Cost Performance of Video Equipment for Language Documentation

[Eric Poncet [NunaSoft]]

Heather,

I've used our Sony HDR-SR8 for language documentation in Canada. It has 
all features you need, even more. Thing is, it can do Hi Definition 
video as well, so it's a bit expensive (in the 1600 CAN$). But Sony has 
lots of other models. However, I remember the survey I did before I 
bought our Sony, and low-cost video recorders did not have external mic 
plug.

You may consider buying a hard-drive recorder versus tape-recorder : 
tapes have to be read back by the recorder for transfer to the computer, 
so a 30 minute-tape take 30 minutes to transfer! whereas hard-drive 
transfer over USB (or firewire), as quick as your USB port can go. 
Typically, it's 5 to 10 times quicker, and there's an infinitely lower 
rate of errors during transfer, compared to tapes...

Everyone in the World of Language Documentation has their opinion: 
phonologists will tell you you need top-notch audio quality in order to 
not lose more than 0.01% of phonetic info (just an example), so they'll 
go for high quality mike and recorder; experts in other fields will tell 
you they only need to record "as much info as possible", with no time 
and/or money to go in depth... they're all right! I feel by experience 
it's better to spend less money on technological resources and more on 
human ones... The fact that there's a background noise or that the 
picture has imperfections definitely weighs far less than the emotion 
people will feel when they see themselves on the video, and when they 
feel they've contributed to documenting the language.

Cheers,
Eric Poncet
www.nunasoft.ca
Montreal
Canada

Heather Souter a écrit :
> Taanshi, all!
>
> I have a small grant to do some language documentation in my community
> using video as the medium.  I am looking to purchase a video camera
> that has excellent sound recording (16 bit recording, external mic
> jack, etc, etc.) and is easy to use and download to computer.  (I use
> as Mac G3.)  I am committed to both creating a video
> record/documentary in Michif for my community and also doing some
> linguistic annotation as well.  My budget is small and I need to honor
> Elders with gifts for their work in the video, so cost performance of
> the equipment is paramount.  (Less money spent on equipment, more for
> the Elders.  However, we all want excellent quality recordings for
> pedagogical and research purposes!)
>
> What would you suggest in terms of equipment and also software (iMovie
> for the documentary,  ???? to spit off the sound, etc.)?
>
> Kihchi-maarsi por to-nadinaan!
>
> Eekushi pitamaa.
> Heather Souter
> Community-based Michif Language Video Documentation Project
>