What controls to leave automatic for weddings?
 

Whenever I have filmed a wedding so far, I use the camera in full manual mode. Obviously, I am constantly switching buttons, pulling focus, etc.. I was curious what controls others leave in automatic mode and why?

Thanks

Iris is the only thing i leave in auto... gain and shutter are easy enough to control on the DVX100... I keep my focus in auto as well, but I keep a good eye to see if it starts to hunt...

I guess it comes down to which model of camera you use. I use the Z7 and it is in 100% manual mode i love being in control

Manual except for focus, although will switch to manual if the situation requires.

Sorry, but I would NEVER leave iris on auto. Nothing looks more amateur to me then the look of the iris opening and closing automatically as you pan across windows or other changing light sources. And any backlit shots will be ruined with auto iris.

In running around, auto focus can be useful as modern cameras tend to do very well with it. But usually, I'm on complete manual control.

Depends on situation, I usually shoot full manual except for focus with exceptions of course however when something happens very fast that requires quick thinking I turn to full automatic, either that or I lose the shot. Sometimes when I get tired I of monitoring audio I set my audio on automatic, in most cases my XHA1 does a good job.

I agree... thats why when I pan I quickly swap it over to manual. I guess I spend a little bit of time going back and forth between the two. But I would say a majority of the time it's left on auto.
For backlighting I have a user button that allows me to drop the aperture by 2 stops and expose for the subject.

full manual here except for the occasional auto WB.

I keep Iris wide open most of the time, that would be AV..
exposure auto with manual lock, exposure compensation..

Focus - mostly manual/ auto while on steadicam
iris - Manual indoor, auto outdoor
WB - Auto

I use full manual controls ... even when I'm on the steadicam usually. If I set anything to auto it's usually only focus and iris for specific steadicam shots.

When I gliding across the room on the glidecam, then I have to be hands off, so I put it in auto BUT only if I'll be changing lighting situations drastically. If I'm facing away from the major light source the whole time, then I'll fix it into manual mode.

For cams on stationary tripods, I keep things in manual. When using my .3 semi-fish-eye I have to manually fix the focus or else my GL2 will hunt a bit.

I shoot full manual almost all the time. Sometimes, before hitting the record, I set the iris to auto just to test what the camera is suggesting is right and then I go back to manual. I use the Z1 WB on manual with the assign buttons stepping +/- depending on the light in the current frame. I use this WB shift to compensate against the blue tone when people are sitting near a window.

Full manual mode except when I am using the Glidecam I use the auto focus mode, even with that sometimes I use manual focus with the Glidecam if I keep the same distance to my subject so I can be off center with out going out of focus.

Focus auto,and audio(depends) some time at my Z5

Full manual, on stedicam auto focus;

we use the auto power shutoff in case we leave a cam on between events. go auto

P.

I only use an auto/preset white balance. Then just color correct in post. I agree with you, auto iris is really amateur.

Full Manual on EX1, wouldnt use auto Iris on anything but will occasionally use auto focus depending on the situation.

Patrick, do you use auto focus on the steadicam ? and do you keep it at 60I ?

You guys do beautiful work, you raised the bar for a lot of videographers (I am the first one), thank you

michael

thanks re: the bar - though we collectively still have quite some raising to do

we shoot 24p and no auto focus. it pays to know your depth of field that your working with so you know what shots you can execute

P.

That's funny. That's the first thing I turn off on a new camera. I'm always paranoid about a camera shutting off automatically just before I need to get a shot. I'd rather run down a battery than miss a shot.