Video for Beginners
Modern cameras blur the line between photography and video. The same camera may shoot family photos, YouTube footage, sports clips, interviews, livestreams, and travel video, but video adds another layer of settings and equipment.
Start with frame rate
Frame rate controls how many frames are recorded each second. It affects the look of motion and determines how much you can slow footage down later.
Understand bitrate before buying memory cards
Two cameras can both say “4K” and create dramatically different amounts of data. Bitrate is one of the most useful specifications for estimating file size and card requirements.
- Video bitrate explained
- V30, V60, V90, UHS-I, and UHS-II explained
- How much 4K video fits on common memory-card sizes?
Audio connections matter
A microphone can fit physically on a camera and still fail to connect electrically. Learn the difference between the mount and the audio connection.
Product-specific video answers
Once the basics make sense, the product pages answer the odd details that decide whether a setup will work.
- DJI Osmo Pocket 3 practical reference
- Sony ZV-E10 II practical reference
- GoPro HERO13 Black practical reference
- Canon EOS R50 practical reference
What to learn next
If you are completely new to camera controls, the photography basics still apply to video. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focal length, and depth of field remain important. Video simply adds frame rate, bitrate, codecs, audio, longer power needs, and more complicated storage.