Video test: Canon Ixus 130 vrs Flip MinoHD 3rd Gen
One element of my job I need to keep reminding myself to revisit is video technology. The kit available in this area is changing so fast, that recommendations I make to journalists need to move just as fast. I’m mainly interested in the low end kit, the cameras you stick in your pocket to grab footage of something interesting that happens unexpectedly. Basically, once you reach the stage where you’re using heavy tripods and Final Cut Pro, you’ve moved beyond my interest zone…
With that in mind, I’ve been experimenting with two options for producing quick’n’dirty video by journalists on the go, rather than video-centric journalists. While I’m aware that you can get great results from mobile phones like the iPhone 4, there are some compelling reasons for not using it on occasions, from the fact that they’re no corporate-approved devices in many companies, to the battery life challenge. Flip-style mini video cams and digital compacts can both be good alternatives.
First up: a digital compact. This was shot on Tuesday night with a [Canon Ixus 130](http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Cameras/Digital_Camera/IXUS/IXUS_130/) digital compact camera. The footage was stabilized in iMovie ’11:
And this was shot this afternoon, on the latest model [Flip Mino HD (generation 3](http://www.theflip.com/en-gb/products/mino.aspx), I believe). Soundtrack replaced, because it was just a car alarm in the distance. Footage stabilised in iMovie ’11, as with the previous clip:
On balance, I think I prefer the footage from the Flip. It’s caught the drifting mist far better than I expected it too, and it’s managed to catch the mood of some difficult lighting conditions.
The bigger test, though, will be filming some brief interviews on them.
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