Post: #1

I just got my Nikon D5200 and have been playing with it. I'm not too interested in shooting photographs so I'm diving right into videos.

I'm putting the frame rate at 24 and shutter speed at 1/50. The two things I'm controlling are aperture and ISO. I take it that I should use the lowest ISO possible. I'm really liking the big aperture setting to give the fuzzy background. My point-and-shoot couldn't do that.

I'm also doing manual focus. I figure I should learn it instead of being dependent on auto.

Do you guys have any general tips or know of decent youtube tutorials?

Post: #2

DSLRs are fun- I have Cannon T3i which I've been experimenting with all week.

Having recently taken a film-making course and shot a short documentary, the best advice I could give is don't get hung up on all the technical stuff and just focus on framing shots well and getting foundational stuff down like sound, lighting, rule of thirds, etc.

I'm sure there are lots of youtube videos, but the best book on this topic I've ever read is "How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" by Steve Stockman. It's very thorough and yet a very easy read as well, you can get through it in 2 or 3 sittings. It has little exercises to make the reader shoot better video for everything from weddings to viral sketches to video blogging (which I'm guessing you want to stay focused on) Steven Pressfeild (War of Art author) described it as being "like 2 years of film school in 248 pages." Link

A good compliment to that might be The Filmmaker's Handbook which I also own. This is different in that it is a huge compendium covering every technical thing all in one place. Bad thing it is like 1000 pages- would make your checked luggage a little heavier.

Looks like you can buy both together for like $28.

Good luck.

Edit: If by some chance an audio or kindle version of these books exists I'd caution against them, since there are lot of pictures you'd need to be able to see to properly understand the concepts being explained.

Post: #3

What I like so far is the videos have a soft feel to them, sort of like from a movie. I think point-and-shoots jack up the sharpness/contrast, but that doesn't look like "pro" video.

Post: #4

I don't undestand much about pro video but I found this helpful http://www.aleksandervitkin.com/377-2/

Post: #5

What lens are you using?

The wider the aperture, the shallower the depth of field (i.e. less stuff in focus) so the more problems you might have with focusing. With a wide aperture, the depth of field might be just a few cm thick, so you won't be able to have both your nose and your ears in focus, no matter where you choose to focus. Increasing the f number (i.e. smaller aperture) would increase the amount of stuff in focus but you will also start to lose the blurred background effect. So you might want to play around with whatever looks best to you. At a minimum, have your whole head in focus (focus on the eyes), but there's no need to have your hands in sharp focus when you are gesturing as they may move out of the in-focus region. But give yourself a little breathing room so you can move your head back and forth a little without immediately starting to go out of focus.

You aperture choice will also be influenced by how much light is available, since you've fixed your shutter speed to 1/50. So that leaves you with the ISO for exposure control. You can probably go as high as ISO 800 without noticeably degrading image quality. ISO 100, 200, 400 are all perfectly fine to use. If you are shooting outside and there's too much light, set to base ISO and decrease the size of the aperture. This way you will probably lose the blurred background effect. If you want to have the blurred background effect while shooting outside, you may have to get something called a neutral density filter. It fits on the front of your lens and limits the amount of light going in, so you can use a wide aperture in bright daylight.

If shooting indoors, especially if using more than one light source, you might want to play with the colour temperature to give you the best look. The camera sets it automatically but it is not always a good choice. (e.g. the whole scene may look too yellow).

I don't have a specific youtube channel recommendation but there's plenty of great info out there if you search for something like 'dslr video tutorials'.

Post: #6

I'm sitting on the fence about buying a DSLR at the moment. I'm interested in using a DSLR for shooting video more then taking photos (although it would be cool to be able to shoot some really nice pics when needed) I bought the latest GOPRO camera for shooting footage and it works ok but theres no zoom and its hard to focus on something and the sound quality is awful. The pros are its crazy small and versatile, and also water proof. I saw in the local Kmart ad paper that they have 2 DSLR cameras for under $600, a Nikon and Cannon, I don't remember the models. $600 is what I have in my GOPRO and accessories for it.

Are any of your new videos shot with your new DSLR camera Roosh?

Post: #7

(09-19-2014 07:07 AM)Roosh Wrote:  What I like so far is the videos have a soft feel to them, sort of like from a movie. I think point-and-shoots jack up the sharpness/contrast, but that doesn't look like "pro" video.

One thing you could do Roosh is do some color correction, but it starts to get complicated. It is best to get the look you want in the camera without having to do a lot of post.

I don't know if Nikon has "cinestyles". It is a type of look develeoped by Technicolor. There are other companies who have developed their own versions, some are free like Technicolor's. It is just a look they think looks closest to film. I have never tried it.





http://vimeo.com/23087976

Post: #8

Quote:One thing you could do Roosh is do some color correction, but it starts to get complicated. It is best to get the look you want in the camera without having to do a lot of post.

Right now my goal is to be merely technically competent and focus on telling/showing the story. I won't win awards on the film quality, but I don't want it to be so bad that it distracts from the clip's message. Having good sound and at least average video is my short term goal.

I'm also kind of disinterested in being a video blogger. I want to try some other things.

Post: #9

what microphones are you using? does that camera have manual audio controls? if you're shooting on the street you should get a viewfinder so you can see what you're doing.

Post: #10

I have a D3200, and this book is extremely helpful.
Here is the D5200 version:

David Busch's Nikon D5200 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

Post: #11

Here's great information on the relationship between shutter speed and frames per second:

https://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/56/...d-straight

Post: #12

The videos are looking great; even the latest one about the deranged YouTube warrior, which was shot indoors.

When demonstrating something on a computer, it would probably be better to use screen recording software like Snag-It. It's pricey if you're only planning on using it a few times, but there should be some free alternatives.

For Mac users, there is a free option that comes with your Mac: Open QuickTime, then click File > New Screen Recording.

Post: #13

I have the Nikon D5200, too.

You have more patience than I do. It took forever for me to upload a 5 minute video. Now I just use my iPhone.

How long is it taking you to upload your videos? The video quality in your last one (the Laci video) are outstanding. Very clear and has the "HD feel" to it.

Post: #14

(09-28-2014 01:34 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  It took forever for me to upload a 5 minute video.

But Roosh is in Odessa, where most apartments have the equivalent of FiOS for 1/10 of the price.

Post: #15

Lighting is going to be more important than any of the technical specs on your camera. You should look into what portable options exist for external lights - LED panels come to mind. Thanks to white balance correction, the color temperature of the light isn't as drastic as it used to be.

Post: #16

So I'm ready to upgrade my indoor lighting. What's a good starting system that's not too expensive (if I move again I don't think I can take it with me)?

I'm thinking of getting

-1 softbox powered with a 5-head light



-1 2-head light with umbrella for fill light



-1 backlight. Is this enough...



What's good backlighting? Just a lightbulb positioned low pointed upwards?

Post: #17

My 2 cents. Not the biggest fan of umbrellas. I would look into softboxes like this kit. I know the umbrella is for fill but I don't like them as much as all boxes. Over time the clamp for the umbrella may get loose, but you mentioned this is a cheap option.

http://www.amazon.com/Fancierstudio-Ligh...ghting+kit

Post: #18

Lighting kits in Eastern Europe are insanely expensive, like 5 times the price or more. It may be cheaper for me to ship from the US, size and all.

Post: #19

(10-11-2014 03:32 PM)Roosh Wrote:  Lighting kits in Eastern Europe are insanely expensive, like 5 times the price or more. It may be cheaper for me to ship from the US, size and all.

What type of lighting are you using right now? If you are doing videos at night, then a lighting kit might be useful. But otherwise you can try taking advantage of natural window light.

What you need more than lighting kit is a white background and/or screen that you can use to soften the light.

Post: #20

I have no lighting system right now. I'd use natural light but there isn't much during the winter in eastern europe and it goes down before 5. A lighting system would give me more flexibility to film at any hour regardless of the weather.

Post: #21

Roosh, what is the name of the mic, what was it recorded through, and how did you light this video?





It's by far your best produced one so far. Also, did you edit the video (brightness, contrast etc) and audio (remove noise) at all or is that all just straight from the camera/mic? It honestly looks and sounds great!

Post: #22

Roosh, any updates using the D5200? I'm looking to grab one next week on ebay for like $430 with two lenses plus adobe lightroom. This will all be new to me so any tips would be appreciated.

Post: #23

What editing software do people here use?

I have been using Final Cut Pro X and have been enjoying it. I found some good tutorial series and have been making some basic videos over the last few weeks.

I only have a GoPro Hero 4 at the moment which is fun for more action orientated footage (racing, snowboarding) but I will getting a DSLR very soon. Is there any more resources that people recommend?

Post: #24

Premiere PRO CS6

Post: #25

(12-06-2014 07:59 PM)Atlantic Wrote:  What editing software do people here use?

I have been using Final Cut Pro X and have been enjoying it. I found some good tutorial series and have been making some basic videos over the last few weeks.

I only have a GoPro Hero 4 at the moment which is fun for more action orientated footage (racing, snowboarding) but I will getting a DSLR very soon. Is there any more resources that people recommend?

Resources for what?