Nikon D300 - Using Camera Controls during Video Recording

Using Camera Controls during a Video
Recording Session
You can refocus the camera at any time during the video
recording session by moving the little red focus square to an
appropriate place on the screen and then pressing the AF-ON
button until the focus square turns solid green (stops
flashing). If you are using the camera’s built-in microphone,
be aware that the video will pick up the sound of the
autofocus system in action. As the autofocus motor runs, it
transmits vibrations to the camera body that are easily heard
in the video. Many people switch to an external mic to
overcome this issue, or simply turn off autofocus and focus
manually.
The actual recording of the video is an automated process.
Your camera does not give you much control over exposure.
In a sense, the video system is like the Auto exposure
mode—what you see is what you get. The camera decides
how to deal with changes in exposure, motion, etc.
You can adjust many controls endlessly, and the camera will
act like the values are changing, but it will not affect the
video. However, there are a few controls that will modify the
video recording.
You can use the Exposure compensation button to add or
subtract brightness from the video while the camera is
recording. You can also hold down the AE-L/AF-L button to
keep the video exposure level consistent as you pan past a
bright window. This prevents the sudden darkening of the
video when the lens sees a lamp, bright light, or window.
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