Taking better videos

[Tdm]

As my modified layout is nearly finished and I promised to take a video of it, I have decided to try and improve the video quality this time and have ordered a Tripod from Amazon on which to mount my camcorder.

The Tripod in question has been given a 5 star rating and has just been reduced in price, so hopefully it will do what I want it to, and that is give a more steady professional look to the footage I take, although I will still be using my old Sony camcorder with it - we shall see, and it may take me some time to master it's use.

My storage room where my layout is housed is quite small and only 47 inches wide, so it won't be easy siting the tripod & camcorder in good positions to get decent results.

If there are any expert camera men out there who fancy a holiday in Tenerife, then I could let you do the setting up and filming for me. 

Hopefully the parts I am waiting for to finish my layout, and the new tripod will all arrive more or less together, and it won't be too long before I can make a new post on here with a video link.

[petercharlesfagg]

I always enjoy a video of someone else's layout it never seems to fail in giving me more ideas for my own layout.

Regards, Peter.

[Tdm]

I always enjoy a video of someone else's layout it never seems to fail in giving me more ideas for my own layout.
Regards, Peter.

So do I Peter - wish more members would put videos of their layouts in operation on here,
although seeing them would probably put my simply "fussy" layout to shame and want me to start again.

[bluedepot]

looking forward to the video!


tim

[railsquid]

Ditto. One of my favourite layouts to look at.

I'd post more videos of mine but it's still at the "track lying unsecured on baseboard stage"...

[Tdm]

Well I've charged up the battery on the camcorder, got some disks formatted that it uses (it's an old Sony Handycam utilising 3.5" disks), just need the tripod to arrive from Amazon, the viaduct I ordered from Gaugemaster, plus a couple of car transporter wagons to complete the rolling stock.

One drawback of living in Tenerife and ordering goods that are only available in the U.K. or elsewhere in Europe, is waiting for the packages to arrive as it can take up to 2 weeks from date of despatch for them to get here, and I sometimes find during those 2 weeks of waiting I remember I forgot to add something to the order that I wanted!.

One compensation though is I don't pay any U.K. VAT on deliveries to Tenerife - so that makes the wait worthwhile - financially.

As a precurser to the video, below is an AnyRail snapshot of the layout that will be featured, not edited the Scarm drawing yet though. As you can see I don't have a Fiddle Yard as such, I prefer to see the complete layout and have lots of sidings to house all the rolling stock.

[Tdm]

As I am expecting a delivery tomorrow, and it could be the tripod I am waiting for,
I thought I would try out the camcorder today to make sure it is still working.

So I shot a short "Before" video of my layout with the camcorder held mostly in my hand as a test and the results can be seen below (when it has finished uploading to YouTube – which shouldn't be long as it is only a few minutes in length).

A longer and hopefully much better video will follow if it is the tripod that comes tomorrow and I can get it set up and working properly.

Still awaiting a missing viaduct for one end of the layout (over the Lake) but the rest is more or less finished. Just ran a few rakes on the test video – not the whole range of rolling stock and locomotives, and shot only from a couple of different angles.

Haven't bothered doing much editing of the video as it is only temporary and will be replaced, the sound you here in the background is workmen doing some alterations in an apartment nearby.

Haven't added any text to the video either, which starts off with a few different rakes of trains running on the middle and outer tracks, but I also set going a cement train hauled by a Class67 Schenker on the inner up & over track towards the end where 2 trains can be seen running at the same time.

The trains featured and running are some of my latest acquisitions – 2 x Dapol Westerns (a green & a weathered blue one), a new Farish weathered green Class37/4, and a Dapol Class67, hauling both passenger, mixed goods, and cement wagon rakes.

Please don't be too critical of the video as it was shot in a hurry earlier today and has hardly been edited and is a little unsteady in places. No sound module used as I am still waiting to pick up the "diesel" sound module from my son's at the end of the Month when I will be in Chester.

Also my layout is nowhere near up to the same standards of many others shown on this Forum, and you could rightly say it is a little fussy and overcrowded, but it is my first attempt at an n gauge layout and will do for the time being, but if I had more space to work with (the layout is just 80 inches by 34 inches), I would probably choose a much different design with more open spaces. 


http://youtu.be/FIuq97C4x0g

[Newportnobby]

Folks may/may not consider your layout 'fussy', Terry, but one thing's for sure - you don't seem to have any running issues with it and your stock

[Tdm]

Folks may/may not consider your layout 'fussy', Terry, but one thing's for sure - you don't seem to have any running issues with it and your stock

Thankfully not at the moment - maybe finally got the track laid right and reluctant to change any of it now. Had some uncoupling problems & occasional derailment at first, but swapping the rolling stock round in most cases cured that.

[Sprintex]

Looks just fine to me, thanks for posting

A layout is what you want it to be - one man's expansive scenery is another man's 'wasted space'


Paul

[railsquid]

Looks good to me . This is one of the first layouts I saw after joining NGF and I enjoy following its progress.

[Tdm]

Didn't know whether to post this in the Angry Thread or not, but it does relate to the subject matter of this particular thread.

The tripod I ordered to hold my camcorder did arrive today from Amazon, but it was packed in a box that was far larger than was necessary (see pics) and as such attracted a Customs charge almost as much as the value of the goods themselves!

Like the look of the tripod however (see pics) and have just set it up with the camcorder attached, and it has extendable legs so it can be raised up much higher.

My wife (who is the one with an account with Amazon) is going to complain about the packaging, as all previous Amazon deliveries (which were smaller) did not attract any additional (Customs) charges.

When I get the chance I will take it up to the railway room and try it out videoing my layout – watch this space.

Tripod cost - £24.99 + shipping cost - £8.54
Customs charge €26.26 (equivalent to £19.02)

[Tdm]

Following on from my previous post - it does pay to complain.

Amazon have this time refunded the Customs charge.

They used UPS who are obliged to submit details to Customs - hence the charge,
whereas all my deliveries from Hattons, Gaugemaster, etc come via RM AirMail and are delivered direct and attract no extra charges.

[Newportnobby]

Nice looking tripod, Terry.

[Tdm]

Nice looking tripod, Terry.

It seems well made and to have all the bells and whistles.

Trouble is if the next video comes out poor it will be down to me and I won't be able to blame it on the lack of proper equipment.