DougJensen

Mitchel, 1) Always shoot with the lowest ISO the camera offers and never raise it unless there isn't enough light. And then only raise it as far as you have to to get your exposure, and not a bit more. Using a higher ISO than is necessary is never a good idea due to increased noise. Even a very clean camera like the A7s will perform better at lower ISOs. 2) Aperture is a creative setting that should be chosen to achieve the depth-of-field you want. Personally, I shoot wide open on all my cameras nearly 100% of the time for maximum shallowness and other reasons I won't go into now, but other people prefer a deeper depth-of-field. There is no right or wrong aperture and you may find yourself changing it often. 3) Shutter speed is dictated by your frame rate, and should never be changed for purposes of exposure. Yes, changing the shutter speed affects exposure, but that should be viewed as a side-effect and not the reason for changing the the shutter speed in the first place. Unless you change your frame rate, the shutter speed should never be changed. 4) You have overlooked ND filters, which are the primary way exposure should be adjusted when shooting video. Not coming equipped with built-in ND filters is one of the main shortcomings of shooting video with a mirrorless camera like the A7s. I use the K2 variable ND system on my Sony A1 mirrorless camera and highly recommend it. Its not as good or convenient as the built-in electronic variable ND on my FX6, but it is a pretty good alternative. 99% of all my exposure adjustments are made with K2 filters. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1770883-REG/freewell_fw_k2_vndkit_k2_versatile_magnetic_filter.html

I don't disagree with that conclusion. When I need to be ultra-portable I also choose the A1 for video even though it means a lot of compromises compared to my FX6. Next summer I'm doing a 3-month road trip to Alaska where I need to be able to shoot stills and video. So, the A1 is coming with me for sure, but I'm still debating whether or not to also bring the FX6. In the coming months, I intend on forcing myself to shoot more video with A1 to see if I can be satisfied with leaving the FX6 home or not. Yes, the A1 has compromises, but if I can live with those compromises it will sure cut down on the amount of gear I have to lug around. But on the other hand, if I miss a few good stock footage shots that might pay for the entire trip -- because I didn't bring the FX6 -- I'll be kicking myself for a long time.

Welcome to the Sony Cine Forum, Mitchel. Though it might seem a bit quiet here, this forum operates similarly to others. I encourage you to explore the different categories and topics already available. To join the discussions, you can either start a new thread or add to existing ones. Before diving in, it's helpful to read through the existing posts to get a sense of what's been discussed. When you have a question or need advice, be as specific as possible about your camera, the settings you're using, and the information you're seeking. This way, someone can more easily provide the help you need. Enjoy your time here.

Thanks for the compliment on the footage. In my opinion, the FX6 is a far superior camera to the A1 for wildlife video (I own both cameras). As you mention, the electronic Variable ND is one reason, but there are many others, including better ergonomics, better monitoring options, touch-screen AF, multiple Assign Buttons for instantly changing settings and modes on-the-fly, better battery system, ability to record 120 fps 4K on regular SD cards, better peaking and zebras, better compatibility with Catalyst Browse, and of course, Picture Cache. Picture Cache is basically an endlessly looping buffer that allows you to record stuff that happened up to 30 second prior to deciding to hit the record button. The A1 is a fine camera with excellent picture quality, but it's main advantage is size and weight. Nothing else I can think of that would make me choose the A1 over the FX6 for wildlife video. This video I recorded a couple of years ago explains Picture Cache better than I can here.

I also mostly use my A1 for stills, but I shoot a fair amount of wildlife video with it too. Have you tried stabilization in Resolve? On the rare times I need to stabilize footage I find that it works very well, and offers a lot of customization options. Everything I shoot gets run through Resolve for grading anyway, so adding some stabilization doesn't add any extra work. Best of all, Resolve is free, or $300 if you want the full version. Everyone who shoots and edits video ought to be using Resolve for grading so its something that ought to be in your tool kit anyway. With all that said, the best way to stabilize footage is to shoot it stable in the first place. I very seldom need to stabilize my wildlife footage because I have a good tripod that is setup and balanced correctly for the A1 and 200-600mm. Obviously, everyone needs to stabilize stuff occasionally, but if you find it happening regularly, maybe take another look at your tripod and/or shooting techniques.

No. The normal exposure for a gray card is absolutely not 75%, or anywhere near that level. 75% will result in extreme overexposure. In fact, when shooting with S-LOG3, 75% would even be too high for a white card.

Paul, it sounds like you've gotten in way over your head with the FX30. Even if you are able to get a few answers to your questions on this forum, I don't think that will give you the depth of knowledge that is necessary to consistently get good results with a complicated professional camera like the FX30. My recommendation is that you find an experienced FX30 owner in your area and hire him/her to give you some one-on-one training and help you get your camera setup properly. If you find the right person, the expense will be well worth it in the long run and save you a lot of frustration and wasted time and money.

Absolutely normal. You shouldn't expect to dial in random numbers on any two different models of camera and expect them to match. Manual white balance on a white card or other suitable target is the right way to do it. Always has been, and always will be. The numbers shown onboard the cameras are just meant to be a rough approximation and do not represent the precise color setting. Plus, and this is very important to understand, dialing in a random WB number only changes the warm/cool axis of the color balance and does not address the equally important magenta/green axis. However, when you manually white balance on a white card or other target, both the warm/cool and magenta/green are automatically adjusted for you. It is always faster, easier, and more fool proof than dialing in a random number you THINK is correct. Let the cameras do the work for you.

Hi Alain, Unfortunately the plastic LCD arm that came with the FX6 proved not to be strong enough to support the weight of the LCD and my Zacuto viewfinder. It broke a few months after I started this thread. I replaced the arm and now use it only for the LCD, as it was designed. I now have the Zacuto EVF mounted in about the same place as you see above, but I use some Magic Arm accessories I bought at the Kondor Blue booth last year at NAB. I can't even tell you exact what parts they are, but the ball-socket arm attaches directly to the camera body and gives me plenty of flexibility for positioning. https://kondorblue.com/pages/build-your-own-cine-magic-arm

Although I have no interest in using these presets I decided I would try installing them to see if they would change the Assign Buttons on my FX6. And they did. It only took about 2 minutes to download and install them, and they worked exactly as Sony said they would work. So, there is nothing wrong with the Presets and you must be doing something wrong on your end. If you will provide more details about what steps you are taking I might be able to help pinpoint what you have done incorrectly. However, with that said, after I tested the ALL files I immediately reset my camera back to my own ALL File because there isn't a single setting of these Sony files that I agree with. What a total mess. I can't imagine anyone wanting to actually use these settings. Terrible choices. Keep in mind that ALL Files generally don't change anything about how the camera "looks". They aren't LUTs or Paint Menu presets. ALL Files are basically intended for saving/recalling your own personal preference files for YOUR camera. So, if you install these files, be warned that you will be essentially setting your camera up for what somebody else prefers. It's kind of like letting someone else get into your car and adjust the seat position, tilt of the steering wheel, rearview mirror, side mirrors, radio station presets, etc. they way they like to have them -- and then expecting you to get in and be happy with those same settings. Be warned that literally hundreds of custom camera settings will be changed when you load those ALL files, not just the few settings that Sony lists. My advice for anyone thinking of loading either of these presets is to be sure you are aware that nearly every personal setting you have made to your camera will be erased. So you should save your own ALL file first -- that way you can revert back to your own settings if you don't like the new files from Sony. My other advice is to take a few minutes and customize your camera so it works the way YOU want it to function -- and then you will be a much happier and more efficient camera operator.

Here are the reasons that I think the FX6 is the best camera ever made for filming wildlife: 4K XAVC-I codecs. Touch-tracking auto-focus. Slow-motion @ 120 fps. Up to 30 seconds of Picture Cache. The ability to use Picture Cache and Slow-motion simultaneously (the only Sony camera to offer that functionality). Dual ISO Sensitivity. Variable ND for perfect exposure. Slow-motion, Dual Sensitivity, and Picture Cache can all be turned on/off instantly with one button push. Ability to record on ordinary SDXC cards. There are no other cameras that offer all these advanced features. If you think there is a better camera for wildlife, what is it?

The primary reason S-gamut3.cine/SLog3 exists is because it is designed to mimic Arri LOG C. Therefore, colorists who are used to working with Arri footage can apply the same grades to Sony S-gamut3.cine/SLog3 and be assured of getting similar results. But again, you should really ask your colorist what he/she wants you to shoot.

I suggest you ask your colorist which one they prefer. But with that said, I don't know anyone who does not use the .cine version.

It's hard to say what the issue may be, but I've had my FX6 since the first week the camera started shipping (3 years) and I can honestly say that I've never had a lens come off my FX6 or even get loosened during transport. The lens that is on my FX6 about 90% of the time is the relatively heavy Sony 200-600mm. I keep my camera completely built during transport, regardless of the lens. The other 10% of the time the lens would be my Sony 70-200 or 24-70. Never any issues whatsoever with any of them coming loose.

Videosoul is correct, this is very strange. I spent about 2 hours yesterday matching all the settings on your camera that I could see in the viewfinder and trying to recreate your problem. No matter what I do, VND functions normally. So, I then reached out to one of the top techs at Sony overnight to see if he could figure it out , but he's stumped as well. Here is our advice: STEP 1: First of all, make sure your camera is running the latest firmware, which is V4.0. If it is not, then you can download and install it here. https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/interchangeable-lens-camcorders-ilme-series/ilme-fx6v/software/00259043 STEP 2: RESET the camera: Menu > Maintenance > All Reset STEP 3: Load my custom ALL File. After I matched all the settings on your camera (at least the ones I can see) I saved an ALL File. You should download my ALL file via the link below and load it into your camera. It will be called "VND-TEST1" when you see it in the camera's menu. After you have loaded the ALL file, check to see if the VND functions correctly now -- it does on my camera with those settings. If you still experience the same issue then there is probably something wrong with your camera. ALL FILE: https://vortexmedia.cimediacloud.com/r/PIFxEvRjExYn Disclaimer: Just to be clear, none of the settings saved in the "VND-TEST1" file are settings I would ever use myself except for 4K XAVC-I. So, if anyone else is reading this thread, I do NOT recommend the settings in this file. I'm just trying to troubleshoot Nailer's problem. STEP 4: Report your findings! 🙂 Good luck.