Underwater Video Basics

[@BrentDurand]

What video topics do you want me to cover next?

[@atlantisdiveresorts]

How about filming cryptic macro critters in the sand?

[@BrentDurand]

@@atlantisdiveresorts Solid. This would be perfect for Dumaguete. I'll add it to the list!

[@AndyConlin]

If you haven't done it already, I'd be interested to see how/if you catalog your photos and videos. For example, do you tag the actual files or keep a separate log/database so it's easy to-in the future-look up all the shots you have of a particular critter or animal behavior?

[@BrentDurand]

@@AndyConlin That's a great idea Andy. I haven't covered that for video but will add it to the list. And of course, my methods may be different from others. For still photos I use Lightroom to catalog and find photos. Check out the tutorials in the Lightroom section of my website: tutorials.brentdurand.com/category/editing-tutorials. This video covers basic folder organization: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmrbf6aKapd8Z9E

[@AndyConlin]

​@@BrentDurand Aha! That was definitely along the lines of what I was looking for. Thanks! I'll look forward to a video version someday. I was thinking the other day about the possibility of automatically tagging photos with depth and temperature based on their timestamps and an associated dive log. It may really only be helpful for scientific/survey work (and there are obvious limitations, like how it would record where the camera was, not necessarily the subject). Even still, have you ever done this or come across a utility for it? Maybe something like Lightroom's GPX geotagging feature.

[@thedivevibe4082]

Very helpful, thank you bro🤙🔥

[@BrentDurand]

You're welcome! 🤙

[@cakkoting1645]

Superb.. thanks

[@livinglascanteras8353]

Great video! Following you from the Canary Islands.

[@BrentDurand]

Thanks! More video videos to come soon. Let me know if you ever have specific questions or topics you’d like me to cover

[@UnderwaterPhotoBali]

cool video, as always thanks

[@BrentDurand]

Thanks Jerome!

[@anderslarssondivevideo]

Thanks Brent, very good! I take stills & video and have recently started with manual video as described in your tutorial. I shoot with a Canon g7x. For wide angle I use double shutter speed, aperture around F8 to get the corners sharp and then set the ISO to auto! The reason is of course to get a good exposure all the time and accept som grainy footage. Is this ok or should I shoot with low ISO and adjust the aperture?

[@BrentDurand]

Hi Anders, thanks for the kind words. Your technique is great. The only thing I would check is to see what ISO is generally being used. If you're diving deeper and in darker (lower visibility) water, then the ISO may be going very high, producing grain/"noise" in the content. If that happens, you could choose to sacrifice some corner sharpness (since it's dark anyways) with a lower aperture in order to keep the Auto ISO lower. Cheers!

[@jasonguthrie4691]

Great tutorial as always! So do you actually shoot exclusively in 1080p all the time or do you ever shoot in 1440p or 4k (as mentioned) to give yourself more room for editing i.e. for re framing shots, digital stabilisation and improved quality by downscaling to a lower resolution?

[@BrentDurand]

Really good questions, Jason. This is where it gets complicated, and where I simplified my explanations to make a concise video. Most camera shooters don't have a 1440p option and won't want to deal with creating lower resolution proxies of 4K footage for editing, so my answer is 1080p. That said, for those familiar with this (like you), have the time for the workflow, and are possibly interested in licensing footage, then go 4K (for the benefits you mention above). But note that many cameras won't use their full sensor to record 4K, which opens up an image quality debate. GoPro shooters have the 1440p option. I would recommend this 4:3 aspect ratio (or 2.7K) if your goal is to crop in or apply stabilization in post, allowing you to create a final 16:9 clip. Hope this helps!

[@jerseyjeff2915]

What ks Time Value - never seen it on a Nikon? Thanks!!!!!

[@BrentDurand]

Nikon calls Time Value 'S' for shutter priority. Same thing though.

[@cktan15]

Thanks Brent! I have a question, when you do dive videos, do you turn on the record for the whole dive and edit stuff out or you shoot multiple videos and merge them together?

[@BrentDurand]

Great question, Ken. Everyone will have different answers, but I hit record to capture specific scenes, being sure I've got the exposure and lighting I'd like, composition, marine life, etc. This is the best way to ensure you're getting the best shots and mentally 'aware' that you're filming. If the camera is on the whole dive, then 1) you have to go through all that footage, and 2) the shots will likely be jumpy and not well-thought out.

[@MichaGero]

White balance is an important topic.

[@BrentDurand]

Absolutely. I'm actually filming a White Balance video in the next week or two for the channel, so stay tuned!

[@rickpost2846]

@@BrentDurand how do i set white balance with the sealife micro 3,0 ? i would like to because in one of youre videos you said its the best option

[@BrentDurand]

@@rickpost2846 Hi Rick, there are detailed instructions on page 34 of this document (Micro 3.0 user manual). Hope this helps!: www.sealife-cameras.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Micro-3.0-Instruction-Manual-ENGLISH-UPDATE-May-8-2020.pdf

[@rickpost2846]

@@BrentDurand what i read is you can use a gray card or a White card put i as close as possible in the lens and the manual White balance is set which makes it the best quility videos right?

[@BrentDurand]

@@rickpost2846 Page 35, part E says exactly: E. Manual - Manually adjust the white balance color for a specific lighting environment using a white or gray card. After selecting Manual, hold a white (or gray) card about 12”/30cm in front of the camera lens, so the card fills up all or most of the image frame. Push the shutter button to confirm and the camera will adjust the color according to the card. The card should appear white or gray if Manual white balance was set properly. The camera will save the Manual WB color until it’s set again. Hope that helps

[@ntartienii]

Great contents Brant! In order to get a good white balance on an action camera without a manual WB do you think it would be a good thumb up bringing with you a grey card and record it in front of the camera each time you start recording, so you can easily WB in post?

[@BrentDurand]

Thanks for the kind words. It's certainly a good idea to try, but you'll notice that with Auto WB on action cameras, the WB may shift depending on the scene. So while the white card may help establish nice color, the camera may change WB once you remove the white card. The best way to check will be to test it in your shooting conditions.