Practical DV FilmMaking
Do not leave the battery attached to the camera for long periods when it is not in use, as this can damage the voltage level of the battery and affect its ability to recharge.
Using the LCD monitor
• Temperature will affect picture quality on an LCD monitor. When cold, the picture is darker than usual, even in reasonable climates. After a while the ambient heat of the camera is enough to rectify this, but bear it in mind if you use the monitor in cold environments. Over 100000 pixels are used on these monitors but less than 1 per cent will be inactive, sometimes affecting picture quality. Don't worry about this as it does not affect recorded picture quality.
• Remember that using the LCD monitor will run down the power in the battery much faster than if you use only the viewfinder; a one-hour life-span is reduced to 30 minutes when using the monitor.
• If you have a touch-sensitive LCD monitor, avoid sharp objects touching it. Also avoid touching it if you have been using cleaning chemicals or other potentially corrosive substances.
Videotape care
Even though DV tapes are much more sturdy than VHS or S-VHS, they are still prone to problems from poor handling.
Storage
• Always store tape vertically, with the tape rewound, in its case.
• Store away from magnetic fields, direct sunlight or excessive moisture or dust.
• Avoid touching the tape.
• Avoid dropping the tape, or causing any other shock or impact to it.
• Cars are very bad for tapes; the temperature inside the vehicle rises and falls dramatically when not in use.
• If cassettes are excessively cold, let them warm up to average room temperature for a couple of hours.
• Do not leave the cassette in the camcorder for long periods.
• Rewind the tapes after use; tape stretching can occur.
Always label your tapes the moment you take them out of the camera, before you reach for the next tape. Every filmmaker has stories of having to trawl through numerous tapes looking for a particular lost piece of footage.
