Camera Basics for Video

So, you’ve been making videos for a while now. You’re finally thinking about stepping out of auto mode and exploring the endless possibilities of shooting manually. It’s an essential move for every successful videographer, so congratulations on making the leap. Let’s get you started. 

In the video linked below, I'm looking at essential camera basics for video. I dive into the three key settings, giving you the tools to shoot like a pro in six minutes. By the end of today’s video, you’ll understand the golden rules of shutter speed, be able to set up aperture, and know how to use ISO to your advantage.

Ready? Go ahead, flick that switch. We’ll start by learning the golden rule of shutter speed. 

Video Breakdown: 

Shutter speed

Aperture

ISO

Shutter speed

Now, as much as we can talk technicalities, video creation is an art form. What makes great video can be massively subjective, so there are no hard and fast rules. It’s all about creating something that fits your creative vision. Making videos exactly how you want them to be. 

However, there is kind of one golden rule you should know - shutter speed.

Okay, so what is shutter speed? In a nutshell, shutter speed is how long light hits the sensor on your camera, per second. You could also see it as how many times the shutter opens and closes in that time. The rule we want you to bear in mind is the ‘180 degree’ rule, which states your shutter speed should be double that of your frame rate. 

I recorded today’s video with a frame rate of 25 fps. So, as you’ll see, I've chosen a shutter speed of 1/50 to create a smooth, natural look. I’d recommend using the 180-degree rule for most filming projects.

Breaking the rules

Remember how we said rules were made to be broken? Well, there’s no harm in having fun for the sake of education. So let's try a few things out.

Ever seen dreamy, almost drunken looking footage caught on camera? Reducing the shutter speed can cause motion blur, which is why you’ll occasionally see it used to create a floaty, dazed texture. If that’s what you’re going for, great, try it out. It’s always worth knowing these tricks for future projects.

Now, crank your thumb in the opposite direction. You’ll see that ramping up the shutter speed creates a one-too-many cups of coffee jitteriness. So, as you’d expect, the super fast opening and closing time is perfect for shooting high paced action like sports.

However, if you’re capturing a simple conversation, high shutter speeds can make your picture appear jagged and unnatural. They’ll also darken your picture, as light spends less time hitting the sensor. If in doubt, stick to the 180-degree rule.

Now you’ve got to grips with shutter speed, let’s move on to aperture. 

Aperture

Aperture is how much light hits the sensor of your camera at one time. So, by changing the aperture, you’re essentially making the hole in your lens larger or smaller. The lower the aperture, the more light can enter your camera and hit the sensor.

Altering aperture also influences the depth of field. So, if you see a really blurred, almost abstract background behind a focussed object, it means the videographer filmed the shot with the aperture turned down. Doing so gave their camera a super small focus point, which is why low aperture is perfect for really homing in on an important person, place, or object.

On the flip side, if you close your aperture and let less light in, you’ll open your image to have more things in focus at one time. Think about two people sitting talking in a television studio, or expansive footage from a sporting event. Higher aperture is great for when the camera needs to capture everything happening. 

As a rule of thumb, the lower the aperture, the more expensive a lens is going to be. Just in case you were planning a spot of shopping tonight.

ISO

Last but not least, we’ve got ISO.

ISO is a digital setting that dictates how much light is picked up by your sensor. See it as the sensitivity level ranging from low to high. 

Now, nine times out of ten, you’re going to want to choose the lowest ISO setting available. Why? Because turning up the ISO sensitivity will also increase the level of artificial, fake light caught on video. When you start to turn up the ISO, it can start to introduce grainy, noisy looking imagery you might have seen on pictures before. Naturally, this isn’t the best look for a professional project. 

Cameras known for being really good in low light, such as Sony cameras (which is what I used above), usually let you crank up the ISO without introducing lots of noise to your picture. On the other hand, most Canon cameras don’t handle turning up the ISO so well. So, maybe keep this in mind next time you’re on the market for a new camera. 

Okay, sum it all up for me

When it comes to shooting videos, try sticking to the 180 degree shutter rule to get the most natural looking image as possible. Then, start adjusting the aperture and ISO to get the image you want. Remember, it’s all about making the camera for your vision.

If you want that blurred, almost abstract background, dial back the aperture as much as possible. You’ll get a super tight focal point, which helps achieve that desired shallow depth of field, accompanied by a buttery cinematic look. On the flip side, if you’re looking to shoot with everything in focus, ramp up the aperture so you can see everything going on. 

Once you start messing the aperture, you’ll also need to adjust the ISO. With a low aperture, you’re letting more light into the camera, so you’ll have to turn down the ISO. But if you’ve gone for a high aperture, you’re letting less light into the camera, so you’ll need to turn up your ISO to bring in that digital brightness.

Cheat sheet: 

• Shutter Speed: How long light hits sensor per second
• 180 Degree Rule: Shutter speed double frame rate
• Aperture: How much light enters camera / size of lens hole
• Low Aperture = Lowe ISO
• High Aperture = Higher ISO
• ISO: Measurement of light sensitivity

Keep an eye out for more

Okay, I’ll not go into too much more detail today. But now you have three key things to think about when you start shooting manually on your camera. Creating higher quality videos for your channel or business, all without a single auto setting in sight. 

I’ll be bringing you more camera basics for video tutorials over the next few weeks. Our goal is to impart as much knowledge to you as possible, so you can start creating. I really hope you’ve enjoyed today’s quick tutorial. If so, hit that YouTube like button, and consider subscribing to our channel to stay up to date with all our videos. Hopefully, we’ll see you again next time. Thank you.