Equipment Guide
CCC Journalism Equipment Guide
REQUIREMENTS
All students enrolled in Reporting and Writing 2 must provide their own camera and video equipment and a tripod. The Journalism Department and individual instructors cannot provide technical support for cameras that we do not recommend. Students need a digital camera AND a pocket HD video camera or smartphone. A digital camera that shoots video is not acceptable for the video camera unless it's a high-end camera with an external audio jack such as the Nikon D3100 or Canon Rebel that we recommend. Some courses may have additional requirements. For example, students in mobile journalism must have a smartphone or iPodTouch.
RW1--digital audio recorder (could be your cell phone. You must be able to download audio files to your computer).
RW2—pocket HD video camera, digital camera and tripod
DIGITAL STORYTELLING--pocket HD video camera, external hard drive, digital camera, tripod and digital audio recorder. We recommend the H1 Zoom recorder and accessory kit from B and H, which retails for $98. See the Video section for the cameras we recommend.
Transfer students—pocket HD video camera, digital camera and tripod for upper-level courses
Graduate students—pocket HD video camera, digital camera, external hard drive and tripod
For other courses, please refer to the syllabus. Equipment required in RW2 will be used in advanced course work. It is your responsibility to keep and maintain it after you've completed RW2.
HARD DRIVE
An external hard drive is a lot like the hard disk drive in your computer, but it is portable. It will allow you to store files and large projects, transferring the data between computers in the labs at school and your own personal computer. External hard drives are better than small USB flash drives because they are often less expensive (per gigabyte), sturdier and faster for data transfer. An external hard drive also allows you to back up your data, and because your data is your responsibility, it is prudent for you to have more than one copy of a large project or the data files you need to complete an assignment. A1TB portable hard drive costs about $120. Smaller drives are less expensive.
The drives should meet the following minimum specifications:
USB 2 and FireWire 800 ports (for PC)
250GB
5400 or 7200 RPM
LAPTOP COMPUTER
The Journalism Department has classrooms and labs equipped with the latest Apple computers and software. You are not required to have a personal computer, but it may make your life easier if you decide to work on your projects or assignments when our labs are not open. Having a laptop also will allow you to produce freelance journalism. For basic word processing and some limited multimedia, you can use either a PC or Mac, although most journalists in the field use Mac computers, particularly to produce multimedia. For students interested in broadcast or digital journalism, we recommend the AppleMacBook Pro. While more expensive, Mac laptops are sold with the basic software and tools needed to edit photos and create video projects. You can use open-source (free) software on either a PC or a Mac to produce multimedia journalism. Some open source recommendations:
AUDIO—Audacity
(Make sure you follow the instructions to download the LAME plug-in to be able to export MP3 files).
WORD PROCESSING—Open Office
VIDEO— Avidemux
PHOTO— Gimp
CONVERTER--MPEG Streamclip
Download the software here.
Laptop computers should meet the following minimum specifications:
Operating System:
-Apple OS 10.6/10.5.8 or WindowsXP/Vista/7
-Microsoft Office 2003 or later or Open Office
-Wi-Fi Connectivity
-USB 2.0 and/or FireWire Connectivity (for PC)
-1GB RAM (2GB recommended for Broadcast/Digital Media)
MOBILE PHONES AND HANDHELD DEVICES
Journalists are increasingly using mobile technology to produce stories inexpensively and quickly from the field, delivering news directly to their readers and viewers through social media, mobile apps and websites. Mobile journalism is journalism produced through a mobile device such as an iPhone or Droid. Students who are interested in producing multimedia with a device without purchasing a smartphone or signing a carrier contract might consider the Apple iPod Touch 4th Generation, which sells for about $150 used, in good condition, or $189 new. This is the preferred video camera that we recommend.
Although this list is constantly evolving, here is a selection of recommended mobile journalism apps for producing multimedia:
EQUIPMENT
The Journalism Department has a modest amount of equipment available for students and faculty to check-out, including first and second generation Flip video cameras, tabletop tripods and headphones.
Students must be enrolled in a Journalism course to check out equipment. Please see Kimberly Jozwiak at the front desk of the Journalism Department (C-201). The check-out period is 24 to 48 hours. Students are responsible for equipment and will be billed if it is lost or damaged.
PHOTO
The best camera to have on any breaking news story is the one that you have with you. A basic point-and-shoot camera will meet the minimum requirements.
Students interested in investing in a camera that also shoots video should consider a digital camera that has audio input, meaning an external microphone can be attached. Bad audio can ruin a video project. Two recommended cameras (both kits retail for about $600) are:
Please note that you will need to purchase an external microphone that fits either of these cameras to capture the best audio.
Generally, students should not use a mobile device to take photos. But this New York Times article might be of interest to students interested in exploring mobile photojournalism in addition to photojournalism. It discusses kits that can turn a mobile phone into more of a professional camera.
For journalism majors enrolled in courses in the Photography Department, please refer to these non-major requirements.
AUDIO
Students should be mindful that audio recorded on a cell phone may be useful as a back-up for note-taking during interviews but will not be adequate for using for a web or radio project. Smartphones or tablets with an external microphone attached will produce professional quality audio. In the right conditions, smartphones, pocket video cameras or an iPod Touch without an external microphone could record sufficient quality audio.
For basic digital recording, students should consider purchasing an external microphone that connects to a smartphone, tablet, iPodTouch or DSLR. Please check to make sure that the connection works for your particular device. We recommend the iRig external microphone ($45) and the Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier condenser microphone ($20)
For high-end audio using a digital recorder, we recommend the Zoom H1 handyrecorder. One drawback: This recorder is super-sensitive to handling noise. This is a pretty easily fixed by attaching a handle, part of a $25 accessory kit, which is a must-have. It also includes the windscreen and a/c adapter.
Headphones are essential for editing audio and video so that you do not disturb your neighbors in the lab and so that you can produce the best quality audio for your project. Headphones are also useful if your video recorder or audio recorder has a plug for you to listen while you are recording. The Journalism Department has headphones available for check-out, but priority will be for instructors to use in the classroom. Students should consider owning their own headphones (not earbuds).
VIDEO
As a general rule, students must use HD video cameras that have an external audio jack for attaching microphones. We recommend these two cameras. Students who use a Flip video camera or other older model video camera will need to purchase a digital audio recorder to meet the requirement for RW2 and upper-level journalism courses. Digital cameras DO NOT qualify unless it is a higher-end camera with the ability to attach a microphone.
We recommend:
CreativeVado HD (3rd Generation) (external audio jack)
iPodTouch 4th Generation (external audio jack)
ONLINE TECHNOLOGY TRAINING
Columbia College Chicago provides free training through Lynda.com, which has more than 60,000 tutorials available for students to access for free. Video tutorials include Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, Final CutPro, Audacity and podcasting, iPhone and iPod Touch and WordPress. To access the site, go to oasis.colum.edu and log in with your Oasis ID and password. Click on the Training Tab and then on the Lynda.com link. For additional instruction, you might also search YouTube.com for tutorials.
PURCHASING
Students and faculty interested in purchasing Apple products, should visit the campus store .
Students might also consider purchasing from B&H through its EDU Advantage Program. It is free to apply for a membership.
For additional reviews and information before purchasing equipment, we recommend CNET or Mashable.
