Making movie quality, HD home movies these days is a snap with all the different kinds of cameras coming out. Every new video camera that rolls out of the production line is like a mini-studio that you can tote around in a small suitcase. And the Canon XH A1 is coming out as the leader of the pack. Whether you use the Canon XH A1 for home use or for business, you are guaranteed to come up with professional looking shots and great quality HD footage!
Of course with near-HD quality footage, you have to have decent audio to go with it. And since you’re recording life, you won’t have a second chance to capture the quality moments you’re taping. So you need to make sure that your sound is up to par with the beautiful shots you’re taking.
You’ll need a good set of headphones so you can monitor the sound quality from your camera. Below are a few suggestions on what you can do about headphones for your Canon XH A1.
Why use headphones? As high-tech as the camera’s display indicators may be, it is not advanced enough to compensate for any distortion or background noise. Audio adjustment is still up to the camera operator and the best way to monitor the sound is via headphones.
Studio monitor headphones. To make sure that you are getting the complete audio experience, use studio monitor headphones. This kind of headphones will give you the whole audio experience as your camera’s microphones pick up and record sound. Most mike operators and sound engineers in production houses and recording studios use these types of headphones for the simple purpose of getting sound fidelity right. You need this kind of headphones attached to your Canon XH A1 so you have a good idea of the kind of sound that is being recorded along with the video. These are quite expensive but they are worth the investment!
Never use earphones or poor quality headphones as you are doing your camera and the scene a great disservice.
Plug it in and sound out loud. The Canon XH A1 has ports for good quality headphones located at the back of the camera just next to the battery housing. Plug in and listen to the kind of sound picked up by the camera. You can also use an extension for the headphones if you want the sound engineer separate from the camera man. Of course the distance between the man operating the camera and your sound engineer will depend on the length of the headphone cord available and the length of the extension.
You can also invest in a wireless Bluetooth headphone set for your Canon XH A1’s sound requirements but be sure that you read up on user reviews for these wireless headphones online. The key words you need to see when choosing the kind of headphones to use are “studio monitor quality” this kind of headphones have great sound fidelity and a good sound engineer or camera man can adjust the position of the Canon XH A1’s microphone to compensate for whatever issues they’re having with the live sound.
