How To Set Up Your Dslr For Video

HOW TO SHOOT CINEMATIC VIDEO WITH DSLR CAMERAS

Information technology was over 2 years before I started to experiment with video on my current DSLR camera. Little did I know what beautiful footage I was missing out on!

You can reach a totally different look compared to video shot on a GoPro, compact camera, camcorder or phone, with a movie-like quality that looks really professional person. Although some principles of photography remain the same for filming with your DSLR, there are some specific settings and techniques yous need to use when switching to the video role. If you too want to start making travel videos that stand out, read on to larn how to shoot cinematic video with DSLR cameras.

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EQUIPMENT

First up, you'll demand to ensure yous have a few specific pieces of equipment. You'll likely have some of these already if you're a keen photographer, otherwise information technology's time to invest in some new gear.

A DSLR that shoots video (apparently)

Lens(es) to pair with your camera. A lens with a wide aperture (f1.4 for example) is specially useful

A Tripod

A variable ND filter

A fast memory card (SanDisk Extreme Pro 170mb/s for instance)

Extra batteries (shooting video uses up far more bombardment power than photographs)

Editing software for turning your footage into your completed travel video (I've recently made the switch to Adobe Premiere Pro from PowerDirector 16 and I'll never expect back!)

CAMERA SETTINGS

Shutter Speed & Frame Rate

The about important matter to ensure when shooting video is that your shutter speed matches your frame rate. And if you want to achieve that cinematic await, with just the right amount of motion blur, you need to shoot at i/fifty with a frame rate of 24fps (frames per second). You lot tin can alter your fps settings in your camera Menu – on my Canon 700D these settings are in the 'Flick Rec. Size' department (brand certain the dial is switched to Video mode to access this tab). 1920 x 1080 is full HD.

How to shoot cinematic video with DSLR Cameras: Movie Rec. Size Gear up your photographic camera to 1920×1080 for total Hard disk drive and 24fps

Picture Manner

You should besides change your 'Movie Style' settings to 'Neutral'. This dials down the contrast, sharpness and saturation to zilch, which gives you lot much more elbowroom when it comes to editing your footage and getting the await only right. Reducing the sharpness likewise helps to reduce moire, the wavy lines event that can occur when filming something with patterns, lines etc (for example brick walls on a building, or someone wearing a striped T-shirt).

How to shoot cinematic video with DSLR Cameras: Neutral Picture Style Screen Modify your picture show mode to 'Neutral'

White Balance

Finally, something we've learned through experience is the importance of setting your white balance (WB). While auto white balance (AWB) is okay for photography, it tin cause a major headache when color correcting and colour grading video in postal service product. Trying to match various clips with a significantly different white remainder can be tricky to say the least. If your camera has a office to gear up custom white rest, use a grey card whenever you're shooting a new scene to get the white rest spot on. If your photographic camera doesn't accept such a part, choose the nearly appropriate white balance setting for the scene and shoot all subsequent clips using this.

Fundamental Points

Shutter speed : 1/50

Frame Rate: 24fps 1920 x 1080 Total HD

'Neutral' Picture show Style

Set White Balance for each scene

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First SHOOTING

With these photographic camera settings in place you can commencement to actually shoot your videos. There's a bit more to it than just flicking the dial to video and hitting record though.

First of all, make sure the photographic camera dial is set to Manual (M) style. You'll demand to have an understanding of your photographic camera's manual settings, and how to change things like the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. If you're non sure, check the instructions manual!

EXPOSURE

Retrieve I said you have to stick to a shutter speed of i/50, regardless of the surroundings yous're filming in? Well, this can make information technology a scrap tricky to become the right exposure for your shot. If you're filming outside in bright light so your footage volition be style too overexposed. If you're shooting in depression-low-cal then it will be underexposed. So, what's the solution? This is where your option of lens and a variable ND filter come into play.

Bright Light

For shooting in bright calorie-free, you have the choice of narrowing your aperture (a bigger f-number like f/16, f/20 etc) in guild to permit less light in, or using a variable ND filter to block out the light.

While dialling your f-number right up might be the quickest and cheapest solution (if you don't already own a filter) the main drawback with this is that you lot'll lose your shallow depth of field (DOF). Shallow DOF is what really sets your footage autonomously from that which is shot on GoPro, camcorders or whatever (more on this below). And so, ideally yous'll want to use a variable ND filter instead. Basically, information technology'south a filter that screws onto your lens and cuts out the amount of light getting through. You can twist it to vary the corporeality of light beingness blocked out, until y'all have the right exposure while even so shooting at 1/fifty. Think of information technology similar putting sunglasses onto your lens. Also, make sure you lot've got your ISO at the lowest possible setting (eg. ISO 100).

How to shoot cinematic video with DSLR Cameras: Variable ND Filter Shot Yous'll need a variable ND filter like this in club to shoot in bright light

Depression Lite

For filming in depression-light situations you take the opposite problem – non enough calorie-free is getting into your lens at a shutter speed of 1/50. Yous can't just tedious down the speed like y'all would if yous were taking a photograph. Y'all tin can, to an extent, increase your ISO, nevertheless dissonance is far more noticeable on video so it's best to stick to ISO 800 or less.

This means that your ability to capture swell footage in a low-light surroundings will come down to your pick of lens. You want to allow equally much calorie-free into your lens as possible, so y'all need as wide an aperture every bit possible. A fast lens with a pocket-size f-number like f/i.4 is perfect. I have a lot of honey for my Catechism EF 50mm f/1.iv lens. It captures cute images and the DOF you tin achieve is delightfully dreamy. I can shoot perfectly exposed footage in low-light situations, while my 18-135mm f/3.5 lens is rendered completely useless.

FOCUS

You demand to set your camera to manual focus mode and never shoot on auto-focus. Your camera will hunt effectually looking to auto-focus your scene and the resulting footage will be a mess, plus the noise of the motor volition exist aural on your video. If you by and large utilize auto-focus, making the switch to manual focus can have a bit of getting used to just it'southward not difficult.

The easiest style to ensure you take your footage accurately in focus is to zoom in on the live view LCD screen and bank check the detail (on my Catechism I bear on the magnifying glass symbol). Twist your focus ring until the image looks sharp, then zoom back out on the screen. You can also rapidly picture your punch to photo mode and automobile-focus the scene, then switch to manual focus and set your dial back to video mode. Every bit long every bit y'all don't touch the focus band, your focus will remain the aforementioned equally the automobile-focus setting.

Key Points

Switch to M style

Utilize a variable ND Filter in brilliant low-cal

Use a wide aperture (eg. f/1.4) in low light

Don't shoot higher than ISO 800

Always employ manual focus

FILMING TECHNIQUES

In order to shoot cinematic video with DSLR cameras, there are a few techniques that you tin can use.

DEPTH OF FIELD

The most obvious technique is ensuring yous take full advantage of your ability to create shallow depth of field (DOF) footage. This is characterised by an intentionally blurry background (as well known as bokeh), with the foreground in focus. The wider your aperture (smaller f-number like f/1.4, f/2.0 etc) the more pronounced the DOF, or groundwork blur, is. You simply can't achieve this await on a GoPro, phone, camcorder and and then on, and it's a quality that is synonymous with film. The viewer's middle is immediately drawn to the focal betoken of your shot and isn't distracted by whatever else is going on in the frame. Experiment with dissimilar apertures and see what you similar. I love shooting at night with colourful lights blurred out in the background, creating a creamy bokeh-licious scene.

Colourful Buddha's Birthday Lanterns Strung Up at Night with Shallow Depth of Field, Tongyeong, South Korea Shallow Depth of Field – Sharp focus in the foreground and an intentionally blurry background (bokeh)

How to Shoot Cinematic Video with DSLR Cameras: An example of Shallow Depth of Field with detail of grasses in the foreground and the sea and islands blurred in the background on Saryangdo Island, Tongyeong, South Korea Another Example of Shallow Depth of Field – the grass in the foreground is in focus and draws the eye, while the islands and ocean in the groundwork are intentionally out of focus.

SHIFTING FOCUS

Some other technique to try is shifting the focus while filming. This allows you to bring the foreground, middle, or groundwork into focus while the other areas remain blurred, sometimes called 'rack focus'. For case, y'all could focus on a person in the foreground initially, so shift the focus to people in the background. Unless y'all desire to invest in some pretty expensive and beefy equipment, you'll need to rely on your own (very) gentle touch to practise this without shaking the camera. Keep practicing, and getting the focus correct will get second nature.

SLOW AND STEADY

DSLR cameras are suited to sure types of shots much better than others. To go the most out of your footage, and harness that film-similar quality, information technology's best to apply a tripod. This means you'll exist shooting from a fixed location, then take the time to choose your scene and frame up your limerick advisedly. DSLRs are perfect for static or slow panning shots; not fast paced movement, action or walking with the camera shots.

Tripod

There's plenty of fancy equipment out there to assistance you capture 'moving' shots without whatsoever camera shake, but if you're just starting out – or, like us, you're travelling with all your filming gear in your backpack – then you'll need to make practice with the basics. Invest in equally good a tripod as you can afford. I wasn't happy with either of the tripods I owned, so after a LOT of research I settled on a new model last twelvemonth and I'm absolutely loving it. I wanted a light-weight and meaty one for backpacking around the world, but it had to be sturdy and tall enough that I wouldn't be bending over the whole time.

How to shoot cinematic video with DSLR Cameras: Tripod Shot No backache – yay! And it'southward super light and like shooting fish in a barrel to backpack with

I settled on the carbon cobweb Zomei Z669C, which I got for just over £100 off Amazon (which is a fraction of the cost of most carbon cobweb tripods out at that place!). The ballhead makes information technology a doddle to maneuver my camera into any position quickly, and I've establish I tin get a decent enough smooth pan merely by loosening the pan adjustment knob and nudging it around slowly and evenly with my finger. It's important not to pan too apace when filming with your DSLR camera, otherwise yous'll probable end upwards with a wobble effect that volition ruin your shot. Slow and steady it is!

*2020 Update: I've at present upgraded to the Meridian Design Travel Tripod, which I backed on Kickstarter. Its revolutionary design ways it'southward the most compact tripod I've ever plant, ideal for travel. I love information technology!

Other Methods

Photographic camera milk shake is very noticeable when shooting handheld video. If you're unable to apply a tripod, try to reduce the shake by resting the camera on a flat surface, or putting the strap effectually your cervix and extending the camera equally far as information technology will go, pulling the strap taut. Or, it may be that handheld footage is the kind of fashion you're after, in which example go for it! Just call back, quick hasty movements and fast pans don't piece of work well.

Key Points

Embrace shallow depth of field

Experiment with shifting focus while filming

Always use a tripod (unless you're going for a particular handheld style)

Pan/movement the photographic camera slowly and steadily

Last TIPS ON HOW TO SHOOT CINEMATIC VIDEO WITH DSLR CAMERAS

Don't zoom your lens while filming

If you accept a variable aperture lens and then it will cause your exposure to modify and it will be very noticeable on your footage, not to mention amateur looking! It tin also be catchy to perfect a shine zoom, with even the tiniest of photographic camera milkshake beingness very noticeable on your final footage.

Shoot short clips

Stick toaround 15-twenty seconds instead of long clips that you have to pick sections from later. Shooting for longer is besides more likely to cause your sensor to overheat and hot pixels to appear.

Avoid filming scenes with brilliant lights or bulbs

They will likely cause hot pixels to appear on your footage and ruin it. I've never had this problem when shooting still photography simply I've had enough of nasty green pixelated streaks across my film footage when videoing at night.

Shoot 'buffer' footage

Always shoot a few extra seconds at the starting time and end of your clips as a buffer

beware background racket

Be aware of racket around you if you intend to apply the sound in your finished video. Pay attention to buses, cars, roadworks in the distance, a noisy bird etc as these may non seem as well noticeable in real life but can drown out or distract from the main audio on your video. Invest in an external mic (we own and love the Rode VideoMic Pro) if audio is an important part of your videos.

One final affair...

Make clean YOUR LENS! While dirty spots and marks tin exist removed adequately easily from still photographs at the editing stage, it's a laborious process trying to remove them on your video footage with Premiere Pro. Take the fourth dimension to check your lens before you lot hit record!

It can have a chip of practice to find what works for you when starting out learning how to shoot cinematic video with DSLR cameras. Take the time to experiment with unlike techniques and finesse your style and you'll be creating stand-out videos in no time!

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How to Shoot Cinematic Video with DSLR Cameras

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