Welcome to the Nikon Z6 cinematography guide!
In this first video we’ll setup the camera for video shooting:
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Quick reference
- 01:00 – Initial settings
- 02:25 – Playback menu
- 03:42 – Movie Shooting menu
- 07:20 – Custom Setting menu
- 09:56 – Customize the “i” menu
- 11:25 – Customize the buttons and dials (g2 Custom control assignment)
- 13:09 – Setup menu
- 16:28 – My menu setup
- 19:28 – Save user settings (U1 U2 and U3)*
- 20:45 – How to load custom Picture Controls
- 21:50 – Save/Load settings/picture controls
*Things that cannot be saved in U1 U2 and U3 (important to video in bold):
- Storage folder
- Choose image area – FX or DX
- Manage Picture Control
- Multiple Exposure
- Interval timer shooting
- Time-lapse movie
- Focus shift shooting
Settings you don’t need for video
Avoid these settings completely:
Active D-Lighting – this changes the highlight and shadow tone curve on the fly, sort of like HDR on your mobile phone. The problem is, with minimal changes in lighting or color, the system can be tricked and you will see the camera changing exposure or color when it shouldn’t. Nikon warns of artifacts as well.
Sub-selector (joystick) – This can be used for focus (moving the focus point) or exposure, but is not really fast or accurate enough for video. The touchscreen is always better and faster.
Fn buttons 1 and 2 in the front – pretty much useless for video because most of the time you won’t be holding the camera in photography mode anyway.
Auto distortion control – Same problem as Active D-Lighting. You don’t want changes the camera makes in video, because the artifacts are dreadful and unremovable. In theory this might be a good option if Nikon can eliminate all distortion, but every lens in the lineup needs to be tested, and secondly, distortion is something that gives lens character.
Vignette and Diffraction control – Same as above. Changes to moving video are not acceptable, and the artifacts are irreversible.
High ISO NR – You will get better and more consistent results with noise reduction apps.
Specific video settings and techniques are in subsequent lessons. Please select the lesson you are most interested in from the main menu.
