I bought my Panasonic NV-GS11 video camera from eBay and for the cost, it seemed perfect. I liked the feel of the camera, it's simplicity of use, until I tried to transfer my movie to a PC and that's when the trouble started!
Normally, when you connect a camera using the USB connection, your PC recognises the device and you can use it straight away. I had no end of problems getting the PC to do this and I thought the driver was at fault.
The answer, in hindsight, is that in the menu there are 2 items for the USB Function, "web camera" and "DV Studio" - the software for acquiring still photos from the camera. Choose "web camera", connect your camera to the PC via the USB connection and switch on the camera using the Playback mode. Check "My Computer" and there should be a video camera icon with "USB Video Device" beside it. Double click onto this icon will open up a page, where if you start your movie from the camera, you can see the results on the PC screen. Unfortunately, there's nowhere on this page where you can save the movie itself.
I searched with Google and found the answer. Many people had the same issue but there didn't seem to any answers. Eventually, I found one reply on a forum way down the page which provided the solution.
Download Windows Movie Maker from the Microsoft page. This is for Windows XP:-
http://www.download.com/Windows-Movie-Maker-Windows-XP-/3000-13631_4-10165075.html
Open Movie Maker and you will see " Capture from video device" This allows you to save your movie into a directory of your choice and later burn the movie onto a CD using your favourite software.
I hope this is of some help to you all with the same problem I had. If you need any further assistance, drop me an email to brianparkin@parkinspatch.com
BestCustomerReview
From shooting squirrels in your backyard to calling coyotes in Arizona. Whether it's spring or fall doesn't matter to most hunters. Hunters will take the time to scope and catch their hunt. What better way to catch the action of the whole hunting adventure, than with a helmet cam. Catch your hunting trail videos with a the best cameras available on the market. One of the most important decisions in the camera buying process is picking between one cable helmet cameras and multiple wire cameras. Obviously, the biggest question is how many wires do you want to have to deal with? Learn how to be a better hunter with recording your tactics and the behavior of the hunted.
The other thing to think about is quality of low light videos. With an sub .1 lux monochrome camera, night video will remain in black and white. The VIO Pov is a quality proven camera with clarity and resolution making the picture much clearer. The picture quality also varies between camera brands and lighting conditions. It is also important to take into consideration the range of the object you are recording. Using a lens with the wide field of view, such as the 110 degrees, will insure a steady shot. With this helmet camera system there's no need for bulky recorders, battery packs and no mess of tangles wires. The compact recording unit connects to the camera head via a single water-tight, detachable cable. Instantly playback recorded videos and watch them on the built-in 2 inch LCD screen display or on your TV. Transfer files to your PC via the USB port for editing and posting. Hunting outdoor video cameras are rugged weather resistant and will with hold most harsh weather conditions. The operating temperatures of these cameras are from below 14 degrees to over 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Using this hunting video camera system with a remote control will save time and effort. A remote allows you to hunt, instead of messing with your camera when you see your target.
A helmet camera makes a great gift for the hunt club outdoor hunting enthusiast in your family. Whether you're bird hunting, boar hunting, elk hunting, trapping or fishing, be sure to record every last moment on video with a helmet cam. When purchasing a helmet cam, it is recommend to contact a reputable, established dealer , with toll free number for any questions and special holiday pricing. A friendly, helpful voice will reassure you that you your helmet cam purchase will be handled with attention to detail and care. Happy Hunting!
BestCustomerReview
IP Network Cameras are designed to work in a Local Area Network (LAN) and over the Internet. Within
a LAN, IP Network Cameras allow for motoring local to the computer network to which the cameras are
attached to. With additional configuration of your computer network you have the ability to allow
for your IP Network Camera to be monitored not only locally but remotely as well using the Internet.
For advice on how to configure your network to allow for your camera to work over the Internet please
follow this guide.
Configuration - Local Access
Before you are able to configure your camera to work over the Internet we suggest configuring the
camera for local access first. Please refer to the technical documentation that came with your camera
for proper instructions on initial configuration of your camera. Once the camera has been configured
for local access you are then ready to start configuration for remote access to the camera over the
Internet.
Configuration - Remote Access
Before you proceed to configure your local network to allow your camera to be monitored from a remote
location, we suggest that you contact your network administrator to ensure you have the proper authority
to configure remote access to the camera. Once you have consulted with your network administrator you
may proceed to configure remote access to the camera.
In order to configure your camera to work over the Internet you will need to configure what is called
Port Forwarding. Port Forwarding allows for you to access the camera from a remote location by
forwarding the network ports used by the camera onto the Internet. These ports are usually forwarded
by accessing your network's router and configuring the router to forward the ports used by the camera.
For details as to what ports will be required for forwarding for your IP Network Camera, please consult
the manufacturer of your camera. For additional information beyond this guide regarding Port Forwarding,
please visit http://www.portforward.com where you will be able to find step by step guides on Port Forwarding
specific to different models of routers.
Step 1 - Obtain IP Address Information
In order to access your network's router for configuration of port forwarding you will require the IP
Address of the router to which the camera is connected to. You can obtain this IP Address information
by consulting with the network administrator of your network or by opening up a Command Prompt within
Windows and entering in the "ipconfig /all" command. To open a command prompt window you will need to
click on the Window's Start button and then proceed to click on Run. Now you will enter in "cmd" and
click on "Ok" to proceed.
Once you have displayed the IP Configuration for your computer using the "ipconfig /all" command, you
will then be able to record the IP Address for your router. You will need this IP Address in order to
access your router for configuring Port Forwarding. Your network router's IP Address will be displayed
as the Default Gateway.
Step 2 - Accessing your Network's Router
Now that you have obtained the IP Address for your network's router you will then need to proceed to
access your router by typing in the router's IP Address in a web browser.
Step 3 - Configuring Port Forwarding on your Router
Now that you have access to the network router you will then need to proceed to browse to the
configuration section on the router where port forwarding is to take place. Please consult with the
manufacturer of your router for details as to where this section is. You may also review the website
NetworkCameraReviews.com where you will find detailed forum posts on port forwarding with various routers.
The Private IP Address for the camera (local IP Address of camera) has been entered in as well as a unique
name that will be associated with this particular port that is to be forwarded. In this example port
80 will be forwarded for the camera. Please consult with the manufacturer of your camera for details
on what port(s) will be forwarded. Some IP Network Cameras require more then one port to be forwarded
in order for you to obtain all the features the camera has to offer. You will also be presented with
an option to select a Protocol to be to be used. Common options found are UDP, TCP or Both. Your router
may have additional options. In most cases you will need to select the protocol option "Both". This
will associate both UDP and TCP protocols to the port(s) being forwarded. In this example we with click
on the Apply button once all required information has been entered.
After the settings have been saved within the router's configuration you should be able to see this
information displayed in a list. There may be other entries in this list already by default.
Step 4 - Accessing your IP Network Camera over the Internet
Now that you have configured port forwarding on your network's router to allow the camera to be accessed
over the Internet, you are now ready to attempt to access the camera. We suggest attempting to access
the camera from a remote location and not within the local network for confirmation that port forwarding
was configured properly. At a remote location you will need to type in the Public IP Address that is
provided by you Internet Service Provider (ISP) in order for you to be able to access your camera.
Please contact your ISP if you are not sure what your Public IP Address is. You will not be able to
access the camera by it's Private IP Address (Example: 192.168.0.100) because the camera's Private IP
Address cannot be seen on the Internet and can only be seen within the local network to which the camera
is attached to.
In most applications port 80 will be forwarded and because of this no port information will be required
in the Address Bar when attempting to access the camera. However, there are cases where an IP Network
Camera will not use port 80. These cases are usually related to security concerns with using port 80.
We suggest contacting your network administrator or the manufacturer of you router to inquire upon the
possible security concerns with forwarding port 80. If port 80 is not the port being used you will be
required to enter in the full IP Address followed by a colon and the port number used.
You should now be able to fully access your IP Network Camera from a remote location using the
Internet. If you require any additional support for configuring your camera for remote access, we
strongly suggest that you contact the manufacturer of your camera, the manufacturer of your network's
router or review the detailed guides found on NetworkCameraReviews.com
BestCustomerReview
How to take care of your video camera
When it comes to special occasions that need recording, a video camera will surely be one of the few items present inside the bag. In addition to the camera, a video camera is one of the mainstays of every special event in the family and with the Christmas season and Thanksgiving a few days away, video cameras of all shapes and sizes are being charged inside the homes or being bought off the shelf.
Unlike photographic cameras, which capture one-time images into still shots, video cameras can capture everything, every detail every second and every minute of the day. This is what makes video cameras so popular. It can get every scene in a flash. Nothing is missed!
If you already have your own video camera, it is important that you take care of it. Video cameras like photography cameras have very sensitive parts that you can easily damage when you are not careful. Below are some of the things that you should really watch out for.
Protecting the lens
This is the single most important part in a video camera and it is also the most expensive. If this is damaged, you will have to spend so much, sometimes even enough to buy a new video camera. It is therefore important that you always protect this part.
When storing the camera, make sure that there are no pointed objects that can scratch the lens. Most video cameras that are being sold nowadays have a special compartment for the lens. Old models have lens covers that will protect it from scratches.
When holding the camera, it is important that you loop the strap in your hands or around your neck. This is a safety precaution just in case you accidentally drop the camera. At least, it will not fall on the floor! Dropping the camera is a major no-no because the lens can easily break.
Taking care of the memory card
Although most video cameras have internal memory, which you can use, new models have expandable options. Now, users can add on to the internal memory by using memory cards. In fact, some do not even use the internal memory anymore as this can only slow down the processes of the camera.
To take care of the memory cards, it is important that you place them in a special case, which will protect them from sharp objects or hard ones that can damage its delicate parts.
Lengthening the life of the battery
Although most are probably not charging their batteries according to what the manual says, it is still important that you try to follow the manual every now and then. The general rule is to actually drain the battery first before fully charging it. Fully charging it means that you should not pull the plug until the battery is charged completely. Not charging it fully and not draining the battery before charging can actually cut short or lessen the battery life.
The initial charging of the battery is another area that you should take special attention of. Depending on what the manual says, the battery is often charged for more than 12 hours, sometimes even the whole day. It is vital that the instructions for the initial charging are followed as this can affect the performance of the battery.
Video Camera Secrets
Early cameras of the 16th and 17th century were able to project images onto paper or glass but the study of capturing, processing and printing the images took many more years. Up until the 17th century, scientists believed that light was composed basically of the ' white ' that is perceived by the human eye. It took the research done by famous physicist Isaac Newton to discover that light is actually composed of a spectrum of colors. While he made a big contribution to the study of optics (that is at the core of the room advances) with this discovery, Newton did not actually have anything to do with camera development per se.
The early room that first became a phenomenon was a little more than a pinhole camera and can be traced back to1558. It was called the Camera Obscura. The Camera Obscura was seen as a drawing tool for a clearer and realistic portrayal of objects. It was in the early 19th century that an invention named the Camera Lucida was introduced by Cambridge scientist William Hyde Wollaston that consisted of an optical device that could help an artist view to distant scenes or person or object on a paper surface that he or she was using to draw. In other words the artist gets to view a superimposed image of a subject on paper and this image could be effectively used to attempt to draw, trace, or paint it. Both the Camera Obscura and the Camera Lucida provided an image that was temporary, which could not be lastingly captured on to paper for later reference.
Studieshowever continued well into the 1800 's on how to actually capture the image onto material. It was during this time, around 1822 that French researcher Joseph Nicephore Niepce, created the first photograph by using paper that was coated with a chemical. The image would not stay permanently on the paper and would disappear after a short while. Even so, despite the short-lived nature of the image, the concept of photography was born with this experiment and paved the way for further study and development in this field.
Capturing images to retain them longer and permanently became the next big quest for researchers. Another Frenchman Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre partnered with Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1829, to develop the process of creating permanent photographs. Joseph Niépcedied in 1833, but Daguerre continued with the work and succeeded in 1837 after many long years of experimentation. The process of capturing photographic images that would not fade away, introduced by Daguerre came to be known as the ' daguerreotype '.
The word ' photography ' was coined by scientist Sir John F.W. Herschel in 1839 and it is actually is derived from two Greek words ' photos ' meaning light and ' graphein ' meaning draw.
A slightly more advanced version of the daguerreotype called the Calotype process that makes multiple copies possible using the negative and positive method became available very soon after. In fact, it was during the 1840 's that the use of photographic images in advertisements first started and cameras made their mark on the power of visualcommunication. It was not much later, in the 1850 's that photographers first started experimenting with underwater photography of seascapes.
Up until 1850, the process of capturing images was cumbersome requiring upto half an hour of light exposure. The discovery made in 1851 by Frederick Scott Archer was a blessing since the new method termed the Collodion process called for just 2-3 seconds of light exposure to capture an image.
Prior to 1871, photographers went through a development process where they had to coat the plate with wet chemical each and every time and process the image immediately. With the invention the gelatin dry plate silver bromide process by Richard Leach Maddox, negatives did not have to be developed immediately. This was an important discovery since upuntil then the captured image had to be processed instantly.
Kodak created in 1888 by George Eastman has been a modern day pioneer of sorts in cameras and photography for the masses. George Eastman and the scientists who worked with him at Kodak developed the photographic film in 1889 and made it available in rolls for the mass use of consumers. An important milestone in our entertainment and communication history was the development of transparent roll film by Eastman. This development led to another key invention-the motion picture camera by Thomas Edison's in 1891.
--> Modern Times
During the 20th century the pace of technology development in cameras and photography continued at an accelerated pace much like many other key technologydevelopments. While several key inventions like cars, telephone and the gramophone record happened in the later half of the 19th century, it is the last 100 years that saw major developmental work in many areas of communications technology and as well as in other fields-TV, aircrafts, PCs, digital technology, digital cameras, mobile phones, fax machines and the internet, to name a few.
In the case of the camera, the developments simplified the whole process of photography, making it accessible to one and all at affordable prices and the camera industry denizens of our times made it into a mass phenomenon. The first mass use camera became available at the turn of the 20th century and can be traced back to the year 1900. There are hundreds of models ofcameras available today both for the amateur as well as the professional and the room is an important part of any family's repertoire of must-have gadgets.
--> 20th century chronology in the history of the House:
1913: 35 mm stillcamera -created
1927: The flash bulb introduced by General Electric Co. (The concept of camera flash existed much before but was based on the use of a flash light powder that was invented by German researchers)
1935-1941: Kodak Kodachrome film and starts marketing launches Kodacolor negative film subsequently. Canon released the Hansa Canon in 1936, the first 35 mm focal-plane shutter camera.
1948: The concept of the Polaroid camera is introduced in the market. Americanscientist Edwin Land developed the process for instant photography. Later Polaroid Corporation developed the ' instant color film around 1963.
1957: Frenchman Jacques Yves Cousteau invented the first waterproof 35 mm camera for underwater photography named the Calypso Phot. The actual room was developed by the Belgian airplane technical designer Jean de Wouters based on the blueprint and suggestions given to him by Cousteau.
1972: The electronic camera that does not require film was created and patented by Texas Instruments. This is however not the same as a digital camera though you don't require film into digital cameras as well. The launch of the digital camera is still many years away.
1975: Kodak's experiments withdigital imaging kicked off around the mid seventies but it will take another 20 years before a digital camera for the home consumer market is launched.
1978-1980: Asian players like "Konica and Sony begin to make their mark. The ' point and shoot ' automatic focus camera is launched by Konica while Sony starts talking about the camcorder and demonstrates a prototype.
1981: Sony launches a commercially available electronic still camera. Similar to the 1972 invention by Texas Instruments, the Sony electronic room came with a mini disc on which images were recorded and stored. The recorded images could be later printed or viewed on a computer monitor using a reader device.
1985: Digital processing technology makes its entry. Digital imaging andprocessing is introduced by Pixar.
1986: The camera industry becomes even more consumer focused and taps the fun and travel connotations behind the room usage, with the launch of the concept of the disposable single use cameras. Fuji is credited with the development of this concept.
Also in 1986-1987, Kodak started taking giant strides in digital development. Digital means, the photographic image is divided into tiny units of dots or squares known as pixels. Pixels are the programmable units of an image that can be processed by computers. Each image could be made up of millions of pixels. The use of pixels in digital technology allows storing large volumes of pixels to deliver high definition print quality.
1990: Kodak introduces Photo CD's It isa system of storing photographic images on CD and then viewing them on a computer. With this development the user-friendly approach of the camera industry began to take concrete shape.
1991: Kodak introduces digital camera targeted at professionals and journalists. Kodak is credited with the invention of a pixel-based camera technology known to us as the digital camera. Digital cameras don't use film similar to their predecessor electronic cameras but the storage method is entirely different and the final photograph is of much higher resolution. In a digital camera photos are recorded and stored in digital form. This digital data can be transferred to a computer and processed for printing. Kodak and Canon are well knowndigital camera manufacturers and there are also several other key brands as well.
1994: The Apple QuickTake camera, home use digital camera is launched. This is followed by the launch of a clutch of home use digital cameras by Casio, Kodak and others in quick succession during 1995-' 96.
--> The digital era:
The development of digital camera technology is considered to be linked to the development of TV and Video technology. The principles of transmission and recording of audio-visual images using digital electrical impulses finds use in camera imaging as well.
Through the 1990 's the developments continued in camera technology, the focus now shifting to the field of digital imaging which is where thefuture lies. Use-friendly features like software that can download digital images directly from camera onto home computers for storing and sharing on the internet is the new norm in the market place.
The room, the computer, the software industry and the worldwide web are today irrevocably interlinked to empower the user experiencing the benefits of room usage to full potential. The innovation that sparked many an invention in the camera industry found its way into the digital world as well and continued among digital camera manufacturers. During 2001, the Kodak and Microsoft partnership ensured that digital camera manufacturers could use the power of Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) standard through Windows. The digital photoexperience is a key visual driver in the Internet era. Many of Kodak digital camera models with EasyShare capabilities are compatible with Windows XP. The Kodak EasyShare software enables users to transfer digital camera pictures directly from camera to their computers and then print the pictures or even email them.
Manufacturers in a related industry like the printing industry have adapted their products to be in sync with the images created by digital cameras. Cell phone manufacturers have tied up with digital camera manufacturers to develop new age camera phones in recent years. These camera phones can capture images and share the images through the cell phone.
Among the 21st century digital developments are theadvanced product offerings from digital cameras manufacturers and these are sure to occupy an important place in the ensuing history of camera development. For instance, the Kodak Professional DCS Pro SLR/c is a high-end digital camera and the Kodak website calls the DCS Pro SLR models the most feature-rich digital cameras on the market. It has an image sensor that can handle 13.89 million pixels and this makes it the highest resolution digital camera available. High resolution determines the sharpness or level of detail in photographic images. This is just a glimpse of the capabilities that digital technology places in a user's hands. Digital camera sales figures for 2003 show that the two key players Kodak and Canon have recordedimpressive growth.
--> What does the future holds for camera users?
The features offered by digital cameras can be quite mind-boggling for the average user and pretty exciting for most pros. Four key ongoing camera developments that are likely to further improve the process of photography:
1. Greater resolution from even the simplest, low cost camera models
2. Usage in any type of lighting conditions,
3. Compatibility across a range of software, hardware and image types
4. Rich colors and tone
While the higher-end digital evolution continues, the prices of the simple rooms have crashed to such an extent that even children and teens are proud owners of uncomplicated cameras. The camera andphotography interest starts young and this creates a truly large audience base for the camera industry.
And throughout history, it is evident that the endeavor of researchers and developers has been to make the room available to a wide section of society. Without camera technology and photography, the other key developments of cinema and TV would have been delayed and what a boring place the world would have been without TV and films!
History of the Camera
