Hey guys, I've got a canon g20 and I like it, except I filmed a pig hunt down in texas with it, shooting at PF30 fps and I noticed the footage had a jittery look when I panned from side to side. Has anyone else had this problem? What frame rate do you guys use? Is it worth upgrading to the g30 and shooting at 60p? Here's the links to the two episodes from the hunt, my camera took the WI team footage. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GCGRifewjjAhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3SKe_2wfoq4
It is called "rolling shutter". The problem is exaggerated by the C-MOS sensors in today's cameras. But basically when you pan side to side the image is changing faster than the camera can record it. If you shoot at 60fps then the effects will be reduced.
So is there a special trick to avoid this? I don't notice this in other hunting videos... and I know there's guys who film in 24fps.
The g20 can't shoot 60fps, it can only shoot 60i, PF30, PF24 and 24p. I was hoping someone who has experience with this camera could give some advice on what frame rate they found best. I could shoot in 60i just thought by shooting in 30fps I could avoid the deinterlacing step, which I've heard can cause some loss in quality.
The best you will do then is to set the shutter speed to approximately 2x the frame rate. I run an XA20. Similar but yes can run 1080p at 60fps. But i run it down at both 30fps and 24fps at times depending on the project. I run shuter speeds at approximately 2x the frame rate and have minimal rolling shutter issues.
DEC...what is the advantage to running at a lower fps for us newbs? I am hoping to pick up a G20 here soon to do some tree filming but am complete novice.
It is all in the "look" that you want. Movies in the theater traditionally are at 24fps, which dates back to 35mm film days and the standard has stuck. With that you get funky motion look because things move faster than what the frame rate can record. But it works well for movies and documentaries. In a hunting video it is one of the factors that give shows like Heartland Bowhunter the "look" which is different than traditional broadcasts. It is an awesome look, especially if you use a DSLR with the right lens combination, but things like slow motion are rough at this frame rate. TV broadcasts for the most part are viewed at 30fps. It dates back to the broadcast technology of the early days of TV and not much has changed. There are technical reasons for his frame rate, but for practical purposes this is what we are conditioned to see on TV. Motion appears smoother and feels more natural. 60fps is simply twice the frame rate as TV broadcasts. So when you dump it into a 30fps time line in an editor then every other frame is used. Where it shines though is in slow motion. Because you can stretch it out and utilize all of the frames to get a nice slow motion effect. There are many other frame rates but those three are the standards that most use. Shutter speed is an entirely different issue. It would be along the lines of thinking in terms of your eye. Your blinking rate would be your shutter speed. Basically the shutter is opening and closing at a rate that you set in the camera. The rule of thumb for smooth video work is to set the shutter speed at approximately two times the frame rate. Now it doesn't always work out exact due to the multipliers. But when I run 60fps then I set the shutter speed at 1/100 most of the time. As the light drops you can slow the shutter speed down, but then motion starts to get funny. When you go slower with the shutter the motion blurs badly. When you go faster with the shutter then the motion gets very stiletto looking. Going very fast with the shutter relative to the frame rate is how you get what is called the "Saving Private Ryan Effect". Watch the beach storming scene as an example. It is an uncomfortable viewing experience that plays to the chaos of the action. It tricks your brain and makes you feel like you are engrossed into an intense experience. There are not hard fast rules on your settings, just general guidelines. If I was the OP and had a G20, I'd run 1080P 30fps and my shutter speed at 1/60 for most hunting situations. In low light I'd take the shutter speed down to 1/30, but no slower. Maybe tweak the gain if possible and watch my white balance settings. That is about all that you can do. The G20 is still an excellent camera.
I never run interlaced footage, always progressive. I have read nightmares about de-interlacing. But like anything else, if a person were to dedicate the time and resources to it then I am sure it would be a viable format. I have never had the personal need to tackle interlaced footage so for me to comment too much on it would not be responsible.
