The Moving Picture Story - How To Take Great Videos With Your Digital Camera

They say a picture is worth a thousand words - but what if that's just not enough? Some events can only be properly captured with the addition of moving pictures and sound - a heart warming speech, a world record attempt, a loving recorded message - or even just a moment that's worthy of a laugh. Fortunately, technology today has made it easier to never miss a moment with digital video capture technology available on most standard digital cameras.

If you're after high video quality, digital video cameras and camcorders provide great picture quality while many digital point and shoot cameras with a video mode offer good motion capture for everyday use. If you're keen to get a camera that'll take decent footage, here's a quick guide:

- For the smoothest, most detailed footage look for VGA (640x480) or higher resolution in video capture mode.

- Look for capture speed of 30-frame-per-second (fps) for smooth motion.

- Ensure you have a memory card with a high capacity. The amount of memory you will require will depend on the quality of the video and the detail of the scene. For example, the Canon PowerShot SX210 IS will capture approximately 43 minutes of video shooting at 30 fps in VGA mode on a 2 GB memory card.

Video Capture Tips for your Digital Camera

Don't want to miss a moment? Avoid video disappointments by keeping in mind these tips when capturing video on your digital camera:

- Steady hands - keep hands steady during video capture, especially if you're zoomed in. Zoom amplifies any movement of the camera and you'll get shaky video if your hands move.

- Be aware of sound - don't have your finger over the microphone! Utilise any external microphone inputs if you can. If you're recording distant sound, ensure your own voice right next to the camera doesn't dominate the scene.

- Zoom in and pan slowly - if you zoom into a scene, do it slowly and smoothly. Track motion by panning. It'll be easier for your viewer to follow the movement of the scene.

- Don't shoot vertical! - don't forget, video doesn't come in portrait mode and you don't want to be looking at your movies sideways. You can capture the entire scene by panning the action instead.