Best Camera Settings for Videos and Filmmaking
If you’re photographer, diving into the world of videos and filmmaking can seem like a daunting task. But, with the way social media has been shifting over the past few years, photographers have also had to shift both their marketing approach and service offerings to include video. Luckily, the best camera settings for videos and filmmaking are actually relatively straightforward to learn. And, when all of the best camera settings for videos are utilized together, your videos will look extremely professional - and may even help your Instagram reels go viral!
Frames Rate
The first thing you should set on your camera when you’re planning on taking videos is your frame rate. Why? Because the frame rate you choose will largely affect the rest of your camera’s settings (more on that below).
So, what exactly is frame rate? Well, for your camera to produce videos, it essentially needs to take a lot of photos and stitch them all together, creating, in essence, moving pictures. The higher the frame rate, the more pictures your camera takes. The more pictures your camera takes, the smoother the clip. The camera settings for frame rate are measured as frames per second (fps), which indicates the number of photos your camera takes per second.
The standard frame rate for movies is 24 fps. This frame rate provides a nice, cinematic look that also appears natural to our eyes. Most modern mirrorless cameras also allow you to shoot in 24 fps, so you should have no trouble setting your camera to that frame rate. I’d recommend starting with 24 fps if you’re just getting into videography / filmmaking.
Next up is 30 fps. This frame rate is typical of broadcast television, and provides a slightly smoother final clip. I personally like using 30 fps, as it looks similar to the classic 24 fps, however those extra few frames make the movements in each clip just a touch more seamless. Some modern cameras offer a frame rate of 30 fps. Check to see if your camera supports this.
Next is the slow motion frame rates: 60 fps and 120 fps. This is where some cameras lack. Due to the processing required to shoot in these high frame rates, some cameras won’t support them. Or, if they do support them, you will have to film in a lower resolution. For instance, on my Sony a7iii, which is now a slightly older camera, I can film in 60 fps, however I would have to film in 1080p as opposed to 4K, which is how I usually film my 30 fps clips.
The beauty of shooting in higher frame rates, though, is that you get more frames to work with. More frames, as mentioned above, generally equals a smoother clip. It also allows you to smoothly slow a clip down. For instance, if you filmed a video in 60 fps and slowed it down by 50% in your video editing software, you would effectively cut half of the clips out, turning it into a 30 fps clip. Now, as I mentioned above, 30 fps will provide a fairly smooth clip to the human eye, so, if we reduce a 60 fps clip by 50%, your slow motion clip will retain a smooth look.
This is important because, if you film a shot in 24 fps or 30 fps and cut the speed by 50%, you can end up with very choppy looking footage, as the original clips didn’t contain enough frames to account for a speed reduction.
So, when picking your frame rate, it’s best to pick one that your camera can support in the resolution you want to film in (4k or 1080p). Generally, a frame rate of 24 fps or 30 fps is all you need to film great clips. Just keep in mind that, if you want some slow motion clips, you will need to film in a higher frame rate.
Shutter Speed
The second most important camera setting for videos and filmmaking is shutter speed. This is because your shutter speed is directly tied with the frame rate you select. That is why it’s most important to select your frame rate first, and then select your shutter speed. Once you have your frame rate set, your shutter speed choice is relatively simple, as the frame rate dictates the shutter speed.
In filmmaking, we use the “180 Degree Rule” when determining shutter speed. This means your shutter speed must be double what your frame rate is. So, if we choose a frame rate of 30 fps, your shutter speed must be 1/60.
Some cameras may not have an exact double number of your frame rate. That’s ok. You just need to pick the closest shutter speed that’s roughly double your frame rate. For instance, when I film in 60 fps, my camera doesn’t have a shutter speed of 1/120. Instead, it has 1/125. This is close enough and works just fine.
If you follow the 180 Degree Rule and double your shutter speed in correspondence with your frame rate, you will be well on your way to smooth, cinematic footage.
Aperture
Once you have your frame rate and shutter speed set, you more so need to select an aperture that works with the look you’re trying to create in your shots. If you’re doing a close up video and want to create depth / blur in the background, you will need a large, wide open aperture, such as f2.8. If you’re hoping to keep elements in both the foreground and background in focus, you’ll need a smaller aperture like f11.
Achieving the Correct Exposure: Aperture, ISO and Filters
This is where things get tricky. Since you’ve set your frame rate and shutter speed to settings that can’t be tweaked, you need to some how keep your camera exposed correctly through your other settings (aperture and ISO), otherwise you could end up with footage that is completely washed out, or way too dark. This becomes even more tricky as you film different scenes, as you will inevitably be faced with constantly changing lighting conditions.
if you’re footage is underexposed, you will need to use a wider aperture setting to let more light into your camera. Or, if you want to stay at a smaller aperture to keep your background and foreground in focus, you will need to crank up your ISO so that it becomes more sensitive, essentially allowing more light into the camera. If you want to use a wide open aperture to achieve the depth of field look, you can do the opposite as well: keep the aperture wide open to let more light into the camera, and lower the ISO to make the sensor less sensitive.
Where things get a little tricky, however, is in bright lighting conditions. Even if you lower ISO as far down as you can go, a combination of a wide open aperture and your required shutter speed may still cause an overexposed video. Sure, you could just select a smaller aperture to let less light into the camera, but then you’d lose that epic, depth of field, high blur, cinematic video that you were hoping for!
So, what’s the solution? Neutral Density filters. These filters are like sunglasses for your camera. They essentially allow you to set the best camera settings for videos and filmmaking, and then put them on your camera to make sure the scene is properly exposed. They come in different versions that help reduce the exposure by a certain number of “stops.” Depending on your camera settings and how bright the scene is, you may need a neutral density filter that has more or less stops to achieve perfect exposure.
The best thing to get if you’re just getting into filmmaking is a variable neutral density filter. These filters actually have multiple stops built in. All you need to do is twist the filter to go from stop to stop. This is handy because you can quickly adjust how much light is getting into your camera just by twisting the filter, making it easy to set the correct exposure when filming in changing lighting conditions.
Conclusion
The best camera settings for video and filmmaking may seem daunting, but, with a better understanding of how all of the settings work together to achieve different cinematic looks, the process is fairly straightforward. Start by selecting the frame rate that you’d like to shoot in, as this will decide what shutter speed your camera will be set to. Next, select your aperture, which will determine the look and feel of your shot. Then, set your ISO to make sure your camera is properly exposed. If you can’t get your camera properly exposed through ISO in bright lighting, invest in a high quality neutral density filter to stop down the amount of light entering your camera, helping you achieve perfectly exposed, cinematic clips every time.