D600 Video questions

A

AlexanderC

Member
Ok so I recently acquired a D600 and am trying to work out the best way to shoot video with it. Although I did have a GH1 briefly I'm not overly experienced with DSLR video.

My questions are as follows:

In video how the hell do you get correct exposure? So far I have been switching to stills mode checking exposure then switching over to video mode. Is there a way to get a histogram or at least an exposure meter in video mode?

How should I be importing into Premier 5.5 it doesn't seem to like the native codec and doesn't auto transcode it. Whats the best way for me to import footage.

Thanks
 
If it's like the D7000 and other Nikons, you have limited exposure information in live view mode. With aperture ring-less lenses you can't alter the aperture once live view is engaged (so you pick depth of field look and lock that in), and changing shutter speed will also affect the character of your shot - it makes most sense to shoot video in shutter-priority mode, usually with a 1/50th shutter. The one variable you have left is ISO sensitivity.

In practice, many of us turn auto ISO on and set the AE-L button to toggle mode. You let the camera pull an exposure which looks about right, then lock it for the duration of your shot. If you need to ramp exposure during a shot either (a.) find a way to avoid that, (b.) toggle AE-L off and back on again, and bite the exposure pop, or (c.) find a work-around, like eyeballing exposure and using manual-aperture lenses or variable ND filters.

Metering is an eyeball affair. In time you'll come to trust the camera more than you might initially expect, but external monitoring helps enormously too. A good HDMI monitor or EVF with false colour metering or a waveform can be a big help in some circumstances.

One helpful tool is exposure compensation, which can nudge the camera in your desired direction if the autos don't do what you want.

No, none of this is ideal, though it's entirely possible to shoot good-looking footage with Nikon DSLRs.

I can't help you with your Premiere Pro question, sorry.
 
JonathanS said:
If it's like the D7000 and other Nikons, you have limited exposure information in live view mode. With aperture ring-less lenses you can't alter the aperture once live view is engaged (so you pick depth of field look and lock that in), and changing shutter speed will also affect the character of your shot - it makes most sense to shoot video in shutter-priority mode, usually with a 1/50th shutter. The one variable you have left is ISO sensitivity.

In practice, many of us turn auto ISO on and set the AE-L button to toggle mode. You let the camera pull an exposure which looks about right, then lock it for the duration of your shot. If you need to ramp exposure during a shot either (a.) find a way to avoid that, (b.) toggle AE-L off and back on again, and bite the exposure pop, or (c.) find a work-around, like eyeballing exposure and using manual-aperture lenses or variable ND filters.

Metering is an eyeball affair. In time you'll come to trust the camera more than you might initially expect, but external monitoring helps enormously too. A good HDMI monitor or EVF with false colour metering or a waveform can be a big help in some circumstances.

One helpful tool is exposure compensation, which can nudge the camera in your desired direction if the autos don't do what you want.
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These are great tips Jonathan. One thing I've found shooting dSLR video (I use a Nikon D7000 and D800) is that you can get really nice footage, but it takes a bit of work. And any sort of run-and-gun assignment can be full of headaches...

Watch for future firmware updates. There are strong rumors that Nikon is working on a new firmware update for the D600 which will allow changing the aperture in live view mode electronically with your dials.
 
I can't believe Nikon put this camera out on the market with no ability to change the aperature in live view anyways. At only $800-900 less than the D800 I don't understand why anyone using it to shoot video would buy the D600 instead anyway. Nikon is selling it for WAY WAY to much $$ in my opinion. I noticed in my local COSTCO store the D600 is available for $2995 with a lense and bag/accessories. This is STUPID. for the same amount you can jump into the D800 (but without lens/accessories) but worth it imho. When I first bought my D800 and heard the 600 was coming out I thought "oh crap!" but then when I saw the price and the difference in the two features wise I never looked back.
I guess I sound like I'm camera bashing. I'm sure you can get great images from the D600 and if your budget is right on the edge then go for it. I'm only saying it's worth the extra for the features of the D800 for just a few hundred bucks more.
 
The D600 isn't really targeted at video shooters, it's more like an FX format upgrade to the D7000. Similar body size and layout and batteries and it makes a logical upgrade if you were looking to go full frame but wanted a familiar camera.

Also, your price comparison isn't really fair. The D600 body only is $2100, a pretty big difference from the D800. The kit is more for people who don't have an FX kit zoom.
 
hendosan said:
The D600 isn't really targeted at video shooters
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Then why include HDMI? and headphone jack?

On paper the smaller Mp count looks more appealing than the D800. Its just funny how Nikon limit their cameras like this, I mean they don't have a Video Camera department, they could make Dslr that smokes their rivals in video with no detriment to other areas of their business. To say they only need to compete on the stills front is a joke. Every camera review includes video these days many pro shoot both still and video professional.
 
I only use lenses with an aperture ring, set the f/stop and ISO speed, then set the camera to A, read off the shutter speed, switch to M and adjust the shutter speed to the same level the A program had. I make adjustments with the aperture ring while filming. Works like a charm.
 
Ditto

Ditto

Giganova said:
Nikon heavily advertises the D600 for video shooting and it is an excellent camera for filming (mic input, headphone out, mic levels, HDMI out, etc)!
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What he said. Lots of old glass, declicked aperture rings, blows smoke up other systems !@@. :)
 
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