Understanding and Optimizing the Nikon D90 D-Movie Mode Image

Anyone know if this lens works with the D90 to get the results Kholi was talking about? Its an AF, dont have money for a MF : (

247091.jpg




http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...&sku=247091&is=USA&si=rev#anchorToReadReviews
 
Hey guys, just got my D90 with kit lens yesterday and after shooting the first movies I've noticed the obvious noise and the 60hz waves. So, just want to thank all you guys for helping each other (including me) in finding all those ways of getting closer and closer to the camera's potential.
I'm not an expert in videomaking neither in still photography but I'll be doing my best to contribute to this great thread.
Cheers mates! :)
 
just got my D90 tonight. Thank you for this post - saves a lot of time and brings up to speed quickly.

to clarify on the below steps:

1. Without LV mode, set the camera in Manual Mode.
2. Turn on AE-L (LOCK)
3. Close your Iris down to an f5.6 ~ 8
4. Aim the camera at a wall or surface that's brightly lit.
5. Activate LV mode with AE-L still engaged

*A. at the step 5, during that very "second" when LV mode engages we are basically telling the camera to give us the close to desired iso/shutter settings? correct?
*B. as soon as that LV mode is engaged then, these setting stay intact, since we're in AE-L? correct?

----
is there a fixed /better / more exact pattern one can come up with if equipped with a pro light meter and industry standard grey cards?

thanks
 
and another question:

how is the outcome iso/shutter of the above post different from:
1. set the camera in Manual Mode
2. Activate LV mode (No AE-L yet)
3. Aim the camera at a wall or surface that's brightly lit... or at a point you want it to spot-meter and attempt to properly expose for. Set Iris.
4. Turn on AE-L (LOCK)

?
 
with the first method, "kholi's" method, you're basically fooling the camera into setting the iso/shutter. with the second method, the camera is doing all the talking.

i prefer the latter. i haven't had any success with his and just let it auto expose.
 
it seems that with the latter method that if one

- gets desired iso/shutter settings by using lightmeter, greycards for a given scene
- zooms in, red-boxein etc. on the card and let the D90 auto-expose, then AElocks it.
- get a feel (with experience) for how much the d90 auto-exposure spot metering is off from what light meter told you
- fix as needed by playing with lights

comes down to how accurate is that auto-reading of D90 before one AElocks it and how different it is from what the lightmeter says.
...or maybe its just too much theory thinking on my part...

--
seems that "D-exposure" would be of great help at this time...
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=147373
unless we get firmware-lucky which I doubt will happen for these items
 
you can't change the aperture on an automatic lens after entering live view, but with a manual one the second method works great.

/matt
 
Horrible quality. Looks like something out of a Blackberry phone. If you want DSLR video you'll be a lot happier with the Canon 5D. Canon footage has its problems too but at least it' very decent when used right.
 
i posted a stupid remark before that i deleted, but to put it less bluntly: when i go to germany i don't make jokes involving the phrase "heil hitler". sometime you're just supposed to keep things to yourself.
 
I have a question about Kholi's method in general that I don't believe has been mentioned.

...1. Without engaging LV mode, set the camera in Manual Mode. If you're already in
....... Live View, exit. NOTE: The Viewfinder will automatically disengage the meters
....... (AE-L (hold)) If you wait too long. The original time is four (4) seconds. You
....... can set the time-limit to a longer length by going to: Menu > Custom Settings (Pencil Icon) > C (Timers/Ae-Lock) > Auto Meter-off Delay > Select amount of time.
....2. Turn on AE-L (hold), you can check to see if it's active by peerin' into the viewfinder for the AE-L icon.
....3. Close your Iris down to an f5.6 ~ 8
....4. Aim the camera at a wall or surface that's brightly lit. It should not be blown out, but bright. ....I would say just about sixty-percent (60%) Exposed or a little more.
....5. Activate LV mode.
....6. Open the Iris to a 2.8 or 1.4 and check the cleanliness. Not to mention the 1/30 ~ 1/60th shutter. Mmmmm. Delightful.
Click to expand...


I understand it is beneficial to always AE-L regardless of lighting, but is there a benefit to doing steps 4-6 when you are outside on a bright sunny day? Would you still need to do that to make sure the iso is low and the shutter speed is right?
 
on sunny days you'll struggle to keep the shutter slow enough to avoid strobing, so no, all you have to do is adjust the aperture and lock. i close it until i just start to get some motion blur when i pan around, that means i'm around 1/100 or below.

/matt
 
Car3o said:
with the first method, "kholi's" method, you're basically fooling the camera into setting the iso/shutter. with the second method, the camera is doing all the talking.

i prefer the latter. i haven't had any success with his and just let it auto expose.
Click to expand...

i got kholi's method to work. I couldnt get it to work earlier as I was trying to adjust the aperture with jog dial till I realized that the lens I have are "Auto/Manual Aperture Lenses" and I had to manually unlock the Iris ring; camera throws an error, but that doesnt matter - still can record.

Car3o - just pointing this out, in case you have same type lens and couldnt get Kholi's method to work because of the same point I got initially stuck on.
 
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Was playing with metering settings, trying to get spot metering set, aiming at Xrite color/tones of grey card, got same results for all.

then also went to the D90 manual - metering wont give better results, (page 51 under "Recording Movies"): Matrix metering is used regardless of the metering method selected

 
A 4xs ND filter will open up that aperture on a sunny day, for slower shutter speeds, and better dof.
Put one on, and then adjust aperture by aiming the camera around and locking. It should be good.
 
I use an nd8 and an nd4 at the same time. An nd4 by itself does very little in bright daylight, you'll still end up around f/11. /matt
 
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