FS5 - Getting correct exposure in slow motion mode

[Nigel Davey]

When I have time I'm working my way through the manual of my new FS5. Recently I read the super slow motion section (henceforth 'SSM') and thereafter had a play around with it on the camera.

However the biggest challenge I'm facing is getting the exposure right in SSM mode. So for example when I am in standard shooting mode (either manual or auto with settings of XAVC 1080 50p) and I hit the S&Q assign button to enter SSM mode, the exposure darkens once I've entered SSM.

I get why this is...or at least I think I do. I know the ISO and iris are locked in SSM to whatever they were set to in standard shooting mode. But most of the time in standard mode I have the shutter set at 50. But in SSM mode the camera bumps the shutter up to 215 to accommodate for the fact that SSM fps is (currently) set at 200. So obviously it can't leave it at a shutter speed of 50.

So that's why I get my dip in exposure. But then it becomes a real pain to get around this in order to expose correctly in SSM mode.

Right now I'm setting my shutter speed to 215 in standard shooting mode, getting the right exposure there and then flicking across into SSM where it will now be correctly exposed.

Am I missing something, is there an easier way to set the exposure in SSM mode?

[Doug Jensen]

You don't want to be using 1/215 or any shutter speed over about 1/100 in a standard shooting mode because it will create a very stuttery look. Leave the shutter at 1/50 in standard mode and when you enter the SSM mode (and the camera changes the shutter speed), simply open the iris to compensate. Simple as that.

I'm not sure why you think that the Gain/ISO and iris are locked in SSM because the are not. You can also make the shutter speed faster if you want to, which is something I would recommend. The shutter speed the camera chooses automatically in SSM and S&Q isn't usually fast enough.

[Nigel Davey]

Hi Doug. That's very interesting and I guess this will turn out to be me or the camera.

Earlier on this evening I couldn't get anything to change is SSM mode. Then I flicked autofocus off and on and suddenly I noticed I could access and change shutter and iris, but only manually. But I still can't change, as in increment, ISO in SSM mode. Yes, I can change it through the ISO L,M,H switch, but that's not so useful as I need to increment in stops rather than presets.

So in normal shooting mode I would increment the ISO through the direct menu on fn5 on the grip. But pressing fn5 in SSM mode doesn't allow me to do anything. As in nothing gets the orange bar below it.

One of the reasons I assumed the stuck settings behaviour I was previously experiencing was normal, is down to the notes on page 60 of the manual where it is pertaining to SSM mode and says:

'Available only when full auto mode is off. Note that iris, gain and shutter speed are fixed to manual.'

I assumed 'fixed' meant fixed at the manual setting in normal shooting mode.

[Nigel Davey]

Perhaps it's also worth adding that if I am in auto ISO in standard shooting mode, when I go into SSM it defaults to 1000 ISO. Which is the ISO setting I have when in manual ISO when in standard shooting mode.

[Doug Jensen]

The best advice I can give you is turn off every single one the auto settings (iris, gain, shutter, focus, white balance, etc.) -- otherwise you're always going to be fighting against the camera on every shoot. YOU are smarter than the camera so why turn control over to it? Easy isn't better, and "easy" is just an illusion anyway, as you are learning. Just go manual and you won't look back. It's great!