From the course: Video Foundations: Cameras and Shooting
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Understanding how to focus
From the course: Video Foundations: Cameras and Shooting
Understanding how to focus
Now let's talk about the all- important subject of focus. A clear and sharp picture is a hallmark of the professional shooter. Pay constant attention to your focus whenever you shooting video, regardless of whether you're using a camera that costs $2,000 or $200,000, or whether you're shooting stills, video, or film. There is still only one way to do it right, and that's manually. So make sure your camera is in Manual Focus mode, then follow these simple steps. First, you want to zoom fully into your subject. If your subject is a person, you always want to zoom into their eyes, not their nose, not their chin, not their outfit, but their eyes every single time--the window to the soul. Next set your focus by adjusting the focus ring or focus wheel, whichever one your camera has. Lastly, pull back to adjust your shot to the desired composition. If you do it this way every single time, you are now free to zoom and readjust your shot without fear of ever losing focus. As long as both you…
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Contents
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Learning camera anatomy9m 27s
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Exploring important camera settings5m 52s
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Understanding how to focus3m 17s
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Using tools to achieve better focus6m 10s
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Knowing when to use auto focus2m 52s
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Shooting with shallow depth of field4m 46s
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Understanding exposure5m 5s
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Using neutral density (ND) filters to correct overexposure5m
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Using zebra stripes to accurately judge exposure3m 26s
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Using gain to artificially brighten an underexposed shot3m 3s
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Choosing the right shutter speed4m 13s
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Understanding color temperature3m 6s
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White balancing a shot5m 2s
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