Canon 80D auto exposure

[Jody Arnott]

Hi all,

I just picked up a Canon 80D to use with my Ronin-M, primarily for shooting property walkthrough videos.

This may be a stupid question - but I've Googled and I can't find an answer; is there any way to set the aperture to auto exposure while keeping the shutter speed set manually (like Tv mode when shooting stills)?

Full manual exposure is difficult when doing property walkthroughs as the lighting in each room can differ, so auto aperture is very handy. But I don't want to give the camera full control of the exposure because who knows where the shutter speed will end up.

Any info appreciated.

And any tips from people who do the same kind of work? How do you handle exposure when walking from room to room with a stabiliser?

[Chris Harding]

Hi Jody

Not with a Canon but I used to use my Sony EA-50 a stedicam for Realty shoots. Surely it has a shutter priority mode ...however you can be pretty sure inside the house it will default to 1/50th anyway as interiors are seldom that bright. However this just might help as the biggest issue with a flythrough shoot is focus so if you use a dumb adapter on the Canon and get yourself a 10mm or 15mm lens and then set it for zone focus at say 3' and a shutter of 1/50th even though the lens won't communicate with the camera it will still do an auto aperture adjustment. For me that worked perfectly as even with an F3.5 lens wide open you will be in focus all the time. remember that only you are moving so even with a shutter speed that goes up higher it's not visible on the footage!

[Jon Fairhurst]

If it's like other Canon DSLRs I've used, yes, just put it in Tv mode like you would for stills and it should work for video as well. The one issue can be that the aperture changes in steps, rather than smoothly. Give it a try and let us know how well it works for you.

[Bruce Phung]

Put the camera in Manual mode. Set your shuttle speed and desired aperture f/2.8 etc, set Auto iso. As lighting condition changes, the auto iso will adjust to the correct proper exposure.

[Pete Cofrancesco]

I own the 70d. When I first got it I assumed the same thing that exposure would work the same way as photo mode (it doesn't tv mode doesn't work). Best work around is what Bruce suggested manual mode with auto iso. Which essentially locks your aperture and shutter while automatically adjusting the iso. Note you can't fine tune your exposure ie in an all white room will be under exposed. Normally you can set an over or under exposure compensation and this ability is also unavailable unless they added it to the d80.

For something so important as achieving the proper exposure it's disappointing how lacking the camera is. Without zebras its difficult to monitor the proper exposure and when auto iso is selected you will have no indication what iso is being used.

[Jody Arnott]

Thanks all.

It's definitely disappointing the lack of exposure tools the camera has considering Canon are marketing the 80D to videographers.

I'll have to do some test shoots, first with full auto exposure and then with manual exposure but setting the ISO to auto (something I'd usually never do).

I'll post back with my findings.

[Steve Bleasdale]

Jody i set the scene in between with a slight practice before hand with my glide-cam so if i am entering the room from a brighter room i set all manual settings for a in between then you can tweak in post. But like the lads say sometimes i go auto iso in manual with 2.8 apeture

[Steven Ansell]

Originally Posted by Jody Arnott

Thanks all.

It's definitely disappointing the lack of exposure tools the camera has considering Canon are marketing the 80D to videographers.

I'll have to do some test shoots, first with full auto exposure and then with manual exposure but setting the ISO to auto (something I'd usually never do).

I'll post back with my findings.

Videographers for the most part are buying cameras designed more with video in mind, such as the GH4, NX1 and a7R/S series, not the 80D. Other than the dual pixel focusing, the 80D does not offer much when it comes to shooting video. It is a camera best suited for stills, not video.

[Jody Arnott]

Originally Posted by Steven Ansell

Videographers for the most part are buying cameras designed more with video in mind, such as the GH4, NX1 and a7R/S series, not the 80D. Other than the dual pixel focusing, the 80D does not offer much when it comes to shooting video. It is a camera best suited for stills, not video.

So I've learnt. Unfortunately I was taken in by Canon's marketing - they market the camera to videographers on their website, with mention of numerous video features. Who'd have thought something as simple as auto iris would have been left out, when it even has gimicky features like HDR video.

"Become the videographer you aspire to be
Whether you’re creating a travel vlog, or cinematic-style movie, the EOS 80D offers total flexibility with Full HD movie shooting. Achieving accurate auto focus and smooth focus tracking is effortless thanks to Canon’s unique Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. Both AF speed and AF tracking sensitivity can also be easily adjusted, giving you complete control over the pace and responsiveness of the AF to suit the style of your movie. Serious videographers can be confident footage will achieve a professional looking result, with the ability to shoot at 60p in MP4 format – perfect for slowing down the action while still controlling focus. The EOS 80D includes both headphone and microphone inputs, allowing you to capture and have full control over audio during a shoot. "

[Pete Cofrancesco]

It's still a good camera with nice video, low light performance and auto focus. All dslr have significant drawbacks compared to a standard video camera. There are work a rounds and techniques to address the shortcomings. Most people put up with these issues because a standard video camera with a similar size sensor starts at $7,000 aka C300, FS7,...

I'd suggest renting and testing expensive equipment to see if you like it before buying. Everything always looks better on paper.

[Noa Put]

Most people put up with these issues because a standard video camera with a similar size sensor starts at $7,000

Unless you get a jvc gy ls300 which has a 4K Super 35 CMOS sensor for 3000 dollar.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

You have to use Auto ISO.

I have added an 80D to my production. For video the 80D will be used to get a few fixed locked off shots to add to the various angles. The 1DX II and the C300 will handle the major filming functions. For stills the 1DX II will be the main camera and the 80D the backup. Since the 80D is a small body, it will be easy to carry and used for timelapses and other stuff. I haven't yet got the new 18-135 and the zoom rocker.

I like the flip screen and the autofocus of the 80D. It has its strengths and there are areas where it falls behind. I am yet to see one camera which can do everything and be in my budget. :(