With each new DSLR camera released, Nikon has advanced the capability of the video recording system. The Nikon D500 is no exception. In fact, this camera has achieved a level of video capability that few other cameras can claim, even outside the 35mm form factor. Due to the power and flexibility of its Movie live view video mode, it has led the way in fully establishing a new type of camera, the hybrid digital single-lens reflex camera, or HD-SLR. The new HD-SLR D500 was constructed with a video system just as capable as the still-image system.
When you create videos with the D500, you can create video that few cameras can match. The Nikon D500 has the ability to stream broadcast-quality, uncompressed, HD (720p), Full HD (1080p), and 4K UHD (2160p) video with no camera control overlays—called clean video—from its HDMI port.
In a sense, the Nikon D500 has two video subsystems:
This camera is so appealing and powerful in both its still-image and video modes that it is causing quite a few other-brand users to come over to Nikon. And the cool thing is—you already own a Nikon D500!
High Definition vs. Hybrid Digital
You will find quite a bit of discussion on the Internet about what HD-SLR truly stands for. Some claim it stands for High Definition Single Lens Reflex and others claim Hybrid Digital Single Lens Reflex. In fact, the HD in HD-SLR stands for hybrid digital. The camera is a hybrid that shoots both stills and video.
Honestly, though, where do the abbreviations stop? What new abbreviations will the next generation of cameras bring? If you want to go all out on abbreviation usage, the Nikon D500 is an ultrahigh-definition, video-enabled, hybrid, digital single-lens reflex camera (UHDVEHDSLR). Now that’s a satisfying abbreviation.
Just in case you are a new HD-SLR user and have never used Nikon’s Live view modes, let’s see how to switch the camera into Movie live view mode. In figure 13.1, the camera is set to Movie live view mode, which is just below the setting for Live view photography mode (see the previous chapter) on the Live view selector switch.
Once you have selected Movie live view mode, you should press the Lv button to enter Live view. When in Movie live view mode, you can take HD-ratio (16:9) still images and record 4K UHD videos in the 16:9 aspect ratio only (DX frame size). For both image areas set in Movie Shooting Menu > Choose image area, the still images and video will use 16:9 ratio.
If you are shooting in 1.3x mode, the images and movies are still in the 16:9 aspect ratio. However, the camera creates a cropped, 16:9 ratio image or video that gives the appearance of pulling the subject in closer (1.3x frame size).
The camera isn’t really magnifying the image in 1.3x mode; it’s just using less of the imaging sensor to capture the subject—18.0×10.1mm versus DX mode’s 23.5×13.3mm—so your subject appears larger in the image or video when displayed.
The Nikon D500 provides a still-image capability in Movie live view mode that is very similar to that of Live view photography mode, except that your images are limited to a single aspect ratio (16:9). The DX image in 16:9 ratio is 17.4 MP in size (5568×3128 pixels). The 1.3x image in 16:9 ratio is 10.3 MP in size (4272×2400 pixels).
Most of what is written in the chapter Live View Photography applies equally to Movie live view mode’s 16:9 ratio still images. For that reason, we will not discuss all the capability of the Movie live view still-imaging function because that would merely be a repeat of the previous chapter. When you decide to take a picture (instead of a movie) using Movie live view mode, let the information in chapter 12 govern how you shoot, tempered by the differences discussed in this chapter.
Let’s start out by examining each of the five screen overlays you can use while taking stills or shooting movies in Movie live view mode. You can scroll through each of the five screens by pressing the info button repeatedly.
The Nikon D500 has two screens for each overlay in Movie live view. The first screen is available when you are shooting still images and the second when you are recording video. I am using the first screen as a guide initially so that we can examine each of the controls on the screen. Once you start recording movies, some of the controls in the overlay disappear. Figure 13.2A shows the first screen you should see when you enter Movie live view. Let’s examine each of the controls displayed in the overlay.
Here is a list of controls shown on the first screen. Each number in figure 13.2A has a corresponding entry in the list that follows:
When you press the Movie-record button, the screen removes several of the controls in the overlay along the top, as shown in figure 13.2B. You can tell this is a screen from a video being recorded by the REC symbol in the top-left corner, next to the red dot. REC blinks the whole time you are recording.
Why do some of the controls disappear during a video recording? Basically, to clean up the screen a bit so the overlay is less distracting while you are concentrating on your subject. During the video recording, you can still change some of the control functions shown in figure 13.2A, with the exception of the following functions:
The MENU button has no effect during a video recording, so you are locked out of even attempting to make any serious camera adjustments that have no button/dial combinations on the camera. However, you can still adjust many of the control functions shown or not shown.
For instance, if you press the AF-mode button while recording a video, the Autofocus and AF-area mode symbols will reappear, allowing you to turn the rear Main command dial to change the Autofocus mode or the front Sub-command dial to change the AF-area mode. Try it.
Likewise, if you press the WB button during a recording, you can change White balance on the fly. According to which Exposure mode was previous selected (P, S, A, or M), you can adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity. Finally, you can always add or subtract Exposure compensation with the +/− Exposure compensation button.
Shooting in Manual (M) mode gives you the greatest control over the camera during a video recording. In Manual, you can adjust the following functions:
Manual mode (M) gives you full control of the camera while recording a video. Aperture-priority auto (A) allows you to control the aperture, while the camera controls the rest. Shutter-priority auto (S) and Programmed auto (P) give you much less control and could almost be considered point-and-shoot modes when recording video.
Now, let’s consider the other available screen overlays and their purposes. Press the info button when you see image 1 (figure 13.2A or 13.2B) and the camera will switch to image 2 (figure 13.2C).
Image 2 in the overlay series is a very bare screen for those times when you want little distraction while making a still image or recording a video (figure 13.2C). You can still see the most important controls at the bottom of the screen (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity), but almost everything else is stripped out of the overlay.
Nikon calls the screen in figure 13.2A the Information on screen, whereas the screen in figure 13.2C is called the Information off screen.
Most photographers have a tendency to tilt their cameras to the left or right slightly. The Framing guides screen is designed to help keep things level in the Viewfinder (figure 13.2D). The grid lines are very useful for keeping horizons level and architecture straight.
I leave these grid lines turned on in my Viewfinder-based photography all the time and use them in Live view mode when I need to level things in comparison to a feature in my subject, such as the horizon.
The Histogram screen gives you a live histogram to help you judge exposure during video recording (figure 13.2E). In Manual (M) mode, you can adjust the aperture, shutter speed, or ISO sensitivity to correct for under- or overexposure. In other Exposure modes, you can use the +/− Exposure compensation button to push the exposure toward the dark or light sides, making the exposure better.
If you are a video perfectionist who wants to control all aspects of the video production, you will certainly enjoy having a live histogram to keep you informed immediately when light levels change in a way that will damage your video’s quality. This is a truly professional tool and one all serious videographers should use regularly, especially in Manual (M) mode!
The Virtual horizon screen displays roll and pitch from the camera’s built-in tilt sensor (figure 13.2F). If the lines are green, it means the camera is level. The tilt sensor senses left and right tilts and forward and backward tilts. When the camera is not level in one direction or the other, the line for that direction turns yellow and signifies the approximate degree of tilt.
This is very useful when setting up a camera on a tripod to shoot a video. You can start the video with the knowledge that the camera is level both left to right and front to back. While you’re shooting a video handheld, this screen may be invaluable to prevent introducing tilt into an otherwise excellent video.
The Movie mode in the D500 is one of the best video recording systems Nikon has put in a DSLR. It has automatic or manual focus, 4K UHD recording, stereo sound, 29-minute 59-second recording segments, a 4 GB movie length maximum, and excellent rolling shutter correction.
Another excellent improvement is the fact that you can control the D500 in a fully manual way while recording video, just as when taking still images. This is an important level of control for serious video mavens. If you want to buy all the cool attachments, like stabilization frames, bigger external video monitors, external streaming video recorders, a headphone set, and an external stereo mic, this camera has the ports and controls to support them.
Let’s examine how to prepare for and record videos and then how to display them on various devices. Keep in mind that the D500 offers two levels of video recording; first, to the camera’s memory card as a compressed (b-frame H.264/MPEG-4 AVC) QuickTime MOV file; and second, as an uncompressed 4:2:2, clean (overlay-free), broadcast-quality HDMI video stream through the HDMI port to an external recording device.
Before shooting your first movie, you’ll need to configure the camera for your favorite video frame size and rate. We’ll look into the actual configuration in a later section. For now, let’s briefly discuss some basics.
A video frame is much smaller, in terms of pixels, than a normal still-image frame. Although your D500 can create beautiful 20.9-megapixel still images, its best HD video image is just above 8 megapixels (8,294,400 pixels).
However, the number of megapixels is not normally how video devices are rated. Instead of the number of pixels, most HD information talks about the number of lines of resolution. There are several HD standards for lines of resolution. The most common standards are 720p, 1080i, 1080p, and 2160p. The p and i after the numbers refer to progressive and interlaced. We’ll talk about what that means in the next section.
The D500’s best Movie mode captures video at 2160p, which is a display-quality UHD TV standard. As of this writing, much over-the-air broadcast-quality HD is 720p and 1080p, but 4K (2160p) is growing in popularity as 4K UHD televisions become less expensive. The 2160p designation simply means that your camera captures and displays 4K UHD video with 2160 lines of vertical resolution. Each of those lines is 3840 pixels long, which allows the D500 to match the 16:9 aspect ratio expected in an UHD TV.
Of course, you can also capture video in the lower resolution standards and use your video on a very common HDTV (720p and 1080p resolution).
What’s the difference between progressive and interlaced? Technically speaking, progressive video output displays the video frame starting with the top line and then draws the other lines until the entire frame is shown. The D500 displays 2160 lines progressively from the top of what the imaging sensor captured to the bottom (lines 1, 2, 3, 4 . . . 2160).
Interlaced video output displays every even line from top to bottom, then comes back to the top and displays every odd line (lines 2, 4, 6, 8 . . . 2160, then 1, 3, 5, 7 . . . 2159).
Progressive output provides a higher-quality image with less flicker and a more cinematic look. I’m sure that’s why Nikon chose to make the D500 shoot progressive video. Now, let’s set up our cameras and make some movies!
The D500 lets you create movies at any time and with little thought, by simply using the following settings and actions:
Setting up the camera in this way makes it act like a standard video camera, where you give little consideration to camera settings and simply shoot the video.
However, you have purchased an advanced-level camera, and you may want to do more than just take automatic movies. The D500 can do it either way. Let’s discuss how to set up the camera for more professional movie creation. First, we will consider the 13 primary settings found on the i Button Menu, and then we will consider a few more settings that are critical for proper video capture.
Pressing the i button while in Movie live view mode gives you access to 13 convenient control functions:
Let’s examine each of these settings individually and prepare for recording premium-quality videos. Some of the settings are fully covered in previous chapters of this book, so we won’t go into extreme detail about how to select the settings; only the screens that are necessary. If you need more detail about a particular setting, refer to the chapter that covers it; for example, Shooting Menu > Set Picture Control is covered in the chapter Shooting Menu.
These 13 setting are all available in the i Button Menu (found by pressing the i button while the camera is in Movie live view mode).
The camera has two Image area settings available for video capture: DX and 1.3x.
Use these steps to choose a video Image area (FX or DX):
Settings Recommendation: I like to use the DX setting because I enjoy pulling focus, and the shallower depth of field of the DX mode makes that easy. When I need more depth of field than DX can easily provide, or when I am shooting 4K video, I use the 1.3x mode. You should shoot video in both modes and see which look you prefer.
There are three Frame size settings available in Movie Shooting Menu > Frame size/frame rate, and five frame rate settings. The frame sizes are 3840×2160, 1920×1080, and 1280×720. The frame rates are 60, 50, 30, 25, and 24 fps. Not all frame rates are available for all three frame sizes.
The camera records video using the progressive (p) scanning method (sequential lines) and can output both progressive (p) and interlaced (i) standards through its HDMI port to external devices.
Choose your favorite rate and size using the menu screens shown in figure 13.3B. For more information on choosing a Frame size/frame rate, see the section Frame size/Frame Rate in the chapter Movie Shooting Menu (page 191).
Use these steps to choose a video Frame rate and frame size:
Obviously, you must set the Frame size/frame rate before you actually start recording video (see table 13.1). The Frame size/frame rate setting changes how large the resulting movie will be when it’s stored on your memory card and computer hard drive. The maximum the camera will allow is 4 GB in any single movie segment. All frame sizes and rates are limited to a recording time length of 29 minutes 59 seconds.
We will discuss how to choose the bit rate, or Movie quality, in the upcoming subsection, Movie Quality (page 606). The Movie quality affects how much data is collected by the camera and directly affects the resulting video’s file size along with the maximum length of time you can record in one video clip.
Note: When you select 4K UHD mode (2160p), the camera will disable several items on the i Button Menu and main menu, including:
The file format used by the D500 is the popular Apple QuickTime MOV format (container). This format is handled by virtually all computer movie players. The video compression used inside the MOV file is H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding.
A computer should display any of the Movie quality modes. Using a mini-HDMI (type c) to HDMI standard (type a) cable, you can play full HD videos on an HDTV. An HDMI cable is not included with the camera. They are easily available online and in many electronics stores. We’ll talk more about how to display video in a later section, which includes pictures of the cables.
Settings Recommendation: You have three considerations when selecting a Movie quality setting: First, how much storage capacity do you have on your camera’s memory cards? Second, what type of display device will you show the movies on? Third, are you a video fanatic?
If you are fanatical about video, you’ll shoot only at the fastest rates and highest quality. Others may want to shoot a lot of family videos and hate storing the huge files that result from high frame sizes and rates. In that case, the normal quality setting and lower resolutions may be sufficient.
If you can’t stand watching a non-HD video on YouTube, maybe you should stick to maximum quality. If standard YouTube videos are sufficient for your needs, nearly any quality setting from the D500 will look great on your computer.
This is a personal decision, and you’ll need to experiment with video modes to find a balance between quality and file size.
Why Different Frame Rates?
The NTSC encoding format, established in the 1940s, originally used two frame rates: 30 and 60 fps. In the 1960s a new German standard was created called PAL, which used 25 and 50 fps. Today, frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 50, and 60 are common in DSLR cameras. These rates can also be expressed as a hertz (Hz) rate on progressive scan monitors. The primary frame rate used in the movie industry is 24p.
A video is many still pictures joined together and moved past your eye at a very fast rate. The human eye maintains an image at about 10 to 16 fps (1/10 to 1/16 second), so frame rates faster than that do not flicker for many people. However, some people’s eyes are more sensitive and can see flicker in faster frame rates. I am afraid to say much more about this issue because it can rapidly degrade into an almost religious discussion; people have very strong opinions about their favorite frame rates.
Let me just say that many people prefer 24 fps because that is normal for cinema movies. This rate is called a cinematic rate. Other people like the faster frame rate of 30 fps due to its lack of flicker and less blurring of moving subjects. I suggest that you try all the frame rates and see which you like best. You might even want to shoot some video at 60 fps and play it back at 30 fps for cool slow-motion effects.
Since each frame of a video is basically a small picture, the Active D-Lighting (ADL) system can be of benefit in high-contrast video capture situations. If you are shooting video in direct sunlight, for instance, the contrast between the brightest highlights and deepest shadows can be quite large. Under those circumstances, using Active D-Lighting may help bring out some of the detail that may otherwise be lost to the shadows, and help prevent the highlights from burning out, too.
Use the following steps to configure Active D-Lighting for your videos:
Settings Recommendation: You should experiment with Active D-Lighting during video capture. It may help you keep contrast under control. Be careful, though; Active D-Lighting can increase the noise in a video, especially at higher levels. I generally leave my camera set to Low or Normal ADL when the lighting is high-contrast.
The Movie quality setting has to do with the Maximum bit rate, or megabits per second (Mbps), that the camera can flow while making the movie. The higher the bit rate, the higher the quality of the movie. The bit rate can go as low as 12 Mbps in Normal quality mode and as high as 144 Mbps in High quality mode. Table 13.2 shows the Mbps flow in High (HIGH) and Normal (NORM) quality modes.
Use these steps to choose a Movie quality (bit rate) for your video:
Changing the bit rate is one way to control the amount of data the video contains. The higher the bit rate, the better the movie quality—but the larger the movie file size. You will need to decide which is more important, quality or size.
Settings Recommendation: Unless I am just shooting a video for the Internet only (Facebook or YouTube) and of a subject with no commercial value, I shoot with the camera set to Maximum frame rate, frame size, bit rate, and whatever other maximums I can find and max out. If a video has potential to make me some money or is of an interesting subject that others will enjoy watching, I want the best quality I can wring out of those little video frames. However, that comes with a trade-off of much larger file sizes, so I have committed to buying larger and larger hard drives each year or two.
The Microphone sensitivity setting is designed to give you the ability to set how sensitive the Microphone is to surrounding sound. This setting affects the Built-in microphone until you plug in an external Microphone in the camera’s Microphone jack under the rubber Connector cover (see figure 13.3H on page 609). Let’s look at the best way to set the Microphone level just before recording a video.
Use these steps to choose a Microphone sensitivity:
The Microphone must be set before you start recording a video, so you may want to test the level to see if the sound gets into the yellow or red zones. Keep the indicator in the middle to upper white zone for normal sound (figure 13.3F, red arrow). As the sound increases, the indicator hits the yellow zone and finally the red zone, where clipping may occur.
The D500 offers the ability to plug in an optional stereo microphone (figure 13.3G). It disables the Built-in mic and overcomes some of its limitations. There are several microphones available for the D500, including a few that mount onto the camera’s Accessory shoe like a flash unit does. I like Nikon’s ME-1 microphone, shown in figure 13.3G.
In figure 13.3H you can see where an external microphone plugs into the camera. The right-hand plug is for a microphone and the left-hand plug is for a headphone.
If you decide to simply use the Built-in microphone, just be sure you don’t accidentally cover one of the inputs while recording a video. The Built-in stereo microphone is a single hole on either side of the prism housing on the front of the camera (figure 13.3I, red arrows), for left and right stereo input.
When you are not using headphones, the video’s sound is output through a small speaker on the back of the camera during camera playback. You’ll see three small holes between the Viewfinder eyepiece and the Sub-selector joystick (figure 13.3J). This little three-hole speaker can put out an amazing amount of volume.
When a video is playing, you can control the volume output of the speaker with the Thumbnail/playback zoom out button (volume down) and Playback zoom in button (volume up). The setting range is 1 through 30, and Off. I find that level 20 is about right to hear well in a normal environment.
You can use headphones to listen to the sound from the video, too. I find that 12 or 13 is plenty loud for my headphones. For more information about using headphones with the D500, see the upcoming subsection titled Headphone volume (page 615).
Settings Recommendation: First of all, I strongly suggest that you acquire the Nikon ME-1 external microphone. I have really enjoyed using it. It vastly improves the quality of sound flowing into the camera during a video and isolates the camera’s clicking and whirring noises more effectively. The ME-1 is relatively inexpensive—well, compared to a lens, anyway.
I leave the sound level set to Auto (A) most of the time. However, if I am in an especially loud environment, I will set the Microphone sensitivity manually to about 15. When there are sudden loud sounds in Auto mode, the camera might clip the sound as it overwhelms the camera’s sound circuitry.
I suggest experimenting with this because normally it’s not a problem. Where the problem occurs is at something like a ball game. You will be recording the game and someone scores, to the crowd’s great yelling and stomping happiness. Auto may not be the best setting under those circumstances.
Sound is a very important part of video recording. Maybe you want to record a video while visiting a national park and would like to pick up the sound of every birdsong, leaf rustle, and gurgling stream. Using the wide frequency option will allow this type of sound recording. On the other hand, using the voice frequency option while recording a video of a wedding ceremony is a good choice because it won’t pick up the sounds of a bird singing or road traffic as easily.
With a combination of the Microphone sensitivity and Frequency response functions, you can capture some very high-quality sound. Microphone sensitivity affects how sensitive the microphone is to sound, and Frequency response affects which sound frequencies the mic is most sensitive to. We’ve already considered Microphone sensitivity, so now let’s see how to make the mic sensitive to a wide frequency range (national park) or a human voice frequency range (wedding ceremony).
Use these steps to choose a Frequency response range for the microphone in use:
Settings Recommendation: If you are recording a human speaker, use VOICE, and for about anything else use WIDE. I leave my camera set to WIDE most of the time because I am a nature photographer and enjoy hearing natural sounds.
Have you ever recorded a video on a beautiful, breezy summer afternoon, only to later find that you have recorded that distinctive rumbling sound of wind blowing across a microphone instead of the clear sound you desired?
While that sound may not be completely eliminated without using special microphones designed to deal with it—such as the Nikon ME-1—it can be significantly reduced with the Wind noise reduction function, which removes or cuts low frequency noises like wind rumbles.
Let’s see how to enable and disable the Wind noise reduction low-cut filter.
Use these steps to enable or disable Wind noise reduction:
Settings Recommendation: I use this wind noise filter selectively. Most of the time I am using an external Nikon ME-1 hotshoe microphone, which has a foam screen around the mic to reduce or eliminate any wind noise. I do use Wind noise reduction when I am using the built-in stereo mic to record family events outside.
The D500 allows you to choose which of your camera’s two card slots will receive the video. It also gives you an estimate of available video recording time for each card, based on the current Frame size/frame rate and Movie quality settings.
Use these steps to choose which memory card the camera will use to save your new video:
Settings Recommendation: Deciding which card to use is based on the speed and quality of your current cards. XQD cards often have better transfer rates, so you may want to default video output to your XQD card. However, SD cards are cheap, plentiful, and fast enough that you may want to have several with you to swap out as you create video.
This boils down to personal preference. All I can advise is to have either big cards (32 or 64 GB minimum) or a bunch of smaller ones because the Nikon D500 can quickly fill up a memory card with its video files.
I generally relegate video to the secondary slot, which is my SD slot. I don’t shoot as much video as I do still images, so it’s SD for me. Memory cards, especially SD, are getting cheaper every day. With a D500, that’s a good thing!
The Monitor brightness function is for your convenience when shooting in very light or dark environments. You can quickly turn the brightness up or down with camera controls. The brightness setting in no way affects the video recording itself. It is just for your Monitor viewing comfort while recording video.
Use these steps to choose a Monitor brightness level for video recording:
Settings Recommendation: I generally leave my camera set to the middle setting (0) unless I am out in bright sunshine, when I may crank it all the way up to the + sign on top of the indicator (maximum). At night, when I am out shooting star trails, I may crank it all the way down to –5, to save my night vision. The 0 setting is about right for normal use.
The Multi-selector power aperture function is a feature that is very convenient for fast and relatively quiet aperture changes while recording videos. Most lenses will work with this feature, even camera-registered, non-CPU lenses. Basically, if you enable this setting you can open and close the aperture by pressing up or down on the Multi selector pad.
This function will work in manual (M) and Aperture-priority auto (A) exposure modes only. The camera controls the aperture in the other two modes (P and S).
Use the following steps to enable or disable the Multi-selector power aperture:
Note: If you are accustomed to using the Multi selector pad to move the AF point square around the Monitor, you will need to learn to use the Sub-selector joystick instead. When this function is enabled and your camera is set to A or M exposure modes, the Multi selector pad will be tied up with this function and will not provide any AF point movement capability.
Settings Recommendation: I’ve been using the power aperture when I am shooting family videos for fun. When I shoot commercially, I would rather use a manual lens and push or pull focus. Check this feature out! Most lenses will work fine with it. It is a lot of fun to use.
The Highlight display or Zebra stripe mode is a welcome addition to the Nikon D500’s features. This display allows you to determine when an area of your video has lost all highlight detail (it is blown out to pure white).
In figure 13.3P, images 2 and 3, you can see the zebra stripes in the white background of my deliberately overexposed image. See how the small alternating stripes show exactly the area that has no highlight detail left? If there is any detail left, even a small amount, the zebra stripes will not show in that area, as can be seen by the very faint shadow areas to the left of the subjects and in the region on the top left of the frame.
This can be a useful function for shooting video in high-contrast lighting conditions, so that you can see areas of your video that have lost all detail.
Use these steps to enable or disable the Highlight display (zebra stripes) for video recording:
Settings Recommendation: I generally leave Highlight display enabled because I want to know when the highlights are blown out in certain areas of my videos. I can then reduce the exposure quietly with my cool power aperture (see the previous subsection) and prevent overexposure.
The Headphone port under the rubber Connector cover is an excellent addition to the Nikon D500 (figure 13.3Q). It allows you to plug in a headphone set to isolate yourself from surrounding sounds and focus on hearing what the camera is actually recording. This is important for those who are concerned about maximum sound quality.
Use these steps to select a Headphone volume to use while recording your video:
Settings Recommendation: The headphone you use doesn’t have to be an expensive outfit to be effective. I often simply use a set of normal isolation ear buds, like the ones you would plug into your smartphone or iPod. Ear bud headsets can be stored in a small pocket in your camera bag, so they will always be with you. I like the type that have good bass response and can be inserted in your ear, instead of the type that kind of hang off of your ear (like the ones that come with an iPhone).
I have found that output level 15 is about right for my hearing while recording and for playback. However, I hear less well than I did when I was young due to listening to my Walkman (remember those?) at high volume as a kid. Be careful not to go too loud because sudden sound increases might damage your hearing. You may be more comfortable with the volume around 10 or 12.
Electronic VR (vibration reduction) allows the camera to compensate somewhat for minor handheld camera movements during video capture. It is available only with Frame sizes of 1080p (Full HD) and 720p (HD) modes—2160p (4K) is not supported.
This feature works best when you are shooting in 1.3x Image area mode. It works in DX mode, but there will be some narrowing of the field of view because the camera must make room for shifting the pixels to counteract minor movements.
This is not an optical stabilization system involving the lens. It is a pixel-shifting technology, whereby the camera quickly changes the video capture’s row and column in the photosite array to compensate for small camera movements.
Figure 13.3S is a rough representation of the entire image sensor (black outline) in 1.3X mode with the smaller video capture area (bird in shifting frame) pixel-shifting within the frame to counteract minor handheld camera movement.
Use the following steps to turn Electronic VR on and off:
Settings Recommendation: Electronic VR can be a somewhat useful function for those times when you are handholding the camera without any mechanical stabilization devices. It will certainly not replace real stabilization; however, it is useful for minor corrections on family video. Be careful not to move too much when using Electronic VR because it could make your video look jumpy. Give this function a try and see what you think about it.
In addition to the 10 controls found in the i Button Menu, there are a few more that you should consider before shooting a video.
Using different Picture Controls can give you powerful control over the look of your videos. Since videos are not still-image RAW files that can be adjusted as easily after the fact for color errors, it’s a good idea to carefully choose a look based on a Picture Control that you are comfortable with and that matches the current situation.
For instance, let’s say you are shooting a video on an overcast, low-contrast day and you want to add some snap to your movie. You can simply preselect the Vivid (VI) Picture Control, which will saturate the colors and darken the shadows.
Or you might be shooting on a very high-contrast, sunny day and want to tone down the contrast a bit. Simply preselect the Neutral (NL) Picture Control, which will open up the shadows for a lower-contrast look.
If you are an experienced video editor and know how to do color grading, you might consider shooting the video with the Flat (FL) Picture Control. This will give you greater dynamic range and lower-saturation colors for better color grading with professional video-editing software.
Just remember, you must select the Picture Control before you start recording the video. Here’s how.
Use the following steps to choose a Picture Control:
Fortunately, you can actually see the effect each Picture Control will have on your video. Use the Movie live view screen to select Picture Controls and see how they look by pointing the camera at your subject. When you have found a Picture Control that benefits the subject, use it for the video.
Settings Recommendation: I like to shoot with the Neutral (NL) Picture Control for most of my videos that involve people because I like the skin tones better with that control. However, when I am outdoors enjoying the beauty of nature, I will often select the Landscape (LS) Picture Control, or if I am feeling a bit frisky in the autumn colors, I might even use the Vivid (VI) Picture Control. If I am shooting commercial work, I sometimes will use the Flat (FL) Picture Control. However, the use of the FL control means I must use grading to bring the color back up to where I like it for the video.
The key is to use the Picture Controls enough to know what you’ll get with each one. That way, you are in command of your camera.
White balance sets the color tint of the video. It is very important to use a White balance that matches the light source where you will be shooting the video. Auto WB works most of the time but can sometimes have problems with mixed lighting.
You should be aware of the White balance and even experiment with it for your videos. Maybe you should switch to Shade White balance when in the shade or Direct sunlight when in the sunlight. If you pay careful attention to your camera’s White balance, your videos will have superior quality.
Use the following steps to set the White balance before or during a video recording:
Watch carefully as you select the different White balance settings. You will see the color tint of the current White balance on your camera’s Monitor. You can change the White balance during the actual video recording, as well as fine-tune the color tint. This shows how serious it is to use a correct White balance. Fortunately, the Nikon D500 makes it easy.
Note: You can also use the Movie Shooting Menu > White balance setting to manage the WB value for your movie. Refer to the section on the White balance setting for more information.
Settings Recommendation: I often use Auto WB (A1) unless I am in tricky lighting situations, such as inside under fluorescent lighting with some outside lighting coming in through the windows. In situations like that, I try to match the camera to the most prevalent light source.
The camera does well outside in natural light, although I have at times seen a little blueness in the shade. If the look seems a little blue in shade, I might use Shade WB. The critical thing is whether the color tint in the video you are seeing on the Monitor looks like the scene you see with your own eyes. If not, try to make the camera match what you see.
The Autofocus modes available in Movie live view are AF-S and AF-F. AF-S is single-point AF and you control it. AF-F is camera-controlled Autofocus. There are no other Autofocus modes available for Movie live view. You can move the focus square to any point on the Monitor to focus on the best area of your subject in either Autofocus mode. If you are using AF-S, you can focus with either the Shutter-release button or the AF-ON button. You can even change Autofocus modes while recording a video. Here’s how to select the AF mode with external camera controls.
Use the following steps to set an Autofocus mode before or during a video recording:
Settings Recommendation: Many people use Full-time-servo AF (AF-F mode) for fun video shooting. However, for commercial purposes, AF-F mode is lacking. It struggles to remain in focus in low light, and even in the best light it tends to rack in and out on a frequent basis, which is very distracting to viewers. That’s why many serious videographers use manual focus lenses, so they can control the focus with great smoothness—after much practice, of course.
I like videoing with my manual and autofocus prime lenses, such as my AI Nikkor 35mm f/2 or AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G in MF mode. I’m sure you already have, or will soon have, several favorite lenses that work well for video. Just be sure to try them in Manual mode for best focus results.
The AF-area mode lets you choose where the camera will autofocus on your subject. The setting modifies the basic way autofocus decides what part of the subject is important. Let’s examine each screen and the four AF-point styles and then see how to select one of the four AF-area modes.
The following list explains the four available AF-area modes:
Use the following steps to set an AF-area mode before or during a video recording:
Settings Recommendation: Why not leave the AF-area mode set to Face-priority AF if you photograph people a lot? If you are using Movie live view for macro shooting, Normal-area AF gives you the smallest, most accurate area mode for detailed, up-close focusing. Landscape shooters should use Wide-area AF, and wildlife or sports shooters should use Subject-tracking AF.
The Exposure, or Shooting, modes—Programmed auto (P), Shutter-priority auto (S), Aperture-priority auto (A), and Manual (M)—give you various levels of control over the D500. It is best to use Manual (M) mode when possible if you want complete control over the camera. Every other mode has limitations.
When you control the aperture in M or A mode, you can also control depth of field for cinematic blurred backgrounds in videos containing people and deep focus in landscapes. When you adjust the shutter speed during the video (in M mode only), you can capture a beautiful blur effect for a waterfall (slow shutter speed) and quickly switch to a fast shutter speed to get that deer leaping over a fence. With ISO sensitivity control (in M mode only), you can select the best ISO for the current video and vary it only when needed.
Or, you can relinquish part or all of the control to the camera. The Nikon D500 lets you decide. The following list provides information about using the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity settings while recording a movie. Unlike previous Nikons, the D500 gives you full control of the camera in Manual mode only, including all three corners of the exposure triangle: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivity.
Note: It is best to shoot in Manual (M) mode for full camera control, or Aperture-priority auto (A) mode to control the aperture while the camera automatically adjusts the rest of the exposure controls.
When using Shutter-priority mode (S) or Programmed auto (P) mode, the camera acts like a consumer video camera and leaves you little control over any of the exposure controls, with the exception of using the +/− Exposure compensation button to add or subtract exposure.
Also, remember that the D500 allows you to use Auto ISO control (mode M) in Manual (M) mode, in which the camera adjusts the ISO sensitivity to maintain a correct exposure. You can enable Auto ISO control (mode M) in Movie Shooting Menu > ISO sensitivity settings.
Let’s examine how to select an Exposure mode.
Here are the steps to select an Exposure mode:
Note: If you use semi-automated Exposure modes (P, S, and A), the camera will change the ISO sensitivity to maintain a good exposure. The Nikon D500 uses the ISO sensitivity as a failsafe to make sure the video is usable. It will raise the ISO up to noisy levels pretty quickly when light starts falling, so be aware of that and use artificial light (e.g., LED) to prevent having noisy videos.
If you are shooting in Manual mode and change the aperture or shutter speed quickly, the camera cannot adjust the ISO to compensate—unless you have enabled Movie Shooting Menu > ISO sensitivity settings > Auto ISO control (mode M)—so your video may get dark or overly bright until you change the ISO or opposite control to match the new settings. Video is a little harder to shoot in Manual compared to still images because it is live and everything you do to affect exposure is immediately apparent to all viewers. Practice, practice, practice!
Settings Recommendation: The Nikon D500 is a truly professional video camera. It can do things that even expensive pro video cameras cannot do because the large sensor makes such shallow depth of field and the lens selection is so great. However, that puts a burden on you when you use the camera manually. You now have the control you need for expert usage, so go practice and make the camera’s controls second nature so that you can react well to changes.
I recommend shooting most videos in Aperture-priority auto (A) mode until you are fully comfortable with operating the camera manually and understand what will happen. As a videographer, you now have complete control to make a masterpiece video or really bad video. Get some books on the subject and learn your new skills well. We are no longer just still photographers!
A couple of books I highly recommend are How to Shoot Videos That Don’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro by Steve Stockman (Workman Publishing Company, 2011) and Mastering HD Video with Your DSLR by Helmut Kraus and Uwe Steinmueller (Rocky Nook, 2010). These books set me on the path to much better videos by not only discussing the formats and cameras involved but also offering great advice on video technique.
Now let’s look at the process of recording a video to the camera’s memory card. There are several easy steps, as shown in the upcoming description. This is assuming you’ve gone through the configuration process discussed in the first part of this chapter that readies your camera to record video in the modes you prefer to use. Let’s record a video!
Here are the steps to start recording a movie:
Amazingly, that’s all there is to it. You have a powerful, professional video camera built into your still camera. It is available with the flip of a switch and the press of a button.
Settings Recommendation: In most cases, unless you really want to try to control the camera manually, just shoot your video in a semi-automated mode and enjoy what you have captured. The camera will make a good exposure in almost all circumstances. When you are ready to move into high-end video production, the Nikon D500 is ready to help you move up.
The Nikon D500 has a unique ability in the 35mm camera genre: streaming uncompressed, broadcast-quality video out of its HDMI port to an external recording device. Doing so is a fairly complex process, requiring knowledge of wrappers, containers, formats, and interfacing with expensive recording equipment. The process of creating commercial video is beyond the scope of this book.
For those of you who are interested in learning about the much more complex process of streaming uncompressed HDMI video, I have prepared a document that should get you started. It is called Streaming Uncompressed HDMI Video from Your Nikon D500 and is available at the following websites:
http://www.nikonians.org/NikonD500
http://rockynook.com/NikonD500
Please download this document and consider it. I give you the basics on working with the HDMI port along with format information to make your learning process easier. I also list several websites and forums where you can gain very deep knowledge on using your D500 for high-end video creation.
Now the fun begins! You have created a video on one of your memory cards. What next? You can always simply transfer the video to your computer and view it there or upload it to Facebook or YouTube, both of which know how to convert the QuickTime MOV file to display on their respective sites.
Let’s also discuss how to enjoy one of your movies directly from the camera, either on the camera’s LCD Monitor or on an HDTV.
Viewing a movie on the D500 Monitor is simplicity itself, just like video capture. Videos are stored on the camera’s memory card just like still pictures. All you have to do is select the video you want and press the Multi selector center button to play it.
Use the following steps to play a movie on the Monitor:
Settings Recommendation: The Monitor on the D500 is big enough for several people to enjoy one of your videos. Don’t be afraid to show off a bit because your camera creates excellent high-resolution videos. Set it up on the kitchen table, put a jar next to it for tips, and start a video. You’ll find viewers!
To display a video from your camera on an HDTV, you’ll need an HDMI cable with a mini-HDMI (type C) end to insert into your D500; the other end will have to match your HDTV’s HDMI port, which is usually HDMI standard (type A). We’ll talk more about the cable specs in a moment, but first let’s discuss your camera’s HDMI output frequencies.
Before you attempt to connect your Nikon D500 to your HDTV, be sure that you’ve correctly configured your HDMI output to match what your HDTV needs or you won’t get a picture. Use the Setup Menu > HDMI setting to select a specific Output resolution, or just select Auto so the camera and HDTV can figure it out for you. Here is a list of formats supported by your camera for video playback:
Here are the steps to select an Output resolution:
Settings Recommendation: If you have any difficulty getting your camera to interface with your HDTV, please refer to the section HDMI in the chapter titled Setup Menu. In my experience with the camera, most of the time it just works when you plug it into the HDTV and video flows immediately. However, sometimes there are some configuration issues that involve using the Advanced setting on the HDMI menu. I won’t go back over those here because most of the time the camera interfaces well, and you can always refer back to the chapter on the Setup Menu if you have any problems.
One thing I will recommend is to make sure you have the correct HDMI port selected if your HDTV has more than one HDMI port. Often there is a control on the HDTV’s remote that lets you select a particular HDMI port. Until that port is active, you will see nothing from the camera.
If the video appears too big to fit on the HDTV screen, you can reduce the size of the D500’s video output by 5 percent with Setup Menu > HDMI > Advanced > Output display size. If the colors appear washed out in your video, you may have to try a different Output range (Full or Limited) with Setup Menu > HDMI > Advanced > Output range. Finally, if you don’t want the camera to display its control overlays on the screen, just the pure video, you can turn off the overlays for the HDTV display with Setup Menu > HDMI > Advanced > Live view on-screen display (set to Off).
Now your camera is ready to output video on a compatible HDTV. Figure 13.5C shows what compatible HDMI cable ends look like. Unfortunately, you’ll have to purchase an HDMI cable because you don’t receive one with your D500. You’ll need to use a mini-HDMI (type C) to HDMI standard (type A) cable. And, of course, you’ll need to plug your HDMI cable into the correct port on the D500.
In figure 13.5D, you can see the port you’ll need to use with your mini-HDMI (type C) connector. Before it is plugged in, here are the steps to display a video on your HDTV:
The Nikon D500 can display movies on both progressive and interlaced devices.
Settings Recommendation: Unless you are heavily into HDMI and understand the various formats, I would just leave the camera set to Auto. That allows the D500 to determine the proper format as soon as it’s plugged into the display device and the HDMI input port is selected—if the HDTV has multiple ports.
The video capability in the Nikon D500 is simply amazing. You will create some of the best videos of your life with this camera. When you are out shooting still images, why not grab some video, too? Years from now, actually hearing and seeing friends and family who are no longer with us will mean a lot.
Pictures are important, but so is video. Your camera does both, and either is available at a moment’s notice. Carry your camera with you and record your life. Hard drives are cheap compared to the memories you will lose if you don’t record them. Make good backups and give away family videos to your family. Share the good qualities of your powerful camera with others, and the goodwill will come back to you later.
Check the book’s downloadable resources section from time to time because I intend to keep on adding material to supplement Mastering the Nikon D500. The downloadable resources are found at these two web addresses:
http://www.nikonians.org/NikonD500
http://rockynook.com/NikonD500
Stay in touch with me by using the following points of contact:
I’d like to express my personal appreciation to you for buying this book and for sticking with me all the way to the end of it. I sincerely hope that it has been useful to you and that you’ll recommend my books to your Nikon-using friends.
Keep on capturing time . . .
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