Optimal Aperture, Shutter Speed and ISO for Video Recording

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I usually set video recording settings on Auto. That’s good enough for me. But! If needed - here are the best video recording settings.

presentation video recording

TL;DR (Putting it short)

For ASP-C size sensors’ basic cases we have 2 options (for artificial lighting option 1-for UK and Australia; option 2-for USA. See description below):

  1. 24 fps
  • Shutter speed: 1/50s
  • Aperture: F/2.8 (or closest we have, might be only F/4.0 available, but for low-light might need to go ~F/1.8 or even less if lens support it)
  • ISO: Automatic
  1. 30 fps
  • Shutter speed: 1/60s
  • Aperture: F/2.8 (same note as above)
  • ISO: Automatic

For slowmotion - slowing down 2x will require to double shutter speed. For 24 or 30 fps final video, you need to shoot

  • 50 or 60 FPS
  • Shutter speed: 1/100s or 1/120s. (1/100s will look a bit ‘dreamier’)
  • Aperture: F/2.0 (opening up to reduce required ISO so image wouldn’t be too grainy)
  • ISO: Automatic

Exposure triangle

Now let’s describe why it is so.

Exposure triangle is a combination of Shutter speed, Aperture and ISO number. If we change one-must change another, if lighting conditions are the same. That means if we need to reduce Shutter speed we need to open Aperture or increase ISO so that photo or video looks nice - not too dark and not too bright.

Shutter Speed

The primary purpose of setting shutter speed apart from exposure time - is to achieve Natural Motion Blur. The best shutter speed for video recording depends on your frame rate, following the 180-degree shutter rule. This rule states that your shutter speed should be approximately double your frame rate. Here’s a quick guide:

  • For 24 fps: Use 1/48 or 1/50 second shutter speed
  • For 30 fps: Use 1/60 second shutter speed
  • For 60 fps: Use 1/120 second shutter speed

This relationship between frame rate and shutter speed creates natural-looking motion blur, giving your footage a cinematic feel. The formula to remember is:

Shutter Speed = Frame Rate x 2

For example, if you’re shooting at 23.976 fps, your shutter speed should be 1/48 second (or rounded to 1/50 if your camera doesn’t have that exact setting).

When shooting slow-motion footage, apply the same principle. For instance, at 120 fps, use a shutter speed of 1/240 or 1/250 second.

Keep in mind that while this rule provides a good starting point, you can adjust shutter speed for creative effects or to address specific shooting conditions, such as filming rain or snow at higher shutter speeds.

Creative Adjustments

While the 180-degree rule provides a good starting point, you can adjust shutter speed for creative effects:

  1. Faster shutter speeds (e.g., 1/1000s) will freeze motion, resulting in crisper, clearer images. This technique is often used in action scenes or sports footage.

  2. Slower shutter speeds create more motion blur, which can add a dreamy effect to moving subjects.

  3. For a more staccato or choppy look, use a higher shutter speed relative to your frame rate.

Though adjusting shutter speed affects the amount of light reaching the sensor, so one may need to compensate with other camera settings like aperture or ISO. But in fact, there is no much space to go. See below, all is predefined, you might go just one step here or there.

Frequency of artificial lighting

When chosing shutter speed for shooting with artificial lighting - check the frequency of local electricity network. Your shutter speed must match it to remove flickering.

For example:

  • in USA - the frequency is 60Hz - think of chosing 1/60s or 1/120s as your shutter speed
  • in UK - the standart frequency is 50Hz - use 1/50s or 1/100s as your shutter speed
  • in Australia - it is 50Hz => use 1/50s or 1/100s as shutter speed and 25 FPS

Aperture

The Aperture setting controls how much of the frame is in focus. A low aperture such as F/2.0 will help you emphasise your subject and create a professional-looking blurry background.

The way and style the background is blurred is called ‘Bokeh’. The Bokeh style is usually better in fixed lenses. But anyway, in video Bokeh quality is less noticeable then on photos, so we may pay less attention here.

  • For a shallow depth of field and dreamy look, use a wider aperture like F/2.
  • For maximum sharpness throughout the frame, use a narrower aperture like F/11.
  • For sports videography, f/4 is often preferred for a good balance of depth of field and light intake.

The best Aperture for video recording is generally considered to be

  • F/2.8 for APS-C sensors, and
  • F/4 for 35mm (full-frame) sensors.

This aperture setting is widely used by cinematographers for several reasons:

  1. Light efficiency: F/2.8 allows for optimal light intake while maintaining image quality, especially in challenging lighting conditions.

  2. Sharpness: It’s often regarded as the “sweet spot” for many lenses, providing excellent sharpness and minimizing optical aberrations.

  3. Depth of field: This aperture offers a good balance between subject isolation and overall scene clarity.

However, the “best” aperture can vary depending on your specific needs:

  • For a shallow depth of field and dreamy look, use a wider aperture like F/2.
  • For maximum sharpness throughout the frame, use a narrower aperture like F/11.
  • For sports videography, f/4 is often preferred for a good balance of depth of field and light intake.

But worth remembering that aperture is part of the exposure triangle, along with shutter speed and ISO. You may need to adjust these settings in combination to achieve the desired exposure and look for your video.

ISO

In theory, when selecting ISO we should aim for

  • ISO 100-200: Ideal for bright, sunny outdoor conditions
  • ISO 400: Best for cloudy days or indoor shoots with good lighting
  • ISO 800: Suitable for indoor shooting without external lighting

But in fact, after we set Shutter speed and Aperture in the two steps before this one - We must set ISO to Automatic.

For the VERY bright sunny outdoors - we can dial down the Aperture

For ther night themes - we can open Aperture a bit. For example - instead of F2.8 - use F1.8 or even F1.4 if you have these lenses.
We do this to minimise image qualiti degrade in low-light conditions, because high ISO (800+ in modern cameras) produce noise or grain. And this grain is more annoying the higher ISO. It will be very noticeable at ISO3200.

Another aspect not to like about high ISO - lowering colour reproduction.

Q & A

Q: What is the best shutter speed for video recording? A: To achieve “Natural motion blur” the shutter speed must be twice the framerate. For example for 30FPS video the shutter speed must be 1/60s.

Q: What is the best aperture for video recording? A: To achieve balance between depth of field/Bokeh, overal scene crispiness, and light - I think best Aperture to consider F/2.8 (F/2.0 - F/4.0) for ASP-C sensor.

Q: What is the best ISO for video recording? A: Would be nice to set ISO to 400 or less, but because of considerations above - Need to set it to Automatic and be happy if it autosets to ISO 200 or ISO 100.