[Biff]

I need to film a band tomorrow indoors using existing light. I plan to just use the internal microphone and default settings. Anything I should consider changing from this or will it typically be OK?

Regarding the lens choice I hope to use a prime as it will be faster, but if I need to use my 18-135 zoom any issues I should consider?

I'm not new to Pentax, but have never used one for a movie.

Thanks for any obvious pointers. The manual wasn't very helpful.

[Imp]

film a band tomorrow indoors using existing light. I plan to just use the internal microphone and default settings.

ooh, ouch!

First, I'd shoot in manual, and try your best to keep the ISO down, high ISO on a K-01 won't look too pretty in video. I'd skip the 18-135 because of the aperture, the prime is certainly preferred. Make sure your shutterspeed is the slowest possible - 1/30th - that will help some with the light.

Lastly, little you can do about it, but if you are indoors in a not-so-good sounding room with the internal microphone...
Sound is honestly the most important part. If the sound is good, the video doesn't matter as much.

[Biff]

Thanks.

- I'll see if I can find someone with an external microphone
- shows you what I know about movies, but with them filming at X frames per second I don't understand how shutter speed relates, but will go Manual and 1/30
- I'll use a Limited prime. By keeping the ISO down do you mean, say 800 or 1600 max?

[Imp]

You would be filming at either 24fps or 30fps in 1080p full HD. The shutterspeed in this case is how long each individual frame is "exposed" for. The camera will not let you record slower than 1/30th, because that would obviously be problematic at 30fps! Some cameras will allow you to do 1/24th of a second at 24fps, but not Pentax DSLRs/K-01. As far as I know.
You can make the shutter speed shorter, but then your footage will be darker, as each frame will be exposed for a shorter amount of time. It seems different from photography, but it really isn't! Except at faster speeds, each frame is exposed for less time, and the result is less of of the event is actually being recorded - there are more gaps in between each frame because of the shorter exposure, so the film will look more choppy. A la fight scenes in "gladiator". If that makes any sense

By keeping the ISO down, I mean 400 max. Of course if you have to go higher then go higher, but with the K-01 it would not be recommended. I shoot ISO 3200 for photography with my K-30, but anything above ISO 400 in video doesn't look too good if you have a dimly lit scene. In bright light it's better.

Last word of advice - Pentax movie mode crushes the blacks easily. The dynamic range is not too good. So just be careful with your shadows.
Oh, and avoid any motion with the camera. The bitrate is low, so it will look best with static shots... preferably of still life And fill the frame, if you go too wide, with the low bitrate, the detail in the footage will get mushy quickly.

Best of luck!

p.s. I usually reach for my M 50 1.7 when filming with my K-30. Sharp, and brighter than most my lenses. Limited is a good choice!

p.s. p.s. maybe try to shoot in a "natural" color profile? Try it before you go to the performance. If it looks alright to you, "natural" probably has more dynamic range than "bright"

[Biff]

Perfect, thank you very much.

I plan to use a tripod, and 40 or 43 Limited. Sold my M 50 1.7, what a sweet lens. The venue uses largely natural light, I just hope there is enough of it.

[LensBeginner]

Perfect, thank you very much.

I plan to use a tripod, and 40 or 43 Limited. Sold my M 50 1.7, what a sweet lens. The venue uses largely natural light, I just hope there is enough of it.

Oh God, why!?!?

> Bands usually have means of recording their performances, they could provide you with the audio part of the performance, that you could then synch in PP, using the K-01's track as a guide.

> If it's just a couple of songs, you could make them play it two-three times (preferably in playback after the first time so you get a good synch), getting 1. an overview of the band 2. some close-ups 3. some detail shots (e.g. sticks of the drummer playing, fingers of the guitar player etc.) - of course you have to know the song and its highlights to know what to take when.
That way you can do a nice montage in PP.

[Pentax Syntax]

I actually use my K-3 for video fairly often (at Weddings and bands who request a video). As others have stated, audio is key. The Rode Video mics are great and you can get an 20' extension that will take the mic way off camera for ideal sound. You will want to go into the menu and set the microphone settings using manual not auto. Use headphones and the level settings from the camera to get the sound right without clipping or saturation. If you have the luxury of setting up during the practice or before performance, it is best to pick a fast prime of the appropriate focal length. If that is not possible a zoom can work but the camera support becomes critical. Video tripods are quite different from still photo tripods for just this reason. The longer focal lengths and zooming will really test the stability and smoothness of your camera support. If the video is just a fixed focal length documentation, even a photo tripod can work. Hope this is a help.

[PiDicus Rex]

How did you go Biff?

I'd add suggestion of using the 'Muted' profile instead, if you're planning editing and colour correction.
If it's a gig where you just hand over footage, 'Natural', and adjust the 'High/Low Key' to make sure there's detail kept in the shadows - the brighest points of light, like reflections off the drums, would flare to over-exposed anyway, so loosing some detail in them, is something you can get away with.

And do be careful with the Mic in Socket - I've damaged mine through heavy use, but I use an external sound recorder most of the time anyway, so it's not a huge deal.

Older Push-Pull zooms are better for filming bands then modern lenses.