod will do, from the cheapest 35mm still
camera tripods sold in the photo shops, and the rather overpriced tripods sold
by some of the large video equipment manufacturers like Sony, to the expensive
tripods you can buy from movie and TV supply houses. As a general rule, the
more sturdy and expensive the tripod, the easier it is to operate. There are
two important parts of any tripod, the legs, and the head, or top portion, on
which the camera is mounted. Several hundred pounds of camera can be supported
on substantial tripod legs, but you may be more interested in how much weight
they will add if you're planning to lug the tripod around. The tripod should
let you move the camera to follow or concentrate on the action in a scene.
This is where the quality of the tripod head comes in. If you want to tilt the
camera mounted on the tripod up or down or to the left or right, while the
camera is in use, you need to make the transition smoothly. The quality and
style of the head are very important in order for you to achieve smooth
transition.
(5) Camera clamps. The panning head may be clamped to a firm tubular-
rail structure at a vantage point (fig 1-12).
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