Using Nikon D5100 to shoot digital video of fireworks settings

[DanInNewEngland]

I would like some advice on settings for capturing fireworks using a Nikon D5100 in video mode. I recently captured the 4th of July celebration but only used AUTO settings unfortunately I received feedback that shooting in 24fps would have looked nicer than 30fps which I didn't understand as well as using the AE-Lock option. I live near a baseball stadium that has fireworks almost weekly I would like to practice on and the beach does it every Wednesday night. Any helpful suggestions are very welcome! Here is a link to my video... http://youtu.be/ltZelxCsqiI

[Noice]

to my understanding, 24fps is basically the cinema standard.

[jcuknz]

I cannot comment on 24/30 but most of the video appears to be over-exposed. You are photographing a light source and AE would read the large expanse of darkness in the frame and open up the lens. The camera is set up too low and you seem to be wasting the bottom 20% while some of the bursts are off screen at the top.. I would, if the display went on long enough, try zooming in to fill the screen with those bursts .. realy a hot or miss gamble because I guess you don't know what is planned.
So close down from what AE gave you for this and get in tighter I'm sure if properly exposed your 30 would look great

Never having used AE-lock I would however suggest that it enables you to obtain an exposure and stop it changing as the scene varies. This could be a way to stop the over exposure if you got a tight shot of a bright light similar to the fireworks and then used AE-Lock to lock the aperture that AE wants for that subject matter. If there is some form of EXIF for video shots I would find out what the camera used and then close the aperture down a couple of stops from that ... maybe more after you have checked a short trial run.

[DanInNewEngland]

I cannot comment on 24/30 but most of the video appears to be over-exposed. You are photographing a light source and AE would read the large expanse of darkness in the frame and open up the lens. The camera is set up too low and you seem to be wasting the bottom 20% while some of the bursts are off screen at the top.. I would, if the display went on long enough, try zooming in to fill the screen with those bursts .. realy a hot or miss gamble because I guess you don't know what is planned.
So close down from what AE gave you for this and get in tighter I'm sure if properly exposed your 30 would look great

Never having used AE-lock I would however suggest that it enables you to obtain an exposure and stop it changing as the scene varies. This could be a way to stop the over exposure if you got a tight shot of a bright light similar to the fireworks and then used AE-Lock to lock the aperture that AE wants for that subject matter. If there is some form of EXIF for video shots I would find out what the camera used and then close the aperture down a couple of stops from that ... maybe more after you have checked a short trial run.

Thanks jcukn I really appreciate the feedback! It was my first attempt at HD video with my camera and had no idea what settings to use so I just left it on auto. Definitely overexposed Now that I know about AE-Lock I am practicing with it. When they fire off some test shots I will set my exposure to them and lock it in. Yes it does keep the camera from searching and changing it's settings. I am going to apply this as well to taking still photos and I'm trying to learn about setting the time for a shot i.e. 1-5 seconds etc. Half the fun is learning as I go... what to use what not to use when to use it lol. Again thanks for the feedback!