Time to break the 180 degree rule.
Since I have been following all the rules since I got my Canon T2i 550D I thought it was time to break one of those rules.
Yesterday I broke the 180 degree rule, which states that you should double your frame rate for your shutter speed. So for example if you are shooting 60 frames per second then you need to use a shutter speed of 125 (no 120 available).
Water is a great thing to shoot when you want to demonstrate shutter speed, and since I was near a lot of fast moving water yesterday in Estes Park I figured I would do some testing.
For the most part I think the higher shutter speeds on most non-water items looked pretty darn good. I am still getting an ND filter soon, but it like to test everything.
Thanks to digital, we don’t have to follow the 180 degree rule. I love shooting film with faster shutter speeds as everything is much clearer. Its a same you can’t go lower than 1/25th though, being able to do slow shutter speed blurry shots would be quite fun.
Hey Dave,
I didn’t know about the 180 degree rule and have been shooting correct exposure this whole time. What are the reasons you shouldn’t go above double your frame rate?
Thanks,
Mike
@Mike … Here is a blog that has been the go-to reference about the 180 degree shutter rule …. I think it means you shoot this way to get a “film look” … Interesting stuff …
http://blog.tylerginter.com/?p=385
@Dave … I got my ND fader from Light Craft Workshop. It came last week. I haven’t had a chance to use it yet … Is this the one that you got?
Tina
Oops, I forgot to ask Tyler F a question.
When you say “Its a same you can’t go lower than 1/25th though …” what do you mean?
As far as I know through the 180 degree rule, if you shoot at 24 fps you double your shutter, so it would mean which would mean 48, but the closest is 50 … doing it this way has given me clear shots. Maybe I misunderstood what you meant ….
Tina
@Tina I got the “Genus GL GNDF-72 ND 72 mm Fader Circular Filter System” for $125 which doesn’t come for a while since it is back ordered.
I think Tyler is missing an ‘h’ in his word same (shame).
Hey Dave,
I bought a “Hong Kong special” fader ND a few months ago at a really great price and surprisingly fast shipping. I haven’t had any complaints about it so far.
http://shop.ebay.com/wineman1997/m.html?_nkw=Fader+ND&_sacat=0&_odkw=&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3911.c0.m270.l1313
I think sometimes shooting at higher frame rates makes the video feel a little more “home video-ish”
I find the motion blur of 180 very pleasing, and smooth. But a lot of documentaries break the 180 ‘rule’, and I think that the movie Gladiator was filmed at a something different than 180.
I think if your breaking the rule, as long as you understand the reason and ways it affects your end product, then do it!
I think one of the reasons it has become a rule is the surreal nature of it. People go to see movies to escape reality. The unrealistic blur of 24fps and 1/50th shutter is smooth and creamy. It almost feels like a dream. It’s a very thin veil that separates reality from fiction, but it’s enough to allow people to escape.
Not that i couldn’t escape into a 60fps 1/600th shutter film, or even a Hawaiian vacation on the holodeck of the U.S.S. Enterprise! hehe!
Dave
In your recent podcast with Carl Olson you guys both agreed that all this photo/video shutter/aperture/ISO/etc. etc. stuff: means zero to people who are not camera people.
They look at the photos and videos and have zero clue as to what we are all so insane about.
Of course maybe it’s more fun to do it right anyway?
Dan
Dave, great topic. You are giving me plenty of opportunities to be a contrarian.
The 180° rule is a basic guideline in film making that states that two characters in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. The 180° shutter rule is the rule you are talking about here.
I don’t think the 180° shutter rule should be broken unless you are trying to create an effect. So if you want a “Saving Private Ryan” look, great, go for it. But using higher shutter speeds — especially when shooting 24 fps or 30 fps — can result in strobing or stuttering while panning or tilting. Higher shutter speeds may not produce negative effect with stationary subjects, but the better approach is to use a ND filter, IMO.
I just like to do a lot of testing. Breaking the rules is always a fun one to try. I tend not to believe what everyone says so I like to try it myself.
Dave said, “I just like to do a lot of testing.”
And that, sir, is the greatest lesson you are teaching here. I really respect that. I’ve produced more than forty pieces in that past three years, and had I done more testing, those pieces would have been better, and I would have saved tons of time in post.
Awesome post like always, Dave.
@Slavic thanks, how are those cables selling? I have been pointing people to your site.
Pretty good. Thank you for that. I get about an order each day.
And most of the referees are from your site
Hi Dave,
For the outdoor shots, I am not getting crisp video images like you are getting.
Could you please tell us what settings you use for bright sunlight setting?
What profile at what saturation, contrast, etc?
Thank you.
Bill
@Bill perhaps you should show us a clip of yours and tell us how it was shot to better help you.
Dave,
Your outdoor shots are crisp and clear.
Here’s a sample of my outdoor shot.
http://vimeo.com/13130234
Everything is color graded other than freefall, which starts at 1:16.
All indoor shots are okay with softness, with color grading for effect, but if you look at the freefall part, it looks mushy compared to yours.
I know the kit lens is not as sharp as prime, but I am not getting the “Oh my God, look at all the details and color pop out” look you have on your outdoor shots, even with my 50mm 1.8 prime.
So.. again, it would be helpful if you could tell me the profile setting you used. Thank you!
Bill
@Bill That was a cool video! I am amazed that you could to that with a T2i! Again I am no expert, but I can tell you that my prime lens has always been slightly sharper than my zoom. Also, I would guess that it might not be the zoom so much as how you are rendering it. I notice while one rendering set up might work great for an interview it might not do as well as fast moving objects.
Dave,
Thanks for the great test footage and tips so for.
Is it possible for you to send me a snapshot of your profile setting you used for the outdoor shots you used above to voelkerb@yahoo.com ?
I really would like to try it with both my prime and zoom lens. I tinkered wtih many different profile setting, and I am not getting even close to what your footage looks like on my outdoor shots, both for skydiving air-to-air and for ground shots. Thank you.
Bill
@Bill not really necessary because 99% of the time I use the ‘standard’ picture style.
Thanks Dave for all your great tips and advices.
I’ve been shooting very flat in everything, and not used enough correction in post processing to compensate.
You motivate to “Test” everything, so here’s my simple test yesterday, using both sharpen and another filter.
http://youtu.be/xTGlQOGTgxM
I am pretty pleased with with the result. I am going to make a small donation on your website.
Bill
@Bill thanks for the donation! I really like the side by side comparison video.