Best ISO and Shutter Speed Settings? Nd Filter?

AerialEyeProductions · Sep 19, 2015

Hey everyone. What are the best ISO and Shutter speed settings for good video. Often my videos result with a lot of noise in them presumably from one of these two settings being set wrong, but I do not know which. I've read that maybe I need to get an Nd filter as well. So overall, what are the best ISO and Shutter Speed settings for video (and photographs) and also which Nd filter do I need (Nd2, Nd4, Nd8)?

Thanks!

ThatMarriedGuy · Sep 19, 2015

The best settings to use are those appropriate for the situation.

Meta4 · Sep 19, 2015

Because there are so many lighting and subject matter possibilities, there is no "best setting".

AerialEyeProductions · Sep 19, 2015

Yes, but I'm looking for more general answers. Like if I have ISO up really high is it too noisy, is that because of Shutter speed?, etc. Not exact numbers but general ranges/levels.

jack1144 · Sep 19, 2015

There are a few post about this that you might find with a search. Basically, keep your ISO at 100 noise is the result of high ISO settings. The lens is fixed at f 2.8. Use a ND filter to give you 0 EV.
I use a lightmeter to give me a calculation of shutter speed and set around double the frame rate.
Example : lightmeter reading says f 2.8 and 1/400 sec.for proper exposure at 100 ISO
I want 1/50th sec shutter so I add a ND8 (3 stops)

AerialEyeProductions · Sep 19, 2015

Ok, thanks so much

Utopian · Aug 28, 2016

AerialEyeProductions said:
Hey everyone. What are the best ISO and Shutter speed settings for good video. Often my videos result with a lot of noise in them presumably from one of these two settings being set wrong, but I do not know which. I've read that maybe I need to get an Nd filter as well. So overall, what are the best ISO and Shutter Speed settings for video (and photographs) and also which Nd filter do I need (Nd2, Nd4, Nd8)?

Thanks!

Hey, did you have any chance to experience what are generally the best settings? I feel like the shutter speed rule of thumb does not work for me. It seems to make image less detailed.

Rothgarr · Aug 28, 2016

If you are shooting bracketed pictures to assemble for HD, is it generally recommended to not use an ND filter?

hudster · Aug 28, 2016

If you want more of a cinematic result, put it to 24fps and your shutter at 1/50s and the proper Nd filter for that current lighting situation. Remember, whatever frames per second you put it on, always double your shutter speed.

Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

jephoto · Aug 28, 2016

Rothgarr said:
If you are shooting bracketed pictures to assemble for HD, is it generally recommended to not use an ND filter?

Are you still talking about Video? Or Stills?
You can't shoot bracket photos for video.
If you are trying to do HDR stills, then don't use a filter at all for sharp detail.

Rothgarr · Aug 28, 2016

jephoto said:
Are you still talking about Video? Or Stills?
You can't shoot bracket photos for video.
If you are trying to do HDR stills, then don't use a filter at all for sharp detail.

I was specifically talking about stills. Thanks!

jephoto · Aug 28, 2016

Rothgarr said:
I was specifically talking about stills. Thanks!

The only reason people here use filters it to slow down the shutter speed for smoother video. Since out lens if a fixed f2.8 in bright light you end up with very high shutter speeds.
Which for stills it just what you DO want - freeze movement for sharp images. Usually. Unless you don't....
But putting another layer of glass over the lens -if you don't need to- will only soften details or give you another layer of glass to possibly cause lens flare.
For stills- definitely leave the filters off.

SnoozeDoggyDog · Aug 28, 2016

AerialEyeProductions said:
Yes, but I'm looking for more general answers. Like if I have ISO up really high is it too noisy, is that because of Shutter speed?, etc. Not exact numbers but general ranges/levels.

I always fly with an Nd 4 filter, cloudy or sunny (I live in the UK). I set the light balance to whatever the conditions are (sunny or cloudy), never on auto.
This was shot on a very sunny day with an nd4 and light balance set to sunny. Job done. Maybe I was just lucky.

jephoto · Aug 29, 2016

Apple an& oranges here. Video vs. Stills.
Video can have a higher iso because it's moving images. 24 fps and if you have an ND and can get your shutter speed down ton1:60 or 1/50 as is the goal, there will be slight (very slight) blurring of each frame, which mitigates the grain problem.

On stills even going up to 200 Iiso you see a dramatic difference in the Noise.
Even at 100 there is noise. It's a tiny little sensor.
Take several shots of the same subject at 100/200/400/800 iOS and process them normally, blow them into 100%. You'll see the Noise get really awful.
Used only on screen really small it won't look so bad. But try to make prints and it will...

Rothgarr · Aug 29, 2016

jephoto said:
View attachment 63477
The only reason people here use filters it to slow down the shutter speed for smoother video. Since out lens if a fixed f2.8 in bright light you end up with very high shutter speeds.
Which for stills it just what you DO want - freeze movement for sharp images. Usually. Unless you don't....
But putting another layer of glass over the lens -if you don't need to- will only soften details or give you another layer of glass to possibly cause lens flare.
For stills- definitely leave the filters off.

Nice pic! And thanks for the tip.

I took a ton of pictures yesterday with the filter off. I kept switching between single shot, multi-shot, AEB multi and HDR. I learned a few things...

Multi-shot is literally just that. I thought it might be bracketed where the exposure is different but nope. So I got a ton of dupes. I do't think I'l ever use that feature again.

HDR is meh.

AEB is pretty cool. I did it at the five shot settings and assembled them in Photoshop. Moving forward I might always do one of these for each pic.

Single shot. I still think this is most useful. Moving forward I'll be using this primarily while also taking a 5 shot AEB.

One other thing I learned is that the file naming is absolutely useless if you are taking a bunch of pics of the same shot using different modes. For some shots I used all four modes above. But there's absolutely no way to tell where one set of pics starts and ends for AEB, for example. I feel like Multi-shot and AEB should have their file names appended. Something like:

DJI_0165.JPG
DJI_0166.JPG
DJI_0167.JPG
DJI_0168_1.JPG
DJI_0168_2.JPG
DJI_0168_3.JPG
DJI_0168_4.JPG
DJI_0168_5.JPG
DJI_0169.JPG
DJI_0170.JPG
DJI_0171.JPG

(where you can tell that images 0168 is clearly a set)

That way you can clearly see what images are part of a AEB shot, etc.

jephoto · Aug 29, 2016

Rothgarr said:
Nice pic! And thanks for the tip.

I took a ton of pictures yesterday with the filter off. I kept switching between single shot, multi-shot, AEB multi and HDR. I learned a few things...

Multi-shot is literally just that. I thought it might be bracketed where the exposure is different but nope. So I got a ton of dupes. I do't think I'l ever use that feature again.

HDR is meh.

AEB is pretty cool. I did it at the five shot settings and assembled them in Photoshop. Moving forward I might always do one of these for each pic.

Single shot. I still think this is most useful. Moving forward I'll be using this primarily while also taking a 5 shot AEB.

One other thing I learned is that the file naming is absolutely useless if you are taking a bunch of pics of the same shot using different modes. For some shots I used all four modes above. But there's absolutely no way to tell where one set of pics starts and ends for AEB, for example. I feel like Multi-shot and AEB should have their file names appended. Something like:

DJI_0165.JPG
DJI_0166.JPG
DJI_0167.JPG
DJI_0168_1.JPG
DJI_0168_2.JPG
DJI_0168_3.JPG
DJI_0168_4.JPG
DJI_0168_5.JPG
DJI_0169.JPG
DJI_0170.JPG
DJI_0171.JPG

(where you can tell that images 0168 is clearly a set)

That way you can clearly see what images are part of a AEB shot, etc.

I used to shoot either 3 or 5 shot AEB all the time - until I realized that the .7 stop bracket wasn't a true change in exposure. For some reason DJI decided that the best way to "Bracket" the exposure was to bracket the ISO - not the shutter speed.
And a 3 shot AEB with Raw+JPG takes about 14 seconds to write to the card and I can't change exposure or shoot more until it stops.
Actually you can do 2- 3 frame brackets and then the buffer is filled.

Now I mostly use 1 shot because it writes to the card relatively fast and if I want a bracket I'll do it manually at 1 stop. I shoot more 2 frame panos than anything else. So I want to be able to shoot a frame, rotate, shoot again.
Or if slow shutter speeds- dusk & dawn, be able to take several frames in each spot to make sure I get a sharp one, then rotate and do it again. Hate waiting 14 seconds...

I keep the histogram visible and get a good exposure set that doesn't clip either shadows or highlights. Then roll with it. Raw files rule.....

To see where your brackets or pano sets begin & end, push the button on left bottom of controller to point straight down. Shoot a frame, then back up do your set.
Then you have a divider frame between sets. easy to see.

Meta4 · Aug 29, 2016

jephoto said:
I used to shoot either 3 or 5 shot AEB all the time - until I realized that the .7 stop bracket wasn't a true change in exposure. For some reason DJI decided that the best way to "Bracket" the exposure was to bracket the ISO - not the shutter speed.

Not always ... it might depend on settings?
Bracketing adjusts the shutter speed for me

jephoto · Aug 29, 2016

That's the screwy thing. I've been shooting with DJI for 2 years now, and still can't figure out how to lock it down to do only shutter speeds.

I ALWAYS want to shoot 100 iso for stills. But sometimes it does just shutter, sometimes it does (more often- unless they changed it in recent FW updates) the ISO.
And no one has been able to tell me how to make it do only shutter brackets.

Again it's been a whole since I've asked the question.
I'd be very happy to find out how to lock it to that function if anyone knows.

But I really have a lot of success with single exposures. I like being able to change settings quicker or rotate for a pano bracket & fire quicker.

Last week I was doing fireworks and found not have gotten so many good frames if I'd been on AEB or burst. I had to watch the sky & fire at the best moments. Repeatedly.

jephoto · Aug 29, 2016

And make no mistake, it dod not come out of the camera like that. I did a fair amount of post to bring out the best in the file. And you can't do HDR on moving fireworks explosions.....