Section 3.18. Digital Movies

3.18. Digital Movies

Movie making probably wasn't what you had in mind when you bought a digital still camera. Even so, most cameras offer this feature, and it can come in handy now and then; life is filled with situations when a little movie captures the moment far better than a photo would.

Movie mode lets you capture QuickTime video, often with sound, and save it to your memory card right alongside your still pictures. Some cameras permit only 30 seconds of video per attempt; others let you keep recording until the memory card is full. Most new cameras these days capture video with frame dimensions of 640 x 480big enough to fill a TV screen on playback. Once you've transferred the movie to your Mac, you can play it, email it to people, post it on a Web page, or burn it to a DVD.

iPhoto 6 gracefully imports the movies along with the still photos. You can find details on importing and playing them in Section 4.2.7.2; details on editing them are in Chapter 11. (You can use either iMovie or QuickTime Player Pro.)

Just keep these pointers in mind:

• Remember your memory . Digital movies, even these low-quality ones, fill up your memory card in seconds. Remember, you're shooting 15 or 30 little pictures per second . This is 512 MB, 1 GB, or 2 GB card territory.

• Steady the camera . If you don't have a tripod, put the camera strap around your neck, pull the camera outward so the strap is taut, and only then begin filming . The strap steadies the camera.

• Don't try it in the dark . The flash doesn't work for movies, so look for the best lighting possible before composing your shot.

• Set up the shot beforehand . Most cameras don't let you zoom or change focus during filming.