Are you a beginner in videography and looking for camera settings that will produce high-quality results without having to worry too much about the technical details? Or are you a media specialist who wants to produce professional-looking videos without spending too much time fine-tuning each shot? If yes, then you're in luck! In this post, we'll be going over the current video settings used at Lister Pros, which can be applied to most mirrorless and DSLR cameras.
Although Lister Pros primarily uses Sony cameras, most of the settings discussed in this post will work for other camera brands. The video settings we use are designed to be as simple as possible, allowing even those with no video experience to start shooting video relatively quickly. The two variables we focus on are composition and exposure, with our media specialists only having to manage those two things.
Here are the video settings we currently use at Lister Pros:
Exposure mode: Shutter Priority
File format: X AVC s HD
Record setting: 60 P at 50 megabits per second
Aperture: Set automatically
Shutter speed: Set at 1/60
Auto ISO: Set between 100-12,800
White balance: Set to automatic
Picture profile: Set to 10
SMQ settings: 24 P and frame rate at 120 frames per second
Exposure: Defaults to +1 for exteriors and +2 for interiors
Focus mode: Autofocus continuous
Focus area: Set to wide
Autofocus transition speed: Set to 4
Subjects shift sensitivity: Set to 2
Distortion compensation: Set to auto
It's worth noting that we don't follow conventional wisdom regarding some of our camera settings. For example, our shutter speed is not double the frame rate, and we often set our aperture to f/4. However, we've found that these settings work well for us and produce high-quality results.
If you're looking to fine-tune your shots, you can experiment with different exposure modes, such as full manual mode. For most of our videos, we shoot in aperture priority mode, which allows us to set the aperture manually and let the camera adjust the other settings automatically.
When it comes to aperture settings, our media specialists have their aperture set automatically, while for exterior shots, we typically set the aperture around f/8, and for interior shots, we set it around f/4. However, there are times when we set our aperture higher or lower than these defaults, depending on the shot's specific needs.
We use X AVC s HD file format since we typically deliver 1080P finished products. This format helps keep video file sizes manageable and is less taxing on our editors' computers. However, for personal preference, we shoot in 4k and use X AVC H S 4k format. Shooting in 4k allows us to scale the footage without losing quality and provides a quality improvement.
Conventional wisdom recommends setting the shutter speed to double the frame rate. However, we've found that setting our shutter speed at the frame rate produces a cleaner image and less noise in low light conditions. Our media specialists typically shoot at 60 frames per second, which allows us to slow down the footage during the editing process if needed. Meanwhile, we shoot at 24 frames per second most of the time.
Our ISO settings are set to automatic, with the lower limit set to 100 and the upper limit set to 12,800. This range produces clean, usable footage with the Sony cameras we use. However, you should test your camera's ISO settings to see at what point noise or grain is introduced into your footage and set your upper limit slightly lower.
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