Flickr: Discussing TUTORIAL- Capturing Video with the D300s (Revised) in Nikon D300s Users Group

pxlsnfr
says:

If you want to shoot video with your D300s, here are some tips to set it up as a video camera.

The first section of this tutorial will cover how to set up the SHOOTING MENU and the CUSTOM SETTING MENU. The last section will explain how to use the buttons on the camera to control focus and exposure. I use a CF card for my still images and an SDHC card to capture video. You may need to adjust some settings based on how you save your files.

The first step is to BANK your settings. This may seem like a lot to do but once these settings are entered you only need to activate TWO menu settings before capturing video.

SHOOTING MENU SETTINGS

Open the SHOOTING MENU and enter the SHOOTING MENU BANK.
Select RENAME > then choose A,B,C or D. ( I use D).
Advance to the text entry window and name the bank – Movie Mode.
(To create a space between the words, hold down the “checkerboard” button and advance the cursor).
Press OK.
Then press the MENU button to return to the SHOOTING MENU.

Open ACTIVE FOLDER and create a new folder number. (Mine is 201).
Open FILE NAMING and enter VID. Press OK.
Open PRIMARY SLOT SELECTION and choose SD. Press OK.
Open SECONDARY SLOT FUNCTION and select OVERFLOW. Press OK.

You can leave the next four settings at default or enter your preferred settings for still images captured while shooting in MOVIE MODE.

Open WHITE BALANCE and enter your preferred setting.
(For outdoor filming, I use K > 5560K).

Open SET PICTURE CONTROL and select a color rendition or monochrome.
(Monochrome allows you to capture in Black & White).

Skip MANAGE PICTURE CONTROL.
(This is used for custom picture controls)

Open COLOR SPACE and select sRGB.
Set ACTIVE D-LIGHTING, LONG EXP NR, and HIGH ISO NR to OFF.

Set ISO SENSITIVITY to the default 200 setting.
(The camera uses AUTO ISO when recording).

Open LIVE VIEW MODE and select TRIPOD. Press OK.
(TRIPOD mode allows the camera to autofocus while recording.
You can use this setting while hand holding the camera and autofocus by pressing the AF-ON button. More about this later).

Set MULTIPLE EXPOSURE to OFF.

Open MOVIE SETTINGS and select QUALITY. Choose the size of your video in pixel dimensions. Press OK.
Next, select the MICROPHONE setting and choose AUTO SENSITIVITY. Press OK.
Then select DESTINATION and choose the card slot location to save your video files. Press OK.

CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU

Open the CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU and enter the CUSTOM SETTINGS BANK.
Follow the same steps for the SHOOTING MENU. This will allow you to quickly check your settings by pressing the INFO button before recording.

In the CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU open the f CONTROLS section.
Open f5 ASSIGN FN BUTTON > FN BUTTON PRESS. Select AE LOCK (HOLD). Press OK.

Open the f9 RELEASE BUTTON TO USE DIAL > YES. Press OK.
(IMPORTANT: This setting allows you to use the +/- button (next to the on/off switch) to
adjust exposure using the Main Command Dial).
This also causes the QUAL, WB and ISO buttons to stay on. Press the buttons a second time to disengage.

IF YOU ONLY USE AUTOFOCUS LENSES – SKIP THE NEXT STEP.
But if you use non-auto focus, fixed focal length lenses this next step makes it handy to change lenses and get the correct exposure and aperture settings in the INFO panel.
Open the SETUP MENU (Look for the WRENCH icon).
Open the NON-CPU LENS DATA section and enter your lens data.
Return to CUSTOM SETTINGS MENU > f CONTROLS > f6 ASSIGN PREVIEW BUTTON.
Select PREVIEW + COMMAND DIALS > CHOOSE NON-CPU LENS NUMBER. Press OK.
Mount your non-auto focus lens. Press and hold the PREVIEW button.
Look at the info panel on the top or back of the camera and turn the Main Command Dial to select the mounted lens.

[ NOTE; This configuration makes it possible to change lens settings using only your right hand. It also disables the PREVIEW (Depth Of Field) function from the camera while in the MOVIE MODE bank. To restore PREVIEW capability, go to the f7 Control and change the function of the AE-L / AE-F button to PREVIEW. I find this to be convenient because I capture images and video by using manual exposure and manual focus lens settings. ]

CAPTURING VIDEO with the D300s

To switch from still photography to video capture using the above settings, press the INFO button TWICE.
Open the SHOOT menu and select MOVIE MODE. Press OK.
Open the CUSTOM menu and select MOVIE MODE. Press OK.

SHOOT D and CUSTOM D confirms that I have my camera set up for video capture.

Activate the autofocus switch on the lens and camera body.

Set the exposure mode to M so you can manually select the aperture.
The camera uses AUTO ISO and automatically selects the shutter speed during video recording.
(However, there is a way to override the auto exposure. Keep reading).

Set the aperture to the ƒ-stop you want to use (smallest. is ƒ16). For beginners, use ƒ8.
Press the Lv button to activate Live View.

Look at the Live View screen and compose your image. Press the AF-ON button to focus the lens.
When the small red rectangle in the middle of the screen turns green and you hear a beep,
the focus is locked.

To adjust exposure, press the +/- button next to the on/off switch. (The f9 setting in the CONTROLS menu
keeps this button activated.) At the bottom of the Live View screen you will see a +/- icon next to the
aperture setting. In the lower right corner you will see 0.0. This means that the exposure override is in the null position. Turn the Main Command Dial to change exposure. If you increase exposure, the image in Live View will become lighter, the +/- icon will change to + and the value in the right corner will increase.

Press the FUNCtion button on the front of the camera to lock the exposure setting. AE-L (Auto Exposure – Lock) will appear at the bottom of the Live View screen between the Matrix Meter icon and the M exposure mode. (Press the FUNCtion button again to disengage the AE-L when you need to reset the exposure).

To start / stop recording, press the center of the multi-selector.
Capture a 5 second video clip.
Exit Live View by pressing the Lv button.

Next, press the playback button.
Use the multi-selector to reveal the clip and the histogram.
Evaluate the exposure by looking at the histogram and image.
When you are satisfied with the exposure, resume shooting.

In TRIPOD mode the camera will focus while recording by pressing the AF-ON button. However, the focus speed may be very slow and the camera may take several seconds to acquire focus.

With these settings and tips, you should now be able to control the focus and exposure when capturing video with the D300s. Use this as a starting point and customize your camera settings to suit your needs.

I also recommend the use of SHOOTING BANKS for your still photos. I have BANKED my settings for HDR, Pano and Speedlight photography.

Avoid damage to the sensor and circuits caused by over exposure.Do not point the camera at the sun or high intensity light sources when overriding the auto exposure settings. Use this information at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage to your equipment.

Originally posted at 1:52PM, 29 October 2009 PDT

pxlsnfr edited this topic ages ago.