Camera Body: Canon model R8

Camera Lens: Canon RF 10-20mm f/4 L IS STM or Canon RF 14-35mm F4 L IS USM

What Camera Mode Should I Use?

When filming slow-motion video with the Canon R8 on a cinematic robot, choosing the right camera mode can make or break your footage. Full automatic mode offers convenience and speed, automatically adjusting exposure and focus in real time — great for fast-moving setups, flexibility, and ease of use. However, it introduces risks like inconsistent exposure and unpredictable white balance shifts. In contrast, combining manual mode with autofocus strikes a balance between creative control and technical assistance. Manual exposure locks in consistent image quality, essential for repeatable robotic moves and, while autofocus (especially with Canon’s subject tracking) helps maintain sharp focus on moving subjects — offering the best mix of reliability, control, and flexibility.

Manual Mode (Manual Exposure / Auto Focus)

Benefits:

Full Creative Control: Lock exposure, shutter speed, and ISO for a consistent, cinematic image — crucial in storytelling and matching shots.
Repeatability: Essential for motion control: identical settings on every take ensures seamless compositing or multi-pass VFX shots.
No Exposure Changes: Manual exposure removes the risk of mid-shot exposure changes, which stand out dramatically in slow motion.
Focus Adaptability: Continuous autofocus (AF) can adjust focus dynamically — helpful if the subject moves toward or away from the lens, even on a moving rig.

Drawbacks:

Setup Time: Requires more preparation — metering exposure and testing lighting levels.
No Adaptation to Lighting Changes: If lighting changes unexpectedly (e.g. clouds during a long outdoor shoot), you'll need to adjust manually.
Inconsistent Focus Between Takes: If the AF decides differently on each pass, it can introduce small variations

Camera Settings:

Camera Mode: M

Stabilizer: On

Focus Mode: AF

Shutter Speed: 1/400

Aperture: F5.6 (adjust as needed)

ISO: 800 (adjust as needed)

Movie Recording Size: 1920 x 1080

179.8fps Standard (IPB)

High Frame Rate: On

Movie Cropping: Disable

ISO Speed: 800

HDR shooting: OFF

Auto Lighting Optimizer: OFF

Highlight Tone Priority: OFF

HF Anti-Flicker Shooting: OFF

AV 1/8-stop incr: Disable

White Balance: Daylight

WB correction 0,0

Picture Style: Auto

Canon Log Settings: OFF

Clarity: 0

Lens Aberration Correction:

Peripheral Illum Corr: ON

Focus Breathing Correction: ON

Chromatic Aberr Corr: ON

Pre-Recording Set: OFF

Time-Lapse Movie: Disable

Movie Self-Timer: OFF

IS (Image Stabilizer) Mode:

Digital IS: Enhanced

Movie Servo AF: Enable

AF Area: Whole Area

Subject To Detect: People

Eye Detection: Auto

Switching Tracked Subjects: 1

Movie Servo AF Speed: +2 Fast (When Active: always on)

Movie Servo AF Track Sensitivity: -3 Locked On

Lens Drive When AF Impossible: ON

Touch & Drag AF Settings: OFF

Limit AF Areas: -

Limit Subject to detect: -

L/R Eye Detection: -

MF Peaking Settings: OFF

Focus Guide: ON

Electronic Full-Time MF: OFF

Lens Electronic MF: OFF

Automatic Mode (Auto Exposure / Auto Focus):

Benefits:

Speed and Convenience: Great for fast setup. Useful when filming under changing lighting conditions.
Focus Adaptability: Continuous autofocus (AF) can adjust focus dynamically — helpful if the subject moves toward or away from the lens, even on a moving rig.
Less Technical Input Required: Easier for less experienced operators or teams working under time pressure.

Drawbacks:

Inconsistent Exposure: Auto exposure may react poorly to motion-controlled lighting shifts, causing flickering or exposure changes mid-shot.
Unpredictable Focus Pulls: Autofocus might "hunt" or shift unpredictably, especially with complex subject movement or reflections.
Lack of Repeatability: For multi-pass motion control shots, auto settings can vary slightly each time, leading to inconsistencies in composite shots or layering.
Limited Creative Control: You can't lock in a cinematic look (e.g., shallow depth of field, intentional underexposure) reliably.