Each year, we recommend gift items for ghost hunters. This was our list for the 2005 holiday season.
TOOLS FOR GHOST HUNTERS
DIGITAL VOICE RECORDERS - Whether you're recording your own notes as you
tour a haunted sites, or hoping for EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena), a digital voice recorder
is an essential tool for serious ghost hunters.
Key points to look for:
- Easy to transfer files to you computer
- Easy to operate in the dark without confusing buttons
- (Optional) Features "silent mode," meaning no beeps or other distracting sounds
Of course, the higher the sound quality, the better. You want something that will pick up a whisper.
Here are two to consider, depending upon your budget:
Olympus DS-2 Digital Voice Recorder
is a quality recorder at a solid price. This recorder
can be voice activated, or you can use the control buttons on it.
You can operate this recorder in "silent mode," so there are
no annoying beeps to distract investigators during a ghost hunt--many recorders don't offer
this option. Finally, if you're putting
your files online, you'll like the editing software that comes with this; you can select the best portions of your recording
to piece together. Professionals may want to add an optional microphone to tape record phone calls from
clients (consult local laws first, of course), as a back-up for your notes.
But, if you're not sure if you'll use a recorder very often, look at the
Olympus VN-240 PC Digital PC Link Voice Recorder
. First, be sure to get the VN-240 PC, so that
it connects to your computer. (Another Olympus VN-240 recorder cannot be used with your PC.)
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the higher priced recorder, and it lacks the sensitivity you'll
want for the most subtle EVP. But, for the price, this can be a fine way to begin.
DIGITAL CAMERA - The better your camera, the more anomalies you're likely to detect.
Vital features to look for:
- Glass lens in higher-priced cameras
- If the lens is plastic, be sure the manufacturer is well-respected at all price levels
- Rechargeable batteries - You'll go through a lot of them
- Good resolution (high number of pixels)
- Detailed, high-quality photos at night
We're hesitant to recommend any one camera, because this is a matter of personal taste. However, we've
heard good things about the Kodak Easyshare CX7430 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
, which offers
an all-glass lens. It can take movies, but the big plus for
many ghost hunters is the fast "click to capture" time of 0.6 seconds.
FILM CAMERA - Film cameras can provide different anomalies than digital. And, it's smart to
have some "hard evidence" of hauntings on film, to show your client that the anomaly is on the negative and
not a processing error.
Useful features to look for:
- Glass lens if possible
- 35mm film - smaller formats won't capture enough detail
- Easy to reload film in the dark
According to our experiments, almost any quality film camera is fine. Our famous
"sparkles" camera is an Olympus, so, if you're shopping for a good secondary camera, consider the
Olympus Infinity Zoom 80 QD Date 35mm Camera
. One big plus to this is the option of dating your pictures automatically. When you're going through
your old photos later, it will be easier to identify pictures were taken during each investigation.
