Lee has an Olympus X-820 8.0 megapixel digital camera. A good honest point and click camera that has never let him down. Take care when taking shots on vigils. It is common courtesy to say 'FLASH!' before taking a shot so that those around you can close their eyes or look away.
It is also useful to tell others about the noises, bleeps and lights on your camera so people don't think they have just had a paranormal encounter.

Get to know your camera! Try and use it under different conditions and be aware of faults common with your camera on the manufacturers website. That way any anomalous visual material you capture isn't just lenses flare. One schoolboy error that people do regularly is place a finger over or close to the flash. Another is the camera strap getting in the shot, it produces a hexagonal column that looks very spooky! Finally, be careful not to jump to conclusions over orb photos.


Ros has a Fuji Fine pix S5800. Ros is in total agreement with Lee on the use of your camera, though, just to add, have fun and be aware of things you may inadvertently do that could give a 'paranormal' result. (one man was very excited about the 'ghostly cloud' he had just captured in the Pendle graveyard....I didn't have the heart to tell him that it may have been his ciggie smoke captured on camera). However, Ros is not in agreement with Lee when it comes to the question of orbs!

  
There will be a photo of our new toy - once we get around to it!
Night sight video camera - We have yet to use this on an investigation; call back later to find out what we think. (top of page)

Other than at the Pleasley Vale investigation we have used the Olympus VN-2100PC Digital Voice Recorder (£40 ish) on our investigations with the free detachable unidirectional microphone.
It has served us well but met with a pretty fatal accident at the second Nags Head investigation (apparently planks of wood falling from a great height don't do it much good). It has proved one our most valuable pieces of equipment recording many an EVP, 'tap' and scraping beer barrel as well as a lot of swearing at tense moments,the teams' more dubious understatements and Wayne's little 'rants'.
It saves files as WAV so it is quite easy to use most software to access files. It's also fairly easy to use in the dark as the buttons are far enough apart that once you know where they are – you’re good to go. One caveat Lee would say about dictation machines is to set it recording and put it down somewhere. Lee got excited about an EVP that I caught on ‘tape’. Lee then tried to mimic the voice by rubbing his thumb over the top of the machine – low and behold – a voice from the dead! (top of page)
Our limited technical knowledge and advice from those in the know suggest it is down to how sound is processed by the mike and the chips inside such that it can fool you if you're not careful. This is a problem with most budget kit – so unless you have the cash to splash on professional radio / TV recording equipment it is something you need to bear in mind.It is also useful to state the obvious - like who is in the room, who has joined or left the room and when you pick up and move the dictation machine. Stating the sounds that are present that need to be allowed for later - clocks, water pumps, ice machines, noise from other rooms etc. It is also an invaluable tool to work out what happened when and in which room a little like a notepad with the obvious advantage of being used in the dark. Lee would go as far as to say that the recorder is the most valuable piece of equipment over cameras, EMF meters or any other item of investigative equipment.
To the left is an EMF (Electro- magnetic field) meter with an audible alarm (which can be adjusted for volume) and a flashing red light that trips when EM fields go above 2 milliGauss (units used for Electromagnetic Fields).
That is useful for two reasons; firstly it trips in the frequency range associated with paranormal activity (2 - 7 milliGauss) although it could be a man made or natural field. Secondly, it means you can use it in the dark! It also has an analogue scale showing milliGauss and mW/cm2.
The major downfall with this meter is the separate probe (see picture).The probe can be used in any axis but obviously requires more than one hand.
It also trips if the probe is moved around quickly (but that is true of most meters as it induces a current like a dynamo which sets the meter off giving false readings). The other downfall is that the light and alarm trip when it is switched on - which can make people jump unless you give a warning.
 

 

This part is still under constuction.....................soz!

(top of page)