Grahame Loc: Fiji

Whilst I've been using a Z6 and Z8 for photographing race events I've never used the video function and want to try it tomorrow at a short non important race along with testing of my new 70-200S. Browsing the manual, confusing myself and trying to learn how to do things I have a couple of basic video questions that advice from the video shooters will hopefully assist.

The scenario for the video use ...........................
Subjects will be coming towards me, wish to keep subject face in focus, and I would like to produce slow motion snips to compile together later. I have LR/PS/NX Studio. The video would be produced for viewing on social media, e.g. facebook only.

Q1 - The manual lists numerous video formats, which would be best to use for above scenario?

(I assume non-raw video)
7680 x 4320 (8K UHD): 30p (progressive)/25p/24p

3840 x 2160 (4K UHD): 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p

1920 x 1080: 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p
________________________________________________
(RAW video)
8256 x 4644: 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p

5392 x 3032: 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p

4128 x 2322: 120p/100p/60p/50p/30p/25p/24p

3840 x 2160: 120p/100p/60p/50p
_____________________________________________
File format
NEV, MOV, MP4
_____________________________________________
Video compression
N-RAW (12 bit), Apple ProRes RAW HQ (12 bit), Apple ProRes 422 HQ (10 bit), H.265/HEVC (8 bit/10 bit), H.264/AVC (8 bit)

Q2 - Which AF mode is likely to give the best result at attaining focus on one subject.

At present the camera video settings are in the default mode from the factory but I'd like to get this set up in the short time available to give me something useable to assess if I will consider some video at future main events.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

YouTube - Z8 video

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I know nothing about a Z8. I use Sony, Panasonic and DJI cameras.

Beware of 4K and 8K unless you have the computer and software to handle it.

To get slow motion in post, use a minimum of 60fps for half speed. 120 fps can be slowed to quarter speed.

H.264/AVC (8 bit), MP4 is the most universal and editable in most software.

Continuous autofocus (AF-C), in most newer cameras will continue to refocus every frame. Only the newest cameras can keep that up when shooting video.

LR/PS/NX Studio are not video editors. You may have to to a quick and easy review of "ClipChamp" if you have Windows or iMovie if you have a Mac. Both will get let you "slow down" your video to playback at 30fps.

You can make LR Classic perform as a video editor by using video clips in the Slideshow module. But, as far as I know, there is no tool there to slow the video playback.

ncribble Loc: Albuquerque, NM

Grahame, I was in a similar situation a few months ago when I started shooting Chapel Services in a Retirement Home and publishing them on YouTube. The solution that worked for me was to "Keep It Simple and Learn". Shoot Manual: 1920 x 1080, 30fps, 1/60 (twice the frames per second), f2.0 or f2.8, AF AI Servo (Canon), and adjust the ISO with the Control Ring to fit the lighting.
Manzano Del Sol Community, Albuquerque, NM. Last published YouTube https://youtu.be/WrGU1Icw_ak

You'll enjoy the learning curve,

Norm

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

8K can be ruled out unless you have lots of FAST storage media, including camera cards and SSD, and a lightning quick computer, such as one of the new M2 Max or M2 Ultra Mac Studios.

4K can be ruled out unless your computer is fairly recent and equipped with a decent graphics processor. If you want to keep things simple and reasonable, use 4K and H.265 HEVC 4:2:2 10-bit. 4:2:2 10-bit color is easy to adjust in post-production (editing). HEVC is a compressed file format. Your computer has to be very fast to decode it, but if you use Apple ProRes, it may be smoother. However, ProRes is not as compressed, so you will need far more drive space and far larger camera cards.

Assuming you use 29.97fps (30fps, nominally) in a 60Hz power country, using 60 fps is half-speed slo-mo, and using 120 fps is quarter speed slo-mo. If using 25fps in a 50Hz power country, 50 fps is half speed slo-mo. 100 fps is quarter speed slo-mo.

It is best to edit video in a proper video editor such as Black Magic DaVinci Resolve (free Mac/Windows version available), or at least Apple iMovie (also free on all Macs). Adobe Premiere Elements is not free, but decent. Adobe Premiere Pro and Apple Final Cut Pro are great advanced choices, as is any version of DaVinci Resolve.

Video IS a whole different ball of wax, and you'll quickly learn that sound provides about 60% of the playback experience! Having a decent hypercardioid (shotgun) mic for ambient sound, and lavalier wireless mic/recorders for talent, is the easiest way to tackle good sound. The inverse/square law applies to sound, exactly like it does to flash. If you have one unit of sound at one foot, moving ten feet away from that source cuts it to ONE PERCENT (1/D^2; where 1/10'^2 = 1/100). Of course, to properly record that, either the camera's AGC has to pull up the volume, or you do. THAT pulls up all the background noise by 100 times! That is why it is crucial to keep microphones within three feet of, or closer to a sound source.

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Many thanks for the above responses. I'll not answer each due to time shortage as shortly off to have my first attempt.

Along with the above, some web research and a single trial using my dog I've come to the following conclusion. I'll start with 1080p (H.264/AVC (8 bit), MP4) with my priority being attaining good focus on subject and seeing how steady my results are using a monopod.

I've managed a quick test using the dog walking towards me, used 60fps and found how to slow this to half speed just using PS. Whilst PS may be restricted, at least I can get an idea of the quality of results for my first trial. As for sound, this will not be necessary.

As for focus I've tried a couple of the options and expect to just use 'small or wide area' with face/eye recognition although there's also 'subject tracking' I want to possibly investigate.

Depending on results I'll then decide whether to move forward, considering possible difficulties undertaking both stills, which are the priority, plus some video.