Nikon D800 and D800E video/movie tips & tricks

With over fifteen years of experience in shooting with Nikon equipment, I thought I knew quite a bit. Now video has entered my life and I can start all over again... The D800 is my first DSLR capable of shooting video and I am stunned by the quality it can deliver. Curious as I am, I've gathered lots of info on shooting video with the D800 and decided to share what I've found so far. Enjoy!

Nikon D800/D800E video tricks - including clean full screen 1080p hdmi output

Current articles:
- How do I get a clean full screen hdmi output?
- How do I enable 1080p hdmi output on the Nikon D800/D800E?
- How do I get rid of flicker or banding in movies recorded with the Nikon D800/D800E?
- How do I get rid of aliasing and moiré artifacts shooting video on the Nikon D800/D800E?
- How can I do about the rolling shutter effect on the Nikon D800/D800E?
- How large is a 20 minute movie from the Nikon D800/D800E?
- What memory card type do I need for recording video with the Nikon D800/D800E?
- What memory card speed do I need for recording video with the Nikon D800/D800E?
- Should I use a stereo or mono microphone with the D800/D800E?
- What battery should I get for movie making, the EN-EL15 or the EN-EL18?
- Should I use 30fps or 24fps for recording movies with the D800/D800E?
- How does the Nikon D800/D800E perform at high iso with video?
- How do I prevent autofocus and handling noise to be picked up by the microphone?
- How do I reduce preamp noise on the D800/D800E?

I'm writing new stuff every day. I'll let you know of major updates by expanding this thread. Questions & suggestions are welcome.

Just want to thank you so much for sharing these knowledge and information. Your generosity is greatly and sincerely appreciated. Just to share one thing, I used ZOOM H4N as my external mic directly plug in to D800 mic input with Sescom L2N-MIC 3.5 stereo line cord. I find that I always have to fine tune my volume input level between H4N and D800 mic input level adjustment. Would you know or recommend a proper volume input settings to achieve a good audio level? Thanks again

You're welcome!

I do not own the Zoom H4N or the mentioned cable myself. I've just looked it up and the cable is an 25dB attenuation and splitter cable. I'm not sure if the attenuation is beneficial for the D800, that has a weak input. Your goal is a low input setting on the D800, between 0 and 5, to keep the preamp noise down. If your solution requires a higher setting on the D800, you might want to try it with a normal cable without the attenuation. Instead of using a splitter cable you could monitor the audio from the D800's headphone output. You should only use an attenuator when the audio sounds distorted in the final recording.

Fine-tuning is always necessary, depending on the distance between the subject and the microphone, the audio volume of the subject, etc.

mariolopez said:

I find that I always have to fine tune my volume input level between H4N and D800 mic input level adjustment. Would you know or recommend a proper volume input settings to achieve a good audio level?

Click to expand...

Auto doesn't work out for you?

@ Ron - thanks for sharing the link. I got it bookmarked! I'll be using it as a quick reference.

gqtuazon said:

Auto doesn't work out for you?

Click to expand...

For predictable and constant noise levels I would not use the auto setting.

And you're welcome Glenn!

Here is the promised update:

NEW: What is the best external microphone for the D800/D800E?
NEW: Does the Nikon D800/D800E have an ISO sweet spot with video? With Youtube example.

UPDATE: How can I do about the rolling shutter effect on the Nikon D800/D800E?
UPDATE: Should I use 30fps or 24fps for recording movies with the D800/D800E?
UPDATE: How do I enable index marking on the Nikon D800/D800E?

Please find the newest articles at the bottom of the index at Nikon D800/D800E video tricks - including clean full screen 1080p hdmi output

I choose to set audio on manual. The auto setting will increase the pick up sensitivity between pauses of subject and will tend to record hissing background noise.