Using a semi-professional Sony NX-5.

A tripod

"The bubble"

Today I was introduced to the different functions of the Sony NXCAM video recorder, At first I set up a tripod with extendible legs, once the tripod was positioned to the desired height, I had to "bubble" the tripod, this effectively straightens the camera on attached to the tripod and prevents the camera from creating a wonky picture. Once bubbled, i proceeded to attach the camera to the tripod by sliding "the shoe" into the top of the tripod. I had to press down on a button on the side in order to allow the camera to fit onto the top, on the other side of the tripod head i twisted a handle to again allow the camera to fit into place. Once in place, I released the button, tightened the handle and made sure the camera was secure before moving on.

Various wheel functions: (left to right) Focus, zoom, exposure.

                                                                                              Next I got used to the different functions of the camera, I fully zoomed into my colleagues face and manually adjusted the focus until the image was clear, then I adjusted the exposure slightly to perfect the image. There are various other zoom functions in the camera in the form of switches, but i didn't experiment as much with these. I looked through the eyepiece and used the small screen to see what I was aiming at, both methods were equally effective.


After getting the hang of the controls, I focused the camera on a totally white background, adjusted the exposure, then pressed the small white balance button near the bottom of the camera. This adjusts various colours and lighting in an environment and generally makes the image look better...depending on your opinion..

I would say that I now have a greater understanding and knowledge of video recorders and how they should be used in the most effective way.