Skip to main content

An easy demonstration of how aperture, shutter speed and ISO work in video

How to Use Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO For Video
If you are into still photography then chances are that you have at least heard of the terms aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. These three items are what combine to produce the exposure of your image, and they are often referred to as the exposure triangle. Learning and understanding how these elements interact is important for any growing photographer.

But what about videographers, or photographers looking to shoot more video? Do the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO all act and function the same way when shooting video? Yes, they do, but there are things that need to be taken into account on the video side that aren’t as important or necessary on the still-photography side.

Recommended Videos

YouTuber Chris Pike, the man behind DSLR Video Shooter, recently released a great excerpt from his Panasonic GX85 overview tutorial in which he discusses each element of exposure — the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO — going in depth into each with examples and demonstrations of how they affect the scene and exposure of the shot.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

But beyond the basics, Pike jumps into specifically how these functions are different for video. The element that exhibits the biggest difference is undoubtedly shutter speed, which in video should be kept to the 180-degree rule. That rule dictates that the shutter speed should be set at twice the frame rate to achieve the standard cinematic look. On most cameras today that would be 50th of a second at 24 FPS.

Pike demonstrates this perfectly with several video clips which clearly show the effects of a very slow shutter speed as well as very fast shutter speeds. If you have been struggling with how to produce higher quality video content, having a solid handle on the basics is key, and this video is a great place to start.

Anthony Thurston
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony is an internationally published photographer based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Specializing primarily in…
Astronaut’s photo shows Earth as you’ve never seen it before
Earth as seen from the space station.

NASA astronaut Don Pettit already has a long-held reputation for creating stunning space photography, and his latest effort will only bolster it.

Shared on social media on Thursday, the image (top) shows Earth as a blaze of streaking light, an effect created by using long and multiple exposures to capture cities at night across several continents.

Read more
This GoPro camera is $100 off at Walmart today
The GoPro Hero 12 Black Creator Edition set up on a small tripod on the beach.

When it comes to high-octane sports and other speedy scenarios, our phone cameras can only do so much to capture the action. That’s why there’s such a big market for action cameras, and one of the O.G. camera companies in this realm is GoPro. For years, GoPro has been delivering HD and 4K cameras that are both durable and user-friendly, which is why we’re glad to shine a light on this fantastic offer we found while vetting Walmart deals:

When you purchase the GoPro Hero 12 at Walmart, you’ll pay $300. At full price, this model sells for $400.

Read more
The excellent intermediate Canon EOS R10 camera is $86 off at Walmart today
Canon EOS R10 camera mirrorless with STM lens attached and flash up

I recently grabbed a Canon EOS R50 bundle for a trip to the Dominican Republic. I did a lot of research before I made my decision, sifting through the best camera deals, and the two options I essentially narrowed down were the R50 and the EOS R10. The biggest difference between the two is that the R10 gives you more granular control over some of the photoshoot settings. R50, on the other hand, was designed assuming you'll mostly use the automatic shooting modes. That's a great option for novices, while the R10 is better for intermediate to more skilled photographers. Why am I telling you all of this? Because the excellent Canon EOS R10 camera is on sale at Walmart for Black Friday, discounted by $86 to $760 instead of $846. It is one of the better early Black Friday camera deals I've found so far. It comes with an 18-45mm lens. Needless to say, that's a great deal. Comparatively, the R10 with body only -- no lens -- is .

 
Why shop the Canon EOS R10 camera in Walmart's early Black Friday sale?

Read more