So, you like the videos on our site? Ever wondered what it takes to shoot these videos? It is much easier than you think! All the great footage hosted here has been submited by visitors like you who love watching airplanes and want to be as close to them as possible. But after a couple of trips to your local airport you start feeling that you wish you could have a reason to be there more often.

Well, we've got good news for you! You could easily become an airplane spotter/videographer. It takes little previous experience to become a good videographer. You will also find that shooting videos is far easier than taking photos. All you basically need to do is be able to follow the aircraft with your camera and have a steady hand (or use a tripod). On the other side, you need to have some basic knowledge of photography and Photoshop to get good photos.

Now, what are you waiting for? All you need is a Mini DV camcorder and a couple more accessories. It is an investment for a lifelong enjoyment. Besides, you can use your brand new camcorder to record videos of your favorite moments with your family and friends. You will also be able to put them on your computer and save them to a DVD to keep those memories (next to your airplane videos) forever.

These are people like you who are happy they did it:

Photo 1 :: Photo 2 :: Photo 3 :: Photo 4 :: Photo 5

Required Equipment List

• Digital camcorder, either capable of recording to MiniDV or directly to DVD. The most important aspect to consider is the quality of your camcorder. The best videos are shot with the best cameras 90% of the time. As a general rule, you should get the best camera you can afford in order to have the best airplane videos. Therefore getting a camcorder with 3CCD and a quality lens will greatly help the overall quality of your videos even if you are a beginner.
  
  Another aspect to consider is getting a camera with at least 10-20x optical zoom since you will be far from the aircraft most of the time. So a good zoom is crucial. The more optical zoom the better. Make sure the zoom is optical and not just digital. But don't take our word for it and see for yourself. These two videographers use cameras which are in the $1000 to $2000 USD range and the results are really stunning:
  
  Good camera 1 :: Good camera 2
  
  Nonetheless all of the above, if you can only afford an entry level camera you will still get reasonable results.
  
  Click here to view some suggestions of cameras with 3CCD.
  
  Click here to view some suggestions of entry level cameras.
  
  

• PCI IEEE 1394 Firewire Adapter. This will enable you to transfer your videos to your computer. Most modern computers and laptops already have this included.
  
  Click here to view some suggestions.
  
  

• Firewire cable to connect camera to firewire connector/adapter.
  
  Click here to view some suggestions.
  
  

• Video Editing Software. If you have Windows XP installed on your computer you can use Windows Movie Maker.
  
  If you don't have windows XP we recommend you to use Ulead Video Studio since it is very easy to use.
  
  

• Camera Tripod. Recommended for best results.
  
  Click here to view some suggestions.
  
  

• Live close to an airport....optional ;)