Mission
Hi everyone, I went off to a daytrip skiing with my colleagues last weekend. Of course, as a member of the Everio Video Hunters, I didn't just ski! I had my Everio at hand, and so for this edition it will be me, Toshi, reporting on the Everio Video Hunters' second outing: Checking out Everio's new functions at one of the season's top spots!
I love skiing and I go every year, but this is the first time I'll be going with a camcorder. And so before going, I took some time to visit our engineering staff to learn some tips on shooting video while skiing. For example, when shooting in very cold weather, battery performance can drop by as much as 70%-80%, so you should always bring more extra batteries. Before you start shooting, check how much battery power is left using the INFO button.
I took both new Everio models with me - the Everio Full HD Memory Camcorder GZ-HM1 and the Standard Definition Memory Camcorder GZ-MS230. The GZ-HM1 is the flagship model in the Everio line and really is brand new - as our blog readers will know, it was just announced at CES in Las Vegas! Although it won't hit the stores for a little while longer, I hope you'll find this report useful as a bit of advance information.
You might be wondering why I wanted to bring both Memory Camcorder models with me. There's a reason: The engineering staff told me that because there are very few mechanical parts in a memory cam, they are generally more reliable in low temperature environments - like on a ski slope!
The Everios used for this location were:
Full HD Memory Camcorder GZ-HM1
Standard Definition Camcorder GZ-MS230
Our destination is the Centleisure Maiko Snow Resort in Niigata, which is possible as a daytrip from Tokyo since it's only around 70 minutes from Tokyo Station by bullet train. Once you reach Echigo Yuzawa Station, it's a world of white! Twenty minutes on a free shuttle bus and you're at this popular daytrip ski resort. Some sunshine would have been perfect, but unfortunately the sky was cloudy and the snow was falling. But it could have been worse - at least it wasn't a blizzard, or raining. I was still sleepy after getting up at 5 AM, but after seeing the snow I couldn't wait to get out on the slopes!
45 Times Dynamic Zoom to Shoot a View of the Ski Run
This was the first ski trip of the season for me, so I warmed up with a few runs. Then it was time to try my hand at shooting some video! Riding the lift to the top of the mountain, we caught sight of a majestic (though rather cloudy) view. It seemed like a good opportunity for a still photo. A press of the SNAPSHOT button takes a photo - just like using a digital camera.
Taken with the GZ-HM1
Next it was time to shoot some video. Even though these Everio camcorders have a 'snow' scene mode, that doesn't mean that you should necessarily leave it in that mode the whole time you're at the ski resort. The 'snow' mode is for sunny days when there's a lot of sunlight reflecting off the snow, creating glare that needs to be compensated for. Because it's cloudy today, we can just keep the camcorder set to AUTO and start shooting! Or so the engineering staff tells me... OK, so let's get filming!
The function you'd want to use most while out on a big ski slope is the zoom. From the top of the mountain I started shooting with the GZ-MS230, panning across the slopes and to the gondola. Let's see how close I can get using the 45x Dynamic Zoom.
Taken with the GZ-MS230
Wow! The gondola just appeared through the mist! It's so far away, but it looks like I can reach out and touch it. It can be tough to keep a steady shot when shooting with a long zoom, so a tripod is a really good idea. If you bring a compact, collapsible type you can just throw it in your backpack and it won't bother you while you ski.
