Bargain Basement HD

Here at GreenScreenCinema we are continually seeking out new, afforable ways to shoot in HD. Until recently the Canon HV20 was our camera of choice. The HV20 employs the HDV format (1440x1080 pixles) which blows up nicely to 1920x1080. And with its $700 price point ($500 on close-out) you simply cannot find a cheaper way to shoot HD. Then the Flip camera came along. Then Flip HD. Then Creative Labs' Vado HD. Now you can shoot a low-end HD image (1280x720) for $99. These cameras cost less than a Steven Segal box set, but are they as unwatchable?

We shot a test video with the Vado HD to find out. The result, 'Squirrel Cemetery', can be found at the top of this article. Take a look for yourself and decide if the world as we know it has completely changed (I think it has).

The Vado HD was a real find. The camera captures a 1280x720 image, yet the image is so crisp that it actually looks better when blown up to 1920x1080. I strongly recommend turning off any post-production filtering of the image, as well. The individual frames are very distinct, with little to no image blur. I found that the standard frame interpolation provided by Abode Premiere actually degraded the image. The reason for this is the real world camera motion (jitter) that occurs in-between frames is much greater than Adobe's blur algorithm can compensate for. As a result the frame interpolation left a difficult-to-encode blur on the otherwise crystal clear image. When I turned off Adobe's frame interpolation I ended up with a much cleaner looking encode.

The camera jitter largely resulted from the weight of the camera. At only 100 grams you'll have a bit of an issue stabilizing the thing. This results in the kind of motion in between frames that was previously associated with a lower frame rate (i.e. 24 fps). While this does frustrate interpolation filters, it results in an image that looks like film. Its a very specific look that could only previously be achieved by shooting with a larger time interval between exposures (allowing real world actions to progress further in-between frames). But now you can have both a full frame rate and some nice, distinct motion in-between frames (due to the fact that you can't hold the thing straight).

You can, of course, lock the camera down and work around the weight issue (the Vado HD comes with a tripod screw-mount). But this would remove an interesting effect that is a result of the technology itself. It's wonderful when a new invention imposes something upon the medium. In the same way that consumer VHS opened up audiences to a different color range (and resolution) the current generation of lighter-than-air cameras bring something new to the medium as well. The motion in-between frames requires the viewer to spend additional cycles processing the image when it hits the retina. For some viewers this will cause them to be more engaged; for others it may be a complete turn off. Either way it's a new effect that all palm cameras will share (until image stabilization makes it way down to the bargain basement).

I hope filmmakers give this new technology a chance. The medium is changing and audiences are already becoming accustomed to the new language of web video. By shooting a high quality image with a light camera one can produce an authentic jitter that will resonate with audiences. The Vado HD does all this for less than the day rate of a single SAG extra. Why not send one background actor home and give it a shot instead? Those guys never eat at the right craft services table anyway.