How to Make a Cheap Video Camera

In this video we learn how to make your own cheap camera dolly. First, place down two PVC pipes and place a board on top of that. Then, you can place the tripod on top of that. You can use this to take shots where the camera is sliding from one position to the next but you wan ...more

Cell phones and mobile devices are getting more and more advanced everyday, and so is the equipped camera technology. You can now shoot HD (high-definition) video on newer mobile phones, which makes it easier to start your filmmaking projects, because it's a lot cheaper to buy ...more

The HV20 comes with a manual focus roller, which is a good thing. However, it is a bit awkward to operate. Here is a minimalist friction tool that can be used to accomplish the same task (well, perhaps with enough practice). It is small, portable, cheap, and light-weight. Watc ...more

Imagine your own time-lapsed footage in a 360 degree pan. You don't need an expensive Hollywood-style pan mount to get this effect. You can easily do this rotating pan mount on the cheap, with something you would never suspect— a kitchen timer. This DIY kitchen timer hack wil ...more

Film and television cinematographers love sliding camera shots, especially since ER made them a standard device for television dramas. A professional sliding camera setup is expensive though. Why not make one yourself? This video will show you how to turn $20 into a high-quali ...more

Snake cams have become the epitome of high-tech gadgets on television and in movies. In 24, Jack Bauer is always using a snake camera to check for terrorists on the other side of the door. The video game Splinter Cell has made the snake cam an integral part to Sam Fisher's ars ...more

In this tutorial, learn how to make a super cheap camera stabilizer for under 10 dollars. This stabilizer (or steadicam) is just as effective as a big, professional one but is small enough for use on the iPod, iPhone, Blackberries or Flip cameras. Follow along with this tutori ...more

Movies take us places we've never been before, and a big tool that has contributed to that age-old phrase "movie magic" is the camera jib arm. Kind of like a camera extendeder, the jib arm is like a rotating crane that you can place your camera on top of. It allows you to sho ...more

This tutorial shows you how to record camera video using a web cam and Camtasia Studio 5. Record camera video with Camtasia Studio 5. Click through to watch this video on techsmith.com

Expand your filming range by waterproofing your video camera! Learn how to create an inexpensive underwater camera housing. It is a good video, but it moves a bit too fast for the viewer to learn clearly.

In this clip, you'll learn how to hack a Flip UltraHD camera to use a wide-angle lens. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, and to get started creating your own custom wide-angle UltraHD cams, take a look.

With the invention of 3D TVs and a 3D film showing in nearly every theatre, 3D seems to be the biggest craze lately. Did you know you don't have to spend a fortune to create one of these eye-popping movies yourself? In this tutorial, learn how to take two inexpensive mini Fli ...more

In this video tutorial, we learn how to shoot video in pitch-black conditions using a standard digital video camera. For more information, including a complete demonstration and detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this how-to from the folks at CNET TV.

Looking for a new camera for your video production project? Learn the parts of a Canon XH A1 in this free video clip about the basics of a Canon XH A1 video camera. Use a Canon XH A1 Video Camera - Part 1 of 32. Click through to watch this video on expertvillage.com Use a Cano ...more

This tutorial video sequence will show you how to make a home made underwater camera housing for your camera. for under $50. This apparatus is made using a pvc pipe , a end cap , perspexs, and a screw end lid with rubber seal. This is a great way to keep your camera dry when m ...more

That digital video camera is a delicate piece of equipment, you need to treat it right. Check out this how-to video and learn how to properly operate it to ensure good footage and a long camera lifespan. This video guide covers basic camera handling and maintenance, and these ...more

Are you an aspiring filmmaker? If so, you might not have made it to Steven Spielberg status just yet, which means you could learn a thing or two. Eos Lighting has made this video to help teach you a little bit about sound on a video camera. Watch this video tutorial to see ho ...more

How to Make Snorkelbox A $12 underwater video camera housing How to make the Snorkelbox . A $12 in parts low cost easy to make underwater video camera housing for video cameras less than 6 inches long and 3 and 3/4 inches tall or wide. Can go to 12-15 feet deep. Simple finger ...more

Cosmo Crow and Mark Hannah take you on a tour of the Sony DSR cameras in these how-to videos. The first video segment deals more with setting up the camera tripod. Then, Mark and Cosmo continue their tour of the Sony Camera with an in depth explanation of the Lens and all its ...more

The Panasonic HVX-200 video camera is capable of high definition recording, but how do you even use it? This how-to video demonstrates the basic functions you'll need to master to operate this advanced piece of electronic equipment. Follow along and learn how to change and cha ...more

Recording home movies is quite a joy - how else would you remember that time your son shot milk out of his nose from laughing too hard, or when your shih tzu did a headstand? But it's often a pain transfering all your film files from your video camera to your computer. Make m ...more

Mike from the SubStream's "Film Lab" has some tips regarding video camera lenses. In part one, Mike talks about the basics of lenses, starting with focal length and angle of view. It's a lesson on the analog collections of lenses cinematographers use with their cameras. For p ...more

Want to move quickly from indoor to outdoor shooting environments without having to futz with the manual controls on your video camera to adjust for the disparate light levels? If so, you should give your camera's automatic exposure feature a whirl. For more information on usi ...more

In this iPod Nano owner's guide, we learn how to use the iPod Nano 5g's built-in video camera. For all of the details, including step-by-step instructions, and to learn how to start shooting digital footage on your own iPod Nano, take a look.

When a scene is filmed, problems can occur in the final outcome of a scene if the white balance is not set correctly. If the white balance is off, a scene may look too orange, blue, or the color is just off in general. This video tutorial shows how to set the correct white bal ...more

35mm lens adapters cost thousands to buy, hundreds to build, degrade the objective technical quality of your video and make your camcorder an entire magnitude more difficult to use. And they won't make your video magically look like film. Nothing will. On the other hand, by ad ...more

Ben from mechanical mashup shows you how to make a fig rig for a small video camera out of PVC pipe. It gives an ingredient list and tells you the measurements of each piece you must cut. He recommends dry fitting everything at least once, to be sure everything goes together a ...more

Isaac gives some helpful tips on keeping your camcorder steady.

This video shows you how to properly focus your video camera. Usually cameras have two focusing modes, manual and automatic. Despite the sophistication of modern cameras and their auto focusing modes, manual focusing still gives the person operating the camera the most control ...more

Here are three simple steps for taking apart your Aiptek camera.

This is a very popular effect in film and television, where the camera switches focus on objects in one shot. You'll see how to do it, as long as your camera has manual focus. If it doesn't, then want kind of camera do you have? One of those plastic ones from Chuck E. Cheese?

This is sort of like a homemade steadicam without the harness and everything that makes it keep the camera straight. This is kinda just a stick you attach to the camera.

Issac explains what different shot types are: from the establishing shot to the extreme close up, and how they can be used to enhance your videos.

Jennifer gives Melissa, a beginning videographer, some pointers on shooting better hand-held footage.

This is a video that is showing its audience how to use the electronic image stabilization or digital image stabilization on their digital cameras. Image stabilization is a good function to have on when movement is involved while taking a photo. The video goes over terms such ...more

Low angle shots are a great way to evoke a sense of panic in movies, but if you're trying to get good quality shots from ground level with just your hands, then it's not going to work. The video footage will be all shaky, unless that's another look you're wanting to achieve in ...more

A common problem when shooting in low-light situations is that even if you open your lens to its lowest f-stop number, you're left with an image that's far too dark. One obvious remedy is to add more light. But what if you don't have more lights available to you? That's where ...more

With the Kodak Zi8, the power to capture razor-sharp, full 1080p HD video fits in the palm of your hand. Its easy, one-touch operation and incredible versatility make it the perfect camera for beginners, experts, and everyone in between. Step 1: Get started Get started in a s ...more

Celluar Chloe from cellular zone shows us the features of HTC Touch Pro 2 camera and video. She shows us at first some picture quality and then shows us how to take a picture. The features of black and white, auto and etc, the rather settings that one can change when taking a ...more

This tutorial shows you how you can cheaply and easily construct a rolling camera dolly for less than you'd have to spend to buy it from the manufacturer - this one only costs about $120. It rolls as smoothly as a professional dolly!

If you want to capture HD video using your Motorola Droid 3 smartphone from Verizon, you'll want to learn all the features and functionality of the Camera app. Be sure to switch the camera to video mode so that you're able to record all those memories in full HD for editing la ...more

Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to import video from your camera in iMovie '09. iLife '09, the software suite from Apple, is the easiest way to organize, view and publish digital content, like pictures, movies, music, and webpages. iPhoto makes man ...more

Maybe you've never heard of the Dutch Roll camera effect, but you've seen it in movies whenever a character is delirious and the camera starts spinning crazily end over need. In this tutorial you'll learn how to set up a cheap version of the effect with a plain old hand drill. ...more

This is a cheap little hack from a $5 discount store headlamp. Check it out. Quick and easy. You need a bolt to secure to your camera. This is great if you are shooting long shots and need different brightnesses. Otherwise kind of ghetto.

This is a pretty intense tazer (or taser) construction using a disposable camera and some hard core circuitry.

If you're a filmmaker with bigger ideas than your budget, Indy Mogul is here to help with Backyard FX. Learn how to build a camera mount for a car that costs less than 40 dollars. Using suctions cups, you can rig a camera on the front of a car.

Learn how to use Sony Vegas video editor to directly import video data from your camera. Whether you're completely new to Sony's popular nonlinear editor (NLE) or are a seasoned digital video professional simply looking to pick up a few new tips and tricks, you're sure to be w ...more

Using a virtual darkroom analogy, this Blender tutorial explains how to use a Flying Camera rig to crop/scale/distort video. Using a non-orthographic camera, you can scale, rotate and zoom by keyframing the camera location.

In this video tutorial, we learn how to navigate and use the basic functions and features of the Verizon LG Octane VN530 cell phone's built-in camera. Whether you own a LG Octane phone or are merely curious to see how they work, you're sure to enjoy this brief clip. For detail ...more

This is one of my favorite projects, a wide format pinhole camera that uses 35mm film and is made from $10 in crafts store items.

DSLRs are great for shooting stunning, high-definition video. What they're not great for is recording (or monitoring) sound. This video from Philip Bloom and the staff of Vimeo will teach you how to tackle sound recording when shooting a movie with a DSLR like the Canon T2i, 7 ...more