| If you look on the internet there are hours and | | | | videos - they are shaky and difficult to watch. A |
| hours of videos of model trains. Enthusiastic | | | | good tripod solves that. Make sure it is easy to |
| hobbyists love to show off their layouts and brag | | | | adjust for height, rotation, and tilt. Also make sure |
| about the authenticity of their scenery and trains. | | | | it is sturdy enough to hold the camera you |
| These videos vary widely in quality and length, but | | | | choose without showing any vibration on the |
| there are some excellent videos out there to | | | | finished video. |
| learn from. So what does it take to make a great | | | | Another key piece of equipment is your |
| model train video? | | | | computer. When shooting your video, you will |
| Aside from good subject material, you will need a | | | | want to pick up the train sounds, but not do any |
| video camera. These days most cameras are | | | | voiceover at that point. Editing is a key step in |
| digital and indeed, those are the best ones if you | | | | producing a quality video and to do that, you will |
| plan on transferring your video to YouTube or | | | | need a computer. A large hard drive is important |
| your favorite model train forum. It is as easy as | | | | if you are going to shoot a lot of video. A fast |
| uploading any other file. Video's cameras are | | | | processor will also make your work easier and |
| available in various price ranges, with different bells | | | | faster. If you want to do voiceovers to explain |
| and whistles, different zoom ranges and various | | | | what your audience is watching, a quality |
| other options. Most of that is fairly unimportant | | | | microphone will come in handy, although you can |
| for the amateur videographer who just wants to | | | | use the one that is on the video camera. |
| make a video of their layout. If you purchase a | | | | Professional videos usually have some |
| reasonable video camera in the $250-$400 dollar | | | | supplemental lighting as well. Normal incandescent |
| range it will have all of the features you need. | | | | or fluorescent lights will give a color cast to your |
| Specific things to look for are: | | | | video that you may find objectionable. If you |
| - a threaded fitting for mounting your camera on | | | | don't have lighting specifically designed for |
| a tripod | | | | photography, you can replace your normal light |
| - a type of media that is easy to transfer to | | | | bulbs with natural lights to eliminate these color |
| your computer or a direct connection from the | | | | casts. |
| camera to the computer with a USB connection. | | | | Making a great model train video is not difficult if |
| - Zoom level in the range of 20-40 "optical zoom" | | | | you have the correct equipment and use the right |
| (not digital). | | | | techniques. The equipment does not need to cost |
| - Ease of use | | | | thousands of dollars or take years to learn. |
| - Remote control | | | | Today's equipment is light, inexpensive, and easy |
| OK, you have your camera, what else do you | | | | to use. So go ahead and take the plunge, and |
| need? A good tripod is probably the next most | | | | show off your pride and joy to the world. |
| important accessory. We've all seen handheld | | | | |