Vlog Camera Settings Tutorial
Since posting my video on unboxing the perfect vlogging setup I have been inundated with questions about what are the best settings for you vlog camera. So this short video is here to answer that.
https://www.firstmanphotography.com/gear/unboxing-perfect-vlog-setup
I have created a video before about the best settings to use when shooting video with a DSLR and this uses very similar settings with just a couple of little tweaks.
https://www.firstmanphotography.com/tutorials/dslr-video-settings
Firstly you will need a camera with a video autofocus function, something like the Canon 700d or the more advanced Canon 70d or Canon 80d. Switch into video mode and open the menu. make sure Movie Servo AF is enabled and the AF method is in face tracking.
Secondly. Set your frame rate. The best frame rate to use for a vlog camera is 30fps in the US and 25fps pretty much everywhere else This is linked to your countries power frequency - google it if you want to know more. This gives the most natural feeling for a vlog as opposed the the more filmic look of 24fps and the hyper-real 60fps.
Put the camera in manual mode.
The next thing to set is shutter speed. This must be set at double your frame rate. 1/50 sec in most of the world and 1/60 if you are in the US. Once that is set you can forget about it.
It then becomes a case of balancing your exposure with the aperture and ISO.
To get an understanding of the exposure triangle I cover this in my free eBook. Head to the link below, fill in your details and i’ll send you a free copy of the ebook.
http://www.firstmanphotography.com/ebook
For those looking to get up and running quickly, set your ISO to auto and put the aperture as low as it will go. This will work in most conditions apart from really bright conditions where you will need to push the f/number up to bring the exposure down
For finer control, balance the ISO and aperture manually. For example, if you are outside during the day, set the ISO to 100 and adjust the aperture when the light conditions change. Inside, boost the ISO to something like 800 or 1600 and again, adjust the aperture to control exposure.
You will need to practice and figure out what works best for you. Make sure you stick to double your frame rate for the shutter speed and keep your ISO down as low as possible to obtain an image free of noise.
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