Time-Lapse Shooting
The low-angle shooting was a lot of fun, but it was time to find a new slope. But we made it to the lift at the same time as a group from the ski school – suddenly there was a long line of people for the single-seater chairlift. It looked like we were just going to have to wait a while. But hey! It’s another great filming opportunity!
This new Everio has a time-lapse filming feature: longer footage can be compressed into a short time frame so it appears everything is speeded up.
Taken with the GZ-MS230 (2-second time lapse)
I guess I didn’t notice when I was out on the slopes, but there is always so much movement, between the lifts and the numbers of people. For this shot we used the tripod again to fix the camera firmly in position, then waited for a bit. However, it doesn’t just beep when it’s finished (like a microwave or something) so make sure to stop recording at a sensible time. Time-lapse recordings can be really fun and are a great way to make the most of break times.
High Speed Recording
As someone that loves to ski, there’s another feature that I wanted to try out: high-speed recording. If I can film a good skier in slow motion I can make a video that looks like one of those promo videos of professional skiers. Exciting stuff! For this next shot we’re going to use the mounting bracket again and set one camcorder to film at normal speed and the other one at high speed. Eri stood by to film from the middle of the slope while I rode the lift to the top to standby. Eri gave me the signal with a wave and it was time to ski!
Normal speed recording taken with the GZ-HM1
High speed recording taken with the GZ-HM1 at 300fps
After the run, I noticed that Eri wouldn’t look me in the eye. I wondered if she had got the shot I was trying for. I checked the monitor; I was only in the frame for a few seconds. Still, this is how everyone learns. Comparing the shots you can really see the difference the slow motion makes. And looking at that video makes me realize that the image I had of myself skiing is not quite the same as it really is. I should bend my knees a bit more… High-speed recording is a great way to check your form.
Low Light Shooting
In the early evening as the sky gets darker, the floodlights come on for night skiing. It was cloudy all day, but the evening was turning clear and the moon was in full view. It would have been nice if the sky had cleared a little earlier, but what can you do? Shooting still photos with the GZ-HM1 set to ‘Manual’ mode and the white balance set to ‘Cloudy’, the dusk photos turned out really well.
Taken with the GZ-HM1
After a long day of skiing, I was exhausted and my legs were aching. We skied to the bottom and called it a day. This was a good chance to see how these new Everio camcorders would perform in the dark as they are supposed to have much higher sensitivity compared to previous models.
Taken with the GZ-HM1
The floodlights create a really nice ambience in these shots.
It was good to be able to ski the whole day! After changing, we rode the bus to Echigo Yuzawa Station, where we had about an hour to wait for the bullet train back to Tokyo. If you’re a true Japanese skier, it’s a given that you soak in the hot spring after skiing, and as luck would have it, there’s an onsen hot spring right there at the station. The area is famous for sake, and there’s even sake in the onsen bath. The hot water thoroughly warms you up and melts away the fatigue. It’s also supposed to be good for the skin, so now I’m silky smooth all over!
Filming Impression
Filming at the ski resort presented quite a few challenges. I had to do things a bit differently to how I would normally. Wearing ski boots and skis makes it hard to move about. But the Everio is convenient even in these conditions since you only have to open the LCD screen to start filming. The seesaw-style zoom lever on the GZ-HM1 can easily be operated even with freezing cold fingers.
Another pleasant surprise: even though the LCD screen on my mobile phone was hard to see because of the brightness of the snow, I was able to see quite easily everything I filmed on the Everio. These kinds of things are important on a camcorder that you intend to use while skiing.
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