PSIA-AASI

I was recently at the fall tech training at mt. hood.  On of the guys in my group had a small sd memory camcorder.  In talking with him he highlighted to potential to using video to teach and give our students more value in the lessons we can give.

My question is, what kind of cameras are being used by you guys?

In looking in a few shops I’ve become somewhat fond of the Canon FS20 or FS200.  It is small, compact, good shape, and priced in with everything that is on the shelf.

Any other pointers from those who have exerience would be great too.

OH yeah, I’m running on a PC system right now.  So video editting program recommendations would be cool.  Recommendations for MAC would be good for the sake of the forum too.

Hey Thomas,
Video has many potential benefits for sure. Small is good, ability to hold steady is good, forget looking at the screen for shooting and viewing on the chair. Most of the time I find that the glare is prohibitive. So a usable viewfinder is key.

Try to have a very specific purpose for the video session. I can be less beneficial to look at video and go on and on and on about everything that is or is not going on.

Define the ski snow interaction goal, define a specific body part movement, define a specific turn shape, define something and look for that, and only that. KISS.

As for storage media, I am not a techie, I have a hard drive larger Sony unit and love it.

Be aware of HD video and then using software that is needing to convert to analog, very time intensive.

Sorry I don’t have great advise, just some thoughts about getting started.

Have you seen the new FLIP video recorders?

Greg

Great point on the video! I have “dipped my toe in the water” so to speak with this. The power of video is so great, and not many of us have the opportunity to see ourselves until we get to an event like divisional.

I do have a Panasonic SD (non-HD) video player that we use a cable to hook up with the TV in our chalet. The SD card feature is extremely valuable since each time you hit record and stop, it records a segment that can be laced together. Many of the Windows based PCs now come with Windows Movie Maker which is fairly easy to use for the computer literate folks.

A point about the cameras, they are light, and many don’t have a viewfinder. I have found that a disadvantage to the viewfinderless camera is that the screen sapps battery life. The lightness of the camera makes it susceptible to shaking. Luckily the Panasonic has a pretty advanced digital image stabilizer. What has worked for me is tilting the screen up and shooting while cradling the camera with both hands near my hip. The zoom is on the top and is easily operated with gloves on.

Beyond that, you can accessorize by getting a Lowepro camera case with belt loop that you can wear for quick access when your putting it away and taking it out often.

As for the teaching aspect, it stands to reason that your lesson should stand on it’s own without the video, but we can use the video as a way to help drive home the point that you are making on the hill, connecting the visual to the kinesthetic. I have team taught while doing video since constantly fiddling with any device can distract the lesson more than help. Other than that, happy videoing!

Panasonic Model: SDR-S26K; Image attached