Deadly Sins of DSLR filming

Some deadly sins I committed while DSLR filming : 

As I learn more about movie making and DSLR. I realize how pathetic I've been in some cases. After understanding some very basic rules of film making, I sometimes feel like having committed a sin. So here is a small list of sins I realized that I have committed :-

1.) Thou shall not zoom : 
Zooming is fun but only when done really very selectively and carefully. DSLR zooming is not very easy and smooth when recorded. It can makes the video look immature and gives a feeling that the movie maker is confused about what he wants to show in this scene. Keep it simple. Static shots to begin with. No wonder most proffesional film makers only use Prime Lenses most of the time.

2.) Thou shall not Pan :
I liked the landscape , I wanted to share with my audience. I panned. It sucked ! My story had nothing to do with the landscape. Furthermore, panning added nothing more creative or artistic to the scene. Finally it was not very smooth and done at a really funny shutter speed. What a sin ! Pan only if you can't avoid and story demands it.

3) Thou shall not hand held : 
I have scene the cameraman mostly carrying a camera on them, in their hands.Cameraman stereotype is to hold one on your shoulder or hand. I wanted to look like one. I took the "hard to fit in hand" DSLR and handheld shot most of my scenes. As if using tripod would make me look unprofessional ! Beautiful shot screwed up cause I handheld it. Ofcourse handheld has its use, but till you know exactly WHAT ! Stay with Tripod/Monopod !


4.) Thou shall not use Autofocus and Auto-Exposure mode :
You are supposed to have the subject in focus and well exposed, well in advance - not when one starts to record ! I committed the sin - I started recording and as my subject moved - I half pressed the focus button to change the focus and exposure (auto mode) and got it recorded ! Not to forget , the bonus - sound of focus ring motor. Plan your shots,well in advance. Decide what areas need focus and how will your achieve it (in case of dynamic subjects when you need to change focus area) - Choose an exposure well in time and ensure its compatible with rest of the footage.

5.) Thou shall not use high ISO : 
To get exposure, at times I changed ISO to 800,1600 or more, instead of finding a way to change shutter speed/aperture,adding additional light or using another lens. Higher ISO gave me a very grainy footage - almost unusable. Stay with ISOs 800 or below  unless you know what you are getting into with higher ISOs.

These are just some of the mistakes I made. There are many more I keep making. I'll keep sharing my learning about them as I go along.

Wish you all the best for your filming.