When things get back to normal, we all want to make sure that we are prepared to shoot. Sometimes we get out in the field and we don’t have everything we need. This checklist should help.
by Maggie Girgis
- Batteries and audio equipment (if any) fully charged.
- SD card ready to be formatted.
- Carry a white board for quick white balance on field adjusting.
- Always connect your headphones to the camera and be ready to listen in before/during recording.
- Always a good practice to have some tape that can be used for markings and a quarter to turn and twist knobs on your camera and tripod.
Pre-recording checklist:
- Level your camera on your tripod. (After placing camera on tripod make sure camera handles and tripod is tightly locked. Never leave camera unattended.)
- Format your memory card.
- Make sure your camera is set full manual mode so you can freely adjust your iris (aperture), shutter, white balance and audio channels and audio levels.
- Make sure your focus is set to MF for manual control.
- Adjust resolution and frame rate.
- Check your audio levels while listening via your headphones.
- Adjust your frame by looking into your viewfinder.
- You can test your focus and even set your own markings by placing a small colored tape around the zoom ring.
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