Shooting Video in Low Light: A few years ago, many of us regarded the so-called “EVIL” cameras with a certain amount of contempt. There’s no denying that it was a horrible name choice, but few people would consider such little, crippled corpses deserving of attention. These cameras used to be known as Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens, but they have now changed their name to mirrorless.
One of the first to put an actual dent in Canon’s DSLR hegemony was Sony’s A7S. The reason? Its amazing best video camera for low light performance. That has been a beast that has always fascinated most of the filmmakers, the ability to get stunning shots in the dark.
Shooting Video in Low Light
But does having a better camera really solve the problem? Alternatively, is it the person holding the camera? Can we adhere to certain rules to produce better low-light clips? All filmmakers who wish to enhance their low-light filming should consider Jason Vong’s advice.
It is necessary to state a small disclaimer before we start. The advice you will read is comprised of the broadest guidelines, or what is known as a rule of thumb. Therefore, depending on the camera, lighting, and other factors, the mileage may be different for each and every one of us.
Shooting test video with the camera you’ll be utilising is mostly done for that purpose. You must be familiar with your camera. In this manner, you will get valuable experience, and more importantly, you will become more familiar with the tools that you use in your field of work.
ISO
Know your ISO limit is the first and most important thing you should do. Try to test your camera’s actual ISO performance in advance depending on the model.
Digital noise floods the frame more and more as you go higher, destroying the photo. So as a general guideline, keep your ISO below 6,400 for Full Frame, 3,200 for APS-C, and 1,600 for Micro 4/3 systems. How come? So, bigger sensors, bigger individual pixels, and less noise.
SHUTTER SPEED
The shutter speed is the second camera setting that you may change. A speed that is too high will reduce the amount of light accessible even further. As a general guideline, maintain the shutter speed at double your framerate. READ
Keep a 1/50 shutter speed, for instance, if you’re shooting at 25 frames per second. At 50 frames per second, move at 1/100. This advice is useful in all shooting situations, not just low-light ones, because it provides for the best motion blur in the picture.
NO HIGH FRAME RATES
If you crank up your frame rate, you’ll also need to crank up the shutter speed as a direct result of the preceding one. At that point, you’ll need to adjust the ISO, and you could even exceed the recommended maximum ISOs. It’s a blanket that is never long enough. Limit your frame rates to be on the safe side.
FAST GLASS
Nearly all videographers ought to carry a few quick prime lenses. In some circumstances, having a beautiful, bright optic may make all the difference. For example, a 50mm 1.4 will be 4 stops quicker than a f3.5 lens. Why does that matter? You could photograph in the same conditions with an ISO as low as 800 and have virtually the same exposure! Shooting Video in Low Light
Why don’t we all use fast prime lenses when we shoot? There are actually two basic explanations. A fast lens can easily cost twice as much as a comparable slow lens, if not more. The depth of field is the second justification. Shooting full wide on a fast lens means having a focus so shallow you could easily.
USE AVAILABLE LIGHT
Search the area. Modern cities are inundated with artificial lighting. There should be some light on location unless you’re filming in the wilderness. Utilize it to your benefit.
Try to guide the performers utilising the soft, large shop windows, some backlighting from coloured neon signs, etc. Make notes while exploring about potential light sources that you could employ ingeniously.
MAKE LIGHT
Even a small bit of light may work wonders in a gloomy environment. We have the good fortune to live in an era where LED lighting has significantly reduced the cost of lighting fixtures.
Entry-level LED panels cost just a few dollars, but if you’re skilled, you could make your own lighting or adapt existing lamps to your needs. Be imaginative; you just need a little to give those dark mid-tones a little boost.
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CHANGE SHOOTING MODE
Befriend them if you can’t vanquish them. It’s time to give up if none of the aforementioned solutions worked. But is it? Try experimenting with other methods, like a timelapse.
You can capture some quite brilliant stills with no lighting and slow lenses without being constrained by the limitations of the video; you simply need to take your time. If you require the photo of that specific place, having longer exposure settings—sometimes even more than a second—can provide some perfectly brilliant and useful time-lapse sequences.
