Camera Lenses Explained: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
Last year my brother in law convinced my wife to buy a Sony ZV-E10 MILC to use for her YouTube videos.
He’s a fully pro cinematographer with over 25 years of experience working in film and television so to him that was a really simple camera to recommend!.
Of course my wife bought into that idea no problem and also of course it then became my problem to learn how to use the damn thing!
After many tears before bedtime I eventually got it pretty much under control as far as using it went but in turn that led me down a totally new and unforeseen rabbit hole… lenses.
So in light of that here’s a pretty good explanation of different types of lens and how they are used in different scenarios.
My advice would be that if you are considering moving up to a dedicated video camera, get this subject under control first.
Top 10 Mistakes Newbies Make When Filming Videos
This is a pretty straightforward tutorial on some of the basic things you should be taking care of with regards to shooting your videos.
These are common mistakes people make when they start out and getting on top of them early is a good thing.
There are a couple of points in the video I think need a little expansion with the first being frame rate.
It is true that most devices these days are set to 30fps and that the most “cinematic” frame rate is actually 24fps.
The reason for that is that motion blur is most accurately depicted at that frame rate and closely mimics how you and I see motion in the real world with our own eyes.
However there is a little more to it than that.
If you are videoing basically static footage like a talking head or tutorial then the advantage of 24fps will never be noticed by anyone.
Also if you shoot at 24fps be sure to maintain that frame rate through the entire process otherwise that smooth motion you were going for will get lost in any frame rate conversion.
For example if you upload to YouTube then YouTube will automatically convert to 30fps as that is their standard.
The second point is taking control over your recording device and getting out of “Auto” mode.
There is a complete article on this site about that subject and it is a skill well worth learning and way easier to deal with when it comes to video.
You can that article here: Shooting Manual for Phones or Cameras
Facebook Live Streaming (2025) – How To Go Live On Facebook Like A Pro
One of the most powerful yet often overlooked tools you can use to attract a wider audience on any platform is Livestreaming.
Of course it’s not a tool that everyone can use because at the heart of it you need to feel pretty relaxed about being in front of the camera and also to interact with an audience.
There are two things you really should bear in mind about getting into it.
The first is that as long as you are not totally hopeless any audience will be unbelievably forgiving of anyone’s first attempts!
I know the internet can be a pretty negative space at times but you would be surprised at how supportive people can really be.
So from that perspective, even if you have a small audience, a Livestream can really boost those audience numbers.
Just don’t try to pretend to be something you are not and you will be fine.
Secondly, one of the best ways to overcome that initial nervousness or unfamiliarity with the process is to get your technical stuff under control.
That way you can put your attention on the presentation rather than endlessly fiddling with the tech!
Here’s a current guide to FaceBook Livestreaming to get you started.
Title Editing – Top Secrets You Wish You Knew – PowerDirector
The video tutorial below marks a very welcome return to YouTube of Maliek from PowerDirector University.
Some time back he stopped creating PowerDirector content for various reason but mainly because of the stress of maintaining a YouTube Channel and still having a real life!
Well it seems he has bounced back after the break and is ready to start helping people get the most out of the software.
Here is his first tutorial covering titling in PowerDirector.
Adjust Music Duration to Match Video or Project Length – PowerDirector
A few updates ago PowerDirector introduced an enhanced version of their “Smart Fit” feature for dealing with music tracks on the timeline.
This relatively new feature uses programming within the software to either lengthen or shorten a music track so that it fits perfectly into a project.
As usual with PowerDirector there are a bunch of knobs and dials and buttons and choices so in the video below you can follow along and see how it all works.
How To Make an Icon Shine Effect In Filmora
OK before you look at this tutorial be warned!
DonV does NOT do those tutorials where in between steps he endlessly explains things that really have nothing to do with the process or any kind of emotional “journey” he went through in order to get to the end.
His tutorials are fast… very fast and there is absolutely no fluff!
Get ready to pause often to follow along with each step but at the end of the day he shows how to do it right and gets a great result.
10 Creative Video Lighting Setups In 1 Room
This is a slightly more advanced lighting tutorial that I wouldn’t necessarily think anyone is going to follow exactly.
However what it does have is a bunch of very interesting techniques and ideas that maybe you could use in your own projects.
Some of the equipment is a little high-end but a lot of it is either cheap stuff or stuff you may have lying around anyway.
So don’t think of it as a step-by-step process rather than a bunch of suggestions you may want to explore.
Change Background with Free or Paid Version – Masking in DaVinci Resolve
This is a very newbie friendly tutorial from Daniel this week which is no surprise as all his videos are very newbie friendly.
Anyway this one covers some of the basics for when it comes to masking in DaVinci Resolve and highlights the difference between using the paid or free versions of the software.
There is nothing really in the paid version that you can’t do in the free version aside from the fact that the paid version is so much faster and easier to deal with.
Video Editing In DaVinci Resolve 19 – Watch Along
This is an “over the shoulder” tutorial this week from Jason Yadlovski who is generally my go to guy for audio in DaVinci Resolve.
However Jason doesn’t just do audio and is a professional editor in his own right.
In the tutorial style video below he has just switched on the camera while he works to complete a video for his YouTube channel and along the way there are some great insights as to why he is doing certain things.
Well worth taking the time to watch along.
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