Just ‘Cause (camera geekery included)

Now, this blog has been neglected for a bit. There just didn’t seem to be much worth inputting hitherin which could not be just as effectively, and more succinctly, fed through Twitter and/or Facebook. That remains the case IMO so I’m writing this blog entry « just ‘cause ».

Back in Switzerland, milling about the beautiful scenery and having met a wonderful Bookcrosser face to face recently, things are looking up a bit. The Swiss are seriously so lucky to have retained their sovereignty and democracy. The rest of Europe - and increasingly, most of the world - is becoming in dire need of liberation. I saw the writing on the wall many years ago.

Shooting video with a bonsai camcorder is a lot of fun sometimes. The discretion of this small device allows for naughty possibilities should one feel so inclined theretoward. It offers value for money and I was inspired by this model because of a YouTube video I saw by some guy driving through Switzerland filmed with a similar model. At this price point, there are a few limitations:

• The zoom lens and stabilizer functions cannot be used in 1080p (not a major issue for me).
• While the camera memorizes the previous resolution used, the stabilizer has to be reactivated manually every time the camera is switched on. Somewhat annoying, since virtually all my on-the-move filming is done in 720p often using both zoom lens and stabilizer.
• 480p widescreen filming is available only at 60fps so offers no economy benefits. Plus, no zoom/stabilize at 480p widescreen.
• The refocus speed in high-contrast situations is slow. The general performance of the lens is remarkably good for this price point; it’s much better than a cell phone camera, that goes without saying. I would gladly sacrifice 1080p resolution in exchange for a better lens and sharper refocusing, but in reality that is not an equal tradeoff. HD processing is much cheaper than high lens/focus quality, but the lack of the latter devalues the former.
• Relatively poor performance in low-light situations, though my model has a mini night light fitted, which does help.