Recording simultaneously with several camcorders, How?
 

Hi.

Just wondering, i know its do-able but how?

What software is used to simultaneously record from severval canon cams? (same models)

Thanks,
Gavin Thomas

You can record each cam indivudally and then sync in post.

There are some expensive solutions out there that may allow you to record several inputs at once (I think)... they can be useful in particular multi-camera situations

If your production is well under an hour and you don't mind wasting a bit of tape, you could get all your cameras together (you said they're the same brand?) and use the remote to start them all at once. They should all start pretty close to the same time. Then set up the cameras and go hard.

One way to make for easier synchronization that I thought of (but haven't tried out yet) is using a flash to sync the cameras in post. Just get the cameras relatively near each other, point them at someting that can create a very quick (1 frame) flash like a photo camera and flash it. Don't stop recording. It would be a good idea to do it again after the shoot, just in case. Once you go to edit, you simply set the start point of all your cameras to the frame where the flash is going off.

Haven't tried it but I'm sure it would work.

Yeah, the flash frame does work. You don't even need to put the cameras together, because you should be able to distinctly see the flash from all angles.

Theoretically you might miss it if you have a high shutter...?

Anyways, syncing isn't too hard. You'll be able to find out sync points anyways (i.e. b's or p's in dialogue when they just open the mouth, objects hitting).

Multicam shoots are a whole lot easier to sync up if the cameras have (and are using) timecode.