How we capture what we see

We primarily use a Sony VX2100 for video.  This cam is hands down the best in it's class for a prosumer camcorder.  With a true lux rating of 1, this cam handles the horrible lighting conditions storm chasers deal with and gets that night lightning  other cams won't.  Not making the move to HD for a couple of years as waiting for the issues with the CMOS sensors to get worked out and improve the low light capabilities.

The other primary video cam we use is a Sony PD170.  This is used to shoot freehand video and also if we are using the lavalier wireless microphones.  Super sharp picture quality and the ability to shoot on DVCAM tapes or mini DV's.  This cam also has a .5x super wide angle add on lens to get us the super structure shots in close to the storm or a tornado at close range.  All video editing is done with Adobe Premiere Pro.

A Nikon D50 digital SLR takes the majority of our chase pics.  We use Nikkor lenses in 17-55mm and 55-200mm focal lengths.  For wildlife, we use a Sigma 70-200 f2.8 DGEX with a Sigma 2x teleconverter.  All photo editing is done using Adobe Photoshop CS3.

Keeping on the move is very important to us on a chase.   We  had a horrible experience with a Canon 300D so we bought a Sony DSC-H1 on a whim last spring and fell in love with this cam.  For a point and shoot,  it offers full manual control if you want.  The auto option isn't going to let us down when we only have a second or two for the shot before getting out of the way.

The dash cam is a Samsung SCD-86 mini DV camcorder.  We love the Sony cams, but bang for the buck, this guy will get it done.  Not the greatest in low light but we can beat the crap out of this cam and it will keeping coming back.  It is meaty enough not to feel like a toy and the extra weight helps keep it solid in the Bogen mount chase after chase.

All video and stills are shot off Bogen-Manfrotto tripods and mounts.  We are not saying they are the best, but they sure endure what we put them through!  By staying with this brand, we can quickly move the cams from one mount to another via the quick release plates.

We use and recommend:

Electronics

Mounts

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