How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? at DVinfo.net

David Barnett · October 14th, 2013, 03:06 PM

We all know how aperature & Shutter Speed interact, and recently I've kinda been talking with and listening to photographers a bit more. Obviously, due to their lenses and craft, playing with speeds and f stops greatly varies the look of the photo. However, those of us doing long form & shooting with pure video cameras have a slightly different task at hand imho.

So I was wondering how much other videographers make shutter adjustments for DoF & other reasons. I shoot using a Sony Z5U so DoF isn't that much of a feature, and typically when outside I adjust the camera ND filters.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone really tweaks it throughout the night. I'd imagine DSLR shooting do but wondering more about those with standard video cameras?

John Knight · October 14th, 2013, 03:20 PM

Using traditional camera (Sony Z7 in PAL land) shutter speed is always fixed at 50. If it's a dimly lit reception and I'm filming speeches (no movement) I dial it back to 25 for extra boost in light.

Steve Bleasdale · October 14th, 2013, 04:38 PM

Canon 60d I leave it at f2.8 and adjust shutter speed rather than my nd variable filter. Got sick of using it and I love the look a faster shutter speed gives especially confetti throw... If it is very very sunny and out all day in the sun then that would be different.

Don Bloom · October 14th, 2013, 04:41 PM

Whether I was using my Sony's or now JVC's my shutter speed is "locked" at 1/60th UNLESS I'm doing a special sequence like a particular dance and I slow it WAAAAAY down to 1/15th or even 1/8th for a really stuttering, strobe effect but 99.9999999% of the time, I'm at 1/60th.

Adrian Tan · October 14th, 2013, 04:59 PM

DSLR shooter here, and, yep, it's up and down all day for me.

Shallow depth of field outside -- I used to mess around with a Heliopan variable ND and regard the "x2 frame rate makes it look filmic" rule as immovable, but no longer. If I want shallow depth outside, it's crank the shutter up to 200 or even 400 if need be.

Silhouette -- often have to close aperture down as far as possible, as well as ISO, as well as pump up the shutter.

Dark churches and receptions -- will often decrease shutter speed to 30 rather than crank ISO higher than 1250, because I do no noise reduction in post unless I'm desperate. But I'm wary of filming dancing at 30 -- the motion blur makes my eyes hurt.

Slow motion -- will increase ISO to the maximum I can live with, which is 6400 on a 5D3, and crank shutter speed up to 4000 if I can. I reason: the sharper each frame, the easier it is to interpolate frames if I want to slow it down even more in post. Since it's usually daytime when I'm doing slow motion, I find I can live with the noise (it's the darker areas of the image where the noise is more obvious). Don't know if this is a dumb idea, but anyway...

Tim Bakland · October 14th, 2013, 07:03 PM

C100 - I Always leave it at 1/60th and 30p.

I use ND filters for DOF outside.

Chad Whelan · October 14th, 2013, 08:58 PM

FS100 shooting 30P, I use 1/30 quite often for pre shots and other various times throughout the day when I know I will only be using a few seconds of the shot. I love the look it adds with the camera/lens combo. Speeches when extra light is needed are also okay at 1/30 to me since not a lot of movement. An entire 1st dance or lots of motion then back to 1/60. I use a variable ND for outside and DOF.

Danny O'Neill · October 15th, 2013, 01:34 AM

Up and down like a tarts knickers!

Steve Bleasdale · October 15th, 2013, 08:22 AM

Hahaha nice one Danny same here...

Jeff Cook · October 23rd, 2013, 11:35 PM

I too am a dslr shooter. I use the Canon 60d and when I am in low lit areas, I bring the shutter down to 30. I am also playing around with high shutter speeds outdoors along with a nd filter. The filter I have is not too dark, so I do a combo of high shutter and nd for shallow depth.

David Barnett · October 24th, 2013, 07:12 AM

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Seems pretty inline with myself, mostly not at all unless some outdoorr adjusting. As a videocamera owner, I wasn't really looking for it for DoF purproses, I just had a bit of a Eureka! moment where I thought, 'Hmmm, I wonder if others are adjusting their shutters alot throughout the day like photographers do".

Jeff Cook · October 30th, 2013, 09:32 PM

Just this past weekend, I was shooting a wedding and all they had for light were small lights strung across the dance floor. I was shooting with Canon 60d and 2.8 Sigma. I was able to get some good footage using 1/30 shutter speed. No one was dancing, or moving alot, but it sure did open up more light for me. I really do not like using higher than 1600 ISO.

October 14th, 2013, 03:06 PM	#1
David Barnett Major Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Philly, PA Posts: 951	How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? We all know how aperature & Shutter Speed interact, and recently I've kinda been talking with and listening to photographers a bit more. Obviously, due to their lenses and craft, playing with speeds and f stops greatly varies the look of the photo. However, those of us doing long form & shooting with pure video cameras have a slightly different task at hand imho. So I was wondering how much other videographers make shutter adjustments for DoF & other reasons. I shoot using a Sony Z5U so DoF isn't that much of a feature, and typically when outside I adjust the camera ND filters. Anyway, just wondering if anyone really tweaks it throughout the night. I'd imagine DSLR shooting do but wondering more about those with standard video cameras?

October 14th, 2013, 03:20 PM	#2
John Knight Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 588	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? Using traditional camera (Sony Z7 in PAL land) shutter speed is always fixed at 50. If it's a dimly lit reception and I'm filming speeches (no movement) I dial it back to 25 for extra boost in light.

October 14th, 2013, 04:38 PM	#3
Steve Bleasdale Trustee Join Date: May 2010 Location: England liverpool Posts: 1,343	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? Canon 60d I leave it at f2.8 and adjust shutter speed rather than my nd variable filter. Got sick of using it and I love the look a faster shutter speed gives especially confetti throw... If it is very very sunny and out all day in the sun then that would be different.

October 14th, 2013, 04:41 PM	#4
Don Bloom Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,609	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? Whether I was using my Sony's or now JVC's my shutter speed is "locked" at 1/60th UNLESS I'm doing a special sequence like a particular dance and I slow it WAAAAAY down to 1/15th or even 1/8th for a really stuttering, strobe effect but 99.9999999% of the time, I'm at 1/60th. __________________ What do I know? I'm just a video-O-grafer. Don

October 14th, 2013, 04:59 PM	#5
Adrian Tan Trustee Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 1,149	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? DSLR shooter here, and, yep, it's up and down all day for me. Shallow depth of field outside -- I used to mess around with a Heliopan variable ND and regard the "x2 frame rate makes it look filmic" rule as immovable, but no longer. If I want shallow depth outside, it's crank the shutter up to 200 or even 400 if need be. Silhouette -- often have to close aperture down as far as possible, as well as ISO, as well as pump up the shutter. Dark churches and receptions -- will often decrease shutter speed to 30 rather than crank ISO higher than 1250, because I do no noise reduction in post unless I'm desperate. But I'm wary of filming dancing at 30 -- the motion blur makes my eyes hurt. Slow motion -- will increase ISO to the maximum I can live with, which is 6400 on a 5D3, and crank shutter speed up to 4000 if I can. I reason: the sharper each frame, the easier it is to interpolate frames if I want to slow it down even more in post. Since it's usually daytime when I'm doing slow motion, I find I can live with the noise (it's the darker areas of the image where the noise is more obvious). Don't know if this is a dumb idea, but anyway...

October 14th, 2013, 07:03 PM	#6
Tim Bakland Major Player Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Beverly, MA Posts: 512	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? C100 - I Always leave it at 1/60th and 30p. I use ND filters for DOF outside. __________________ Event Videography, New England www.timothybakland.com

October 14th, 2013, 08:58 PM	#7
Chad Whelan Major Player Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Deep River, Connecticut Posts: 261	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? FS100 shooting 30P, I use 1/30 quite often for pre shots and other various times throughout the day when I know I will only be using a few seconds of the shot. I love the look it adds with the camera/lens combo. Speeches when extra light is needed are also okay at 1/30 to me since not a lot of movement. An entire 1st dance or lots of motion then back to 1/60. I use a variable ND for outside and DOF. __________________ ___________________________ www.ChadWhelan.com

October 15th, 2013, 01:34 AM	#8
Danny O'Neill Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 915	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? Up and down like a tarts knickers! __________________ mintyslippers.com

October 15th, 2013, 08:22 AM	#9
Steve Bleasdale Trustee Join Date: May 2010 Location: England liverpool Posts: 1,343	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? Hahaha nice one Danny same here...

October 23rd, 2013, 11:35 PM	#10
Jeff Cook Major Player Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Fresno, Ca Posts: 214	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? I too am a dslr shooter. I use the Canon 60d and when I am in low lit areas, I bring the shutter down to 30. I am also playing around with high shutter speeds outdoors along with a nd filter. The filter I have is not too dark, so I do a combo of high shutter and nd for shallow depth.

October 24th, 2013, 07:12 AM	#11
David Barnett Major Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Philly, PA Posts: 951	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? Thanks everyone for the feedback. Seems pretty inline with myself, mostly not at all unless some outdoorr adjusting. As a videocamera owner, I wasn't really looking for it for DoF purproses, I just had a bit of a Eureka! moment where I thought, 'Hmmm, I wonder if others are adjusting their shutters alot throughout the day like photographers do".

October 30th, 2013, 09:32 PM	#12
Jeff Cook Major Player Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Fresno, Ca Posts: 214	Re: How much do you adjust Shutter Speed? Just this past weekend, I was shooting a wedding and all they had for light were small lights strung across the dance floor. I was shooting with Canon 60d and 2.8 Sigma. I was able to get some good footage using 1/30 shutter speed. No one was dancing, or moving alot, but it sure did open up more light for me. I really do not like using higher than 1600 ISO.