Video Frame rates

[garethm10]

I’m really into photography so know about the best setting for different situations for that
just never really done videography
Just wondering about frame rates
from all the videos I’ve watched on YouTube
apparently 30 is smoother than 24 or 25
from what I understand 50 60 are used for slow motion
just wondering how true this information is

 

[torsen]

I've tried using 25fps but the results to me always seem to stutter a little, not much but enough for me to notice and not be happy with. I've started using 30fps and this is definitely smoother to my eye, no doubt.

 

[garethm10]

Thanks for the information
I’ve never shot video using a drone
so wasn’t sure which produced a smoother video

 

[karlblessing]

Depends on the shutter speed used too. Many people will just set their shutter to auto, and at lower frame rates the higher shutter speed can drop/chop easier.

The downside to higher shutter speeds with auto shutter though is that the motion isn't as natural to the eye (like waiving your hand, or flying over a field) because of the frame sharpness during motion, it appears skippy as it jumps from one sharp frame to another sharp frame that have nothing really connected in between (hence why the higher frame rate doesn't look as bad in that regards). But for many people it give sa very artificial if not 3d look, and less of a cinematic look.

For the cinematic look you typically shoot lower frame rate but you also follow the 180-degree rule, and manually set the shutter to 1/ 2x the frame rate. So if you're shooting 24fps, 1/50, 30fps 1/60, 60fps 1/120 (and if intending 60fps for slow motion, go 90 degrees and do 1/250 so the slowed frames aren't quite as blurred). The problem is, in daylight even at ISO 100 (and a fixed aperture of 2.8), 1/60 is way too overexposed, and that's where the ND filters come in (ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32 is a popular 4 pack, with ND16 and ND8 typically used during moderate to bright days).

Long story short, if you're just the run and gun it on auto type and like the look higher frame rates give, set it to the highest frame rate you can, you might enjoy how 1080p 60 looks without it slowed down.

It comes down to personal preference, for example this guy (not a drone by the way) pretty much lives for shooting in 60p for everything

Then there's this guy explaining why 24p over 30p+ and makes an interesting point regarding per-frame quality. The Mini 2 for example does 100Mbps at 4K, there's more of that bit rate per frame at 24 than at 30 (but the codec the Mini 2 uses, the bit rate is variable to what the scene needs so that could vary).

 

[karlblessing]

I've tried using 25fps but the results to me always seem to stutter a little, not much but enough for me to notice and not be happy with. I've started using 30fps and this is definitely smoother to my eye, no doubt.

Were you setting shutter on auto, or manual?

 

[THE CYBORG]

Set shutter speed to twice the frame rate, 30 FPS – 1/60 shutter speed.

 

[torsen]

Always use the 180 rule, should have said that in my first post.

Were you setting shutter on auto, or manual?

 

[DanMan32]

There's another reason to use slower shutter speeds, and that's when sunlight can reach the camera or the subject through the props, usually when the sun is low. The props also become almost like a shutter where you then get a banding effect across the image.

You might have noticed this effect on shows where a scene has a TV or monitor in it and the image on the TV/monitor has banding.

 

[nathankw]

As you might have gathered the framerate issue is a massive one across all visual media and as someone who works in TV production I've wrestled with the issue for decades.

But it all comes down to... what do you prefer?

Movies are (almost always) filmed at 24fps. Quality TV productions (in the UK at least) are filmed at 25p (basically identical to 24p). Sports, news and reality TV etc are filmed at 50/60 fps. So the latter looks smoother and more real - but less cinematic.

Some people prefer the higher frame rate look - others (like myself) much prefer the 24/25p cinematic look.

There will be specific requirements (for instance if you're filming for TV in particular regions) but if you're filming for yourself, just choose the one you like the look of.
Youtube can cope with any of them.

 

[Patrickgood]

But when I make choice for 30 fps, and adjust speed to 1/60, when switch to automatic, it will go down to 1/30 sec.

 

[karlblessing]

But when I make choice for 30 fps, and adjust speed to 1/60, when switch to automatic, it will go down to 1/30 sec.

That will depend entirely on your exposure. If the scene is too dark it'll first try to open the shutter speed to the maximum (which is 1/30 at 30fps, or 1/24~25 at 24fps, the shutter speed can't be longer than the duration of a single frame), then it'll start raising the ISO until exposure is near EV0.

So if your scene is brighter such as daylight outside you'll notice the shutter speed will actually automatically to up in the 1/100s to 1/1,000s with ISO at 100. That's the thing about automatic shutter, it automatically changes as the scene changes, and hence the problem of tearing, frame drops, and stutters appear.

 

[Patrickgood]

That will depend entirely on your exposure. If the scene is too dark it'll first try to open the shutter speed to the maximum (which is 1/30 at 30fps, or 1/24~25 at 24fps, the shutter speed can't be longer than the duration of a single frame), then it'll start raising the ISO until exposure is near EV0.

So if your scene is brighter such as daylight outside you'll notice the shutter speed will actually automatically to up in the 1/100s to 1/1,000s with ISO at 100. That's the thing about automatic shutter, it automatically changes as the scene changes, and hence the problem of tearing, frame drops, and stutters appear.

So, it is not possible to adjust 30 FPS in combination with 1/60 shutter speed and exposure with ISO adjust automatic?

 

[karlblessing]

So, it is not possible to adjust 30 FPS in combination with 1/60 shutter speed and exposure with ISO adjust automatic?

Nope, the mini and mini 2 are either full auto (with EV compensation) or full manual. You can't set shutter priority with auto iso like you can with some other cameras.

On the Canon system what you described would be something like TAv where the shutter and aperture are locked (aperture is fixed at 2.8 on the mini), but iso is auto. But can't do that on the mini.

You can manually change the iso during recording tho while having 1/60 set.