New to DSLR Video

tonyq

tonyq

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being new to dslr video (Canon 600D) I'm hoping you good people can help me. I am hoping to video a dinner which is set in a long by narrow room, with me standing at one end of the room and would like to record going down the tables while still standing at the end. I keep reading that it is better to set the focus to manual. My problem is where do I set focus? at the front, nearest to me middle or the far end?,or would it be better to set everything to auto?. Lastly should I record in 1920 x 1080 or would 1280 x 720 be sufficient.
 
I presume you will be indoors so light will be at a premium hence a widish aperture, which will give you a narrow DOF. I doubt you will cover the focus of the whole table, so adjust as you go. Are you going to zoom at the same time in which case it is going to be tricky.

Practice at home with some objects set up to simulate the likely scenario.
 
tonyq said:
being new to dslr video (Canon 600D) I'm hoping you good people can help me. I am hoping to video a dinner which is set in a long by narrow room, with me standing at one end of the room and would like to record going down the tables while still standing at the end. I keep reading that it is better to set the focus to manual. My problem is where do I set focus? at the front, nearest to me middle or the far end?,or would it be better to set everything to auto?. Lastly should I record in 1920 x 1080 or would 1280 x 720 be sufficient.
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Do you mean shooting a dolly shot? Or standing with your camera and panning around the room?

It will be low light presumably? So a high aperture and low depth of field. You'll need to use manual AF, otherwise it will hunt.
 
I will be standing with my camera and panning around the room.
 
The big aperture to allow light in will give a very restricted depth of field. You'll neef to cinstantly adjust focus using manual, autofocus will struggle and seek.
 
1) tripod, I use the manfrotto 561 BHDV-1 monopod for 90% of stuff as its almost a tripod but with smooth pan/tilt and very quick change in heights.
2) if you havent got one then get/borrow/loan/steal a fast lens, at least a 2.8 but better a 1.8/1.4
3) practice focusing, best place I'v found is if there are any xmas lights or events going on after dark in city center then practice on someone stood afew feet away and decorations behind, go from one to the other and inbetween, also gives some bokehlicious shots with xmas lights
4) check what ISO is acceptable to you, some people will not go over 1600, others think 6400 is ok after a clean up. Again city center after dark gives you a good chance to try afew things.
5) Custom white balance or dial it in, learn it, use it, love it, make sure to change it if you go between different lighting setups.
6) 720p is fine more almost everything, it wont slow your editing down if you have a less than top end system, unles the client has asked for 1080p
7) there is no 7, its a lie
8 ) why are you even reading this, you should be out there shootin so shoo
 
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