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Movies: Should it be this hard?

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    Movies: Should it be this hard?

    I’m off to a music festival at the weekend as a guest – with full backstage privileges - of one of the bands. I have friends in the band, go to most of their gigs and have taken the odd snap using my G10 and, inspired by this, I’ve been asked if I can take some video for their website. No problem said I as my 7D takes excellent video. Well, that was by reputation and not personal experience as I’ve never seriously used its video function – nor any other DSLR come to that.

    But how difficult can it be? Well, after a few days playing I find it’s far more difficult than I’d ever imagined!

    Shutter speed has to be twice frame rate which for me will be 25fps = TV of 1/50.
    Auto focus is unusable so I need to manually focus.
    The screen is nearly impossible to view in sunlight so focussing and composing is a matter of crossing fingers and hoping.
    Received wisdom is to NOT use auto ISO but to set at the lowest possible (100 in my case).
    Received wisdom is to NOT use zooms with variable aperture (all my zooms are)
    Aperture is whatever you can get away with to satisfy that 1/50 shutter and ISO 100 but, as it changes with the available light and degree of zoom and if too open the DOF becomes too shallow focussing will suffer I can’t see myself sticking to it.
    Present thought is to use set the aperture to whatever I need for the DOF and ‘balance’ the exposure with Auto ISO. It may get grainy (7D remember) but I suppose that’s preferable to overexposed and/or out of focus.
    I do have a variable ND filter but this only fits my 15-85 and neither of the primes (EF 28 2.8 and EF 50 1.8) I expected to be using at night.

    As if this wasn’t enough the onboard mono mic captures all the camera sounds so I’ve had to invest in a Rode videomic.

    A massive learning curve here and I wish I had more time to experiment.

    Cheers,
    John

    #2
    Re: Movies: Should it be this hard?

    Hope your good at editing as well ???? Haaaaaaa.

    Paul
    EOS 1Dx, - EF 24-105L f4,- Sigma 135 f1.8 Art - EF 400L IS f2.8, - Speedlite 430EXII.
    Freelance Sports Photographer for local Press - https://twitter.com/P_linton99

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      #3
      Re: Movies: Should it be this hard?

      I'll find out won't I - assuming I manage to record anything worth editing

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        #4
        Re: Movies: Should it be this hard?

        Hope you have plenty of memory cards too. Would it be worth using a tripod? From my minimal experience with video, it's very easy to add unwanted camera shake.
        Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF 135mm F/2 L, EF 16-35mm F/4 L, EF 50mm f/1.8, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, EF 28mm f/2.8
        http://www.aveyardphotography.co.uk
        https://www.flickr.com/photos/aveyardphotography
        https://www.facebook.com/AveyardPhotography

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          #5
          Re: Movies: Should it be this hard?

          I will take a tripod (although it has a ball head so not ideal for video) but it's a heavy Manfrotto and not the most subtle device so I anticipate mostly I’ll be using my monopod.

          Battery and memory have been a concern too particularly as I want to be taking stills too as there promises to be a lot worth recording.

          All said and done though I can only do what I can do - with more notice I could have boned up on the subject and invested in more essentials and, if it all goes pear shaped, I've always got my smartphone!

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            #6
            Re: Movies: Should it be this hard?

            The truth is dslr's are hard work to use in Movie Mode. The LCD eats batteries, the footage eats memory cards, focus in manual is a practice's art form and getting a decent exposure is often frustrating.

            But, you can get results if you stick with it.

            I never use auto iso as I've found the exposure can vary during filming in a very distracting way, but it might work better in a concert setting. Speed can be altered, but not by much. Moving outside of 50th won't alter your video quality too much, either up or down, so long as you don't stray too far from the 'ideal.

            Constant f stop lens will help with zooming, but watch out for your mic picking up the noise from your IS lens. Off camera mic is best. In fact recording to a second recording device is better.

            It's not easy. But it can be worth it.
            Last edited by LarryPlane; 25-07-2014, 05:04.
            EOS 600d & EOS 6D

            35mm f/2.0, 50mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.8, Sigma 28-70 2.8, 18-55 kit lens (plus some lenses which I hire)

            various flash guns & modifiers

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              #7
              Re: Movies: Should it be this hard?

              Thanks Paul.

              I've shot a few practice vids and the results are not that encouraging as they have an orange cast and are very jerky while panning. I'm sure experimentation with cure this as it could just be the white balance and maybe shutter speed too low or even IS interfering. I really don't know but I'm hoping any cast will be removable in PP (not that I know what to use for video so suggestions for free PP software and/or editor appreciated). I doubt I'll be doing too much panning so that shouldn't really be an issue this weekend. Unfortunately I really will have to learn 'on the job' as I'm leaving in a couple of hours.

              I also think some investment is called for if this is to be taken seriously. I've heard of viewfinders that attach to the LCD screen to make the screen readable so easier to focus. More batteries (testing mine yesterday I found one of my three was dead) and more CF cards are needed. And a fluid head for my tripod. And lots and lots of time for practice. And probably another body as I doubt I'll be able to/remember to switch between video and stills setting quickly enough.

              Oh, just had a call from my friend whose band it is. It seems the keyboard player (who uses an original VOX contributing to their authentic sixties psychedelic sound) his wife is expecting their first baby TODAY so he's not leaving with the rest of the band but has given assurances he'll travel tomorrow. If he doesn't they'll just have to play as a three-piece. Uh, the guitars are in the back of his car! Maybe I won't have to video them after all

              Cheers,
              John

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                #8
                Re: Movies: Should it be this hard?

                Check put my recent post concerning viewing and focusing in daylight...
                Cheers,
                Kevin

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