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Exposure & the 180° rule

Frame rate, shutter, ISO and ND: the order pros set them in.

1. Frame rate comes first

It sets the look and the slow motion. 24/25p looks cinematic, 30p looks like TV/web, and 50/60p or more gives slow motion once you play it back at 25p.

Your camera · Sony A7 V

Sony A7 V: 4K up to 60p uses the full sensor width. 120p crops 1.5×, so your lens frames like ~36-105mm. Full HD goes up to 240p. For full-width 50p, turn on Angle of View Priority. In Portugal, record 25p/50p/100p.

2. Shutter = 1 / (2 × frame rate)

25p · 1/50 (180°)
25p · 1/500
25p · 1/25 (360°)

Each block = one frame (1/25 s). Blue = time the shutter is open.

The 180° rule gives natural motion blur: 1/50 at 25p, 1/100 at 50p. Faster shutters look choppy, like sports cameras; slower ones look smeared and dreamy.

3. Too bright? Add ND, not shutter

EXPOSURE
Aperturedepth of field
Shuttermotion
ISOnoise

In video, the shutter is locked by the 180° rule, so you control brightness with aperture, ISO and ND filters. In bright sun, f/2.8 at 1/50 needs about 6 stops of ND.

Your camera · Sony A7 V

Your Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art takes 82mm filters. A 82mm variable ND (2–8 stops) covers most outdoor shoots.

4. ISO at base, judge with tools

Under
Good
Clipped

Shadows on the left, highlights on the right. Avoid piling up against either wall.

Keep ISO at the profile's base for the cleanest image. Don't trust the screen's brightness: use zebras and the histogram.

Your camera · Sony A7 V

Sony: set Zebra to 70% (skin) on one custom button and 100% (clipping) on another. Keep the histogram on. In S-Log3, judge exposure with a LUT on.