Video Camera
My own experience with video recording an eclipse is rather limited. However, Denise has used a handheld camcorder at several eclipses to record the event as far back as 1991. The most precious component has always been the audio where you can hear the reactions of everyone around us. Over the years, as camcorders have gotten better, she has continued to use it in a handheld fashion to get some wonderful video of the eclipse, the environment, chasers, and of course the audio.
Consumer video cameras do not have the same resolution (number of pixels) as digital cameras and are not as robust in terms of optics. There can be a lot of scatter noise when the image is viewed. Below are some video image examples (captures). Video links posted by others at youTube are also provided (do you have an eclipse video on youTube? Email the author the link.)
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Camcorders are pretty easy to use and you really can't go wrong giving it a try. The people reactions are really the best and the noises you hear during the eclipse are sometimes pretty amusing - especially if you were there.
Make sure your batteries are fully charged. Having an extra battery is a good idea since the set up starts early and the celebration continues long after totality. Keep an eye on how much tape/memory remains - you don't want to run out just as totality begins.
Free Eclipse Photography eBook
