What's a better framerate for weddings/birthday parties?
 

Hi everyone. Well I've done two parties (18th birthdays) so far and we've been using 24p and sometimes we don't like the outcome. Sometimes its a little blurry when I span. So I'm wondering if 30p or 60i (which I doubt) would be good to use. Me and my friend think that 30p would be good for parties. What do you guys think?

Using 30p results in less motion judder than 24p. The other advantage for using 30p is that you can edit using the same NLE presets as 60i. But ultimately, your choice of shooting formats will depend on how you intend to deliver the final product and what type of television it will be viewed on.

24p and 30p are best for computers, LCD and plasma televisions. Interlaced (60i) is best viewed on an SD tube-type TV.

- Don

It sounds as if your clients will simply be wanting the best, smoothest, most natural memory of the day Francis. Unless they're film-freaks, I'd say steer well clear of slow shutters, progressive and fancy cine-frame modes.

Shoot at the default (you're NTSC, right?) 1/60th sec, 60i. Then you can fiddle in post as much as you like, but you'll have smooth pans and zooms right there in the can.

tom.

Tom,
Do you know at what point 1/60 shutter rate would be too slow? Do you have any examples?

I don't really know what you mean by, 'at what point 1/60 shutter rate would be too slow?' 1/60th sec is your default shutter speed, where everything that happens in front of the camera is captured. At 1/125 sec you capture half of everything (which is why it starts to look stuttery the higher the shutter speed you use).

If you go the other way (slower than 1/60th) you lose resolution as well as introducing motion (camera and subject) blur. If it's really dark and lights are a no-no, then dropping to 1/30th sec (interlaced) can gain you a valuable stop.

tom.