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Summary: Learn how to use a tripod for a mini dv camcorder, or mini digital video camera, in this free instructional video lesson on using mini dv camcorders.
Views: 3,570 | Tags: tripods, camera, microphones, cameras, mini, dv, camcorder, digital, tapes, digital camcorders, digital cameras, digital video
About the Expert
Paige Williams Paige Williams has been cleaning houses for twenty years and fancies herself an expert in house cleaning. read more
Today were talking about how to use your mini DV camcorder. Right now, we’re going to talk about the tripod. This is your tripod and it’s a pretty standard tripod. It has one level here to tell you if your tripod is level or not with its legs. So, what you do is simply spread it out. It has 2 different ways to lengthen the tripod. You want to start with your top one here, because that’s the stronger leg. Then if you need it higher, you can also go here, but this is a weaker leg. You want to use this leg as the second resort if this leg isn’t long enough for you. I’m going to assume that this one is okay, or actually I’m going to assume that the second one is down as well, a little bit. Then say I need to lengthen it even more. Then you have another way to heighten your tripod and that’s a crank. It will go and go and go, so that eventually your tripod can reach at about 5 feet. This is a tripod because it has 3 feet. You can use this as a monopod as well. Just holding it like this it will steady your camera if you’re a little shaky. This is an adjustment here, this spinning. It adjusts the spin of your tripod. This handle adjusts the direction of your tripod and your camera. You take your tripod head, it has a clip here that you can pull out and grab on to that clip. You take the bottom of your camcorder, take your tripod head out of your camcorder, spin it around. Sometimes these will have arrows on it telling you what direction the lens are supposed to be; sometimes it won’t, but you can pretty much tell. You want it going up and down. You close your little handle there. You take your camcorder; you unlock your tripod like such, and you simply slide it in. Then you want to close your lock so that your camcorder is not going to fall off of your tripod, extremely important. Then you can adjust with your handle. When it’s out you want to make sure that your camcorder is level so that you can check your level here, and then adjust your feet accordingly if you’re on uneven ground or something like that.