Video technique
What ISO?
ISO behaves in video just like still photography. For stills, however, when you shoot in low light, you can use an exposure of several seconds to allow the use of low ISO settings, but you can’t do that in video, so you need to set a higher setting to allow the use of a shutter speed double that of the frame rate. If you use auto ISO, set an upper limit that isn’t too high, say ISO 800, so quality stays good. If you find you shoot a lot in poor light, the best thing is to buy a LED light – we’ll be discussing options next month.
ABOVE The K&FVariable NDXVariable ND filter 2-32 has a working range of 1 to 5EV and the filter rim has markings to help accurate setting. The 77mm version costs £54.We’ll have muchmore on vital video accessories in the next issue
ABOVE Increase the ISOwhen the light levels are low to keep the shutter speed twice as fast as the frame rate. This was an image from footage taken on an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Exposure exposed
On cameras with video, hitting the movie record button will start recording – in DSLRs you need to be in live view first – and you might find the results fine as the camera adjusts to account for different lighting. But taking control will work better, so set manual exposure mode. The rule for video is set a shutter speed that is double the frame rate, ie in 25p you need a shutter speed of 1/50sec for natural-looking movement. In bright daylight, even at low ISO settings, that means overexposure. Some cameras have a zebra pattern function that warns when exposure highlights are blown out. Maximum brightness is usually defined as 100, so if you set 100+ this means if you are seeing zebras on the screen, those areas of the scene are burning out. So you know you have to take action, like set a smaller aperture or fit an ND filter. Setting a smaller aperture can resolve the overexposure issue, but you might not always want the extensive depth-of-field that gives. To still shoot at wideish/mid-lens apertures, you could fit a neutral density filter – ones to consider having in the bag are 4x (2EV), 8x (3EV) and 64x (6EV). Or invest in a variable ND filter. These come in different density ranges and are totally variable between the two extremes.
Memory cards
Mastering white-balance Many photographers rely on the camera’s auto white- balance and then tweak colour in post-processing. In-video Raw recording is well into pro territory, so you need to get it right in-camera. Because a camera’s AWB will monitor and constantly make adjustments, this can be disconcerting. You’re better off using a preset to suit the lighting or perhaps, better still, taking a custom white- balance reading. The actual process varies from system to system but the principle is the same: it means taking a shot of something white, such as a sheet of A4 office paper (you don’t have to focus on it, but just make sure it fills the frame fully). Remember though: when you move locations, you need a new measurement. ABOVE Taking control of white-balance will improve the look of your footage, especially if you are shooting in a mix of differ- ent lighting environments NEXT MONTH Essential video accessories
You already have a stock of SD, micro SD and/ or CompactFlash cards. If you have a camera that takes CFast or XQD cards, the good news is that you have fast enough cards already. However, with the other formats, check what you have, because when you start recording 4K video, you need to think about your cards, because there’s a lot of data to deal with. Use a card that can’t keep up with all that data, and you might have dropped frames, interrupted recordings or the camera might not accept it. For CompactFlash, look for a minimum of 1000x, which is 150MB/s, while for SD cards, you need Speed Class 10, UHS Class I or V10 as a minimum, or better still UHS Class 3 or V30. The V or Video Speed Class rating is a recent innovation to indicate write speed for video: V6, V10, V30, V60, V90 – the figures correspond to the write speed in megabytes per second, ie V90 is 90MB/s.
ABOVE If you want to be sure, a card like the Lexar Professional 2000X U3 UHS-II is ideal
About sound
If your camera shoots video, it’ll have a built-in microphone and the option of plugging in an external mic– a few cameras will have a headphone socket for sound monitoring, too. Internal mics are basic and will pick up unwanted noise, including the sound of the lens focusing or you altering the
aperture ring. Its working range is limited, too, so basically sound from your internal mic is nothing to write home about. We''ll have advice on how to make more of the internal mic on our website. We’ll be discussing external microphone options and what to buy in detail next issue.
Keeping it steady
For video, five-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) is really effective and we’re seeing more cameras coming out with this feature. It enables steady handheld shooting and can give smooth- looking footage even when walking, so it’s definitely worth having it switched on. Some systems have a choice of modes, so check your camera’s manual to make sure you are using the right mode for video. Some stabilisers will crop the footage so be aware of that. ABOVE A five-axis IBIS system will correct for yaw, pitch, roll, vertical and horizontal movements using internal gyros and sensor shift. This system is from the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III
Go to photographynews. co.uk for more Summer Festival technique,
including shooting slomo and time-lapse advice, getting the most from your internal mic and seven videomistakes to avoid.
ABOVE Don’t expect too much from your camera’s internal microphone and when you are shooting try to keep any noise you make to a minimum
Issue 77 | Photography News 17
photographynews.co.uk
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