Best video settings for a DSLR?

kiawill

kiawill

YTtalk Mad
Hi guys

I have a Canon 700D.

Are there any settings I can adjust to make sure I am using the best settings?[DOUBLEPOST=1452361473,1452329514][/DOUBLEPOST]any suggestions?
 
A shutter speed of 1/50 and frame rate of 30fps is generally recommended for video, and for a more 'cinematic look' 24fps. If you can, try shooting at 60fps, which looks the most realistic. Other than that, just play around with different camera settings and see what looks best to you!
 
Hey Kiawill.

I've been using DSLR's for years and it takes a long time to get to grips with them. First of all deffo fire any other questions my way, any time, if you'd find it helpful. I'd be glad to impart my experience!

Let's assume you're using your DSLR for video? Let me think about three top things that spring to mind.

1. Lens
Invest in a nice 50mm f1.8 lens. The Canon 700D has a crop sensor so there are a selection of EF-S lenses which are cheap because they are only suited for the crop sensors. The 1.8 aperture will give you great low light capabilities and also give you a shallow depth of field. (Shallow DOF adds a bit of production value IMO!)

2. Exposure
As a videographer I would say setting your camera onto manual exposure is a crime! However, if you're not experienced with Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO ect then I'll let you off ;) However, you should think about setting these yourself for optimum image quality. There are endless other little tips and tricks with DSLR's that I'd be happy to share with you should you want that. Eg. shooting images as a flat profile for later grading.

3. Audio
Have you considered audio? DSLR built in microphones are absolutely not worth your time. For a low budget starter mic I recommend the Rode NTG2. You might want something like a Zoom H4N though to pair it with though.

This is just the start; welcome to the world of DSLR's!

Have a good day,
James :)
 
Sadly I'm not able to post in private conversations yet! I discovered that after typing it all out. I'll just post here; hope that's OK.

************************

Hello!

It totally depends on your needs. I could write for hours about all the settings and what they mean. If you're not particularly motivated to get a technical head on and 'nerd out' on DSLR settings, use manual movie exposure. That's totally fine if it meets your needs.

If you want to go for a more professional look, consider the following settings:

First set to manual exposure by looking in 'menu' then in one of the video tabs it will say something about manual/auto exposure.

1. ISO - Sensor sensitivity. Affects the amount of light. You don't want that any higher than 200 or you'll see video noise. You change it with the little ISO button on the top of your camera.

2. SHUTTER SPEED - As a rule for video, it should be double your frame rate. So if you're shooting in 1080p 24fps, you want your shutter to be 50 ideally.

3. APERTURE - Depending on your lens you will have varying numbers of f-stop available. As I said before I recommend a 50mm f1.8 Canon lens. It's only like £70 and has that nice 1.8 aperture. Set this on your camera by holding down 'AV' and scrolling the wheel on the top of your camera. By setting a low number, you'll get more light into the shot and a shallow depth of field. A higher number lets in less light but keeps everything in focus.

Play with these until you get a shot that looks nicely exposed. (Not too dark, not too light.) If you find your shot just wont get any brighter by following these tips, you may have to bump up your ISO. In the real world we would go and get more physical light rather than change ISO but it's a way round.

I might have bombarded you with a lot of DSLR jargon there? Not sure how much experience you have but shout if that's all gone over your head.

Best of luck,
James.

PS. What are you plugging your Rode Mic into? Is it Rode's videomic that plugs straight into your camera?
 
ItsJustJames said:
Sadly I'm not able to post in private conversations yet! I discovered that after typing it all out. I'll just post here; hope that's OK.

************************

Hello!

It totally depends on your needs. I could write for hours about all the settings and what they mean. If you're not particularly motivated to get a technical head on and 'nerd out' on DSLR settings, use manual movie exposure. That's totally fine if it meets your needs.

If you want to go for a more professional look, consider the following settings:

First set to manual exposure by looking in 'menu' then in one of the video tabs it will say something about manual/auto exposure.

1. ISO - Sensor sensitivity. Affects the amount of light. You don't want that any higher than 200 or you'll see video noise. You change it with the little ISO button on the top of your camera.

2. SHUTTER SPEED - As a rule for video, it should be double your frame rate. So if you're shooting in 1080p 24fps, you want your shutter to be 50 ideally.

3. APERTURE - Depending on your lens you will have varying numbers of f-stop available. As I said before I recommend a 50mm f1.8 Canon lens. It's only like £70 and has that nice 1.8 aperture. Set this on your camera by holding down 'AV' and scrolling the wheel on the top of your camera. By setting a low number, you'll get more light into the shot and a shallow depth of field. A higher number lets in less light but keeps everything in focus.

Play with these until you get a shot that looks nicely exposed. (Not too dark, not too light.) If you find your shot just wont get any brighter by following these tips, you may have to bump up your ISO. In the real world we would go and get more physical light rather than change ISO but it's a way round.

I might have bombarded you with a lot of DSLR jargon there? Not sure how much experience you have but shout if that's all gone over your head.

Best of luck,
James.

PS. What are you plugging your Rode Mic into? Is it Rode's videomic that plugs straight into your camera?
Click to expand...


Brilliant thank you!

That lens you reccomded, can you and me a link on Amazon?

I currently have the standard 18-55mm

Will I see much difference with the lens you reccomded?

And yes, I plug the Rode mic straight into the camera
 
It appears to be £20/£30 more expensive than the one I purchased this a few years back. It does however look to be for both crop sensor and full frame cameras; this is great if you plan to upgrade.

YES YES and YES you will see a difference. Note it's a prime lens which means it doesn't zoom - but you can work around that easily enough. You own the kit lens which has something like a 3.5 aperture. This doesn't give you much depth of field and isn't much good in low light situations. The 1.8mm does all these things.

I'm unsure why I cannot post a URL to the Amazon page. But type "Canon 1.8 50mm" into Amazon.co.uk search and you're looking for the product named "Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens". It's priced at £104.96 at the time of typing this.

Best of luck,
James.
 
B
ItsJustJames said:
It appears to be £20/£30 more expensive than the one I purchased this a few years back. It does however look to be for both crop sensor and full frame cameras; this is great if you plan to upgrade.

YES YES and YES you will see a difference. Note it's a prime lens which means it doesn't zoom - but you can work around that easily enough. You own the kit lens which has something like a 3.5 aperture. This doesn't give you much depth of field and isn't much good in low light situations. The 1.8mm does all these things.

I'm unsure why I cannot post a URL to the Amazon page. But type "Canon 1.8 50mm" into Amazon.co.uk search and you're looking for the product named "Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens". It's priced at £104.96 at the time of typing this.

Best of luck,
James.
Click to expand...


Thank you, your order has been placed.
We've sent you an e-mail confirmation.


Boom! Thanks James. It's coming Tuesday
 
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