Auto focus on video cameras

<p>Hi folks, <br>

Knowing I'm a photographer, a friend asked me what I knew about video cameras. I'm afraid I don't know much, tho' eventually I'd like to do video. My friend asked me if auto focus was an important feature for a video camera (we're talking an actual Sony video camera....not video on a DSLR). I had no idea. But I have a hard time understanding how you can shoot video without auto focus. As you're taking moving pictures, wouldn't you NEED auto focus? I'm not sure how manual focus would work. I'm interested out of curiosity, but of course I'll pass along any answers to my friend as well. Thanks so much! BTW, the video camera is needed for shooting advertisement videos for a performing arts organization in town, and they need to be good quality.</p>

<p>If by "advertisement videos" you mean video that will be broadcast on television (over the air, local cable access - it doesn't matter), and not just posted on YouTube, then there's a <em>lot</em> more to the topic than just how to handle the focusing part. When you get into shooting, editing, and packaging broadcast-worthy video, you go way, way down the rabbit hole into not only a completely different (than still photography) set of creative skills and project planning, but also into a vastly more complex technical landscape.<br /><br />Will your friend be doing the shooting, and asking a third party to handle the post production and prep for distribution? That may be for the best, in the interests of producing a polished-looking end result.<br /><br />But let me take another side trip here and mention that viewers of the material can be surprisingly forgiving (whether they're even aware that they care) about the quality of the video as long as the <em>audio</em> is done right. Muddy voices, too much room tone, wind, a bad tone curve, sibilance - all sorts of things come into play with sound, and all of them are much harder to wrestle with when you're dealing with the performing arts (where the expectation is the experience of a solid performance, and not the sort of sound one gets from Uncle Bob videoing Jimmy's performance in the talent show from a row in the audience, using the mic built into his camcorder).<br /><br />Please understand, I'm not suggesting that your friend hasn't already thought about little production details like that, but my instinct is that if he's never dealt with the topic of focusing a video camera, he's probably unfamiliar with a lot of other related topics, as well - and all of those topics, every one, have to be handled right if the end result will feel solidly put together enough to not feel truly amateurish when it hits the air, promoting what he wants to promote.<br /><br />Speaking of focusing, most productions like the sort you describe involve a more deliberate sort of shooting, and would almost always be done with manual focus. That avoids clips that show the AF hunting for focus. <br /><br />Keep in mind also that performing arts situations, along with challenging sound issues, are frequently a matter of very poor light. You'll want a camera that has a very fast lens (well, you'll want a camera that allows you to swap out lenses so you can use whatever you want). This is one area where your still camera experience will help - take your regular DSLR to the same venue and see how well you can shoot at a tolerable ISO and a shutter speed of at least 1/60th. Does the situation call for something fast like f/1.8? Understand what that means in terms of which video camera can support that.<br /><br />Much like new photographer's are often pointed to "Light: Science and Magic" to understand some basics, I HIGHLY recommend that your friend pick up and read - all the way through - a copy of "The Filmmaker's Handbook" in its most recent edition (readily available at Amazon, etc). Sure, there's stuff in there that might not apply, like the chapters on older style film cameras. Ignore those bits. But the rest is gold, in terms of understanding what he's getting himself into if we wants broadcast-worthy results.</p>

<p>Matt, I'll pass this along to my friend. He's a highly intelligent guy who plays in my orchestra. He's doing a series of Youtube videos that are on the order of the old Leonard Bernstein 'Guide to the Orchestra' series. He analyzes pieces we will be performing on our concert series each week, and these 'guides' go out to our fan group and email base of subscribers. The videos are highly creative and humorous, and he's striving to improve the 'product'. He's such a bright guy.....and a researcher. So he'll be interested in your book suggestion, as well as the rest of the information. I think he has found a great idea....a way to help people grasp and gain a better understanding of classical music through this very clever approach. The audio is of course very important to him, as you mentioned. In case you're interested, here are a couple of the ones he's done so far. I think he may join Photo.net, so you may be hearing from him. :-)</p>

<p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BfH_sB_l7E<br>

and a more recent one which is already more sophisticated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cd9Vv_yg1I</p>

<p>I appreciate your advice, Matt. Just FYI, when I was at photo school this summer, toward the beginning they asked who among us were interested in video. Only 3 or 4 hands went up. We were told that by the end of school, probably 75% of us would be interested in it. Well, that's what happened to me. I saw the possibilities in video and hope to try something with it in the near future.</p>

<p>Christal, Charles' video appear to be made with a P/S camera on the two links you provided; if I'm correct and his objective is to better the video quality, there are a number of YouTube tutorials on the subject that might prove helpful:<br>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=++youtube+videos+producton+quality">https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=++youtube+videos+producton+quality</a></p>

<p>Ditto Matt's suggestion on "The Filmmaker's Handbook". </p>

<p>I recently went through a 6hr tutorial (three 2 hour videos) on DSLR video shooting. Actually using autofocus when shooting with a DSLR was not recommended. They demonstrated something called "follow focus" where you focus as the subject moves and you also do not use a shallow depth of field. (There are actually follow focus rigs that are commonly used to do this....hard to do by hand.<br>

That being said, some of the new video oriented DSLRs (such as the Panasonic GH4) have auto focus that might be OK for video.<br>

Another thing, especially if he's doing tutorial videos is sound. The recommendation is to have a separate recorder and sync them in post (that's what Clap boards are used for...but a hand clap will do) and of course a microphone (some of the external recorders had good mics on them.) a small clip on mic can be had for < $30. If he doesn't wish to get a recorder a mic plugged into the camera (and hence replacing the internal (lousy) mic should work. My camera doesn't have a mic in so for me this way is not an option. Remember for a tutorial the audio might even be more important than the video.<br>

Finally don't forget about light..although I noticed my D3100 doesn't appear to need as much light in video mode as in still.<br>

Hope this helps!</p>

<p>Michael.....thanks....and yes, you're right....I think he actually used his phone, tho' I'm not sure about that. It could have been a P&S. He plans to purchase an actual video camera to improve the quality. He found a good deal on one, but it didn't have auto focus. He was wondering if he should buy it, and I couldn't answer his question. Thanks for your info!</p>

<p>Wendy.......didn't know about the focus rigs....that will come in handy for me when I start doing video. And the shallow depth of field makes sense....thanks! He doesn't have a DSLR, but he's looking at a video recorder that apparently has excellent sound quality. I have a Canon 60D, but I plan to get a new camera soon. I didn't realize you can plug in an external microphone to a DSLR....will have to consider that when I purchase. Thanks for your time and advice!</p>

<p>Christal, do you know the camcorder model he's interested in? I've not heard of a mainstream camcorder of the traditional form factor that doesn't have autofocus so what you're suggesting is puzzling, but if the unit is something more like a GoPro equivalent with a fixed wide angle lens, then it would make sense, and no focusing will be necessary under common usage circumstances. </p>

<p>I can't speak to the very latest models. But generally speaking, professional video cameras -- I'm talking broadcast cameras whether they are over-the-shoulder news cameras or studio cameras -- do not have autofocus. The focus is manual and knowing how to focus, including how to follow focus on moving objects, is part of the job.<br /><br />Most prosumer cameras do have AF, but from what my video friends tell me the AF system is designed differently from than on DSLRs. They say it is more oriented toward constant focusing and does a better job of tracking moving objects. A lot of these cameras get used professionally today, including for broadcast.<br /><br />Consumer video cameras pretty much always have AF, often to the point that it is difficult to overide and use manual focus on them.<br /><br />I can absolutely guarantee that every in the old Leonard Bernstein TV show was shot with manual focus. AF didn't exist back then. If your friend wants to shoot a symphony, nobody's moving, just sitting in chairs as they play, so no need for AF whether his camera has it or not. Personally, I prefer MF -- with MF the camera always focuses where I tell it to, not where it thinks it should.<br /><br />Microphones and sound -- another whole area of expertise but yes you absolutely use external microphones for basically everything. The built-in mics in a DSLR were meant for notetaking, not recording sound with video.</p>

<p>Michael.....I know it was a Sony, but I'm not sure which model....but it was something unopened he could get on Craig's List. Not sure what his recent thoughts are on that now. I'll check with him.</p>

<p>Craig....all good info. I'm kind of interested in this for myself, as well, as I said above, but I'll pass this along to my friend. Thanks!</p>