Hello all, i am a very experienced DSLR photographer, mainly shooting events for my photography job and doing wildlife/birding as my main focus on the side. Since i'm spending so much time watching birds and tracking them with my camera on a gimble head, i got to thinking why not invest in a tripod head and try out some video recording of wildlife since i have a great love for wildlife documentaries so i thought i would try it out and ordered a 50D.
I have a manfrotto 055cxpro3 carbon fiber 3 section tripod, an opteka gh1 cheap gimble head and a bunch of canon gear in 5D II, 50D, 100-400mm, 135mm f2, 16-35, 24-105, 85 1.8, etc.
So i'm looking for any beginner tips for recording video. I think the next thing to get is a video head, i am thinking about getting the manfrotto 701HDV and an arcatech leveling base for around $300. Besides a video head suggestion i have a couple more questions:
What are the best settings to use while recording? Should i stick to manual? Do i need to be at around 1/30 of a second or can i shoot at a faster shutter speed, like around 1/100? If i shoot too high of a shutter speed will that not look desirable?
I just posted this in the accessory section, but is there a way to control the focus in ML using some kind of remote? While using my 100-400mm lens and my current tripod, every gentle tap of the joystick to control the focus makes the camera shake so much. Is there a better way i can secure my camera to the future head that i buy, like a long rail that even supports the lens at the end? I have a feeling i am going to need to stabilize my setup even more.
And lastly anyone have any good videos to watch, or links on recording video for wildlife or birds? I just can't find much out there. I am new to the video world but i actually started a job doing video editing and shot my first video job last week so i have officially caught the video bug and just looking for some guidance! Thanks
I'll answer a couple questions.
15mm rail system with a follow focus should work pretty well. Manual is the way to go. 180ยบ shutter generally (24p, 1/48 shutter). Faster shutter will give you a sharper look but also sacrifices motion blur. Just search for stuff on Youtube, many great tutorials on there for dslr vids.
Shutter Speed: 125
Iso as low as possible
720 (50 FPS)
thats the best way to catch them on film.