How to Choose Video Frame Rate for iPhone & LumaFusion – Tutorial
iPhones allow you to set different frame rates for video. The frame rate of a video is the number of still frames per second of video. Newer iPhones allow 3 main frame rates: 24fps, 30fps and 60fps. There’s also the option to shoot 25fps, but you will need to change a setting to access that.
Open camera settings and then Record Video settings. Now you will see the options. One thing to note is that 24fps is only available at 4K resolution. And if you shoot at 720p resolution, you can only choose 30fps.
Which one should you choose?
- 24fps is the standard frame rate for movies and TV series.
- 30fps is usually used for factual TV, like news or sports.
- 60fps is mostly used for slow motion.
When we choose a frame rate to shoot video, we need to consider the frame rate we will play back the final video. For that purpose, 24, 30 and 60fps all fit mathematically.
I usually choose to set my editing timelines to play back at 24fps. This means I can use all 3 frame rates. I often use 30fps and 60fps on a 24fps timeline, but slow them down to 24fps.
In LumaFusion, for example, set your 30fps video to 80% speed and 60fps video to 40% speed.
You can of course shoot at 30fps and playback at 30fps, or film 60fps and playback at 30fps or 60fps. If you playback 60fps video at 60fps, it looks very smooth and kind of digital, almost like a video game.
Now, to get 25fps, you need to toggle on Show PAL formats. You now get the 25fps option, in 1080p and 4K resolution. 25fps is a European TV frame rate and the reason to use it is that it removes flickering or strobing from certain electric lights. If you are filming in a country which has 50hz electricity then you might want to switch to 25fps.
Personally, even though I live in Europe, I avoid shooting at 25fps because it doesn’t match too well mathematically with 30 and 60fps.
Well, I hope I showed you how to see iPhone frame rates as less of a muddle and more like a fun puzzle.
Smartphone Video – Beginner to Advanced
If you want to know more about smartphone filmmaking, my book Smartphone Videography – Beginners to Advanced is now available to download for members on Patreon. The book is 170 pages long and covers essential smartphone filmmaking topics:
Things like how to get the perfect exposure, when to use manual control, which codecs to use, HDR, how to use frame rates, lenses, shot types, stabilisation and much more. There’s also my Exploring the Film Look Guide as well as Smartphone Colour Grading.
Members can also access all 5 episodes of our smartphone shot Silent Eye series, with accompanying screenplays and making of podcasts. There’s other materials too and I will be adding more in the future.
If you want to join me there, follow this link.
