Notes From The Field

Editing video on the iPhone with ReelDirector

I mentioned the ReelDirector iPhone app in my previous post about mobile video reporting and I've been playing with it a little more.

The beauty of ReelDirector is that you can use clips you've trimmed/edited on the iPhone and work with a (very) basic timeline to produce a video story.

But there are limits. You'll need to plan your shots carefully to craft your story. Video and audio for each clip remains linked and you can't add a voice track. It's sort of iMovie Fisher-Price. That might sound a little harsh but I actually think being easy to use will encourage more people to give it a go.

This time I tested the app using the low quality setting and posted a video direct to YouTube, Kyte (and by email to Posterous). I was pleasantly surprised as the file was only 15 MB for a 2:30 video - that's not so big to move from your iPhone. My first attempt with a video of around 4 minutes in high quality produced a file well over 100 MB.

ReelDirector also lets you use clips produced with other iPhone apps. Since my video blog story was Super 8 cameras I produced a short clip on Vintage Movie Maker app using the 60's home movie filter and projector sound and then just dropped it into the ReelDirector timeline.

 

Something to keep in mind. ReelDirector added the Vintage Movie Maker clip in low quality, but in high quality it popped up an "incompatible" video message. This might just be a bug or the settings for the clips you import from another app might have to be adjusted. If you're a video blogger you might also think about producing a branded pre or post roll clip to store in the iPhone Camera Roll to use with ReelDirector.

I'm still thinking about how best to use this app in its current form but hopefully the developers Nexvio will add more features.

Better get your mojo working

"News Quoyle, news. Better get your mojo working."
                         - Annie Proulx, The Shipping News

A draft of this post has been loitering in my documents folder for a while. But six months on from when I gave some mojo apps a workout in Nigeria and in Georgia I've got a few more points to share about what a mobile phone offers journalists for field reporting.

On the road with the Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera

Trying to keep my kit as light as possible for assignments is a never ending challenge. Especially when I know a job will require lugging everything in a backpack. For video work I use the Sony HVR Z1 which is quite bulky and that sadly means there's little room for packing a decent DSLR camera. In recent years I've relied on compact point and shoot cameras to take photos for web stories. The problem is of course that most point and shoot cameras offer little in the way of manual controls and working in low light is always going to present problems. So, enter the Canon PowerShot G10 - a camera that goes some way to bridge the gap between DSLR's and compacts.

(Compact big brother: Canon PowerShot G10 beside an IXUS 950)

Much more than just point and shoot

The G10 is the successor to the well regarded G9. Just by its design it should grab the attention of professional snappers or videographers who are looking for a compact digital camera that means business. Either as an everyday camera in the backpack or as second camera that could get you out of jam if your DSLR has a problem on a job.

Pick up the G10 and it feels like you're picking up a real camera. It's larger than the average compact and surprisingly quite heavy (400g). I'm still getting used to how I work with the camera in the field - finding the right spot to stow it so I can have it close at hand when I need it. On recent trips I've used a small hip-bag attached to my belt. But the G10 is comfortable for a large coat pocket too.

Getting down to the technical nitty gritty the G10 offers:

- 28-140 mm lens, f 2.8-4.5 and 5 x optical zoom;

- 14.7 mega pixels;

- image stabilisation;

- and, RAW format.

The mega pixels race has never really got me excited. That shouldn't be a reason to buy this camera. However the wide-angle lens gives pleasing results particularly for landscapes - as does the image stabilisation if you zoom in or are on the move. The G10 has an exposure compensation wheel well positioned on the top left hand side. This is handy if you like having more manual control. Speaking of which, the thumb wheel controls on the rear are easy to use and similar in function to Canon DSLR's.

Under good light conditions you can expect the G10 to perform well at ISO 80, 100 and 200 with the aperture wide open. Images will start to get noisy when using ISO 400 and above.

As for formats, the G10 does have the option for shooting in RAW format. This will be good news for pros though most of the time I'm happy saving some card space and shooting in Normal JPG mode.

The power of the flash can also be adjusted and there's a hotshoe to add a flash unit.

One of the most eye catching points of the G10 is also the large LCD. It's bright and provides plenty of resolution for fine details. Admittedly the display does gets a little busy with functions flying around while you're composing a shot using manual settings. I'd also be keen to hear how other users find the accuracy of the LCD compared to prints.

Battery-wise on a full charge you can shoot all day - a major plus.

Make a movie

YouTube et al has ensured that video on compact cameras has come a long way from just being a gimmick. The G10 shoots video in H.264 mov files at 30 fps and in (4:3) 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 frame size. OK, it's not HD, and don't expect anything like the beautiful video produced by the new Canon 5D Mk II, but the G10 has good video options if you're looking for an all-round camera for multimedia work.

To my ears, the audio recorded on the G10's internal microphone does have a very faint hiss but not as pronounced as some other compact cameras I've used in the past. You can also manually adjust the mic level and use the camera just as an audio recorder. I wonder too what the video possibilities on the camera could be if it had an input for an external mic? Just wishful thinking I know, but the G10 would surely have the room among the AV ports for an external mic socket.

If you are using the video function and really need clean audio then take care in windy conditions. The internal microphone is located on the top of the camera and is quite sensitive.

On the down side, one feature many G9 owners have moaned about is the loss of video time-tapse on the G10. Again, for someone thinking about the G10 for multimedia work, this would have been a great video option for Canon to retain.

The big picture

I'm now onto my second G10 having had my first one stolen recently in Costa Rica. I can honestly say it's a camera that has really brought photography back as a priority for me. I used it extensively during a trip to Tanzania late last year and its smaller profile is also very useful if you don't want to attract too much attention. This is a camera that is rapidly shaping up to be a multimedia workhorse for me.

Under good conditions the G10 will take shots that should surprise most sceptics. In poor light, I rate its performance as better than the average compact but this is also as one of its drawbacks. It just hasn't got the sensor firepower to match a DSLR. And that's also the point. The G10 is a compact camera. The G10 will however make a big difference for anyone currently using a low end point and shoot camera and easily complement the kit of professionals.

At a little over US$400.00, it's a camera that will give you quite a bit of bang for your buck.
I'll be updating my Flickr account with photos I've shot from the G10. I'd also be keen to hear from other G10-ers how they find working with the camera.

Mobile phone radio training

To learn about radio you have to listen to radio. I think I've learnt more about practical radio production through the crackle and hiss of this lightweight portable Sony transistor radio than from any book or course.

Sure you have to learn basic production techniques. But in my view, nothing helps develop your skills further than by listening to as much radio as you can and being an active listener - identifying and analysing different formats and techniques and then getting inspired to try something new in your own stories or programmes.

These days my iPod and podcasts compete with my little trannie radio, but I'm still an active listener by habit.

On my recent trip to South Africa to train community radio journalists/producers, none of the participants had mp3 players, but everyone had a mobile phone. And, quite a few had either late model N-Series Nokias, Samsungs or Sony-Ericsons. It was interesting to see music and audio files of comedy sketches being shared. Those who had built in cameras snapped photos, and some tuned into the radio with their built in receiver. One journalist even uses her phone to record audio interviews. Social media sites Facebook and Mxitwere also mentioned a lot. Mxit in particular is huge among young South Africans.

Multimedia-wise, the beauty of training in South Africa is that broadband internet is widely available. Downloading podcasts or audio materials for training examples is only a click away and fast. With around 90% of South Africans having access to a radio, community radio will continue to play a vital role in the SA media landscape. However in parallel, the proliferation of mobile phones, broadband internet and access to a 3G network could well make the mobile phone a handy little multimedia tool for training broadcast journalists. Mojos are already on the scene in South Africa too.

My new internet "radio" is more than just a "wireless"

If I want to listen to English language radio programmes in Germany, I either use a shortwave radio to pull in a signal from BBC Radio 4 LW, the BBC World Service or I listen to stations via the internet or download podcasts.

The World Service on 648 MW has its good days and bad days. At least a radio is portable and sometimes I can get a good signal on a Tivoli PAL.

Tuning in via wifi means setting up my laptop, establishing a place to listen in the flat and hooking the laptop to the aux input on the PAL to boost the audio. In short, it's not too portable. 

I was looking into portable wifi radio receivers and adapators last week in a department store and thought that might be the way to go. I then saw the tiny Asus Eee PC. The screen icon just happened to say "Internet Radio".

Having a little play with it, the sound was OK for two small speakers - better than my 12" PowerBook, so I thought: why not? It's portable, light, no bigger than a novel and the sort of thing I can have on a bedside table. Its price was also on par with buying a wifi receiver.

Now, obviously if I want better sound that means hooking it up to the trusty PAL, but its small size makes that an easier proposition for the balcony and hammock.

The Eee PC is running on Linux - an OS I have no idea about, but I'd rather stick with it than install Windows.

So far I'm mostly using the BBC Player via the pre-installed Firefox browser to use the EeePC as a radio.

When you hit the "Internet Radio" icon on the Eee PC it launches MediaU- MediaU works fine (though the interface is a little awkward in my opinion - too busy). Once you login, you can type in any station and within 30 seconds it's playing.

However another cool "radio" application to run is of course LastFM. 

All of which is making radio, in all its forms, a medium to adore. Long live radio!

Having said all that, it's quite obvious that I'm plotting other uses for the little Eee PC. Stay tuned as they say. I'd be keen to hear from anyone using the Eee PC for mobile journalism, blogging, broadcast or multimedia work on the run.

For now, Tivoli's Networks receiver will have to wait.