Fundamental DSLR video 101

Now that you've recovered from the unbridled excitement of buying (or even better, receiving) a brand new DSLR, it’s time to sit down and focus: how does this thing work? Ok, there’s a massive manual and thousands of web videos and tutorials you can watch, and probably should watch, but just for now I hope to be able to give you some very basic tips on what to do and what not to do.

Basics

1. OK, the first thing you should do is put the strap on the thing. You do not want to drop it and break it before you’ve even turned it on. Whether it’s a Canon or a Nikon, put on the strap!

2. Hopefully you’ve bought a UV filter to screw on over the lens. If you did, well done, now put it on. If you haven’t, I really recommend you go and buy a UV filter (if you've got the money, naturally get a good quality filter like Hoya, Formatt or Schneider- expect to pay around $100; if you're new to all this then starting with something you can afford is better than nothing- a cheapie is less than $30 from eBay, Amazon, Adorama etc). You don’t need it for its filtration properties but for its ability to protect your much-more-expensive lens. If you scratch the front glass element of the lens you’re stuffed, but if you scratch the filter you can just replace it.

3. Charge the battery. (OK I agree, that shouldn’t really count as a tip, but some people forgot to, believe it or not!)

Video for DSLR

4. In terms of using a modern DSLR for video, there are a couple of basics that will help you a lot, and make much better quality video than if you just use the factory preset settings (also known as the green icon on the dial). Firstly, depending on which country you live in you need to adjust the frame rate of the camera. Video is motion picture, which obviously enough is just a lot of still images taken pretty quickly and then played back pretty quickly. Depending on your country, you’ll take either 30 frames per second (actually 29.97 but lets leave that aside for now) for USA or 25 frames per second (for UK/Europe/Australia). Motion picture film is shot at 24 frames per second and is a popular choice. The reason 30 and 25 frames exist is because the electricity runs at different frequencies in different countries: in the USA it operates at 60GHz, so you shoot at effectively half that (i.e. 30 frames) to avoid the visual stuttering of light that occurs if you shoot TV or computer screens (or even light that’s emitted from standard lighting, like in a room). So, set your frame rate to 30 fps if you live in the USA; 25 fps in UK/Europe/Australia; or 24 fps if you are intending to make a major motion picture (irrelevant of where you are).

5. Get a tripod. At least try to shoot images from as stable a platform as you possibly can. This might mean something as simple as leaning against a wall or in a doorframe when you film. Be as still as you can. When it comes to moving shots (“panning” is moving the camera from side to side, left to right; or “tilting” the camera up and down) try to be as smooth as you can. This takes practice so don’t expect to make perfect shots straight away but persevere, it’s worth it!

6. In time, as your skills improve, buy yourself a 50mm prime lens. A prime lens means it has a fixed focal length, meaning you can’t zoom in and out with it. You have to position yourself using your feet to be the desired distance from the subject. You’ll learn a lot about composition which will be a great help.

7. A final word: Sound. Don’t underestimate the value of having quality sound to accompany your images. Many great directors say that sound is 50% of the picture. I don’t know why but our eyes are much more forgiving than our ears. We seem to be able to cope much better with a bad picture than with poor quality sound. Bad audio (too soft, to far away from the source, too much interference like wind or traffic or electrical signal clicking) becomes frustrating and annoying very quickly.

Check out my follow up article ISO, shutter speed and aperture.

If you prefer more literary reading, check out my articles Aesop and the meaning of life and Good Vs Evil and the Myth of Heracles.