Setting Aperture for Video and Getting Blurry Backgrounds
Channel: Ray Ortega
Date: 01/04/2016

Adjusting your aperture manually on your DSLR when shooting video is the best way to get the right exposure. ► All the gear is linked below.

This is the second video in my three part series about getting the right exposure for your video by using the exposure triangle which shows us that when you make a change to one setting (shutter speed, aperture, ISO) you need to make a change in another. 

In our case, when setting the aperture, after you decide which f-stop (aperture number) you want to use based on available light and your desired depth of field (shallow, deep on in between), you'll likely need to make an change in your ISO to get the right amount of light for your image.

When you use smaller aperture numbers (f3.5, 2.8, 1.4..) you'll get more natural light hitting your camera's sensor which means a brighter image. At the same time, you'll notice that the background of your image likely changes in how blurry it is and as your image gets brighter, you'll need to adjust your ISO so that you can get the proper exposure. 

Higher aperture numbers (f7.1, 11, 14...) will produce two results. Your overall image will have more things in focus and your video will be darker. As a result of this dark exposure, you'll need to use higher ISO numbers to get back to the right exposure.

You can see that by using the exposure triangle (one setting affects the other) we can set our DSLR video camera to get the proper exposure (lighter or darker). 

As you are using aperture to get the right exposure, you've also seen that we affect the depth of field of our image. Smaller numbers mean blurrier backgrounds (shallow DOF) while larger numbers will put more things in focus. This will vary based on your focal length and distance to your subject but in general the wider your aperture the more of your background will fall out of focus. 

Aperture is the key setting in the exposure triangle and having a lens that provides you more aperture options is best. That is one of the reasons I most often shoot with prime lenses, they provide wider apertures like f2.8, 1.4, etc. 

Having a wider aperture allows you more control over your exposure in that you get more "real" light into the camera than the artificial light created by using ISO which will create more noise and grain in your image. 

The gotcha however is that when you use a larger f-stop (aperture number) like 1.4, you'll get a cleaner image but it will be really difficult to hold your subject in focus because your plain of focus will likely be very shallow. Because of this like to shoot closer to f2.8 and above which has the added benefit of giving you a sharper image because most lenses at their extreme's start to have a softer focus. 

Chose a lens for your needs. If you are in low light environments, you'll want a lens with a larger aperture so that you can get more light into your camera before having to raise your ISO. A great option is the very unique, wider aperture zoom lens from Sigma http://podhelp.me/sigma18-351-8-1Zon which I demo in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRvrPIVhVR0

If you need a wider aperture and you plan to shoot handheld, then you'll want a lens with image stabilization and for that I like this Canon http://podhelp.me/Canon35f2ISBH which I demo in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M57AoCZeeY

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**Gear used in the making of this video**

• Canon 60D DSLR Camera http://podhelp.me/60DbodyBH

• Canon t2i with Canon 24-105mm lens for b-roll http://podhelp.me/canon24-105f4IS

• Sigma 30mm 1.4 ART APS-C Canon (new, better version) B&H: http://podhelp.me/30mmsigma Amazon: http://podhelp.me/S30mm1-4ArtAmazon

• F&V R-300 LED Ring Light http://podhelp.me/fvring300day

• Manfrotto 701 HDV Tripod http://podhelp.me/701hdv055xbkit (discontinued) 

• Manfrotto 394 Quick Release Plate and Base http://podhelp.me/394plate 

• Sennheiser ew100 G2 Wireless Lapel Microphone http://podhelp.me/Sennkit 
A good alternative that is more affordable is the Rode Wireless system: http://podhelp.me/rodelinkwirelesslavBH

• Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens: http://podhelp.me/canon501point4

• Fader ND for large aperture in bright light: http://podhelp.me/fadernd77 (discontinued)

*all links should be considered affiliate links. Using these links helps support this content. I always encourage you to shop around for the best prices at the time you are viewing this. You can read my ethics statement via http://thepodcastersstudio.com/ethics. Thanks for the support!