Here are some simple tips for anyone considering buying a body camera.

1. Make sure that you do some in depth research as there are a lot of body cameras that are the same camera, but have different names and fake specifications. Most say that they are 4K when they are not.
2. Make sure that the camera image is good quality. There is no point in having a camera that is not able to see people clearly.
3. Try and buy a camera with image stabilisation, if you can. If not, then try and create a way of using the camera without too much camera motion.
4. Try and buy a camera that is waterproof, if you are using it outside.
5. Having a body cam with a screen can help position the camera easier than having one without. Some have Wi-Fi, which can help with this too.
6. Make sure that the mounting clip doesn't interfere with the buttons or controls of the camera.
7. Make sure that you purchase a camera that has buttons in a conveinient place, depending on your use for the camera.
8. Make sure that you buy a camera that can not be easily stolen, or adapt it so that it can't be grabbed from your clothing easily.
9. Think about the size of the camera and what you are going to use it for. A mini body camera may be more efficient in some circumstances.
10. Check how long a warranty is for the camera and do research on customer service.

Here are some simple tips for anyone considering buying or building a security camera.

You would think that this would be common sense, but let's point out the obvious here.

1. Make sure you buy, or build, a camera that can not be easily stolen.
2. Make sure that the camera image is good quality. There is no point in having a camera that is not able to see people clearly.
3. Make sure that the camera does not shut down when it loses connection to a router or Wi-Fi network.
4. Make sure that the camera is waterproof, if you are using it outside of the property.
5. Choose a camera that best suits your needs for you to install. This could be solar powered or wired. If you buy a wired camera then remember that you may need to drill a hole through the wall and into the property.

To all fellow production teams, editors, film enthusiasts.

It is important to keep up to date with copyright laws in your country when you are editing film footage or digital media for other people. Always make sure that you have written communication between the person asking you to edit footage for them. Also, make sure that you keep copies of any communication that is asked of you, especially if you are asked to add your final cut to any websites or social media sites. Fortunately, I have copies of communication, due to a recent experience myself. It's advisable to get the person who is asking you to copy or edit the film footage to sign an agreement, stating that you have permission to copy, edit or use their content.

If you are given a project to edit where credit is not known then always research the footage, if you can, to see if you can find the original copyright holder. This way credit can be given where credit is due.

If you feel uneasy about editing someone else's project then walk away. You will be surprised at the lengths people will go to in order to claim a piece of film footage or digital media and pass it off as their own.

This will also apply if you are adding someone else's media to your own project. Always check for copyright infringement.

A good way of adding your own copyright to your own media is to embed your own copyright into the media where it is both visible and invisible. This way, if someone crops or copies your media it can still be recognised as your own!

 

If you receive messages and calls from people who believe they received a call from your number when you know you did not call them, it's likely that your number is being used as a 'caller ID spoof.' Fraudsters can fake the number that appears on Caller ID, making it appear as though you called when in reality the call came from another number entirely. This is against the law but can be difficult to track down.

I have been using a dash cam for around 10 years now and I have not had any issues at all. It is still going strong apart from the loss of an LED recently and the video quality deteriorating. I set out to find an alternative, which is taking me a very long time. As I read people's reviews, I avoided the most common cameras that were given really bad feedback and I researched those that were at the higher end of the price margin. To be fair, I did test one camera at the lower end of the price margin that had excellent night vision and although it broke on the first day of setting it up, I decided to keep the camera for night work. I did inform the company and they stopped selling dash cams not long after my review and feedback.

I have recently discovered that most modern dash cams are not worth the money you pay for them as many of them fall apart or stop working within a day or a few months. I did find a dash cam at the higher end of the price margin that I really liked, and still do, but I was unable to set the camera up without purchasing a new phone and within a week I had to report a more serious fault that had made the camera inoperative.

If you are searching for a good dash cam then make sure that you really do your research as I have noticed that some dash cams are exactly the same product with different company names on them, with a substantial price difference.

What I look for in a dash cam may be different to what other people look for, but I would always recommend purchasing a camera with very good video quality over most features that the modern cameras are adding, which quite frankly I would consider a waste of time.

I always look for the basics:

• Video Quality during the day and at night (I purchased one dash cam from a very well known company that was selling a commercial cam for taxi's. I sent it back straight away because there was no way of seeing people inside of the car at night. It was advertised as night vision, but it was WDR! NOT NIGHT VISION!).
• GPS (preferably built in) for capturing the speed of the car so you can prove to others that you were not speeding.
• Heat Resistant for hot days so the plastic housing of the camera does not melt!
• Automatic recording when the camera is switched on.
• Loop Recording for continuous recording so that you do not miss anything.
• G-Force Sensor with automatic locking of files when the car is in an accident.
• The ability to lock the files yourself with a manual button.
• A good microphone to record the conversation that may be had during or after the accident.
• Good customer care and support, in case anything should go wrong.

Any other features are a bonus, but not essential, although parking mode may be a good option to have with a hardwired device that cuts off the power to stop the car battery from draining.

My latest purchase was a brand new camera that has only just been released within the last few months. Unfortunately, it is the camera that I have reluctantly had to give a bad review, due to having to buy a new phone to set it up and also because of an SD card socket fault. I didn't even get the chance to use it in the car, or before my new phone arrived that I didn't even need.

If you have had a dash cam for a long time, with no issues then we would really like to hear about it so that we can recommend the camera to others.