Digital Camcorder HD?

What are the suggested/recommended settings for filming with a canon vixia HF200 HD digital camcorder?

• I recently purchased the Canon Vixia HF200 digital camcorder. What can i do, as far as changing settings go, to optimize the quality and get the best out of my new camcorder... Also ...show more

• Answer:

  What lighting conditions? Is there fast action or no action? Is there a specific mood you want to set? There is no single ideal setting that meets all requirements... Start with everything in automatic, then pick one item to go to manual and learn what that does. For example, play with the shutter speed. What is the default? What happens when you make the shutter speed faster? Slower? When the video is imported, and you change the playback speed, what happened to the video that was captured with a fast shutter vs the default or slow shutter? What happens when you move the shutter speed over 1/500? 1/1000? faster? Telling you takes all the fun out of you learning by doing. When you think you have the manual sutter down, then try zoom, or focus, or aperture/exposure. Play with the white balance by using different colors - and white under different lighting conditions - indoors outdoors, bright light, low light... Congratulations on your new acquisition. Nice camcorder - too bad it records to AVCHD - otherwise, very nice. You will have lots of fun with it.