How To Turn Your iPod Touch Into a Mobile Interview Kit [Macworld 2011]

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SAN FRANCISCO, MACWORLD 2011 — Down on the show floor, I ran into podcaster Tim Chaten, who was using an iPod touch to record video.

Chaten had his iPod touch mounted in a home-made camera rig, complete with an external microphone.

It looks like a pretty good setup for shooting quick and easy videos.

Here’s how he put it together:


Chaten had three goals for his iPod touch video setup:

  • Good sound quality, especially in noisy places.
  • Able to hold it far enough away to get two people into the shot
  • Portable and sturdy

Chaten uses an external mic, which needs an extension cord and headphone adapter. To hold the iPod touch at arm’s length, he uses a flexible case/stand from Thought Out Company called the NAJA King Form. It has a flex-arm that allows Chaten to hold the iPod touch at arm’s length when interviewing someone with the forward-facing camera. That way he can see what’s recording. No need for a camera operator!

He also uses the rear-facing camera for interviews, as in the photo above.

Here’s his equipment list:

The kit cost around $120 (not including the iPod). To extend battery life, he’s thinking of investing in a Mophie JuicePack battery pack. Chaten uses it to produce podcasts for his The Possibilities Production Network.

He has more info here: Turn An iPod Touch Or iPhone 4 Into A Mobile Interview Kit

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