when to use 24P? 30P? and 60P???

[Nicholas Natteau]

Hello everyone,

Just traded in my Sony Z1 for an HVX200 and I am doing my first test shoots with this camera.

I know this might sound like a dumb question, but can someone please help me understand when is it better to shoot 24p? 30p? and 60p?

I know that 24p is the language of film and nearly all the HVX clips I've seen posted seem to be in 24p, but when would you NOT want to use 24p?

I've noticed for example that when I use 24p and follow a subject walking in front of me, I see way too much strobing. It seems to me that 24p is better suited for tripod shots and that anything handheld would look better if it were shot in 60p.

Would very much appreciate some feedback.

Thank you in advance,

- Nicholas

[THoff]

You already nailed it -- anything with fast motion is a poor candidate for film cadence.

If you are shooting films, interviews, documentaries etc., then 24P is the obvious choice. If you are shooting action sports, live performances like concerts or dance, you'd want a higher framerate.

The other consideration is the medium that you are targeting. If you are going to put this on a DVD, you'll have to abide by the DVD specifications for your local TV standard. If you are going to the web, then almost anything goes as far as framerate is concerned -- many codecs allow you to pick whatever framerate you want.

[Nicholas Natteau]

Thanks THoff,

That's what I thought. I've also heard that you can make it look less strobe like in 24p if you increase the shutter speed. Will try this out.

Actually I intend to shoot mostly interviews, timelapse and slow motion for a history documentary.
From what you've told me 24p sounds like the way to go.

But is it better to shoot 30p if you plan on going straight to TV or would 60p be even better if you're thinking TV rather than cinema?

What I'm trying to figure out is how people have shot in 24p and yet I can't see any strobing.

For example, I saw one film Last Stop for Paul. Entirely shot on a DVX100 using 24p...lots of fast action, yet I couldn't see any strobing. That's why I'm thinking they must have used a fast shutter speed.
Not sure really.

Thank you for your help.

- Nicholas

[GeoMar]

When I shoot 24Pn it looks juddery in the viewfinder, but not in the actual video.

One thing I like about 24Pn is that if you are making a DVD you can encode it as 24 fps and let the DVD player do the pulldown. With fewer frames to encode, you get more bandwidth per frame, which is cleaner compression. It's like getting free bandwidth.

geo.

[David Jimerson]

Increasing the shutter speed will give you MORE strobe.

You can go to TV with any framerate. 30p, 60p, or 60i are not better unless they fit within your desired artistic goals. There's no technical issue involved.

Getting less strobe with 24p is all about how you move the camera. It's about techniques which have been developed by cinematographers for many decades.

Also, the HVX is particuarly well-suited to cinematic action because you can shoot at a slightly higher framerate like 26 fps or 28 fps, which will automatically play back at 24 fps, giving it a smoother motion, but one that's surreally slower -- not slow enough to look slow, but just to look a little bit different and more dramatic -- and, as I said, a little smoother.