Help with shooting video

G

grumpdog

New member
Hey,

Just got the Canon 7D. I'm new to DSLRs but not new to videography.

I understand when filming video with Canon 7D its all in AUTO settings unless you have it set to M.

I have failed to find beginner resources online for getting good results in Manual mode.. I don't want to rely on AUTO mode because I don't like auto gains and grain.

I just tried shooting in a semi dark studio and I couldn't even get an exposure unless I cranked up the ISO. and 5.6 was blinking the whole time.

Can someone please forward me to some help??

Lens I'm using are 50 mm prime, the 28-135 that came with it and a Vivtar 7mm fisheye.

thanks
 
Let me add that I watched Philip Bloom Shooting Great Videos with 7D (which basically just told me that I need to buy a ton more equipment). I just need to know basics like how to get a decent exposure in low light video.. I can shoot photos fine and easy.. but video mode seems way different?

also when I zoom in and out there is a flicker??
 
Obviously, the higher the iso, the "brighter" your image will be (at the compromise of more noise at higher ISOs). The wider you open the iris, the brighter the exposure will be. While using slower shutter speeds can help with brightening exposure, it is recommended that you adhere to the 180 degree shutter rule by maintaining 1/50th of a shutter speed when you're shooting 24p (1/120th when shooting 60p, etc.). That's about all the advice there is to be given. If you were already familiar with all of those basic principles and you're still not satisfied with the low light performance, you may have to invest in some faster lenses.
 
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The flicker you get is because your zoom does not have a constant aperture. Some of the nicer Canon L glass does have constant zoom through aperture, so that wont happen. What you can do is stop down one stop more than your lowest aperture when zoomed in and keep that for the whole shot, than the flicker is gone.
 
That flicker is always going to be there in video?? in other words you cant zoom while filming? When I set the camera to M.. my choices are shutter, f stop and iso right? is f stop the same as iris?? Last night I was in an okay lit room and I couldnt get anything unless the ISO was like 5200+ something.. looked horrible.. but online I see a ton of low light footage with no grain.
 
Thanks for your help guys.. the reason for my post is that I just want like basic settings for video shooting.. switching from DVX100B to this I had no idea it would be so difficult . I literally had no idea how to get a decent looking composition last night and I came to this forum because Google searches and such resulted in NO beginner help for this. I watched 2 Magic Lantern DVDs and that Philip Bloom and read the 7d manual and I'm still in the dark (quite literally)
 
whats your shutter usually at? should be about 50 if you're filming at 24p. You can get rid of the flicker while zoom, you just need to stop down to the fastest your lens can be at maximum zoom, and stay there even when you're at your widest.
 
Yes, f stop is the same as iris (and aperture)- the lower the number on your f stop, the more light the lens is allowing into the camera. So, lower number f stops=more light=brighter footage. What Macaholic262 is saying is that the flicker during a zoom can be eliminated if you purchase certain constant aperture zoom lenses or if you set your aperture (iris) to the highest number f stop number available on your zoom lens as you zoom (which probably won't be possible in a setting with low light). The low light footage you see online that looks so great is probably well lit off camera or achieved by using "fast lenses"- the lower the f stop number available on a particular lens, the more light that particular lens will allow onto the exposure.

Reading this may help you in that department:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_speed
 
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i am understanding what you guys are saving but like having difficulty applying it (sigh) so my lenses are Canon EF 50mm 1.8 - and Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens and Vivitar 7mm
 
Ok, the Canon 1.8 lens is a pretty fast lens (the fastest prime lens Canon currently makes is a 1.2). The 28-135mm is not very fast (obviously 3.5 is the fastest aperture setting, but you won't be able to maintain that setting as you zoom in). Remember this (unless you buy a constant aperture zoom), you loose light/the ability to maintain your widest aperture/iris setting as you zoom in. As for the Vivitar lens, 7mm refers to the size of the composition, not the speed. Refer to the f stop number stamped on that lens to determine how fast it is?
 
oh wow ! I just set the shutter to 50, opened the f stop and cam to user def 1 highlight tones and iso 100 - 320 it shoots awesome in low light!! wow huge difference from last night !

I thought the f stop was the focal length? like how far the depth of field goes? or is it both that and the amount of light that comes in? so if I want to zoom with this lens.. I have to set the aperture to the lowest available for fully zoomed in?
 
For the Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens:
When you fully zoom in (135mm of focal length) the minimum aperture is 5.6 and you can not go lower. 5.6 is not enough in low light environment so it blinks red. You CAN NOT get satisfying exposure results with this len. Buy faster zoom. If you want to zoom and avoid flicker during filming you need to by a constant aperture zoom like 2.8 in the whole focal range. 3.5-5.6 is not a correct one.

Here are examples of fast and constant zooms:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/652136-USA/Tamron_AFB005C700_SP_AF_17_50mm_f_2_8.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/234444-USA/Canon_7042A002_70_200mm_f_2_8L_IS_USM.html

That all you shall know from you still experience.
 
The problem here is that you don't know the basics of photography. This is not dvx specific (as u say ur coming from a dvx) but the same across all cameras, be it still or motion/video cameras. If it were just u getting used to the layout and functionability of the cam I could understand but this seems not to be the case as people have repeatedly informed u of what to do. I would recommend learning the basics of shutter speed, fstop, focal length, iso, Depth Of Field and how these factors affect the picture both individually and when working 2gether. Also learn basic composition in order for u to have success with ur new camera.

Have fun with ur new cam :)
Cheers,
 
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grumpdog, you need to learn how to expose an image properly. This is not like a DVX100 where you can point and shoot. Remember that this is a still camera first, and the video mode is an extension of that. (Motion picture film is shot using the exact same principles.)

You say that you can take still photos OK, but I'm not sure what you mean or how you're doing it. If you can take competent stills in manual mode, then you can shoot competent video. So please clarify this point for us.

Grasping the principles of exposure is not hard at all. There are three variables for exposure: shutter speed, aperture (the f-stop), and ISO. Shutter speed controls the motion blur, so you'll want to keep this constant most of the time. 1/50th best approximates the motion blur of film when shooting 24p, but there will be a flickering issue with ballasted light sources (such as fluorescent) in the United States and other ATSC/NTSC regions. When your light source causes a flicker, use a different shutter speed such as 1/60th. Aperture controls the depth of field, and the more open that the iris is (i.e. smaller f-number), the shallower the depth of field. When you want to give a shot a specific look with depth of field, then the aperture will be fixed as well. This leaves ISO as the most variable of the variables. Just set it to the point where the exposure looks right. Keep in mind that anything above ISO 1600 will have noticeable grain.

You should consider buying a handheld light meter. This won't really help you shoot video all that much, but it will help educate you about exposure. A light meter will show you what values for the above variables to use in any given lighting condition.
 
grumpdog said:
I thought the f stop was the focal length? like how far the depth of field goes? or is it both that and the amount of light that comes in?
Click to expand...
You have a lot to learn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_length
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angle_of_view
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

Don't stop reading and don't complain if you find your eyes glazing over with all the technical information. Competent photographers (and good videographers) should know this stuff by heart.

And don't work from assumptions. If you're not clear about certain points, find the information and learn it. If you really knew about f-stops, focal lengths, depth of field, etc., instead of having assumptions about them, then you wouldn't have had the problems that you've experienced.
 
And to add to the poster above me another way to control exposure mainly in sunlight while still keeping ur iris,shutter speed and iso constant is the use of a Variable ND filter. U'll really need one of these. Fader ND is good. I would say to buy 72mm or 77mm and use step up rings with ur lenses for it to fit, so that u can use all size lenses at ur disposal.
the fader ND will allow to to have between 2 and 8 stops of ND and they also have the more extreme version that allows even more ND.

And we are in no way trying to belittle you or make u feel bad but merely trying to help you get better at ur craft. I look fwd to seeing the vids u produce as u progress. I myself shoot with a dvx and hope to get my 7d soon but my biggest issue is going to be learning the functionality of the camera cuz I haven't used a dslr. So navigating around and learning how to set what will be the biggest thing. Photograghy principles are a constant.
 
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