Olympus
Twilight technique Shooting, whether you are doing stills and video, is easier when there is plenty of light around, so when the sun has set it is definitelymore of a technique challenge to ensure top-quality results.Withmy aimhere tomerge stills and video, I took stills using the 16x9 aspect ratio tomatch the 3840x2160 pixels format of 4K video and this helpedme get frame-filling compositions of the right shape in camera. The neat thing is that the camera captures full size 4x3 ratio images anyway, so you can still adjust composition and framing in post-processing.
1. START WITH THE STILLS
2. GO FOR 4K
The OM-D EM-5 Mark III was set up in aperture-priority mode, to shoot Raw and with the 16:9 image aspect ratio. Of course, the aspect ratio can be decided in post- production, but setting it in-camera means the viewing image is masked, which helps accurate composition at the time of shooting. The camera still gives a full-sized Raw so you can still change your mind and refine your images later.
For the best video quality I opted to shoot 4K video, which is 3840x2160, the equivalent of eight megapixels. The set- up options are under Video Menu>Specification Settings. Here you set 4K (or Full HD or HD if you prefer) and there is also the choice of different frame rates: 24p, 25p and 30p are available. The higher rate will give smoother video but that also consumes more storage space.
THE GEAR USED
4. KEEP IT STEADY
3. SET A MODE
An in-body image stabiliser is a huge benefit when it comes to handheld shooting.The OM-D E-M5Mark III has a five- axis in-body image stabiliser with a 5.5EVbenefit (6.5EV with supported lenses).There are twomodes,M-IS1 where stabilisation is done by sensor shift and digitally so there’s slight image crop, and the sensor shift-onlyM-IS2.The latter is smoother when walking and shooting. Both can be accessed via themenu or camera’s Super Control Panel.
You can assign an exposure mode to the movie setting so when you set the mainmode dial to the movie setting the chosen exposure mode is what will be used. However, you can start video recording regardless of what’s set on the exposure mode dial (with the exception of B) simply by pressing the record button that sits next to the rear input dial. Thus, switching to and from still and video shooting is very easy.
For this shoot, Will Cheung used an OM-D EM-5 Mark III. It’s Olympus’ newest Micro Four Thirds camera and boasts a great feature set that will appeal to keen still photographers and video makers. It offers a 20.4-megapixel resolution from its Micro Four Thirds sensor, an in- body image stabiliser offering a 5.5EV benefit with most lenses and 6.5EV with lenses with Sync IS, and it all comes in an impressively small and environmentally sealed body that weighs in at just 414g. Used in combination with the OM-D EM-5 Mark III for this feature were the following M.Zuiko Digital ED lenses:
KEY FEATURES › 20.4-megapixel resolution › High-res shot mode › C4K 4096x2160/24p movie mode › 4K 3840x2160/30p, 25p, 24p movie mode › 121-point phase-detect AF system › In-body, five-axis sensor shift image stabiliser
12-40mm f/2.8 PRO, 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO and 25mm f/1.2 PRO.
5. FOCUS MATTERS
6. REVIEWING YOUR SHOTS
The OM-D E-M5 Mark III’s menu lets you set which focus mode is engaged for video shooting. I set the camera to continuous autofocusing and used the touchAFmonitor tomove the AF point around if necessary. The OM-D E-M5 Mark III is the first in the line to offer on-sensor phase detect AFand it’s responsive and accurate even in low light.
Checking every shot and video clip takes time and battery power.With time being critical in a twilight shoot, I kept previewing to a minimum knowing that the OM-D EM-5 Mark III could deal very skilfully with exposure and focusing, freeing me up to concentrate on getting images while the lighting was good.
Issue 73 | Photography News 21
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