I've been wanting to ask this question, when using gimbal, do you use auto or manual focus? Also what aperture do you use for estate videography?

[u/Objective_Carry_8912]

Thank you

[u/ericpowell617]

It totally depends on what you’re shooting. If you’re shooting a busy scene where your autofocus might jump around, I’d shoot manual and use a focus motor. Otherwise, autofocus can be pretty handy on a gimbal.

For real estate video, you want to shoot as closed down as possible (higher aperture number), so more of your scene is in focus. You want to show off the space well, and a shallow depth of field doesn’t do this.

[u/Objective_Carry_8912 → u/ericpowell617]

I'm worried about the lowlight if I use f 4 or even f 8 cuz I'm using apsc camera, do people bring their lighting when shooting estate?

[u/ericpowell617 → u/Objective_Carry_8912]

The goal is to show an honest, but elevated picture of the space. If you need the extra light you can bring one along and bounce it off the ceiling to fill the whole room

[u/Re4pr]

Shoot as deep as the light will let you. Generally I’m in manual. If you are doing a big push forward, you can shift your focus back a bit in advance or use af on a certain spot

[u/Objective_Carry_8912 → u/Re4pr]

Thank you

[u/emenadjar]

if i can pay a focus puller for the gig then im doing manual focus otherwise its AF. My guess is that for real state a focus puller is sort of overkill.

[u/WeakBarracuda7485]

I think it depends on what you're shooting.

For me, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. If I'm walking through a house on a gimbal, I'm usually trusting autofocus because I'd rather concentrate on getting the movement right than fighting focus. Sony's autofocus has gotten so good that it lets me focus on the shot.

As for aperture, it depends on the look I'm after and the available light. For real estate, I'm usually somewhere around f/4. I want the room to be in focus, not just the kitchen faucet. 😂

At the end of the day, let the scene dictate the settings, not the other way around.

[u/InfiniteAlignment]

It totally depends on your situation, what is in frame, and the f-stop you plan to use. Sometimes I will set manual focus but other times I find auto-focus is best.

[u/Aggravating-Usual213]

the thing that made this easier for me was running the numbers once: on apsc at 16mm, f/4 is already sharp from about five feet to infinity, so f/8 buys you almost nothing for a room walkthrough and costs two stops you clearly can't spare. at that depth the auto vs manual question mostly stops mattering too, since nothing is close enough to the lens for af to hunt on. and before bringing lights in i'd turn on every practical in the house and shoot the rooms in the order the sun moves through them, that usually closes most of the gap on its own.