AN STYLE='font-size: 100%; color: #990000; font-weight: bold; '>Free Advice Remember when video cameras were so big you had to rest them on your shoulder? These days, MiniDVs are small enough to fit in your shirt pocket--and shoot dvd-quality video in virtually any light, while resting in the palm of your hand. Plus, you can find some for less than $500. So how do you buy one?
--Think small. Most MiniDVs are under 2 1/2 lbs., which is great for taking them on the road. But sometimes controls are too tiny or hard to find. When you see a model you like, hold it. Then try the buttons. The camera should feel comfortable, the controls laid out in a way that makes sense, even if you've never used one before.
--Check your computer. Digital video cameras are made to connect to computers--that's where you'll be editing your masterpiece. So if your computer doesn't have a FireWire port, get one. A FireWire (or IEEE 1394 or iLink) cable, which often comes with the camera, is the fastest way to get your footage into your machine. You're also going to need a lot of hard-drive space: Each second of digital video uses about 4 megabytes, so consider an external drive that's at least 60 gigabytes. Now, let the shooting begin.
ROBB LEVIN, resident of Fairfax, Virginia, on the $15,000 lawsuit settlement made against Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the White House gate crashers, who are also involved in at least 15 other civil suits
ROBB LEVIN, resident of Fairfax, Virginia, on the $15,000 lawsuit settlement made against Tareq and Michaele Salahi, the White House gate crashers, who are also involved in at least 15 other civil suits
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