If you want to improve the sound quality of videos taken with your point-and-shoot camera, give Dual-Eyes a try. The video below was taken with a Leica D-Lux 4 point-and-shoot camera. Although the f/2 lens of this great little travel camera is wonderful, taking excellent video even in low light, the on-board microphone doesn’t work well unless you’re practically on top of your subject.
However, when I record sound by another means, for example, with my hand-held digital sound recorder, the Olympus LS-10, then Dual-Eyes can help me substitute the tracks I capture that way for the not-so-good ones captured by the camera’s on board mic.
Dual-Eyes is simple to use: Just input your sound files (several formats are supported) and your video clips and command Dual-Eyes to synch. The program compares the sine waves of the sound files with those of the video clips and automatically matches the right sound file with the right clip, substituting the more robust sound track for the one of lesser quality.
I think you’ll agree that the sound captured this way for the above video was quite strong and clear. If anything, my LS-10 recorded too much, picking up the scampering child in the background. Background sounds can be controlled by recording a speaker with a lavalier microphone. I have one, but didn’t have time to set it up. Ah well, practice makes perfect.
To see how I mount my little point-and-shoot Leica and my handheld sound recorder on a pistol grip, have a look at this previous CyberKen post.