Still Photographs, Video, or Both?

Still Photographs, Video, or Both?

  • Still Photographs

    Votes: 29 22.5%

  • Video

    Votes: 8 6.2%

  • Both

    Votes: 92 71.3%
  • Total voters
    129
I use a digital camera, but can then go through the video and snap a photo of anything i see in there. This way, I can capture the EXACT frame I like, print it out, or have it sent to just about anywhere in three minutes. It's amazing the technology today. Last year, while storm chasing NW Alabama, I videotaped, snapped, downloaded, and sent to my office, and they saw the still prints within 5 minutes of what I was chacing...awesome. Video is more compelling, but still shots leave a LOT of room for peoples own imagination of just what may have, could have, or DID happen. So....BOTH.
 
I like to put the video camera on the tripod, let it shoot, and then snap off some still shots. It's nice to have both to go back to.

The 8MP high resolution shots can be processed to bring out rain obscured features that you may not have seen well.

The video can also reveal some things you may not have noticed. For instance, on Sept 16th I went back and saw that before the first tornado along I-90 had touched down there were two quick multi-vortex swirls that whipped up suddenly.
Also as the tornado was cranking in the field my video captured a satellite horizontal vortex in the wallcloud that we hadn't noticed before. It's nice to go back and review what was happening too fast to take it all in at once.
 
I do both. A lot of the time however, I'll get caught up in taking video and wont take as many picturs as I woud like to. However, since I've started using tripod video more, I'm getting better at taking a lot more pictures.
 
I only shoot stills right now. I'm holding off on video until I can afford to go HD. With Vista just hitting the shelves, very expensive early generations of HD camcorders on the market, and editing software that's barely keeping up with those camcorders--not to mention the computing horsepower required to edit HD--it'll probably be at least another year or two before shooting HD becomes practical for me from both a recording and editing standpoint.
 
I'd like to do both a bit more, but my still camera is lacking at best. I also am working on a mostly video project this spring, so I'm naturally more drawn that way (along with the one other person who voted for video). When I get a new still camera, which will most likely be a digital SLR, I'd go with both. But I'd rather have good video right now than a good still just for what I'm working on, :D
 
along with the one other person who voted for video
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I was the other one who voted for video. IMO I think the video camera is a better way to capture what is really going on. I mean you can hear the wind, and see the motion in the cloud or tornado. You can catpure hail and lightning easier with a video camera. I also chose video camera because my dad John O'Keeffe, he does all the photography while I do the video camera, so I guess I've just become more attached (I guess you could say) with the video camera.

I've been filming storms since I was 6 years old, so I have much more expierence with video camera as well.
 
As expected, I'm in the overwhelming minority on this poll. Being a purely video guy, I'm rapidly becoming a novelty in the chasing world. There's just something about motion I can't get over.
 
IMO you have to be really good at photography and have the 'eye' for it to make it worthwhile to spend thousands on a body and lenses. That I am not, so I stick to video which is something I am better at and enjoy more. It would make no sense for me to spend over $2000 on a good DSLR setup any more than it would make sense for me to go down to the art store and buy an expensive easel, canvas, brushes and paint.

I own a humble point-and-shoot for those rare times I do take stills. It usually doesn't do well with tornadoes anyway - zoom in at all and the image is blurry. The times I've stopped videoing to take stills I'd just wished I would have kept the video going.
 
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I chase for a local TV station, so I shoot just enough video to get it on the air. I'm beginning to focus more of my chase time to still photography because I really get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction out of it. You will be seeing a LOT more stills from me in 2008.
 
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Although I voted 'both', I focus on photography. I find more satisfaction in it, and it is more practical for me to look up a photo if I want to see it again than digging up a tape and looking for the scene of interest. Photo storage is an order of magnitude smaller than digital storage of video. Image quality of video is pretty poor. And it takes more time going through uneventful material.
But looking at a video can be more impressive and appealing to a larger audience. So it would make sense focusing on video when there is a tornado or other action, or just to document the chase itself with narration. But storm structure and timelapses come out better with photographs: much better colors, dynamic range and resolution... and usually composition is much better thought out than for video.

Oscar
 
Video or Stills

At this point, I am solely using stills. My Sony "handicam" died on me in 1998, and a combination of budget and overall confusion as to what best to pick for a videocam has resulted in my just using still images.

However, in the process I discovered digital, and am using a Olympus 7.1 M.P. waterproof camera for the chases. Have had great success with it in normal daylight and reasonable success at night, though not as wonderful as 35mm.

Am debating using my old Cannon 35 mm for night lightning photos and greater control.

Still thinking of purchasing an appropriate video cam, whichever one that would be.
 
Stephen Levine said:
Am debating using my old Cannon 35 mm for night lightning photos and greater control.
Click to expand...

I'd be interested to know what makes an old canon 35mm better with night/lightning or allows greater control. The latter seems obvious that digital has greater control(since you can change the iso without putting in another roll....see the results after you take them....etc).
 
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