How to set up a Nikon D300s for shooting Video
How to set up a Nikon D300s for shooting Video
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ian in lancs

Original Poster:

3,853 posts

227 months

Sunday 19th February 2012
quotequote all
As the Nikon manual is weak on Video I did this to help someone out and thought it might help folk on here.

How to set up a Nikon D300s for shooting Video

Camera body - relevant switches / buttons
ISO - Irrelevant camera adjusts automatically
Shooting Mode - Aperture or Manual - allows Aperture to be set
Focus Mode switch - I've set to Manual so I can control Focus during recording

Shooting Menu - relevant selections
White Balance - Auto or to suit the lighting
Set Picture Control - whatever you want
Colour Space - sRGB
Active D-Lighting - Off
Long exp. NR - Off
Live View Mode - Tripod
Multiple Exposure - Off
Movie Settings - sets Quality and Microphone sensitivity

Custom Setting Menu - relevant selections
To lock exposure easily and thus prevent the camera trying to average out lights and darks as the camera is moved around assign the Fn button (button at the 7 o'clock looking at the front of the camera) to lock exposure thus...
f5 Assign Fn button; Fn button press; scroll down to AE lock (Hold) and press OK. Now whenever that button is pressed it locks the exposure. Pressing it again unlocks it.

How Nikon's control video exposure - The camera automatically ranges ISO and shutter speed to correct exposure unless an extreme Aperture makes it impossible. The depth of field is set by choosing an f stop. It can't be changed during recording. Once the Lv button is pressed it closes the lens aperture down and only releases it when Lv is switched off.

Now you're ready to shoot!

Select desired Aperture, Press Lv, manually or press AF-ON to Focus and press Fn button to lock exposure. The latter can be adjusted by the +/- exposure button as per stills.

Press centre of jog button to record and stop recording.

Voila!

Edited by ian in lancs on Sunday 19th February 21:15

K12beano

20,854 posts

304 months

Sunday 19th February 2012
quotequote all
You make it sound so simple!

Do you do lessons for complete newbies to vid?

ian in lancs

Original Poster:

3,853 posts

227 months

Sunday 19th February 2012
quotequote all
I have a shooting video night at my studio

and as for making it simple - its easier than the D800 wil be!!!

Edited by ian in lancs on Sunday 19th February 21:17

Phunk

2,097 posts

200 months

Sunday 19th February 2012
quotequote all
So you cant manually adjust gain and shutter speed? That's a bit pants!

ian in lancs

Original Poster:

3,853 posts

227 months

Sunday 19th February 2012
quotequote all
Oh I don't think so! It seems to work rather well anyway!