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The tripod you're using is a Manfrotto 190X quick release head. Release the clamps to extend the legs, although when you lock the clamps down, careful not to pinch yourself!

Extend the panhandle to a comfortable position. Use the pan handle to pan or tilt the camera smoothly.

The pan knob (pivots the camera horizontally) is located at the base of the tripod head. The tilt knob (pivots the camera vertically), is located on the side of the tripod head. Before you pan or tilt, make sure to loosen these knobs. But before you mount the camera, make sure the tripod head is level, and then tighten the pan and tilt knobs to lock the tripod head so that it doesn't move when you mount the camera.

Mounting the Camera

This tripod head uses a side-lock system for easier and safer camera mounting. To mount the camera on the tripod, lower one edge of the base plate (which is attached to the bottom of the camera) against the side of the catch system opposite the locking lever.

NOTE: Make sure the lens is pointing opposite the pan handle.

The locking lever is attached to a silver button located inside the catch system. Loosen the lever and then press it down. Hold the locking lever down and lower the other side of the camera's base plate into the catch system. Release the locking lever.

Tighten the locking lever so the silver button pinches against the plate creating a secure connection.

With the camera mounted securely, you should be able to pick up the entire assembly when you need to move a short distance to a new location. Always have one hand on the camera when you move it. For walking longer distances, it's recommended that you dismount the camera and carry it in the camera case. When using the tripod, don't hesitate to change the length of the legs so that you can vary the perspective. Never shoot all of your footage from the same height.

But if you're in a position where it might be difficult to get more height from extending the legs alone, then try using the pedestal. First turn the knob at the base of the tripod head to loosen the pedestal.

Holding the camera firmly, raise the pedestal to the desired height. Tighten the knob to secure it. Make sure the pedestal doesn't feel loose. The best practice when using the tripod is to extend the legs to a height lower than you might need, and then use the pedestal to give flexibility to raising and lowering the camera height.

NOTE: When lowering the pedestal, always have a firm grip on the camera. Loosen the pedestal knob and lower the camera slowly. Then tighten the knob to secure it.

First, make sure the power switch is in the off position. The power switch is located on the top of the camera near the eye-piece. When switched to CAMERA mode, the camera will record footage. The MEDIA mode enables you to play back what you just recorded. Playing back your footage is a good way to check that you recorded the work properly.

When inserting or removing an SD card from a camera, it's often safer to make sure the power is off. But leaving the power on shouldn't be a problem as long as the card isn't engaged (recording or playing back).To know if the card is engaged, check the Access light above the side grip. If the Access light is red, then the card is engaged either recording footage or playing back media. Never remove the card when the Access light is red. When the light is off, then it's safe to remove the card without fear of damaging it or its contents.

The Vixia uses a dual card slot, located inside the LCD viewfinder compartment. This dual card slot can be used for relay recordings or for recording on both cards simultaneously. In relay recording, when the first card fills up, the camera will switch automatically to record on the second card. In dual slot recording, the camera will record on both cards at the same time. This feature is a convenient way to make a backup copy of your recording. But if a card becomes full during dual recording, both cards will stop recording.

Insert the card in either slot A or B. When you insert the card, don't try to force it. The gold leads on the card should face towards the back of the camera. Use the illustration here as a guide. Insert the card and gently press until it clicks.Then close the slot cover. The camera will not record until the slot cover is closed.

Initialising the SD Card

You need to initialise the card each time you use it. Initialising the card will erase everything that's on it. But this process prepares the card so that you can store files on it properly.

Think of it this way... initialising the card enables it to communicate with the camera's firmware. It's important that you initialise the card to the camera only, not to some other camera or to a computer prior to using it. The initialisation must take place in the camera that you're using. Otherwise, you risk the files becoming corrupted, and even unreadable.

For peace of mind, initialise the card each time you use it. And this is an excellent reason why you should never use the SD card as a  portable hard drive to store other files like your photo collection or term papers. But if you have files on the card that you need to save, such as video from a previous shoot, then copy the files to a portable hard drive before you initialise the card.

Best Practice: when you finish a production shoot, copy the contents of the card to a portable hard drive as soon as you can. Be sure to set up a project folder, and inside that folder create new ones that you can label to identify the footage you just shot. It's not unusual for project folders to contain several additional folders each with a certain collection of shots.

To initialise the card:

Switch the power button to CAMERA.

When the home page shows up on the LCD screen, tap the MENU button.

Among the symbols at the top of the menu page, tap the one for Recording Setup, and then select Page 2. Initialize appears at the top of the page.

Tap Initialize.

The next page will ask you to select the memory card slot that contains your card (A or B). If you're using a single memory card, then only one of the slots will be highlighted.

Then select the Initialize button to start the operation. The camera will display a message reminding you that initialise will completely erase all files from the memory card. You will have the option to abort by tapping No, or to continue tapping Yes.

The initialisation process takes only a few seconds. Once the card is initialised, it will be ready to record video files.

JRNL 2001 students need only use the camera in AUTO mode, which means that the camera controls the exposure (aperture, shutter speed, and gain), white balance, and focus depending on the scene being shot. In other words, the camera will select the best settings for every situation. The AUTO switch is located near the side grip next to the zoom rocker. 

The other switch option is M mode, or manual mode. M will let you manually adjust the focus and exposure, and many other settings depending on your needs. More advanced camera models are used in upper division courses, with the emphasis on manual mode operation. But for now, JRNL 2001 students can simply concentrate on learning how to compose (frame) their shots, and to shoot sequences.

AUTO mode also uses face detection; once the camcorder detects a face, it will automatically keep the subject in focus and optimise the exposure.

Frame your shots using the zoom rocker:

Zooming in or out will let you change the field of view, or the framing of the shot, to wide, medium, and close-up. But you shouldn't have to rely on zoom to change framing. Try moving the camera closer or further away to get your wide, medium, and close-up shots. Vary it. Use the tripod often to get the most rock steady shots, and apply the rule of thirds to show balanced and pleasing composition.

Start/Stop recording

Once you have the shot framed, start recording. The Start/Stop button is located on the back of the side grip. Press the same button to stop recording.

Review the footage in the camera

You can easily watch what you shot immediately after you shot it. Switch the power button to MEDIA.

The media will show up as video clips on the LCD screen. Tap the clips to scroll through the footage. The MEDIA mode is an excellent option to let you review footage before leaving the scene.

Connecting Wireless Microphones

The Canon Vixia records audio using its internal (built-in) microphone. This microphone is perfect for shooting b-roll and the NAT (natural sound) that accompanies the footage. But the internal microphone is inadequate when you need to record an interview.

Why inadequate? When you set up an interview shot, the internal camera microphone is too distant from the person talking; their voice isn't sharp and clear the way it should sound when it's picked up by a microphone placed within a couple feet of their mouth. When using the camera's internal microphone, we often hear an echo to the person's voice because they sound distant.

Also, the internal microphone will pick up a good deal of environmental noise, which can often compete with the sound of the person's voice.

Your instructor (and audience) can hear the difference. If you're shooting an interview with only the camera's internal microphone picking up the sound, then there's a good chance your audio evaluation will be scored low. It pays to learn how to raise your production value. To get good audio quality will always be expected when shooting interviews.

And to achieve this quality when shooting interviews means that you need to use a different microphone. That microphone is the RODE wireless.

The illustration shows you what's inside a single wireless microphone kit.

• 1 TX (Transmitter)
• 1 RX (Receiver)
• 1 XLR to mini-phono cable
• 1 mini-phono coiled cable
• 1 lavalier microphone

The lavalier (lapel) microphone connects to the TX, which in turn is connected to the speaker; the RX is connected to the camera. 2 AA batteries are needed to operate the TX and and 2 AA's for the RX. The Vault does not carry AA batteries. For the Canon Vixia, the XLR to mini-phono cable will not be needed, so put this cable back in the bag right away (don't lose anything!)

Connect the RX to the camera The RX is attached to the shoe mount located on top of the camera.

Slide the RX mount into the shoe mount from the back forward. Then turn the knob to tighten. Make sure the RX is attached firmly.

On the side of the Vixia, open the compartment to show the various inputs to the camera. There is a terminal for headphones, USB, HDMI OUT, and one for MIC.

Use the coiled mini-phono cable in the kit to connect the RX to the camera.

Connect one end of the coiled mini-phono cable to the RX terminal, and the other end to the MIC terminal on the camera. Once you connect the plug to the MIC terminal, the internal camera microphone will disengage, favouring only the wireless microphone.

To power up the RX and TX, press and hold the round button on the front display. Both the TX and RX will register a radio channel. The channel should be the same on both TX and RX, meaning that the transmitter and receiver are paired.

Make sure you plug in headphones to do a sound check. To know that the wireless microphone is engaged, talk into it and you should hear your voice coming in loud and clear. Tap the microphone gently, and you should be able to hear this noise clearly.

Check the audio meter in the LCD screen. The audio levels for normal talking during the interview should peak at about -12 dB. If the audio seems high or low, you can adjust the levels by tapping the FUNC button, and then tap the audio symbol to display the level controls. Have the person wearing the microphone describe what they had for breakfast in their normal, conversational voice. Tap the left or right arrow to change the levels until they peak at about -12dB, which is the optimal level for digital audio.

During the interview, always wear the headphones so you can listen closely to the sound. You're listening for anything that might interfere with the audio quality, such as background noise (air conditioning units, ambulance sirens, etc.), distortions in the audio levels (make some minor adjustments to the levels), or even microphone issues such as a loose cable causing interference, hair or fabric covering the microphone and making noise, etc. Do your best to correct the audio problems because you don't want the audience to have to put up with them if they're allowed to interfere with the person talking. Seriously, if the audio problem is noticeable, then don't be afraid to stop the interview and make adjustments.