Priority Mode with manual lens

A

ampsonic

Active member
Hello All,

When shooting with a manual lens (in my case, Nikon 50mm 1.8 prime), what exposure mode are you using? My initial thought was to use aperture priority, so that the camera could expose properly on it's own, but from what I've read, it's important to set your shutter speed to either 1/60 or 1/120 (shooting 720 60p). Can the camera properly expose on shutter priority with a fixed aperture using just ISO? Are you just shooting totally manual?


Thanks!
 
Manual. I think most people are. It's easy to do since you get what you get what you see on the screen, which includes an invaluable histogram. If you're not in manual mode the camera will change your exposure, which is usually not a good thing.
 
ampsonic said:
Hello All,

When shooting with a manual lens (in my case, Nikon 50mm 1.8 prime), what exposure mode are you using? My initial thought was to use aperture priority, so that the camera could expose properly on it's own, but from what I've read, it's important to set your shutter speed to either 1/60 or 1/120 (shooting 720 60p). Can the camera properly expose on shutter priority with a fixed aperture using just ISO? Are you just shooting totally manual?


Thanks!
Click to expand...

Shutter Priority only. You don't want the camera doing crazy shutter speeds out of your control on Aperture priority mode. Manual mode is pointless since you can't do the ISO hack trick on a manual lens and lose Exp. compensation control.

Choose Shutter priority on a manual lens, that way you can control both Shutter and ISO/EV Comp via the camera menu while being able to control aperture on the aperture ring, as of course, the camera can't take over the aperture of a manual lens, thus giving you control over all three aspect, while you lose Exposure Comp. control when you set it to manual exp. on a manual lens.
 
MadHMC150 said:
, so M mode is fine otherwise ?
Click to expand...

Not really, it's pointless when using a manual lens since you're losing control while recording of EV compensation.

Shutter Priority gives you manual control over everything when using a manual lens since you control the aperture with the ring on the lens in addition to gaining EV control.
 
ampsonic said:
What do you mean by "hack trick"?
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It's not so much a hack or a trick, it's just using the Exposure Compensation wheel to crank the ISO up to 3200, where as the camera normally only lets you go up to 1600 by default. The camera will actually show the shutter speed dropping but actually it's just turning the gain up.

I think the only reason it is limited to 1600 is because if it went up to 3200 in auto, consumers would be all complaining about how crappy their video looks when shooting home videos indoors...because it would ALWAYS be max'd out with the kit lens.

But when using manual lenses, yeah, using S or M is fine...just make sure to set your ISO manually, as my GH1 doesn't really seem to adjust the ISO correctly on it's own when using manual lenses. Set your aperture on the lens, set your shutter speed on the cam, then adjust your ISO (along with the lighting on the subject) to get the desired exposure.

When shooting run-n-gun weddings with the kit lens or the 20mm f1.7, I'll often just leave the camera in Shutter priority, with the ISO and aperture in full auto, and the camera does a great job of adjusting them perfectly. I could care less about DOF control with most run-n-gun stuff. Then it's easy to make adjustments with the exp. comp. wheel if needed. It's different with manual lenses, however.

I'm sure you know this, but also make sure your camera is always set to "movie" mode on the dial. All of the other positions on the dial are for taking pictures. Select M-A-S-P using the quick menu button...NOT the dial. ;)

Good luck!
 
Sounds good. Is there a good thread on the "best" settings for creative mode? (Ie: smooth or dynamic, contrast, ect...)?
 
ampsonic said:
Sounds good. Is there a good thread on the "best" settings for creative mode? (Ie: smooth or dynamic, contrast, ect...)?
Click to expand...


No. ;) I like them all...depending on what kind of film look you want. I'm personally not into trying to get a "look" within my NLE if I don't have to. I'd rather have the camera give me the exact look I want as it records...and the GH1 does this well.

The "smooth" setting seems to give the flattest setting, if you're wanting to do a lot of color tweaking in your NLE. But personally, it's typically the only setting I DON'T use...I don't like it. The "film mode" is totally a personal, subjective thing that is up to you. Just take the camera out and start shooting with it....many answers will be revealed. :)
 
sammysammy said:
psynema, in manual shutter priority mode, is the iso locked to one value the whole time?
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While recording it is locked, but between shoots of course you can change it. with shutter priority mode you can change iso VIA the exp. value compensation dial, which you can't do with manual.
 
And now how about auto focus? I can't figure out what settings I should be on if I want to continuously keep whatever I'm looking at in focus? Do I need to press the shutter 1/2 way?
 
ampsonic said:
And now how about auto focus? I can't figure out what settings I should be on if I want to continuously keep whatever I'm looking at in focus? Do I need to press the shutter 1/2 way?
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I think you just need to go out and use your camera. :)

I wouldn't trust run-n-gun stuff to the autofocus with the kit lens...just like you shouldn't with any video camera. When shooting a "movie", you could try to use face detection as an auto-follow-focus, but that's a long shot. I don't know that an actual follow focus setup would work with the kit lens, but it would with a manual lens.

When I'm shooting my bread-n-butter...i.e. weddings, I don't rely on follow focus. I half-press to find a focus point, and either hold the half-press or switch to MF and hold the current focal length until I'm ready to focus on something else. The GH1 has changed my shooting style...most of my shots are static from a tripod, and I let the action happen in front of the lens...instead of trying to follow it with pans and crossing my fingers that the cam will keep the focus on the subject.

Just shoot video...lots of video...and you'll find something that works for you inparticular! :)
 
Using shutter priority with auto ISO varies ISO between 100 and 400 (half press the shutter to see the current value) so you'd need reasonable light levels.

It's hard to discuss exposure matters without giving at least a short mention to variable ND filter use. About the only way I've found to provide for coping with varying light levels with the kit lens without sudden changes in exposure is to use full manual with deft twiddling of a variable ND filter.
 
Ozpeter said:
Using shutter priority with auto ISO varies ISO between 100 and 400 (half press the shutter to see the current value) so you'd need reasonable light levels.

It's hard to discuss exposure matters without giving at least a short mention to variable ND filter use. About the only way I've found to provide for coping with varying light levels with the kit lens without sudden changes in exposure is to use full manual with deft twiddling of a variable ND filter.
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In Shutter priority mode, my GH1 always shows an ISO like 400 at half-press even though it will record the video in 1600, for example.

But I agree...shutter, aperture, and ISO are the easy settings when shooting controlled/movie stuff...set them to where you want them...then get a FaderND and dial in your perfect exposure (with lighting addressed of course) while keeping the GH1 in full Manual mode. I love the FaderND!
 
In Shutter priority mode, my GH1 always shows an ISO like 400 at half-press even though it will record the video in 1600, for example.
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I was about to disagree (and the manual, foot of page 86, says that auto ISO only goes to 400) but a quick test indicates that auto ISO does indeed appear to go higher when in creative motion picture mode, and that the display is telling fibs. Indeed, comparing a photo taken at ISO 3200 with a video taken at auto ISO with similar shutter speed and aperture settings, I'd say that even without exposure compensation, auto ISO in CMP mode does go above 1600 if required (but I was testing quickly).

I know that Barry has said on many occasions that Panasonic maintain a presence here and are helpful, but I do wish that some of these questions which require a certain amount of guesswork and testing could be answered by the people who are actually certain how the camera behaves.
 
swyzlstyx said:
I'm sure you know this, but also make sure your camera is always set to "movie" mode on the dial. All of the other positions on the dial are for taking pictures. Select M-A-S-P using the quick menu button...NOT the dial. ;)
Click to expand...

How do you do this? When I hit Q to go to the quick menu, I can select all the options, except the shooting mode. I can't seem to select it, so I can't change it!

Thanks,
~Mechis
 
I think that's a little confusing - what is meant is that you select creative motion picture mode using the physical dial on the top right of the body, then using the menus (quick or normal) you find the motion picture exposure option, and in that option you select P A S or M. Do not use the dial on top for selecting P A S or M if taking movies (unless you're happy with full auto using the button on the back to start and stop, and you've realised that selecting P A S or M using the top knob actually makes no difference to the movie result).

Hopefully I've spelt it out, but I suspect you really knew this in the first place :)
 
Ozpeter said:
I was about to disagree (and the manual, foot of page 86, says that auto ISO only goes to 400) but a quick test indicates that auto ISO does indeed appear to go higher when in creative motion picture mode, and that the display is telling fibs. Indeed, comparing a photo taken at ISO 3200 with a video taken at auto ISO with similar shutter speed and aperture settings, I'd say that even without exposure compensation, auto ISO in CMP mode does go above 1600 if required (but I was testing quickly).

I know that Barry has said on many occasions that Panasonic maintain a presence here and are helpful, but I do wish that some of these questions which require a certain amount of guesswork and testing could be answered by the people who are actually certain how the camera behaves.
Click to expand...


I think the ISO that is shown at the bottom of the screen during a half-press of the shutter release is actually the ISO that the meter is suggesting it will tell the camera to use for a PHOTO. Even when in video mode. That's how mine seems to work, anyways. I.E., regardless of your video setting having a shutter speed of 1/60, it will show you a half-press value of 400 as if you will be shooting at a MUCH lower shutter speed, even though it will bump the ISO up to 1600 since your shutter is fixed to 1/60...if that makes any sense. I don't know...it's kinda bizarre...I just ignore it. ;)
 
Among the little things I'd like to see in the firmware upgrade which will never happen would be an optional continuous display of shutter speed, ISO, and aperture during video recording. That would I think make it quite clear what was going on and assist with variable ND filter operation etc.
 
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