5D MK II Manual Video Control - How does shutter speed affect the video?

We are all photographers here. And we know (most) of what is to be known in the world of still photography.

With video, well it's different.

I downloaded the firmware enabling full manual exposure control of the video mode (aperture, iso and shutter speed).

I know what aperture does to the video (depth of field, selective focus, etc...) as well as iso. But how does shutter speed (the choice of anything from 1/30 to 1/4000) affect the way the video looks or feels? Is there a correlation to frames per second? Or does it record 30 frames per second no matter what? Or is the shutter speed selection just there simply because it is one of the factors that controls exposure and has no effect on the final look feel of the video.

Also if someone (who actually knows what they're saying haha) could explain how the shutter speed works in video mode? It just stays open? Or does it actually open and close for every frame or 30 times in a second?

I know this is a photography forum, but who can deny the fact that I'm asking this here is proof that both worlds really are starting to converge, and what a joy at that.

Thanks everyone,

Nick

In layman's terms...

You'll get cleaner frames (less motion blur) as you raise the shutter speed but you'll lose light so you'll have to shoot progressively more wide open and/or raise the ISO.

FWIW, professional Super Slo-Mo video is shot at 90 FPS with a nominal shutter speed of 1/180.

It's always 30fps. The shutter speed will affect the look of the video. A speed around 1/60 should be closer to film, and as you get faster it becomes more choppy looking. The hardware is taking one scan each 1/30th of a second. You can have a 1/2000 shutter speed, for example, and it takes a 1/2000 exposure, then waits until the next scan, takes another, and so on. I am no expert, but I hope that helps a little.

The camera records 30 fps no matter what but each one of those frames is only 1/30th of a second so you can have a shutter speed at any speed faster than that up to 1/4000th of a second.

So imagine you've set it to 1/60. To start out you get a first frame and the "shutter" is open for 1/60 of a sec, then it is "closed" for 1/60th, then frame two starst and it is open 1/60th then closed 1/60th and so on.

If it was set to 1/100 then the "shutter" would be open 1/100th of a second, then closed for 7/300ths of a second.

Changing the shutter speed will change the look of moving objects in the movies. I think people recommend 1/30 to 1/125 for standard looking motion. Faster shutter speeds give moving objects a stuttered look.

Hope that helps.

Thank you all for the wonderful explanation.

Basically if I can pick a shutter speed (if the specific exposure allows me to); it would be 1/30 to 1/125 - anything faster will affect the quality of the video in an adverse way since things won't look as smooth.

Thanks again.

Moving objects won't look as smooth and I would assume that the faster the object is moving in the frame the more stuttered their movement will become as shutter speed increases.

I'd imagine that you could use higher shutter speeds without noticing the stutter if your subjects aren't moving very fast but you should probably experiment to find out.

What I'm saying is that I don't know if you should limit yourself to 1/30 to 1/125 without seeing if faster speeds are acceptable to you.

I think those speeds are the standard becuase they are closest to the standard looking 180 degree shutters of film movie cameras. Of course somtimes you want a different look and will speed up the shutter or make it look like a less-than-180-degree film shot. Someone with more movie knowledge could say for sure though.

May be this is a stupid question:

Isn't the shutter speed in relation to taking still frame pictures during video? Video is video, 30fps. 5DII can still pics while shooting video.

sle39lvr wrote in post #8042637
May be this is a stupid question:

Isn't the shutter speed in relation to taking still frame pictures during video? Video is video, 30fps. 5DII can still pics while shooting video.

The shutter speed affects how long the "shutter" is open for each scan of one video frame. Video is not just video, 1/30 speed will look much different than 1/500 shutter speed. Look at the opening beach landing sequence in "Saving Private Ryan." That's a good example of higher shutter speed for effect (in that case it is reported to be 1/500).

is more like a electronic shutter/scan speed whatever you call it.
imagine putting putting 1000pics together and each pic was taking with 1/30 shutter speed
vs 1000pics together flipping one by one taking with 1/4000 shutter speed.

the higher speed one will yield more clarity/sharper image most case.

Pooh5d2 wrote in post #8042849
the higher speed one will yield more clarity/sharper image most case.

At the expense of fluid motion, which the eye expects to see. It will start to look like a strobe light is going. Move the camera around and do some fast pans at 1/4000. It will probably not look to pleasing. But might be a cool effect with bees, hummingbirds, etc. Hmmmm....I need to try that.

sle39lvr wrote in post #8042637
May be this is a stupid question:

Isn't the shutter speed in relation to taking still frame pictures during video? Video is video, 30fps. 5DII can still pics while shooting video.

This explained it pretty well I thought.

gooble wrote in post #8042365
The camera records 30 fps no matter what but each one of those frames is only 1/30th of a second so you can have a shutter speed at any speed faster than that up to 1/4000th of a second.

So imagine you've set it to 1/60. To start out you get a first frame and the "shutter" is open for 1/60 of a sec, then it is "closed" for 1/60th, then frame two starst and it is open 1/60th then closed 1/60th and so on.

If it was set to 1/100 then the "shutter" would be open 1/100th of a second, then closed for 7/300ths of a second.

Changing the shutter speed will change the look of moving objects in the movies. I think people recommend 1/30 to 1/125 for standard looking motion. Faster shutter speeds give moving objects a stuttered look.

Hope that helps.

gooble wrote in post #8043151
This explained it pretty well I thought.

I tried video on a couple of plays at a Friday Night HS game and noticed a lot of motion blur. Next trip, I'm going to try the Manual settings and see how the increase for 30 to 60 to 100 works. Its easy enough to test on your own.

I friend said to stick with 1/90 for car racing (indy). Thanks for the info guys. I am shooting video and stills at the grand prix and video is a TOTAL different animal.

We are always so technical here.

Think of it this way.
Fast shutter - "Saving Private Ryan" remember the blasts where dirt it frozen in air for each frame.
Slow shutter - "Gone with the Wind" constant 1/60 shutter or their abouts.

So the higher the shutter the more "gap" there is causing a slow motion feel. Now I know why they use those MASSIVE tripods for video. They need to shoot near 1/48.