With the rise of short videos, the recording function used to be on the monocular, now with the increasingly powerful specifications of the cell phone, we can shoot video equipment readily available, as long as the concept is right, perhaps we can fulfill the dream of the director, to present a distinctive style of video!

There are so many video file formats to choose from.

When choosing a file format, a higher resolution may be considered to enhance the picture quality, but it should be noted that this may lead to an increase in file size and more computer resources will be consumed in the post-production process. Therefore, it is recommended to choose the appropriate resolution according to the requirements of the main playback platform and the end use.

Framerate is an important factor in the smoothness of a movie, the higher the frame rate the smoother the movie will be. However, frame rate also affects the size of the movie, with a 60p movie being much larger than a 30p movie. In addition, in low-light environments, using a lower frame rate may result in better picture quality.

Traffic is the speed at which a movie is downloaded or streamed, usually in Mbps. Choosing a higher traffic rate will increase the download speed of the movie, but it will also increase the file size.

Compression coding is a technique used to compress video files when storing or transferring them. Choosing a different compression method allows you to control the file size, but it may also affect the picture quality. For example, using a lower compression ratio will result in higher picture quality, but the file size will also increase. Therefore, it is recommended to choose the appropriate compression method according to the usage and budget.

Many people prefer to shoot videos at 24p because this setting gives a movie-like visual effect with a high level of quality and beauty. However, 30p and 60p images are more like TV programs or news, and may lack some "flavor". In Taiwan, the projection specification for TV is NTSC, while 60p and 30p are the standard for NTSC. So don't be surprised if you see 50p or 25p in the camera settings, as these settings are European PAL. Just remember to switch to NTSC in the menu.

Videos can be in different file formats, such as Sony's XVAC'S, AVCHD, MP4, and so on. Each file format has its own specific traffic and compression coding method. Traffic refers to the amount of recorded data in Mbps; the higher the traffic, the richer the image quality and detail, but the larger the file size. For example, the XVAC S format supported by the Sony α7S provides 50Mbps of Full HD video. Compression encoding is an algorithm used to balance file size and movie quality. For example, Canon's EOS models with DIGIC 5+ offer two compression formats, IPB and All-I. The former uses a "frame interpolation" algorithm. The former uses the Inter Frame Algorithm (IFA), which provides a higher compression rate and a smaller file size, making it suitable for long-duration recording or instant uploading. The latter uses the "intra-frame algorithm", which gives priority to picture quality and is suitable for professional needs such as filming movies and advertisements. Due to the low compression rate, it will be smoother when playing or post-production editing on computer.

Do I have to use a style file?

Applying a style file (color grading) is a technique used when shooting or recording images, the purpose of which is to allow the user to easily make the image appear different without going through complicated post-production. Professional videographers usually make color adjustments in post-production, so the purpose of applying a style file is usually to preserve the details of the image, make sure that the highlights and darks are not overexposed or dark, and that the colors do not pop out and cannot be adjusted. For example.Sony S-Log2 and S-Log3 Gamma curves are available, Canon has CineStyle, and Nikon's Flat, added after the D810, is a similar concept, although their principles are slightly different, their purpose is more or less the same. With these profiles, the image becomes gray and "flat", and the colors become muted, because their main purpose is to preserve the maximum dynamic range for post-production purposes.

Aperture, Shutter and SensitivityHow do I adjust it?

The shutter setting is the factor that affects the exposure time of the image. If you are shooting a still scene, you can use a shorter shutter time to achieve a lower ISO sensitivity to avoid noise, while if you are shooting a moving scene, you can use a longer shutter time to minimize jitter, but be aware that using a longer shutter time will make the image blurry, so it is important to balance the use of the shutter time appropriately.

Finally, sensitivity, or ISO sensitivity, is a setting that affects the sharpness and noise of an image. The higher the sensitivity, the sharper the image will be, but it will also increase the amount of noise generated, so you can use lower ISO sensitivities to achieve better image quality when photographing still scenes, but you may need to use higher ISO sensitivities to minimize shaking when photographing moving scenes. However, be aware that using higher ISO sensitivities will result in blurred images and increased noise, so balance them appropriately.

Sensitivity controls the camera's sensitivity to light when recording or photographing, and is usually expressed as an ISO value. The higher the sensitivity, the greater the sensitivity to light, and the clearer the image the camera can capture in darker environments, but at the same time it will also increase background noise, which will reduce the quality of the image. In recording, the choice of sensitivity will also be subject to the limitations of the shutter speed, for example, in the shooting of static objects, you can use a higher sensitivity to reduce the background noise; but in the shooting of motion pictures, due to the lower shutter speed, the sensitivity can not be too high, otherwise it will result in blurred effects. Therefore, it may be necessary to use a lower sensitivity or set the sensitivity at a lower level to maintain the clarity of the image when taking motion pictures.

Sensitivity refers to the sensitivity of the sensor (such as a CCD or CMOS sensor) to light. Higher sensitivity means that the sensor can capture enough light in lower light, which means that it can take better photos or videos in darker environments. However, it should be noted that the higher the sensitivity, the more noise there will be, especially in low-light conditions. Therefore, when choosing the sensitivity, you need to take into account the current lighting conditions and the desired image quality, and be aware that different camera systems may have different sensitivity settings.

Auto Focus VS Manual Focus

Autofocus can be a great convenience when recording, but it has a certain logic that prioritizes focusing on the brightest areas or on the subject closest to the lens. This means that we can't control where we focus very accurately, let alone in low-light situations or when we want to convey the message of the image by moving the focus point. For this reason, we recommend using manual focus. Manual focusing does not require any special skills, the most important thing is experience and practice. However, we can make it easier by using some auxiliary functions, such as "Peak Focus". The Log Gamma curve of some cameras makes the contrast of the image very low, and it is very difficult to focus even when zooming in. In this case, the Peak Focus function is very useful and can save us a lot of effort.

Auto White Balance VS Manual White Balance

White balance is also a very important setting in photography. It ensures that the color temperature of each image is consistent, which makes post-production much easier. It is recommended to use manual white balance to ensure that the color tone of the picture is correct. In addition to adjusting the K value to change the color temperature, it is also common to use pure white objects (such as white paper, white walls, or white clothes) to customize the white balance. However, there is no standard answer to the question of whether white balance is accurate or not. Whether the light is warmer or cooler ultimately depends on the mood of the image you want to convey. Therefore, the choice of white balance depends on the photographer's preference and creativity.