One of the main reasons for choosing a professional video service is the level of equipment available.  Lighting available during weddings varies considerably depending on the location, time of day, and even the cloud cover.  The cameras that we use make the best possible use of available lighting to create rich colors even in low light situations.  The other main component, often neglected by home videos, is quality sound.  We use wireless microphones to bring the sound to the camera rather than hoping that the PA system will catch some of the sound.  The specially designed lavalier microphones that we use are less than 1/4 of an inch in diameter and are easily hidden on the groom's lapel.

We choose high quality professional equipment.  For those interested in the details, here are some of the highlights:

Sony Professional 3 CCD Cameras

One of the main considerations in choosing the equipment that will record your ceremony is the type of camera used.  There are many technical advantages to using quality cameras, here are some of the highlights and why we use them to create the best possible video.

FORMAT - the camera used should be in at least the DV or DVCAM formats.  VHS, Hi-8 and Super 8 just do not have the resolution to capture video at the quality possible on digital video or DV formats.  They are also usually paired with cameras with lower grade optical and electronic capabilities.

3 CCD - professional cameras will use three charge coupled device (CCD) sensors, one to record each of the Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) colors that make up a television signal.

CCD SIZE - consumer level cameras will use CCDs that are only 1/4 inch in size, even some of the lower end "prosumer" cameras will use sensors of this size.  While they may take good pictures in bright sunshine, when the lighting goes down at the reception or in a dimly lit church, the picture quality fades rapidly.  Our cameras use three sensors and each of them is 1/3 of an inch for a huge increase in light gathering capability.

 The main cameras that we use are Sony VX2000s.  These outstanding cameras combine the professional grade 3 CCD system found in the larger shoulder mounted DSR250, but in a smaller, more discreet camera perfect for weddings. The large CCDs in these cameras produce excellent results indoors, even in low light situations where lesser cameras produce a grainy or washed out picture.  They record in the 100% digital DV format and produce picture quality that is unrivaled by small format consumer camcorders.

Sennheiser Wireless and Shotgun Microphones

Bogen/Manfrotto Tripods, Monopods, and Shoulder Mounts