topic Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Perrin — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 00:50:40 GMT

Hi there

I'm new to the forum, and I've been wondering for years, how to get the best out of this 6D camera for videoing.

Here's some footage from a couple of concerts, you will see it's pretty lousy compared to what I could be getting out of the 6D.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ5Q2Z7-3ks&list=UU3nDdFIbFwMnB6_wtMTIZNg&index=10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxZcBXKDDrI&list=UU3nDdFIbFwMnB6_wtMTIZNg&index=3&t=0s

If anyone is able to stare me towards some simple settings for the camera overall that would be greatly be appreciated.

I have good quality memory cards 2 x 32GB, the show goes for about 2 and a half to three hours all up.

I'm not very good with technical talk, please be forwarned on that front.

On the net I saw someone using these settings which may be a good starting point....... but any help greatly received.

Current setting: Exp 1/30, ISO 8000, WB 3200, f-stop 2.8

God Bless,

Perrin

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Waddizzle — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 13:44:51 GMT

What lens are you using?

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Waddizzle — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 17:30:46 GMT

I just noticed you want 2-3 hours of video. Most every DSLR had a 30 minute time limit. I suggest using a video camera or a camcorder.

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

RobertTheFat — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 18:06:13 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
I just noticed you want 2-3 hours of video. Most every DSLR had a 30 minute time limit. I suggest using a video camera or a camcorder.

No item on the program is apt to last a half hour. So the 30-minute limit shouldn't be a factor, as long as the OP remembers to stop and re-start the process from time to time. I think I'd be more concerned about the camera overheating than about the 30-minute limit.

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Waddizzle — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 18:11:54 GMT

“I think I'd be more concerned about the camera overheating than about the 30-minute limit.“

Yeah, that too most especially.

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Perrin — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:44:42 GMT

Hi there Waddizzle

We use a Canon Zoom EF Lens 24-105mm 1:4 L Is USM

Thank you

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Perrin — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 19:47:26 GMT

Hi again

We have breaks of up to 3 or 4 minutes between items and we pause the camera, during this time. We've done it successfully for about 4 years like this. We also have a 20 minute half time and don't video prize giving at the end.

Thank you though, as I was unaware of this being an issue, so much appreciated, and something we can now be concious of.

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

BurnUnit — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 17:40:59 GMT

For the conditions you're shooting under I think the video came out pretty well. Any change to your exposure settings to add detail to the darker background is probably going to wipe out your highlights. For the equipment you're using I think you're fighting the stage lighting more than anything else.

Some, if not all of the stage lighting is probably LEDs. Digital camera sensors can see some of this LED lighting differently than our eyes do and produce exaggerated color shifts and other problems. But the biggest help would likely be having a bit more stage lighting for the background.

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Perrin — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 18:35:39 GMT

Aha that makes sense. Thank you 🙂

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Waddizzle — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 23:39:41 GMT

@Perrin wrote:
Hi there Waddizzle

We use a Canon Zoom EF Lens 24-105mm 1:4 L Is USM

Thank you

Okay, I was finally able to take a look at the videos in the original post.

You should be able to have much better focus than that. Set focus on the lens manually, if you need to. Look at a Depth of Field chart to get a feel of what range of apertures might work best for your shooting scenario.

Some of the highlights look a little overexposed, maybe by 1/2 a stop. From that camera angle and framing, the large dark area in the bottom of the frame will factor in to determine the final exposure. Evaluative metering mode may be overexposing the stage because so much of the frame is dark. Try "Center Weighted" metering mode. I think "Spot" may be too narrow.

Your contrast looks a little blown out, too. Pay attention to your picture style setting because this can affect your dynamic range and color grading. I recommend using a neutral color style. It is often easier to add than subtract in post. Once highlights are blown, you cannot unsaturate them. In these videos, it does not seem to matter if foreground shadows are under exposed. The subjects on stage should be the priority.

Re: Low light video on Canon 6D for a guitar concert

Perrin — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 23:48:45 GMT

Thank you for this Waddizzle, that's a ton of good information there. I'll do my best to apply next concert :).