Frame Rate Definition: What is FPS
Frame rate or frames per second, commonly put out as FPS, is essentially the number of images, shots, or frames that a camera can take per second. The frame rate is measured in hertz or frames per second, and these frames get animated together or combined to come up with a proper video.
The frames per second determine the smoothness of a video, and the most commonly used frame rate used in films is 24 frames per second. For the internet, it’s 30FPS, and it is this rate that ensures a smooth progression of your videos without any pictures stuttering. In today's filming, a few other factors and considerations, such as video quality and network bandwidth can affect your frame rate.
Frame rate is different from shutter speed, which is the amount of time that the shutter on your camera is opening and closing to make light penetrate. These two are often confused but, in actual essence, are different entities.
How to Select the Best Frame Rate in the Camera
It is essential to understand the frame rates to operate and shoot accordingly. A high frame rate is great for shot motions. That's why action cameras like AKASO V50 Elite support 4K videos at up to 60fps and 1080p recording at up to 120fps. However, a high frame rate is not always a good choice because if you are, for instance, to shoot at 60 fps, it will be hard to slow it down and fit it into 24fps. After all, 24 doesn’t divide into 60 equally. Such a process will lead to issues, such as missing frames, which just mess up your videos. To avoid this, you, therefore, need to understand the different frames per second if you are to shoot properly.
24 or 25 fps will be good for recording when someone is talking, and you want to record audio and sync it up later. It is perfect for combining visual and audio data to come up with a video. 25fps, also known as PAL, has been the most common and standard frame rate used for television in the analog or digital age.
30fps is slightly quicker than the preceding 24 and 25fps. You can use this frame rate as it is, or you can slow it down to 24 to be smoother. It is nonetheless the most commonly used frame rate on the internet these days. 30fps can be produced by deinterlacing videos that would be interlaced or shot in 60 hertz; this makes it ideal to be an internet-based video.
40 to 60fps is the best fit if you want to add some emotion to your subject and shot because it takes and edits videos in slow motion. It is the ideal frame rate for videos, where you want to incorporate as much detail and texture as possible.
60fps vs. 30fps vs. 24fps: What is the Difference?
Here we will show you the difference between the respective fps from 60 down to 24:
60fps is a high frame rate used to record films and applied for slow motion. It is obviously higher than the standard and is commonly used for HD videos going for 720p to 8k resolution. The video is recorded in 60fps, and then it is slowed to 24fps so that it smoothly shows a slow-motion video. A 60fps video takes more frames per second; it shows more detail and more texture than the other frames.
30fps is standard for web-based videos. It is mostly used for video recording apps like Instagram.
24fps can be used for standard videos. It is generally the accepted and standard frame rate for showing feature films, TV, and cinema. It is at this rate that there is enough continuous motion of frames that create the idea of proper movement for the eye to see. Ever since the early days, this remains the standard frame rate for cinema.
FAQ about Frame Rate
How many fps can the human eye see?
To understand how many frames per second the human eye sees, you need to understand how the human eye works. The eye takes in light, much like a camera, through what is known as the cornea. Then the eye focuses it on a part at the back of the eye called the retina. It is all part of a quick yet complicated process that leads you to see the text you are reading right now.
These visual stimuli are measured in FPS, meaning that your eyes perceive visual information as a collection of pictures per second. Though the sensory perception of eyes differs per person, the most agreed range seen is between 30 and 60 frames per second. Yet more current research has proved that we can actually see at a frame rate much higher than that. The most common modern frame rates exceed from 60-120 to up to 180fps. However, those studies are still inconclusive.
Which is the best frame rate for YouTube?
For online videos, YouTube included, 30 frames per second is the standard rate for a desirable feeling when watching videos through the internet. Though YouTube supports a wide array of film rates, this frame rate will make viewers come flocking for a video.
When uploading a video for YouTube, interlaced videos (videos with doubled perceived frame rate with no extra bandwidth consumption) should be deinterlaced from 60 to the most desirable 30 frames per second.
What is the best frame rate for 4K videos?
To get a more immersive feel while shooting and watching videos, that is to get the most realistic semblance of continuous motion, the most desirable frame rate to be combined with 4k is 30 hertz or frames per second. It creates a much smoother flow in the perception of your video.
It is essential for a videographer or any person who wants to impress the audience with their videos to understand the frame rate. If you know about frame rates, you will get exactly what kind of filming is made for various media and to evoke certain emotions.
