Good Time To Get Family History

This is the season when many of us will give or receive video cameras or haul out of the closet and dust off cameras that we already have. Rather than just catching the scenes of your holiday, which for the most part will look much the same as the scenes of the year before, why not use that video camera to create something truly special, something that 25 years from now your kids and grandkids will appreciate more than any gift from Amazon.com or Macy’s.

During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.

Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.

I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.

Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.

You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.

I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.

Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.

Good Time To Get Family History

This is the season when many of us will give or receive video cameras or haul out of the closet and dust off cameras that we already have. Rather than just catching the scenes of your holiday, which for the most part will look much the same as the scenes of the year before, why not use that video camera to create something truly special, something that 25 years from now your kids and grandkids will appreciate more than any gift from Amazon.com or Macy’s.

During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.

Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.

I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.

Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.

You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.

I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.

Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.

I Am Still Scratching My Head...

What do you do if you have a consumer electronics product that is universally considered to be the best in its category? It is a product that is selling exceptionally well and has some new and innovative improvements ready to be announced. Most companies, especially in these less than robust economic times, would be happy and continue to take the cash from the brisk sales to the bank. If you are Cisco, the giant computer networking products company, you discontinue the product line. That’s right; Cisco announced that the Flip video camera will no longer be manufactured.

If you are a regular follower of my column you know that from the time the Flip was released a few years ago I have been a big cheerleader for the simplicity and utility of this cigarette pack sized video camera. After reviewing the statements from the Cisco suits, I remain convinced that for the vast majority of consumers, the Flip is still the best small video camera available, albeit only for a few more months.

There have been several competitors surface in this product category, but all of them seem to fail to understand why the Flip was such a great product. Companies like Kodak, Sony, Toshiba and others retained Flip’s small size but their engineers and designers could not resist adding more features. While the Flip essentially has one button, the competitors added other features that get in the way of the point and shoot simplicity of the Flip.

Cisco, in the announcement of the cancellation of the Flip, related that it was no longer a viable product because mobile phones had added video recording capability. That may be true but a simple test proved to me that they were misinformed about the practicality of using phones to capture spur of the moment events.

I have a smart phone that has video recording capability. If I want to make a video recording I have to go through six steps, all of them embedded in on-screen menus before I am actually recording. With the Flip there are two steps. I turn it on and press the red button.

Some would accuse me of being a modern day Luddite but I am not a big supporter of the Swiss Army knife approach to all things electronic. Adding features adds complexity and often gets in the way of ease of use. In a car you should not need to look at an on- screen menu to turn on the windshield wipers or heater. The remote control for your TV should not have more buttons that the space shuttle. Guess I am showing my age.

I Am Still Scratching My Head...

What do you do if you have a consumer electronics product that is universally considered to be the best in its category? It is a product that is selling exceptionally well and has some new and innovative improvements ready to be announced. Most companies, especially in these less than robust economic times, would be happy and continue to take the cash from the brisk sales to the bank. If you are Cisco, the giant computer networking products company, you discontinue the product line. That’s right; Cisco announced that the Flip video camera will no longer be manufactured.

If you are a regular follower of my column you know that from the time the Flip was released a few years ago I have been a big cheerleader for the simplicity and utility of this cigarette pack sized video camera. After reviewing the statements from the Cisco suits, I remain convinced that for the vast majority of consumers, the Flip is still the best small video camera available, albeit only for a few more months.

There have been several competitors surface in this product category, but all of them seem to fail to understand why the Flip was such a great product. Companies like Kodak, Sony, Toshiba and others retained Flip’s small size but their engineers and designers could not resist adding more features. While the Flip essentially has one button, the competitors added other features that get in the way of the point and shoot simplicity of the Flip.

Cisco, in the announcement of the cancellation of the Flip, related that it was no longer a viable product because mobile phones had added video recording capability. That may be true but a simple test proved to me that they were misinformed about the practicality of using phones to capture spur of the moment events.

I have a smart phone that has video recording capability. If I want to make a video recording I have to go through six steps, all of them embedded in on-screen menus before I am actually recording. With the Flip there are two steps. I turn it on and press the red button.

Some would accuse me of being a modern day Luddite but I am not a big supporter of the Swiss Army knife approach to all things electronic. Adding features adds complexity and often gets in the way of ease of use. In a car you should not need to look at an on- screen menu to turn on the windshield wipers or heater. The remote control for your TV should not have more buttons that the space shuttle. Guess I am showing my age.

More High Tech Gift Ideas

Last week I gave some suggestions for some high tech gift giving. This week and next we will continue to look at some items that are available from local retailers or on line. I am trying to cover a variety of items, and in keeping with the economic situation, I’ll concentrate on staying away from the budget breaking 70” flat screen TVs. The good news is that prices continue to be very affordable for most home electronics and there are some very cool products that have entered the market this year.

I know I have suggested a Flip video camera before (I am not getting a kick back) but the product just seems to get better and better and is a perfect item for those who want to capture video of family events or vacations without the hassles of bulky hard to use video cameras. The camera is about the size of a large pack of cigarettes and now comes in a high definition model.

The beauty of the Flip is that is has only a few control buttons and anyone can make very good, clear videos. You press one button to start recording and press the same button to stop. Videos are stored in the camera and can be easily transferred to a computer or emailed to a friend. It comes with a cable to connect to a TV so you can immediately play your videos right from the camera. You don’t need a VCR or a computer

It is self contained and fits in your pocket. Even better, it fits in your budget. I have seen Flips selling for about $150 on line and less the $200 in stores. You can by a standard definition model for as little as $89.00. If you get one, be sure to open it first on Christmas morning.

The TV commercials are filled with iPods and iPhones. For sure Apple has some very well designed products, but they remain pricey. For far less money there are some very good MP3 players. You may wish to look at the SanDisk Sansa Clip. This tiny player measures about 2” x 1.5”, can hold hundreds of songs and recordings and can easily be connected to a computer to transfer music from the Internet.

The Sansa Clip and a similar model, Sansa c250, have a very good FM radio receiver built in and allow you to listen live or record from the radio. Both also have a built in microphone for recording although the quality of the recordings is marginal at best. One other down side is that it is so small you can easily misplace it.

This is a perfect gift for a jogger or walker. The prices are right as well. Both the Sansa Clip and the Sansa c250 can be found for between $30 and $40 at most any local discount or electronics retailer. You can get even better deals at Amazon.com.

More “stocking stuffer” ideas next week.

More High Tech Gift Ideas

Last week I gave some suggestions for some high tech gift giving. This week and next we will continue to look at some items that are available from local retailers or on line. I am trying to cover a variety of items, and in keeping with the economic situation, I’ll concentrate on staying away from the budget breaking 70” flat screen TVs. The good news is that prices continue to be very affordable for most home electronics and there are some very cool products that have entered the market this year.

I know I have suggested a Flip video camera before (I am not getting a kick back) but the product just seems to get better and better and is a perfect item for those who want to capture video of family events or vacations without the hassles of bulky hard to use video cameras. The camera is about the size of a large pack of cigarettes and now comes in a high definition model.

The beauty of the Flip is that is has only a few control buttons and anyone can make very good, clear videos. You press one button to start recording and press the same button to stop. Videos are stored in the camera and can be easily transferred to a computer or emailed to a friend. It comes with a cable to connect to a TV so you can immediately play your videos right from the camera. You don’t need a VCR or a computer

It is self contained and fits in your pocket. Even better, it fits in your budget. I have seen Flips selling for about $150 on line and less the $200 in stores. You can by a standard definition model for as little as $89.00. If you get one, be sure to open it first on Christmas morning.

The TV commercials are filled with iPods and iPhones. For sure Apple has some very well designed products, but they remain pricey. For far less money there are some very good MP3 players. You may wish to look at the SanDisk Sansa Clip. This tiny player measures about 2” x 1.5”, can hold hundreds of songs and recordings and can easily be connected to a computer to transfer music from the Internet.

The Sansa Clip and a similar model, Sansa c250, have a very good FM radio receiver built in and allow you to listen live or record from the radio. Both also have a built in microphone for recording although the quality of the recordings is marginal at best. One other down side is that it is so small you can easily misplace it.

This is a perfect gift for a jogger or walker. The prices are right as well. Both the Sansa Clip and the Sansa c250 can be found for between $30 and $40 at most any local discount or electronics retailer. You can get even better deals at Amazon.com.

More “stocking stuffer” ideas next week.

Holiday Gift Suggestions - Batteries Not Included

With the holiday gift giving season upon us I thought I would use the next few columns to suggest some neat electronic items for that special digitally mesmerized person on your list. With the economy in a slump, you should find very attractive prices for electronics at stores large and small. Do be careful though. For example, Circuit City is on very thin ice and has already closed many stores. I would be very cautious buying any large item that may need to be returned or repaired from that retailer.

This week let’s start with ideas for the camera buff. Cameras, both still and video, are getting smaller and smaller. One of the negative byproducts of the compact size and weight is that the cameras are hard to keep steady. How about giving a mini-tripod? There are several models that can fit in a pocket or purse that will connect to most any camera giving a secure base. Some have telescoping legs. Others have flexible legs like large pipe cleaners that can shape around uneven surfaces. You can find these at many camera stores. I saw two models at Best Buy for about 10 bucks.

Once that perfect picture is taken you want to show it off. You might consider an electronic picture frame. They come is sizes from 3”x 5” to as large as 11”x 17”. Some will play back short videos. Be sure that they have several ways to load pictures. Most have slots for SD cards and Memory Sticks. You want the frame to accept whatever card the camera uses to store the pictures. On sale you will find small frames for as little as $40. Large ones can go for several hundred dollars. You should find them in many discount stores.

Much smaller, but way cool, is the Photo Key Chain. It has a small postage stamp size LCD screen attached to key chain. It can hold a few electronic pictures and display them clearly, albeit in miniature. A real stocking stuffer for about $20 at many discount stores.

If you really want big pictures, many new large screen digital TVs now have a slot to insert camera media so you can display your favorite photos on the TV. So this year instead of watching the Super-Bowl half time show you can regale your guests with pictures of the family’s vacation trip to the Warther Carvings Museum and Button Collection in Dover, Ohio.

Staying with the photographic theme I continue to be a big fan of the “Flip Camera.” This small video camera about the size of a pack of cigarettes continues to be one of the best sellers in the video camera category. The camera weighs only a few ounces and will easily fit in your pocket or purse. From this small package comes many features. It has a small LCD screen that serves as the viewfinder and playback window. It has a fixed lens with digital zoom and runs for about four hours on two AA batteries. The internal flash memory holds an hour of video.

What impresses me most are the controls, or lack thereof. The camera has an on/off button and only a few other controls. There is a large red button. Push it once and you are recording. Push it again and it stops and saves the video. The only other controls are a volume control, an erase control and a playback control. All the video settings are automatic. The color and picture sharpness are as good as or better than cameras selling at five times the price. Audio settings are automatic. It is a great way to capture the holiday celebrations. The ”Flip” sells for $150 wherever video cameras are sold.

More ideas next week.

Holiday Gift Suggestions - Batteries Not Included

With the holiday gift giving season upon us I thought I would use the next few columns to suggest some neat electronic items for that special digitally mesmerized person on your list. With the economy in a slump, you should find very attractive prices for electronics at stores large and small. Do be careful though. For example, Circuit City is on very thin ice and has already closed many stores. I would be very cautious buying any large item that may need to be returned or repaired from that retailer.

This week let’s start with ideas for the camera buff. Cameras, both still and video, are getting smaller and smaller. One of the negative byproducts of the compact size and weight is that the cameras are hard to keep steady. How about giving a mini-tripod? There are several models that can fit in a pocket or purse that will connect to most any camera giving a secure base. Some have telescoping legs. Others have flexible legs like large pipe cleaners that can shape around uneven surfaces. You can find these at many camera stores. I saw two models at Best Buy for about 10 bucks.

Once that perfect picture is taken you want to show it off. You might consider an electronic picture frame. They come is sizes from 3”x 5” to as large as 11”x 17”. Some will play back short videos. Be sure that they have several ways to load pictures. Most have slots for SD cards and Memory Sticks. You want the frame to accept whatever card the camera uses to store the pictures. On sale you will find small frames for as little as $40. Large ones can go for several hundred dollars. You should find them in many discount stores.

Much smaller, but way cool, is the Photo Key Chain. It has a small postage stamp size LCD screen attached to key chain. It can hold a few electronic pictures and display them clearly, albeit in miniature. A real stocking stuffer for about $20 at many discount stores.

If you really want big pictures, many new large screen digital TVs now have a slot to insert camera media so you can display your favorite photos on the TV. So this year instead of watching the Super-Bowl half time show you can regale your guests with pictures of the family’s vacation trip to the Warther Carvings Museum and Button Collection in Dover, Ohio.

Staying with the photographic theme I continue to be a big fan of the “Flip Camera.” This small video camera about the size of a pack of cigarettes continues to be one of the best sellers in the video camera category. The camera weighs only a few ounces and will easily fit in your pocket or purse. From this small package comes many features. It has a small LCD screen that serves as the viewfinder and playback window. It has a fixed lens with digital zoom and runs for about four hours on two AA batteries. The internal flash memory holds an hour of video.

What impresses me most are the controls, or lack thereof. The camera has an on/off button and only a few other controls. There is a large red button. Push it once and you are recording. Push it again and it stops and saves the video. The only other controls are a volume control, an erase control and a playback control. All the video settings are automatic. The color and picture sharpness are as good as or better than cameras selling at five times the price. Audio settings are automatic. It is a great way to capture the holiday celebrations. The ”Flip” sells for $150 wherever video cameras are sold.

More ideas next week.

Great Video In A Small Package

If you are a regular reader you know that I often take designers and engineers to task for overloading electronic devices with so many features that the average intelligent person is unable to actually use them. Recently, as I was getting ready for a long bicycle trip, I looked for a video camera that would record good quality video and be very compact and light weight. When you are biking upwards of 100 miles in a day, every ounce of cargo is scrutinized.

While I had read about the “Flip™” camera from PureDigital Technologies®, I had discounted it as a toy. Since it was retailing for about $150, how good could it be? Well I was wrong. The “Flip™” video camera sets the bar very high for anyone designing a device that is simple to use, compact in size and provides superior video quality.

The camera itself is about the size of a large cell phone measuring 2”x 4”x ¾”. It weighs only a few ounces and will easily fit in your pocket or purse. From this small package comes a plethora of features. It has a small LCD screen that serves as the viewfinder and playback window. It has a fixed lens with digital zoom. (Don’t bother to use the digital zoom as it makes the video look bad.) The camera runs on two AA batteries and gets almost four hours of recording or play back time for each set of batteries.

What impresses me most are the controls, or lack thereof. The camera has an on/off button and only a few other controls. There is a large red button. Push it once and you are recording. Push it again and it stops and saves the video. The only other controls are a volume control, an erase control and a playback control. All the video settings are automatic. The color and picture sharpness are as good or better than cameras selling at five times the price. Audio record volume is automatic.

You can watch the videos on the internal screen or connect the camera to a TV or a PC. Again no settings, just plug and play.

The camera has a fold out USB connector. Using that connector you plug the camera into a computer and the camera automatically downloads special software that allows you to watch and edit your videos on your PC or Mac computer. You can ignore that software and the camera becomes an external hard drive. You can access it and copy any or all the videos into your computer and use programs like Microsoft Movie Maker™ to edit your videos.

The camera works out of the box and comes with everything you need. There are no tapes or memory cards. The video is stored in the camera on the 2 gig internal storage device and will hold one hour of high quality video. It does take some time to get used to holding the camera steady since it is so light. I made a sample of the video. Click here to watch it. I recorded the video recently using the Flip Camera while riding on the Miami Whitewater Forest Shaker Trace Bike Trail.

If you are in the market for an easy to use quality video camera for vacations or family events, you can’t go wrong with the Flip. You will find it a major electronics retailers.

Great Video In A Small Package

If you are a regular reader you know that I often take designers and engineers to task for overloading electronic devices with so many features that the average intelligent person is unable to actually use them. Recently, as I was getting ready for a long bicycle trip, I looked for a video camera that would record good quality video and be very compact and light weight. When you are biking upwards of 100 miles in a day, every ounce of cargo is scrutinized.

While I had read about the “Flip™” camera from PureDigital Technologies®, I had discounted it as a toy. Since it was retailing for about $150, how good could it be? Well I was wrong. The “Flip™” video camera sets the bar very high for anyone designing a device that is simple to use, compact in size and provides superior video quality.

The camera itself is about the size of a large cell phone measuring 2”x 4”x ¾”. It weighs only a few ounces and will easily fit in your pocket or purse. From this small package comes a plethora of features. It has a small LCD screen that serves as the viewfinder and playback window. It has a fixed lens with digital zoom. (Don’t bother to use the digital zoom as it makes the video look bad.) The camera runs on two AA batteries and gets almost four hours of recording or play back time for each set of batteries.

What impresses me most are the controls, or lack thereof. The camera has an on/off button and only a few other controls. There is a large red button. Push it once and you are recording. Push it again and it stops and saves the video. The only other controls are a volume control, an erase control and a playback control. All the video settings are automatic. The color and picture sharpness are as good or better than cameras selling at five times the price. Audio record volume is automatic.

You can watch the videos on the internal screen or connect the camera to a TV or a PC. Again no settings, just plug and play.

The camera has a fold out USB connector. Using that connector you plug the camera into a computer and the camera automatically downloads special software that allows you to watch and edit your videos on your PC or Mac computer. You can ignore that software and the camera becomes an external hard drive. You can access it and copy any or all the videos into your computer and use programs like Microsoft Movie Maker™ to edit your videos.

The camera works out of the box and comes with everything you need. There are no tapes or memory cards. The video is stored in the camera on the 2 gig internal storage device and will hold one hour of high quality video. It does take some time to get used to holding the camera steady since it is so light. I made a sample of the video. Click here to watch it. I recorded the video recently using the Flip Camera while riding on the Miami Whitewater Forest Shaker Trace Bike Trail.

If you are in the market for an easy to use quality video camera for vacations or family events, you can’t go wrong with the Flip. You will find it a major electronics retailers.

More About Inexpensive Video Cameras

Last week we discussed the various types of video cameras based on how they actually store the video, i.e. tape, hard drive, DVD, etc. This week we will look at some features that you might wish to consider when choosing a new camera.

One of the most important parts of any camera is the lens. After all, this is the eye of the camera. The better it can “see” the better the final video will be. There have been some great advances in optics and as a result, even a low end camera costing around $200 can have a very good lens. For sure you will want a lens that can zoom in on objects from a distance. This is where marketing hype can be confusing. There are two types of zoom lenses, optical zoom and digital zoom.

My advice, forget about digital zoom and concentrate only on the optical zoom. Digital zoom is a digital “slight of hand” trick. The results are most often grainy since it just makes the picture larger. Optical zoom provides the best results in most situations. So when comparing zoom ratios, discount the digital zoom numbers which are very often over stated.

The view finder is another feature to compare. I suggest that while the fold-out LCD screen is a great, there are sometimes when a regular view finder is better. In bright light situations, you can often see better by looking though a traditional viewfinder than trying to frame the shot with the LCD screen. Also, it is easier to hold the camera steady if it is held close to your body. Using the fold out LCD screen does not allow that.

Be sure to ask about battery life. Nothing is more frustrating than running low on battery power just when you are ready to get that perfect shot. Most new cameras will give about one hour of use. Indoors, you can often use regular AC power. Make sure the camera is set up to run on regular AC power. If you are going to be out in the field, it is good to have one or two spare batteries all charged up and ready to go. The good news is that modern rechargeable batteries hold their charge for long periods of time and can be recharged anytime. They don’t have to be completely drained to recharge properly.

Simple is often better. Engineers continue to build into cameras features that many of us mere mortals will never use. These features make the controls harder to use and often make using the camera a chore. Spend some time with the camera before you buy it to be sure that you are comfortable with the controls. When you are trying to get that perfect shot you don’t want to wade through a 100 page manual looking for directions. Sometimes simple is better.

I recently purchase a small video “Flip” camera to take on a long distance bike ride. Next week I will review the “Flip” camera. It is an impressively easy to use device.

More About Inexpensive Video Cameras

Last week we discussed the various types of video cameras based on how they actually store the video, i.e. tape, hard drive, DVD, etc. This week we will look at some features that you might wish to consider when choosing a new camera.

One of the most important parts of any camera is the lens. After all, this is the eye of the camera. The better it can “see” the better the final video will be. There have been some great advances in optics and as a result, even a low end camera costing around $200 can have a very good lens. For sure you will want a lens that can zoom in on objects from a distance. This is where marketing hype can be confusing. There are two types of zoom lenses, optical zoom and digital zoom.

My advice, forget about digital zoom and concentrate only on the optical zoom. Digital zoom is a digital “slight of hand” trick. The results are most often grainy since it just makes the picture larger. Optical zoom provides the best results in most situations. So when comparing zoom ratios, discount the digital zoom numbers which are very often over stated.

The view finder is another feature to compare. I suggest that while the fold-out LCD screen is a great, there are sometimes when a regular view finder is better. In bright light situations, you can often see better by looking though a traditional viewfinder than trying to frame the shot with the LCD screen. Also, it is easier to hold the camera steady if it is held close to your body. Using the fold out LCD screen does not allow that.

Be sure to ask about battery life. Nothing is more frustrating than running low on battery power just when you are ready to get that perfect shot. Most new cameras will give about one hour of use. Indoors, you can often use regular AC power. Make sure the camera is set up to run on regular AC power. If you are going to be out in the field, it is good to have one or two spare batteries all charged up and ready to go. The good news is that modern rechargeable batteries hold their charge for long periods of time and can be recharged anytime. They don’t have to be completely drained to recharge properly.

Simple is often better. Engineers continue to build into cameras features that many of us mere mortals will never use. These features make the controls harder to use and often make using the camera a chore. Spend some time with the camera before you buy it to be sure that you are comfortable with the controls. When you are trying to get that perfect shot you don’t want to wade through a 100 page manual looking for directions. Sometimes simple is better.

I recently purchase a small video “Flip” camera to take on a long distance bike ride. Next week I will review the “Flip” camera. It is an impressively easy to use device.