Capturing the Moment

This past Saturday we attended Hailey's 3rd birthday party. Unlike other kids' birthday parties, there was no junk food (except cake), just lots and lots of meat. Short ribs, steaks, sausage, and plenty of it. So much in fact, we had to invite ourselves over for dinner to help them eat the rest! And I heard a rumor that there's more uncooked leftovers to eat again this weekend! Woohoo!

As with any party, all the parents come equipped with cameras to capture the occasion. I'm no different. Thanks to my job, I have access to a digital SLR, a miniDV camcorder, and 3 point and shoot cameras. In the past I used to bring at least 2 of the cameras for maximum flexibility. But with all the kid and baby gear we now have to pack, I'm always looking for ways to downsize on the equipment.

The camcorder is great for video, but absolutely horrible for still pics. I have a pocket point and shoot camera which can record video, but you can't zoom and it's mono. The SLR is great for photos (especially fast motion), but no video, and it's HUGE to lug around.

Recently I discovered the perfect compromise to an all-in-one solution. The Canon Powershot S2IS. A 5 megapixel point and shoot with an incredible 12x optical zoom lense. My new best friend.

The S2IS is larger than typical cameras, but smaller than most camcorders. It shoots video at 640x480, 30 frames per sec, which is standard television resolution. And unlike other cameras, the large 12x zoom is actually operable while shooting video. (Smaller cameras disable the zoom during video because of motor noise.) Also, with its separate buttons for video and photos, you can both shoot and film simultaneously at any time. In video mode you can take a full 5mpix photo and vice versa. All the photos shown here were taken while I was filming. In the video you'll hear the retro shutter sound and display a momentary still. Really cool!

Of course nothing is perfect. Video can take up tons of space quick. Unlike a MiniDV tape holding 90 minutes of video, the size of your memory card will dictate space. A 2gb SD card ($22) will hold 12 minutes of video at 640x480 or 48 minutes at 320x240 (perfect for YouTube). So I would say recording a concert is not its best use. But following your kids snapping and recording the funky stuff they do – it's downright perfect. Most of my video clips rarely exceed one minute. It's just to capture the essence/goofiness of the moment. And besides, people's attention span is short so it's nice to keep the clips short anyway. Once all the clips are downloaded, I easily assemble them in iMovie (sorry, PC users), editing out all the boring parts, and output to a Quicktime movie which I can either upload to YouTube or burn on a DVD. Yes, the quality is that good.

The S2IS has been replaced by the S3IS which is 6 megapixel. Click on the highlighted links for specs and review. The S3IS sells for about $300, but you can find a S2IS used on ebay for about $150-$200. It's a bit chunkier than your typical pocket camera, but I guarantee you'll LOVE the 12x zoom! Hey, good excuse to buy a new bigger purse ;) Shooting video is very addictive. You'll especially love it at amusement parks where it's hard to get a good pic of your kids on the rides. And unlike a camcorder, getting the videos to your PC is super easy as it downloads the same way the photos do. Give it a try and send me links to your latest vids. Just remember to get a large memory card.