Proper Use of Camcorders

for Ghost Investigations

by Dr. Dave Oester

The use of camcorders can be very effective in documenting the existence of paranormal activities. This article will discuss the Standards and Protocols that we use ourselves and recommend to the IGHS members.

I always set the camcorder on a tripod for recording. This eliminates the "Blair Witch Project" syndrome that beginners often experience, such as walking with a camcorder creates a jumpy picture that makes people seasick to watch. This is the mark of an amateur and should be avoided. If you capture anything, the frames are not stable and your anomaly bounces around too much to be observed in detail.

Set your camcorder on the tripod and just let it run. Let the spirits come to you instead of you chasing them. I use a personal strobe light from Radio Shack to attach to the tripod. It seems that the strobe attracts the spirits, perhaps coming to find out why a strobe light is on.

I like to record with the Sony Night Shot camcorder because it can record in total darkness. I use an external IR light to increase the range from ten feet to an effective distance of sixty feet. The specs suggest that the IR light is good for one hundred feet, but practical experience reduces that distance down to sixty feet. Focus on something near by and always change from automatic focus to manual focus, else your camcorder will lose lock and the image will become blurry and go out of focus.

If your camcorder does not have an IR light or Night Shot feature, try using your video light. Focus on something in the background that is illuminated by the video light. Now let the camcorder simply run. Wait until something comes into your video light and it will be recorded.

Beginners who have older camcorders may use a flash light to provide the light to record with. Mount the flashlight on your tripod pointed at a nearby object. Point your camcorder at this object and wait until the spirits come within the light and they will be captured on video.