The Canon EOS Rebel T5i camera is a complex machine that will allow me to film the interviews for my Capstone Project. However, like all technology, it has affordances and constraints.

Question 1

The Technology Overview

The technology I have chosen to discuss is the Canon EOS Rebel T5i camera. I am using this brand and model because it is accessible to me in the gear room. I do not own my own camera and so I am using the model and brand provided to me by the Communications Department. Additionally, I am using this camera because I have experience using it from my Digital Field Methods class in the first semester of my junior year. It makes sense to use a brand/model of camera that I have used in the past because I know where the settings on the camera are, and I can effectively manipulate the settings to be what I need for my project. 

Question 2

What Features I Need to Master

One feature of the camera I need to master in order to create a professional-level project is the white balance. This is important because even if I attempt to fix the white balance in post production through my Davinci Resolve editing software, the initial white balance setting on the camera is crucial. This is because if the initial white balance is off, the interviews could have an orange or blue hue and this is not the professional look I want for these interviews. I intend on mastering this through practice in the coming weeks before the real interviews are filmed. I can practice getting an accurate white balance by holding up a piece of true white paper in front of the lens. 

Another feature of the camera I need to master is setting my f-stop properly. I need to practice getting the proper f-stop number. I believe I should set it to 1.8 but I will confirm that through trial and error in the next week. 

One more feature of the camera I need to master is ensuring I set my ISO properly. I believe I should set it to auto, but that is something I will need to practice in the coming weeks as I prepare for the real interviews. 

Question 3

How This Technology is Social

The camera is social because it can connect people to one another through personal experiences and stories when interviewing them. People can learn from each other through interviews, and the camera helps facilitate that process. The design feature that helps this is the fact that the camera can record videos in addition to photographs, because through videos you can hear people’s voices and see their facial expressions. 

The camera can also capture emotion better than a written description alone can, because it puts the face to the voice. Writing alone does not always adequately describe the emotion of what someone is feeling. The microphone in the camera as well as the lens on the camera are features that allow this emotion to be captured and recorded. 

One more way the camera is social is it can connect people from different places around the world. Once an interview or video is recorded, the recording can be transferred to devices around the world. I can record an interview and be able to send that content to my friend who lives in Spain, which connects us socially, even on different continents. All the features of the audio and video recording settings of the camera help facilitate this social communication. 

The camera has enhanced human behavior because it allows us to capture precious moments and experiences, as well as educational content that can produce social change. The interviews I will conduct could not be completed to the same professional standard without the camera.  

Question 4

How This Technology Reflects Cultural Values

There is a cultural value of visual communication. Due to smartphones everyone has video content at their fingertips. Therefore we expect and respond positively to this form of communication. 

The intimacy of one-on-one interviews is also more prevalent today than ever before due to advanced technology like the camera.

The camera can also capture more candid responses, as opposed to prepared statements or responses. Culturally, this has become the norm. 

Question 5

Affordances of This Technology

One affordance the camera provides me is the ability to record something and rewatch it immediately after, in the saved history on the camera. I do not have to wait to export the files to my computer before watching them. 

Another affordance the camera provides me is allowing me to adjust the white balance in real time so that I can get the best shot possible with a consistent balanced color palette throughout the video. 

A third affordance the camera provides is it allows me to immediately stop recording whenever I want to and delete the footage. This saves room on my SD card and eliminates bloopers that I will not be using in the final product. 

Question 6

Constraints of This Technology

One constraint of the digital camera is it does not have a voice command setting. For example, I can ask my smartphone to access Siri, which can help me find an answer to a question or an app I am looking to use. The camera does not have this ability. Voice commands are also beneficial to people with disabilities who may have vision impairments and need controls they can access with their voice. This is important for accessibility. 

Another constraint is the camera does not allow me to edit the videos directly on it. If I were filming on my phone, I could trim the videos and make edits to them on there. On the camera I have to export the videos and edit them on a separate software program. 

A different constraint is that while the camera captures audio, it is not the highest quality audio I will need for my project. To achieve that audio I need to use separate microphone and audio equipment.