If you’re creating video with your digital SLR, choose an ISO and aperture that gives you a shutter speed of 1/50th of a second if you capture video with a frame rate of 24 fps (frames per second), or 1/125th of a second if you capture video with a frame rate of 60 fps. These shutter speeds are double the video frame rate, which results in pleasing video with a film look. If you choose a faster shutter speed there is not enough motion blur for a smooth transition from one frame to the next, which results in choppy video.
The aperture you choose determines the depth of field, which is the area in front of and behind your subject matter that is in sharp focus. If you’re creating a talking head video, a large aperture is just fine. However, if you’re capturing video of a majestic landscape, you want a large depth of field, which requires a small aperture.
If you’re capturing video in bright light, and require a large aperture, the shutter speed will probably be faster than the optimum discussed earlier in this blog post. Therefore, you’ll have to use a neutral density filter to cut down the amount of light that reaches the sensor, which also results in a slower shutter speed. It’s a bit of a juggling act, but when you get it right, the results are well worth it. The following video was captured with a Lensbaby Soft Focus optic.
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