I have a Sony SD hdd camcorder(DCR-SR40). I have been filming my daughter's cheer competitions using auto focus and sport exposure. I film from the top of the high school gym bleachers. It is hard to identify the girls because I am so far away. Would Landscape exposure help us to see the girls more clearly? Any other suggestions to improve the quality? I cannot buy a HI-DEF camcorder.

I have a Sony SD hdd camcorder(DCR-SR40). I have been filming my daughter's cheer competitions using auto focus and sport exposure. I film from the top of the high school gym bleachers. It is hard to identify the girls because I am so far away. Would Landscape exposure help us to see the girls more clearly? Any other suggestions to improve the quality? I cannot buy a HI-DEF camcorder.

hi Brown...

The Sony product page states that the filter diameter for your DCR-SR40 is 30mm. This means you can screw lenses and filters onto the thread which is located at the front of the lens that are "30mm" in size.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11032293

(Note: You can get lenses that are sizes other than 30mm while using an adapter ring, but just keep it simple and get "30mm".)

If you were to put a telephoto lens on your camera, then whatever you are filming would appear twice as close...if the lens was (labeled) "2x" or 2 times as close. You can still zoom in on your subjects, as long as it's "optical" zoom and not "digital" zoom - which will effect the quality of the images. See your user's manual if the digital zoom automatically kicks in once your reach a certain zoom point past the optical zoom ability or how to disable digital zoom before starting to shoot.

Here is one that would fit on the DCR-SR40, (but of course there are others):
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=11038454

If not that one, look for a "30mm" "telephoto lens" for the Sony "DCR-SR40":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=84w&q=%2230mm%22+%22telephoto+lens%22+for+the+Sony+%22DCR-SR40%22&btnG=Search


You can also get something more than 2x..for example a 3x (3 times as close) telephoto lens.
http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/60056289/Images/2/camcorderdigital3xtelephoto.jpg


Here is explanation of how telephoto lens work with camcorders (skip through the ad by clicking at top):
http://www.videomaker.com/article/3592/

And more on telephoto lenses:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephoto_lens

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How to Use a Camcorder Telephoto Lens
http://www.ehow.com/how_2292971_use-camcorder-telephoto-lens.html

Tips & Warnings
* Use only the optical zoom function on the camcorder when using a telephoto lens. Using the digital zoom will degrade the image.
* Slowly zoom the telephoto lens. Avoid quick or abrupt movements when using a telephoto lens.
* Never point the camcorder's telephoto lens into the sun. This will damage the camera's image sensor and possibly injure the user.
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Close ups are not the issue. The lack of detail is the problem. I would like for people to watch the video and be able to identify each girl. Landscape may not help. The girls are in the middle of the picture so Landscape would probably make everything behind them clearer.

are the faces too dark or too light to be seen?

can you recognize the faces with the original tapes?

The faces are too light. It is a Hard Drive recorder so no tapes.

Close ups are not the issue. The lack of detail is the problem. I would like for people to watch the video and be able to identify each girl. Landscape may not help. The girls are in the middle of the picture so Landscape would probably make everything behind them clearer.

You said in your op, "I film from the top of the high school gym bleachers. It is hard to identify the girls because I am so far away."

If the telephoto lens can bring you closer, there will be more detail.

If you are zooming in, the way you are now, and the digital zoom is kicking in - then the detail is going to be bad and you will not be able to, as you say, identify people.

Make sure you are not using digital zoom; optical only. You can lose detail with digital zoom.


You could at least try it - pick up a 30mm telephoto lens on ebay for $25.
http://cgi.ebay.com/TELEPHOTO-LENS-FOR-SONY-DCR-SR40-CAMCORDER-30mm_W0QQitemZ110358434667QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCamcorder_Lense s?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

And if you use the telephoto lens.. again, no digital zoom. I saw in the operating guide from the Sony site that you can choose to use the digtial zoom or not in the camera's menu settings.

Your camcorder has "800x" digital zoom. You want to keep it to the "20x optical zoom".

Also, this is important: always record in the "HQ" setting (change this in the menu also). There's no reason to record in the lower settings; SP or LP, change it to HQ. This will yield maximum quality/detail. You have 30 gigs of storage which is plenty for standard def recordings; just delete clips or reformat when you need more space on the HDD.