Video for dummies 3 questions

[Mike]

Sorry for these basic questions, I haven't shot any video in awhile and am planning a dive trip and am trying to get back up to speed. While I've shot some decent video in the past, I've never been positive that I've had all the right settings dialed in correctly and wonder if I'm doing something that could be improved upon, or have been just doing some things just plain wrong in the past.

So here are 3 basic questions

1) When planning to be shooting mostly in shutter priority mode what shutter setting, 1/30, 1/60 etc... and why? Is one preferred to another for general shooting and what specialized situations would you choose another and why?

2) Recording format -- MP4, AVCHD, AVCHD progressive, this one has always stumped me in the past so I typically am shooting in MP4, I edit on the computer, I sometimes upload to the web, but primarily watch the finished results on a HD TV or a computer monitor. Why one versus another? Is MP4 just good enough for what I'm doing or am I shooting myself in the foot?

3) Aspect ratio - I typically always shoot in 16:9, but 1:1, 4:3, 3:3 are available. Why or when would you choose one of these other formats? And if nobody ever uses them, why are they available?

 

[fbk]

You have an LX7 right? Having just got back from a trip I here are a few things I learned or picked up previously from Interceptor's blog which explains lots of things about the camera in more detail..

I always shoot Progessive AVCHD it is the highest quality codec on the LX7, 60 frames/sec is good to work with if you need to slow anything down and is much smoother to watch. You do need a powerful editing machine though, provided it can handle it there is no reason not to use the best quality available. I watch mine on a full HD projector and 120" screen and 1080p60 from the LX7 looks pretty amazing.

At 60FPS I always shoot in creative S mode at 1/125, or 1/60 in low light (same as frame rate). In full daylight above water you will need to use the ND filter or increase the shutter speed. I also set the exposure compensation to around -1 stop as it tends to overexpose and blow highlights. The camera does well in low light with the ISO on auto, you can set the max ISO you want to allow it to use.

The aspect ratio only applies to stills not video... purely for creative composition or watching on a 4:3 screen for instance.

 

[Mike]

Awesome, thanks for the tips.

Yes I have an LX7.

What exactly is creative S mode? I have an S on the dial for shutter priority, what is creative S?

 

[fbk]

The mode on the dial with the video icon is "Creative Video" mode. Within that you have the P A S M and HS menu options on screen, the S in Creative Video mode is the one you want to use. You can adjust shutter speed while recording using the thumb wheel to control exposure.

This is NOT the same as selecting S on the mode dial which is for stills only, if you set the dial to S and use the red video button the camera will record in Auto. Use the main shutter button to start and stop the videos (much more comfortable on the housing anyway)