When using lenses or filters to create special effects You may also want to use manual focusing to conserve  battery  power. CAUTION NEVER attempt to force or manually focus the focus ring when the camera is set in the autofocusing mode. This may damage the camera. White  Balance Usually the auto white balance function of a video camera operates sufficiently in the automatic position; however, there are situations when the automatic light balance may not work correctly. Some of these cases are as follows: When the light reflecting from the subject is different from the light that is illuminating the camcorder When shooting a monochromatic subject or the subject is against a monochromatic background When recording under a sodium lamp, mercury lamp, or a white fluorescent lamp When recording outdoors under neon lights or fireworks When shooting scenes just before sunrise or right after  sunset To  white  balance  a  motion-video  camera  manually, you can follow a simple procedure. Normally a white lens cap, made of a diffuse plastic material, is supplied with the camera. You also can use any white object to white  balance  the  camera,  providing  the  white  object  is illuminated under the same conditions that you will be shooting. To white balance, you simply place the white lens cap over the lens, point the camera at the light source,  and  press  the  white  balance  button.  Remember, when in the manual white-balance mode, if the color temperature of the light changes, you must reset the white  balance. To create special effects, there may be times when you want to “lie” to the white balance sensor; for example, you may want to produce motion video that has a warm color balance, such as that which occurs at sunrise or sunset. To produce video coverage with warm characteristics, you can   "white balance" the video camera on a blue object or any of the complimentary colors. When you record the scene, an overall yellow cast is produced. You can also use filters to create various  effects. Shutter  Speed When the Hi8 camera is set in the AUTO LOCK position, the shutter speed is set at the normal speed of 1/60 second. When fast-moving subjects are recorded at the normal shutter speed, the pictures are not recorded clearly.  You  can  improve  the  image  quality  by  increasing the  shutter  speed. Because more light is required when shooting at higher shutter speeds, you should not try to shoot fast objects under poor or low-lighting conditions. Outdoors on clear days, you can record fast-moving subjects at shutter  speeds  of  1/2000  to  1/10000.  On  overcast  days, shutter speeds of 1/250 to 1/1000 are recommended. While handholding the camera indoors, you may want to provide a more stable image. In this case, a shutter speed of 1/100 is recommended. Do not use a shutter speed  of  1/250  or  higher  indoors  unless  you  use additional  artificial  lighting. CAMERA-HANDLINGTECHNIQUES In handling a motion-media camera, two words you must   keep   in   mind   are   STEADINESS   and SMOOTHNESS. When you are shooting motion media, the camera must be held steady, and deliberate camera movements (such as tilts, pans, dollys, zooming, and so on) must be made smoothly. When viewed, the images undergo a high degree of enlargement. Image movement caused  by  camera  unsteadiness  is  distracting  to  the audience. HANDHOLDING  THE  CAMERA Very few division officers or chiefs in an imaging facility expect a cameraperson to shoot every scene from a tripod. Tripods cut down on maneuverability. When you are shooting uncontrolled action, “shooting from the hip” is common practice. During a fast-breaking event, it is usually the only way you can get the required coverage. When there is plenty of action in the scene, people do not notice the effects of excessive camera movement  by  the  cameraman. There  are  many  occasions  when  freedom  of movement  and  mobility  in  handholding  the  camera  are essential. You can still produce acceptable motion-video coverage if you use your body as a camera support and 13-10