How Windows Movie Maker Save MP4 File

If you are a Windows user and you are looking for a free video editor, Windows Movie Maker is a great application. Windows Movie Maker comes pre-installed in older Windows versions though it has been discontinued in the latest Windows versions. However, if you are using the latest Windows versions, you can install MiniTool Movie Maker instead. If you are editing your video in Windows Movie Maker, you should know how to save your video in MP4 format.

MP4 file format is the most used video file format, and hence, you should know how to save Windows movie maker mp4 file. Otherwise, you won’t be able to play your video on regular video players on different devices. This is because not all video players support the native Windows Movie Maker file format, but they support MP4 format as it is very common. In this article, we will illustrate the steps for Windows Movie Maker how to save as MP4 file.

Part 1. Steps to Save Windows Movie Maker Video as MP4

There are two scenarios you may come across while dealing with Windows Movie Maker MP4 situation. First, you might be editing your video on Windows Movie Maker, and you want to save it in MP4 format. Second, you might have received a video file saved in the native Windows Movie Maker file format and you want to convert it to MP4 file format. In the second scenario, you must opt for a Windows Movie Maker to MP4 converter such as VideoConverterFactory.

For the first scenario where you are editing your video on Windows Movie Maker, the solution is simple. This is because the default file format to save a video file on Windows Movie Maker is MP4. There are other options available such as WMV, but if you opt for the recommended settings, you can easily save your video file in MP4. Here are the steps for Windows Movie Maker to mp4 file format.

Step1Launch Windows Movie Maker on your PC. Create a new project and import your video clips. Split, trim, join, add transitions, effects, and titles as per your requirements.

Step2When you are done editing your video, go to Home tab> Save Movie button available on Share section.

Step3Instead of clicking on Save Movie button, click on the small triangle icon on Save Movie button. Click on Recommended for this project option. You can hold your mouse pointer on the option for a few seconds before clicking to check out the different parameters of your video file that you are going to save.

Step4The Save Movie dialog box will open on the screen. Go to the Save as type section and make sure it is selected for “MPEG-4/ Vide File”. MP4 is the abbreviation of MPEG-4. Finally, click on Save button and your video file will be saved in MP4 file format as per the destination you have chosen.

Part 2. Windows Movie Maker Alternative to Save as MP4

We have already stated that Windows Movie Maker from Microsoft has been discontinued in Window 10 and Windows 11. Instead, there is a basic video editor available under Photos app. Therefore, if you are looking for a Windows Live Movie Maker MP4 alternative, we recommend Wondershare Filmora.

Wondershare Filmora is a professional video editor where you can edit your videos like a pro and save your edited video as MP4 file format. You get more features on Filmora in comparison to Windows Movie Maker as it is a premium video editor. In fact, Filmora is easy to operate thanks to its super intuitive user interface. Here are the steps to export a video as MP4 format.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1Download and install Wondershare Filmora. Click on New Project option on the welcome screen. Drag and drop your video clips into Project Media folder. Thereafter, bring them onto the timeline.

Step2Edit the video clips, add effects and animations as well as titles. Once your editing is done, click on Export button.

Step3Select MP4 file format on the left corner and specify the file name. Select the destination folder from Save To and other parameters as required. Finally, click on Export button.

Related FAQs of Movie Maker

• What format does Movie Maker save as?

The default file format of Windows Movie Maker is MP4. There is also an option to save video file as WMV format.

• How do I convert a movie maker file to MP4?

If you want to convert a movie maker file to MP4 file format, you can open the file in Windows Movie Maker and save the file as MP4. You can also use a video converter such as VideoConverterFactory to convert a movie maker file to MP4.

• Where does Movie Maker save files?

By default, Windows Movie Maker saves video files under My Documents or Documents folder as per Windows operating system you have on your PC. If it is not available there, you can check My Videos or My Pictures folder on your hard drive under User folder hierarchy.

If you are using Windows Movie Maker on your PC, we have stated how you can save your video file as MP4 format. We have also stated how to convert Windows Movie Maker file to MP4 format easily. We have also recommended the best Windows Movie Maker alternative as Wondershare Filmora where you get more video editing features as well as wide range of video file formats.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1Download and install Wondershare Filmora. Click on New Project option on the welcome screen. Drag and drop your video clips into Project Media folder. Thereafter, bring them onto the timeline.

Step2Edit the video clips, add effects and animations as well as titles. Once your editing is done, click on Export button.

Step3Select MP4 file format on the left corner and specify the file name. Select the destination folder from Save To and other parameters as required. Finally, click on Export button.

Related FAQs of Movie Maker

• What format does Movie Maker save as?

The default file format of Windows Movie Maker is MP4. There is also an option to save video file as WMV format.

• How do I convert a movie maker file to MP4?

If you want to convert a movie maker file to MP4 file format, you can open the file in Windows Movie Maker and save the file as MP4. You can also use a video converter such as VideoConverterFactory to convert a movie maker file to MP4.

• Where does Movie Maker save files?

By default, Windows Movie Maker saves video files under My Documents or Documents folder as per Windows operating system you have on your PC. If it is not available there, you can check My Videos or My Pictures folder on your hard drive under User folder hierarchy.

If you are using Windows Movie Maker on your PC, we have stated how you can save your video file as MP4 format. We have also stated how to convert Windows Movie Maker file to MP4 format easily. We have also recommended the best Windows Movie Maker alternative as Wondershare Filmora where you get more video editing features as well as wide range of video file formats.

This Article Aims to Provide a Step-by-Step Guide to Changing a Video’s Speed by Using the Speed Adjustment Panel and Duration Panel on Wondershare Filmora

Speeding and slowing down the speed of a video is a marvel in the video editing world. In the older days, this feat was accomplished only by the big-budget filming industry.

This article will dive into how you can access the modern-day features available in video editing software. From these features, you can alter the speed of your video easily. However, before we get into the step-by-step guide, let’s understand what fast and slow-mo videos are.

Part 1. What Are Fast and Slow Motion Videos?

As the name suggests, fast-motion videos are the ones that have been sped up from their average speed.

Similarly, slow-motion videos are the ones that have been slowed down from their average speed. The slow-motion effect, also known as the slow-mo effect, is widespread in modern cinema.

Now that we know what Fast and slow-motion videos are. Let’s understand their applications. Or how you can use them in your videos. Scroll below to learn more!

Part 2. Why Should You Change the Speed of Your Videos?

The answer to this question would be that it’s a personal creative decision that will allow you to make your videos more engaging.

Fast Motion Videos

Fast-motion videos are used in many areas of filming. For example, you can speed up your videos to create a funny video or shorten its length.

The fast-motion effect has many applications, such as cooking tutorial videos. For example, the step-by-step process of a cooking tutorial can be too long to fit into a single video. Or it could also help you in cases where you want to keep the length of the video short.

The fast motion of the steps will allow the viewer to quickly grasp the whole process without watching the entire video.

Slow Motion Videos

You can also slow down your videos to give the viewers a more detailed perspective of a scene. Or you can also create a slow-mo video that offers a general surreal vibe.

A famous example is in action films. The producers of the first Matrix film used the Slow-mo effect in the famous bullet dodging scene.

You may wonder how the film producers made the slow-mo effect. The technology at that time was less developed than the recent day. So, even you can create a slow-mo effect.

Before we get into the editing process, let’s first understand what you will need to change the speed of your videos!

Part 3. What Will You Need to Change the Speed of Your Videos?

You will need the following essentials to change the speed of a video:

1. Wondershare Filmora

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

To begin, you will need a good video editor. Wondershare Filmora is the best video editing software available. It has a very engaging system UI that allows inexperienced users to learn how to use it quickly. It also has a diverse collection of stock media. And not only that! It allows you to access reliable features to change the speed of a video.

You can change the speed of the video on Filmora by the speed adjustment panel or by the duration panel present above the timeline. It will adjust in just seconds with a few clicks. This feature makes Filmora more prior with editing tools.

2. Video Clips

Well, it is evident that to change the speed of your videos, you will need video clips. But there are a few things you can keep in mind before adjusting the speed of a video.

Note: Slowing down a video requires a shot at a higher frame rate. The greater the frame rate, the better will be the slow-mo quality. On the other hand, speeding up videos does not have a strict frame rate requirement.

Part 4. How Can You Change the Speed of Your Videos?

Here you will learn two ways in which you can change the speed of your videos. The two methods to change the speed of your video are mentioned:

• The speed adjustment panel.
• Duration panel settings.

Let’s get started with the editing process. The first method we will look into is the Speed Adjustment panel.

1. Change Speed With the Speed Adjustment Panel

The Speed Adjustment panel is the speed adjuster in the Wondershare Filmora software. This feature will give you a drag bar to adjust the speed of your video.

You can move the bar to the right to increase the speed of your video. Similarly, you can move it to the left to decrease the rate.

But before we use this feature, we will need to download the Filmora video editing software. So please scroll below to learn how to download it!

Step1 Download Filmora

First and foremost, you must have access to Filmora. For this, download Wondershare Filmora. Then, activate this app or software on your PC.

Step2 Import The Video Files

The next step after downloading Filmora is to import your video clips. To accomplish this, follow the steps outlined below:

• Locate and select the Import icon on the top left side of the Filmora Home Interface.
• It takes you to your computer’s library.
• Select the videos to be edited and then click OK.

You can also import the files by another method. After you have opened Filmora, you can restore the Filmora Window size and import by dragging and dropping the clips:

• Drag the cursor to select the video clips you want.
• Then, drop them in the Filmora import window.

Filmora supports various formats for your video clips. They include the Mp4, AVI, MOV, GIFs, and more.

After you have imported your video clips, add them to the timeline as shown below!

Step3 Add The Video Clips to The Timeline

After you’ve imported clips in the Import window, drag them onto the timeline. Follow the steps outlined below to accomplish this:

• Drag the clips into the import window and select them.
• Then, insert them into the timeline.

Now that we have our video clips in the timeline, we can start adjusting the speed.

Step4 Open the Speed Adjustment Panel

The speed adjustment panel, or the Uniform Speed, is the feature of Filmora that allows you to change the speed of your video. For example, to open the Unifrom Speed panel, do as follows:

• Double-click on the video clip.
• In the pop-up column, scroll down till you see the Unifrom Speed option and click on it.
• The speed controls will be shown in the import window.

In the speed control panel, you can see the speed adjuster slider. A number will usually mark this at the end. This number tells you the current speed your video is calibrated in and how fast or slow the motion effects will be.

1.00 is always the average speed. 0.5 being half and 2.00 being double the average speed. To control the speed through the slider, you will need to do the following:

• To increase the speed: Type in the number you want your rate to be. Or, drag the slider to the right as you wish.
• To decrease the speed: Type in a number less than the standard 1.00, or you can drag the slider to the left as you wish.

The number of your speed can be an inconvenience if you have no prior experience. Instead, render the video and play it from the beginning with the changes that you made. It gives you a better idea of the speed of your video.

Step5 Detach The Audio

The corresponding audio also gets affected when you slow down or speed up a video. In this scenario, you can also choose to detach the audio beforehand. It allows you to maintain the original playback speed. To detach the audio, follow the steps as mentioned:

• Right-click on the video clip.
• In the pop-up column, scroll down to the Detach Audio option and click on it.

It will create an audio file in a separate audio tab in the timeline. You can adjust this audio according to your liking. You can edit the detached audio by:

• Double-click on the audio file.
• A settings menu will open in the import window.
• Adjust the Fade options for your Audio.
• Drag the Fade out slider to the right to Fade out your Audio.
• To Fade in your Audio, drag the Fade in slider to the right.

You can also remove the background noise and the pitch of the audio if you want. You can also replace the video’s original audio with a new one. Click on the audio file and press Del on the keyboard to delete it. To add new audio, do as mentioned ahead:

• Click on The Audio icon above the import window.
• Browse The Audio that matches the vibe of your video.
• Drag and drop it below your video clip.

Doing so would have created alternate audio for your video. Play the video from the start and confirm your changes.

Step6 Save Your Project

Saving a project on Filmora is straightforward. First, you need a few steps to proceed with it. Then, when you are done making changes to the video, simply follow as guided ahead, and you’ll be good to go.

• On the Filmora home interface, Go to > File > Save Project.

• Select the Library/Folder where you want your project to be stored.
• Type in the text box to change the name of your project.

• Click on Save.

That’s about it! You have now saved your project. Now let’s move on to export our video.

Step7 Export Your Video

After we are done with saving our project, we will now move on to export our video.

Note: Before we export our video, ensure everything is according to your wish. Play the final video again and confirm your changes.

You can export your video to many of the available video formats. And not only that, but you can also export your video to local files and a specific device. You can also export your video directly to YouTube, Vimeo, and DVD format.

To export your video, all you have to do is the following steps:

• Click on Export.
• Type in the Video name.
• Select the Directory you want your file to be stored in.
• Select the Video Format.
• Select the Resolution of your Video.

Note: If you want to export your video directly to Youtube or Vimeo, ensure you are logged in.

• Click on Export.

Wait till Wondershare Filmora finishes exporting your video. Then, another window will pop up for a reminder when the shipping is done.

These were the methods by which you can change the speed of your video using the Speed Adjustment panel. Now let’s move on to the following method to adjust the speed via the Duration panel.

2. Change Speed via the Duration Panel

The duration panel is one the most valuable features of Wondershare Filmora as it allows you to change the video speed by duration adjustment.

This feature is typically helpful when you have a space between video clips and want to fill it. By measuring the time between the two clips, you can adjust the duration of your video.

It will ultimately hasten the speed of your video. The hastening in rate will depend upon the gap. The smaller the gap, the faster the video will be. Similarly, the greater the gap is, the longer the video will be.

Apart from the Speed Adjustment Panel, the Duration Panel has the advantage of editing the speed of your video by simply typing in the text.

Step1 Import Video Clips to Timeline

After downloading Filmora, the next step is importing your video clips. To do so, follow the steps outlined below:

• Locate and click the Import icon in the upper left corner of the Filmora Home Interface.
• Choose the videos to be edited, then click OK.

Now that you have imported files into Filmora, you can add them to the Timeline. Notice the steps mentioned ahead:

• Drag the clips into the import window and select them.
• Then, insert them into the timeline.

You can begin the editing process now that the clips are in the timeline.

Step2 Open The Duration Panel

The Duration Panel comes attached to the Unifrom Speed Panel. To access the Duration Panel, follow the steps ahead:

• Right-click on the video clip.
• In the pop column, scroll below to Unifrom Speed.

It will open the uniform speed panel in the import window. Below the speed of the controls, you can notice The Duration Panel.

Step3 Change The Speed of The Video

In The Duration Panel, you can see the average speed of your video clip. Now, if you want to reduce the speed of your video, you have to increase the duration of your video. Similarly, if you’re going to increase the speed of your video, you would have to decrease the duration.

Slow Down The Video

To slow down the video clip, follow the steps mentioned below:

• In The Duration Panel, Increase the time of the video.
• Type in a number bigger than the normal value

Note: If the average speed of the video is 00:01:00:00, increasing the value of the duration to 00:02:00:00 will reduce the speed of your video by half.

Speed Up The Video

To increase the speed of your video, follow as guided ahead:

• In The Duration Panel, decrease the time of the video.
• Type in a number smaller than the normal value

Note: If the normal video speed is 00:01:00:00, decreasing the value of the duration to 00:00:30:00 will increase the speed of your video by double.

Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to change the speed of your video by Filmora. Now, you can use both the Speed Adjustment Panel and The Duration Panel to adjust the speed of your video.

Conclusion

Changing the speed of your video can be helpful in many filming scenarios. Adjusting the speed in the older days was a marvel in the video editing industry. But the technology in the present day has allowed the typical user to edit the speed of a video.

By following the steps mentioned in this article, you can now change the speed of your video by Wondershare Filmora.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

To begin, you will need a good video editor. Wondershare Filmora is the best video editing software available. It has a very engaging system UI that allows inexperienced users to learn how to use it quickly. It also has a diverse collection of stock media. And not only that! It allows you to access reliable features to change the speed of a video.

You can change the speed of the video on Filmora by the speed adjustment panel or by the duration panel present above the timeline. It will adjust in just seconds with a few clicks. This feature makes Filmora more prior with editing tools.

2. Video Clips

Well, it is evident that to change the speed of your videos, you will need video clips. But there are a few things you can keep in mind before adjusting the speed of a video.

Note: Slowing down a video requires a shot at a higher frame rate. The greater the frame rate, the better will be the slow-mo quality. On the other hand, speeding up videos does not have a strict frame rate requirement.

Part 4. How Can You Change the Speed of Your Videos?

Here you will learn two ways in which you can change the speed of your videos. The two methods to change the speed of your video are mentioned:

• The speed adjustment panel.
• Duration panel settings.

Let’s get started with the editing process. The first method we will look into is the Speed Adjustment panel.

1. Change Speed With the Speed Adjustment Panel

The Speed Adjustment panel is the speed adjuster in the Wondershare Filmora software. This feature will give you a drag bar to adjust the speed of your video.

You can move the bar to the right to increase the speed of your video. Similarly, you can move it to the left to decrease the rate.

But before we use this feature, we will need to download the Filmora video editing software. So please scroll below to learn how to download it!

Step1 Download Filmora

First and foremost, you must have access to Filmora. For this, download Wondershare Filmora. Then, activate this app or software on your PC.

Step2 Import The Video Files

The next step after downloading Filmora is to import your video clips. To accomplish this, follow the steps outlined below:

• Locate and select the Import icon on the top left side of the Filmora Home Interface.
• It takes you to your computer’s library.
• Select the videos to be edited and then click OK.

You can also import the files by another method. After you have opened Filmora, you can restore the Filmora Window size and import by dragging and dropping the clips:

• Drag the cursor to select the video clips you want.
• Then, drop them in the Filmora import window.

Filmora supports various formats for your video clips. They include the Mp4, AVI, MOV, GIFs, and more.

After you have imported your video clips, add them to the timeline as shown below!

Step3 Add The Video Clips to The Timeline

After you’ve imported clips in the Import window, drag them onto the timeline. Follow the steps outlined below to accomplish this:

• Drag the clips into the import window and select them.
• Then, insert them into the timeline.

Now that we have our video clips in the timeline, we can start adjusting the speed.

Step4 Open the Speed Adjustment Panel

The speed adjustment panel, or the Uniform Speed, is the feature of Filmora that allows you to change the speed of your video. For example, to open the Unifrom Speed panel, do as follows:

• Double-click on the video clip.
• In the pop-up column, scroll down till you see the Unifrom Speed option and click on it.
• The speed controls will be shown in the import window.

In the speed control panel, you can see the speed adjuster slider. A number will usually mark this at the end. This number tells you the current speed your video is calibrated in and how fast or slow the motion effects will be.

1.00 is always the average speed. 0.5 being half and 2.00 being double the average speed. To control the speed through the slider, you will need to do the following:

• To increase the speed: Type in the number you want your rate to be. Or, drag the slider to the right as you wish.
• To decrease the speed: Type in a number less than the standard 1.00, or you can drag the slider to the left as you wish.

The number of your speed can be an inconvenience if you have no prior experience. Instead, render the video and play it from the beginning with the changes that you made. It gives you a better idea of the speed of your video.

Step5 Detach The Audio

The corresponding audio also gets affected when you slow down or speed up a video. In this scenario, you can also choose to detach the audio beforehand. It allows you to maintain the original playback speed. To detach the audio, follow the steps as mentioned:

• Right-click on the video clip.
• In the pop-up column, scroll down to the Detach Audio option and click on it.

Click here

It will create an audio file in a separate audio tab in the timeline. You can adjust this audio according to your liking. You can edit the detached audio by:

• Double-click on the audio file.
• A settings menu will open in the import window.
• Adjust the Fade options for your Audio.
• Drag the Fade out slider to the right to Fade out your Audio.
• To Fade in your Audio, drag the Fade in slider to the right.

You can also remove the background noise and the pitch of the audio if you want. You can also replace the video’s original audio with a new one. Click on the audio file and press Del on the keyboard to delete it. To add new audio, do as mentioned ahead:

• Click on The Audio icon above the import window.
• Browse The Audio that matches the vibe of your video.
• Drag and drop it below your video clip.

Doing so would have created alternate audio for your video. Play the video from the start and confirm your changes.

Step6 Save Your Project

Saving a project on Filmora is straightforward. First, you need a few steps to proceed with it. Then, when you are done making changes to the video, simply follow as guided ahead, and you’ll be good to go.

• On the Filmora home interface, Go to > File > Save Project.

• Select the Library/Folder where you want your project to be stored.
• Type in the text box to change the name of your project.

• Click on Save.

That’s about it! You have now saved your project. Now let’s move on to export our video.

Step7 Export Your Video

After we are done with saving our project, we will now move on to export our video.

Note: Before we export our video, ensure everything is according to your wish. Play the final video again and confirm your changes.

You can export your video to many of the available video formats. And not only that, but you can also export your video to local files and a specific device. You can also export your video directly to YouTube, Vimeo, and DVD format.

To export your video, all you have to do is the following steps:

• Click on Export.
• Type in the Video name.
• Select the Directory you want your file to be stored in.
• Select the Video Format.
• Select the Resolution of your Video.

Note: If you want to export your video directly to Youtube or Vimeo, ensure you are logged in.

• Click on Export.

Wait till Wondershare Filmora finishes exporting your video. Then, another window will pop up for a reminder when the shipping is done.

These were the methods by which you can change the speed of your video using the Speed Adjustment panel. Now let’s move on to the following method to adjust the speed via the Duration panel.

2. Change Speed via the Duration Panel

The duration panel is one the most valuable features of Wondershare Filmora as it allows you to change the video speed by duration adjustment.

This feature is typically helpful when you have a space between video clips and want to fill it. By measuring the time between the two clips, you can adjust the duration of your video.

It will ultimately hasten the speed of your video. The hastening in rate will depend upon the gap. The smaller the gap, the faster the video will be. Similarly, the greater the gap is, the longer the video will be.

Apart from the Speed Adjustment Panel, the Duration Panel has the advantage of editing the speed of your video by simply typing in the text.

Step1 Import Video Clips to Timeline

After downloading Filmora, the next step is importing your video clips. To do so, follow the steps outlined below:

• Locate and click the Import icon in the upper left corner of the Filmora Home Interface.
• Choose the videos to be edited, then click OK.

Now that you have imported files into Filmora, you can add them to the Timeline. Notice the steps mentioned ahead:

• Drag the clips into the import window and select them.
• Then, insert them into the timeline.

You can begin the editing process now that the clips are in the timeline.

Step2 Open The Duration Panel

The Duration Panel comes attached to the Unifrom Speed Panel. To access the Duration Panel, follow the steps ahead:

• Right-click on the video clip.
• In the pop column, scroll below to Unifrom Speed.

It will open the uniform speed panel in the import window. Below the speed of the controls, you can notice The Duration Panel.

Step3 Change The Speed of The Video

In The Duration Panel, you can see the average speed of your video clip. Now, if you want to reduce the speed of your video, you have to increase the duration of your video. Similarly, if you’re going to increase the speed of your video, you would have to decrease the duration.

Slow Down The Video

To slow down the video clip, follow the steps mentioned below:

• In The Duration Panel, Increase the time of the video.
• Type in a number bigger than the normal value

Note: If the average speed of the video is 00:01:00:00, increasing the value of the duration to 00:02:00:00 will reduce the speed of your video by half.

Speed Up The Video

To increase the speed of your video, follow as guided ahead:

• In The Duration Panel, decrease the time of the video.
• Type in a number smaller than the normal value

Note: If the normal video speed is 00:01:00:00, decreasing the value of the duration to 00:00:30:00 will increase the speed of your video by double.

Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to change the speed of your video by Filmora. Now, you can use both the Speed Adjustment Panel and The Duration Panel to adjust the speed of your video.

Conclusion

Changing the speed of your video can be helpful in many filming scenarios. Adjusting the speed in the older days was a marvel in the video editing industry. But the technology in the present day has allowed the typical user to edit the speed of a video.

By following the steps mentioned in this article, you can now change the speed of your video by Wondershare Filmora.

In This Article, We Will Discuss What Lens Distortion Is, How It May Be Fixed, and the Factors You Need to Pay Attention to Avoid Lens Distortion when Taking or Recording Videos

The distortion in your video may irritate you when you’re working on the video’s edit. When you take images or record sound, you frequently end up with distorted results due to lens distortion. In this article, we will discuss what lens distortion is, how it may be fixed, and the factors you need to pay attention to avoid lens distortion when taking or recording videos.

Part 1: Basic introduction to lens distortion

1. What is lens distortion

Distortion means that the straight rectilinear projection is not straight. In the pinhole camera model, lens distortion is measured by how far from the image’s ideal projection is. From a geometric optics point of view, the scene’s straight lines don’t look straight in the image.

When you take a picture, the camera lens can somehow change the shape of the image. It is called camera lens distortion. In simple terms, we can tell you that this is the case because distortion in-camera is when the lens makes curved lines in an image and doesn’t show the straight lines from the scene.

2. What cause it

Lens distortion happens with all lenses. It is because of several things, such as how the lens is curved, how far away the subject is, and the angle at which the photo was taken. Furthermore, it changes the image in many ways, but you can see it most when straight lines at the frame’s edges are no longer parallel.

Most geometric lens distortions happen when the focal distance is short (barrel distortion), long (pincushion distortion), or when a fish-eye lens is used to take a picture from a low angle (keystone distortion).

Part 2: How to correct a distorted lens?

A lot of times, with lower-end wide-angle lenses, especially action cams like GoPro, you get pretty gnarly distortion when you’re filming. As we know, the Earth is round, but it shouldn’t look like this when you take a picture. Indeed, it’s very distorted, it has the horizon line bending all over the place, and basically, all of the lines in the video have some level of curvature.

Hence, follow all the steps below to know how to fix it:

Step1 Import your video to Filmora .

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step2 Click on the clip and head over to the lens correction. Choose the “Camera model” based on what you used, but in this tutorial, the video was taken with a GoPro Hero 7. However, you can choose some other camera model options there.

Step3 To adjust the distortion, you can slide the bar to the left or the right. If you slide the bar to the right (maximum level), there will be no adjustment. However, if you slide the bar to the left, you can see it pulling those lines as high up as possible.

You can see a bit of curvature, but it looks much more natural, and all of the lines in the video look so much better.

Step4 Lastly, if you play the video back, you will see the video look much better than before.

Part 3: How to avoid distorted lens while shooting?

1. Avoid very wide-angle lenses

The more distortion there is in a lens, like a 15mm prime, the wider it is. Sometimes you need a very wide-angle lens, and distortion is unavoidable. If you have room to move back, you could try using a lens with a different focal length.

2. Avoid getting too close

Doing so will enhance optical distortion in many lenses and the likelihood of perspective distortion in all lenses.

3. Be mindful of your composition

There are numerous instances where distortion is acceptable or even intended. Others must be carefully examined, such as utilizing a wide-angle lens to photograph a row of people. When you get too close to a group, the distortion makes the people at each end appear considerably wider! Therefore, consider your composition. Stand back and add space around your group; if necessary, you can trim the image afterward.

4. Use a 50mm lens

50mm lenses are often called “all-purpose” lenses. There is a good reason

for this. A 50mm lens is great for portraits, street photography, and many other kinds of photography, including architecture. If your subject is big, you just need space to stand back. You will see that a 50mm lens rarely distorts the image.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step2 Click on the clip and head over to the lens correction. Choose the “Camera model” based on what you used, but in this tutorial, the video was taken with a GoPro Hero 7. However, you can choose some other camera model options there.

Step3 To adjust the distortion, you can slide the bar to the left or the right. If you slide the bar to the right (maximum level), there will be no adjustment. However, if you slide the bar to the left, you can see it pulling those lines as high up as possible.

You can see a bit of curvature, but it looks much more natural, and all of the lines in the video look so much better.

Step4 Lastly, if you play the video back, you will see the video look much better than before.

Part 3: How to avoid distorted lens while shooting?

1. Avoid very wide-angle lenses

The more distortion there is in a lens, like a 15mm prime, the wider it is. Sometimes you need a very wide-angle lens, and distortion is unavoidable. If you have room to move back, you could try using a lens with a different focal length.

2. Avoid getting too close

Doing so will enhance optical distortion in many lenses and the likelihood of perspective distortion in all lenses.

3. Be mindful of your composition

There are numerous instances where distortion is acceptable or even intended. Others must be carefully examined, such as utilizing a wide-angle lens to photograph a row of people. When you get too close to a group, the distortion makes the people at each end appear considerably wider! Therefore, consider your composition. Stand back and add space around your group; if necessary, you can trim the image afterward.

4. Use a 50mm lens

50mm lenses are often called “all-purpose” lenses. There is a good reason

for this. A 50mm lens is great for portraits, street photography, and many other kinds of photography, including architecture. If your subject is big, you just need space to stand back. You will see that a 50mm lens rarely distorts the image.

Easy Guide to Zoom Video in VLC

Even though VLC Media Player is not the default video player in any operating system, most users install VLC Player separately on their computers. This is because VLC Media Player offers several useful and advanced features that the default media player like Windows Media Player lacks. There are situations when users need to zoom into certain parts of a video, and that is where VLC zoom in video feature comes in handy.

You may need to zoom into videos to pay attention to details and focus on parts around the subject that others are missing out. For example, you have recorded a video, and you have played it on VLC to zoom in and ensure that there is nothing distracting before you publish the video. Now, we will illustrate all the different ways on how to zoom in VLC Media Player. We will also suggest a better alternative to zoom into videos easily.

Part 1: Zoom VLC Video Using Interactive Zoom

VLC Media Player comes with Interactive Zoom feature that lets you zoom into a section of a video irrespective of its resolution. You can use Interactive Zoom feature to zoom nearly eight times the original size of the video. While you zoom your video with Interactive Zoom option, VLC Media Player zooms the video digitally, and if the video resolution is not high, you can see some deterioration in video quality as you zoom in. Here are the steps on how to VLC zoom with Interactive Zoom.

Step1First, you have to enable Interactive Zoom feature. Launch VLC Player and go to Tools menu option.

Step2Select Effects and Filters and you will see Adjustments and Effects window open.

Step3Go to Video Effects tab and then go to Geometry tab.

Step4Turn on Interactive Zoom option. Click on Save and Close buttons.

Step5Play a video and you will see a Picture in Picture window in the top-left corner where you can see live preview of the video. You will notice a rectangular box that you can drag around the PiP window to zoom that section of the video.

Step6Wherever you place the rectangular box in PiP window, that part will be zoomed and shown outside the PiP window. You can increase or decrease the level of magnification from the vertical slider present below PiP window.

Part 2: Zoom Video Using VLC Video Menu

Apart from Interactive Zoom, there is also an inbuilt Zoom option available under Video Menu. While Interactive Zoom is for detailed zooming, Zoom through Video menu on VLC is for instant zooming. Moreover, Zoom through Video menu is effective only when you view the video on VLC Player. If you are watching the video on full screen, the zooming effect will not be easily noticeable. Here are the steps on how to zoom in VLC player using VLC Video menu.

Step1Open VLC Media player in windowed mode and play the desired video.

Step2Go to Video menu and select Zoom option.

Step3You will come across several options such as 1:4 quarter, 1:2 half, 1:1 original, and 2:1 double. You can select from one of them as per your requirements.

Otherwise, you can press Shift + Z keys together to try out different zoom options.

Part 3: Zoom VLC Video Using Magnifier

If you are using VLC Media Player on your Windows desktop computer, you can use the inbuilt Magnifier tool to zoom into a video that you are playing on VLC. You can zoom into videos to read any text in the background but this leads to low resolution and distortion. You can zoom in by 16 times which is the highest among all the three methods. Here are the steps on how to VLC zoom video using Magnifier tool.

Step1Open VLC Player and play the desired video.

Step2Go to Start menu on Windows and search for “Magnifier”.

Step3Click on Magnifier App. Once it opens, place the mouse pointer on the video and you will see its magnified version.

Step4Press Windows and “+” keys to zoom in while press Windows and “-“ keys to zoom out.

Part 4: VLC Alternative to Zoom in Videos

If you are not satisfied with VLC Player zoom feature, you can use a video editor to zoom into your video conveniently so that you can check any focused section on your video. You can also read any text on the video comfortably. We recommend Wondershare Filmora as an alternative to VLC Media Player for zooming into videos. Filmora is a professional video editor and here is the list of the steps on how to zoom into videos with Filmora.

Step 1: Download and install Wondershare Filmora and it is available for Windows and Mac users.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step 2: Launch Wondershare and click on New Project option.

Step 3: Import your video on Filmora into Project Media folder by drag and drop option.

Step 4: Drag and drop the video file into Timeline. Click on Crop icon on the top bar of Timeline.

Step 5: Go to Pan & Zoom tab and move the rectangular box and play the video to watch its magnified video. You can also export the video after cropping in your desired file format.

Conclusion

There are several scenarios when you need to zoom into a video to focus on the details. VLC Media Player comes with instant zoom as well as detailed zoom options to satisfy your requirements. You can even use Magnifier App on Windows to zoom into videos. But for the best result, we recommend Wondershare Filmora as the best VLC Player alternative for zooming videos.

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step 2: Launch Wondershare and click on New Project option.

Step 3: Import your video on Filmora into Project Media folder by drag and drop option.

Step 4: Drag and drop the video file into Timeline. Click on Crop icon on the top bar of Timeline.

Step 5: Go to Pan & Zoom tab and move the rectangular box and play the video to watch its magnified video. You can also export the video after cropping in your desired file format.

Conclusion

There are several scenarios when you need to zoom into a video to focus on the details. VLC Media Player comes with instant zoom as well as detailed zoom options to satisfy your requirements. You can even use Magnifier App on Windows to zoom into videos. But for the best result, we recommend Wondershare Filmora as the best VLC Player alternative for zooming videos.

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