Is Shutter-priority best video mode for GH1?

B

Bradley Kents

Member
Hello GH1ers!

Trying to sort through the many choices for shooting video.

I hope I'm not asking about something that's already been well covered, but I searched this forum for selecting the best mode for shooting video ... and found shutter-speed suggestions -- 1/60 for shooting in 720/60p and 1/120 for slo-mo in a 24p timeline (where it will be intercut with video from our other camera: a Panasonic 170 shooting in 720/24p).

So if we can agree on the above -- can we? -- does that mean that shutter speed is generally a deciding matter? Assuming so, should I should choose the VIDEO-M on the mode dial, then in the MENU settings, choose MOTION PICTURE>EXPOSURE MODE>S to shoot in a shutter-priority mode? Is this recommended for best results? Then maybe bump the ISO to 800 or 1600 in low light conditions?

Or are there other ways I should be thinking about this?

Interesting that if I choose the iA mode in low light conditions, the video is noticeably brighter. How is iA doing that -- cheating the shutter speed down? I guess that would be better than severe underexposure ...

Any suggestions or info would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Bradley
 
If you're determined to use auto exposure, that's the only effective way to do so in video mode. If the above is right on what you mean. I prefer to go all manual, especially because there are two exposure options (ISO and ND filters) that don't get factored in by the computer. I also assume the exposure would be prone to change while recording. So if you're only using the kit lens and want the camera to choose the lighting, go with shutter priority. Just be careful about bumping that little dial to the wrong frame rate, it's in a terrible spot on the camera.
 
Like Barry said, you really want to use Creative Movie Mode and select M-manual, from the drop down menu. This will give you full control over your exposure settings.
 
The camera will change aperture quite noticeably in shutter priority mode if the scene illumination that it sees changes - just people or cars passing can trigger it, or a zoom or pan. It's not a smooth change, it's quite sudden, and you may wish to use full manual mode for full control.
 
Managing shutter speed, exposure, ISO, etc.

Managing shutter speed, exposure, ISO, etc.

OK -- thanks for all the good feedback. One quick note: I don't really have any particular interest in using auto-exposure, I was just wondering why iA seems to keep things more open in low light than any settings I was able to come up with. I guessing it drops the shutter speed?

Anyway, now let's see if I can summarize the advice and then follow up with questions about ISO and ND filters.

I think the collective wisdom suggested that you'll get best results shooting video with a GH1 if you:
1. Select the Creative Movie Mode on the top mode dial (that's the little movie camera icon, plus an M). Set this and forget it -- don't wander from here.
2. Then hit MENU and bring up the MOTION PICTURE prefs. Select M for all manual.
3. Press-rotate the front dial to set your shutter speed to 1/60. Again, set-and-forget. Don't change it! (Seems like we're treating this like a video camera -- duh! makes sense!)
4. From here, you press-rotate the front dial to adjust your exposure (kind of noisy for video recording!).
5. This approach will work well in all but very low light conditions and very bright conditions.

So let's turn our attention to ISO and ND.

ISO
I suspect we can all agree that we want to use the lowest ISO possible. But as light levels drop, we can compensate by bumping the ISO up to 200, 400, 800 and 1600. The penalty here is added noise. (And, yeah, you want to add light, if possible.)

ND
Then let's step out into a very bright and sunny day. Unlike video cameras like our 170, the GH1 has no ND filters, so I was thinking of going with the Philip Bloom suggested Singh-Ray Vari-ND (sized for our largest lens, then add step-down rings for others). For bright conditions, this sounds like it would essentially become the new iris -- exposure would be largely set there.

Does all that sound like a good way of working for the best results to you? Feel free to pick on, correct or make further suggestions.

Again, many thanks for taking time to share.
Bradley
 
More video questions about GH1 + GF1 and LX3

More video questions about GH1 + GF1 and LX3

Continued to test the GH1 today and read the manual and since we're addressing all this about video settings, I would like to add to questions about choices in the MOTION PICTURE settings menu:
1. METERING MODE (p119 in the manual): I understand the nature of the three choices -- MULTIPLE, CENTER-WEIGHTED and SPOT -- but I wonder if anyone thinks one tends to be better for video? And is this choice, by the way, essentially the data/feed that builds the histogram?
2. I.EXPOSURE (p121): I don't think this even comes into play if we're shooting all manual, does it?

Also pulled out our GF1 and LX3 to try to puzzle out the best settings for shooting video with each of these.

GF1: Seems like MOTION PICTURE P MODE is a likely choice as, like the GH1, it assigns exposure (actually, exposure compensation, not aperture) to the dial. But can I set the shutter speed? The GH1 seems to always take ISO control away from the user -- it always seems to be AUTO? Or is there some other approach other than MOTION PICTURE P MODE that I should be considering to gain better control?

LX3: Looks like the only choice here is an all-auto MOTION PICTURE MODE with focus and exposure fixed when the record (shutter) button is depressed. Correct?

Thanks for wading through all these details -- they matter.
Bradley
 
reviving this old post. =)

i've been trying to shoot in full-manual, but find that the camera still takes over control of exposure compensation. that is gain, independent of f-stop, shutter and iso. and i have no way to control this manually.

i can see the camera making its little adjustments and i can watch the stupid -3_0_+3 line fluctuate, but i can't lock it or override it when in full manual!

am i missing something? the front wheel only alternates between aperture and shutter, both of which i usually want locked.

btw, Bradley, i prefer center-weighted metering. this seems to do a better job of setting exposure according to my subject instead of the background or according to the brightest spot in the frame.
 
think i figured it out....
i had iExposure turned on. looks to be behaving now that i've turned it back off. =)
 
averan said:
i've been trying to shoot in full-manual, but find that the camera still takes over control of exposure compensation. that is gain, independent of f-stop, shutter and iso. and i have no way to control this manually.
Click to expand...
Yes, the catch with full Manual Video mode is that it disables the Aperture Lock button. I prefer Shutter Priority Video mode, even when using a manual-focus lens with an aperture ring. That allows me to set the shutter speed and ISO directly and lock them down with the AE lock button. I can then turn the aperture ring on the lens without the camera trying to compensate.
 
Wait, in full manual video mode with my hacked GF1, both aperture and shutter speed stay locked to the settings I choose. From here, it's just a matter of turning iExposure off or on.
Is there anything I'm missing ?
I just saved this manual video mode with 1.7 aperture 1/50 shutter speed and iExposure off to a custom mode and voilà. (I have to add I usually put a fader ND in front during the day, which gives extra manual control over exposure)
 
My apeture keeps changing even in manual creative movie mode. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
 
tflak said:
make sure your EXPOSURE MODE is set to (M) manual
Click to expand...

That must have been what i did, because in several weeks of shooting so far, in very mixed lighting situations, I've yet to see the camera over-ride my manual aperture, film speed and shutter speed choices.
 
Would you adjust the ISO while shooting if lighting conditions changed due to changing lighting conditions, or just stay with the original settings?

Also, taking into consideration that I am clearly a novice, what would you do about focusing - manually or leave it on AF?

Thanks for the response.
 
If you use AE lock after setting shutter speed and ISO doesn't that mean that the aperture setting will change of its own accord as lighting conditions change since the camera is still trying to maintain the exposure you locked in and the only item not fixed is in fact the aperture?
 
no. when you're in shutter priority, the camera's auto function is regulating the aperture. iso mode is set separately, either manual selection, auto, or intelligent auto. so if you lock the exposure, you are locking the aperture. it is no longer trying to maintain anything, in the sense that it continues to make adjustments.
 
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