So, you say that in 4K mode the excellent touch-to-snap focus doesn't work with an external recorder? If I had a 4K recorder, this limitation would be terribly annoying. No touch-shutter, and now this issue. Hmm. Thank you for the excellent review.
So first, there is no touch-to-snap, there's only touch-to-focus. When an external recorder is connected (and the camera is in video mode) the touch only works in HD (not in 4K) and only when the HDMI info is set to off - as it would most likely be. Not sure why the same touch pad function used for the viewfinder doesn't work for the external monitor. Aaarrgghh.
This is party true (i must recheck) touch focus does work in 4k in one mode but since the screen is dark the value is limited i guess. What sony should do is what panasonic now does allow us to 'program' 3 or 4 points before recording starts and allow us to switch between them this would work perfectly also in this case since the place you touch will more a 'general area'. to select the correct 'box' kind of how now you can touch the face in picture mode to select the face you want to focus or do eye-detect on.
The touch focus does work in 4K (it is its own mode as far as I can see) and works with the viewfinder touch pad - as you are right, the darker screen is a limiting factor. Thanks for commenting.
I really don't understand why not more brands build in focus 'presets' that would be so nice and would even make things like sigma lenses on the mc11 so much more useful. Just give us 3 or 4 memories and 'face detect' like boxes around them we can use to switch and make it slowly pull focus. Even better allow each to have different settings like f-stop how cool would that be. I am still considering making a external app for that if i find some extra time..
What a refreshingly straightforward tutorial video! The fact that this wasn't shot by a 20 year old camera vlogger wearing a black snap-back hat, in a room full of soundproofing panels, with the sound of Lofi Beats to Study To playing throughout, immediately makes the information more palatable. Thank you for your expertise
I've had my 6500 for 3 years, but after recently testing it against a DJI Osmo Pocket 2, the Sony was disappointing. Operator error! I had the settings all wrong after watching too many RUclips videos suggesting that I try X, Y or Z. I don't edit in post. Martin's tips were by far the most helpful I have seen. THANKS!!!
Thanks again Marrten very well done. One of your opening comments should be practiced by all new users "I am starting with the camera in its default setting" This feature rich camera is excellent but I was testing some odd settings buried deep in the menus and it did trip me up a couple of times I now note a few key settings I like and RESET back to the default setting before a major shoot like I did before my Vacation in Mexico. I also changed the C1 button to movie for this trip . I used the manual setting you suggested in an earlier video and after a bit of practice I am very pleased with the results. I was not comfortable with the touch screen focus and turned it off for this trip. Now if i could just remember to pack my new external mic when go out for the day:) Looking forward to you next video.
I appreciate the kind words, and fully sympathize. More than once I've come home only to find that I was trying something (like a white balance colour adjust) and forgot to reset it. I will note that on most recent Sony models with picture profiles that a full reset does not reset the profile settings - each has an individual reset.
I have to tell you that I have watched a very large number of videos regarding this sony model and found your explanation and delivery the easiest to follow. Thank You.
Thanks. i am new to this camera. I am a film maker but the kind that had a camera person to realize my documentaries. Recently i decided i wanted to learn how to do this myself. Big respect for camera experts and much humility in this learning curve. Thanks for the help.
This video is a shining beacon in a sea of unhelpful others, you totally fixed my issues and can't thank you enough!! Sooooooo releived when I found this.
Always my pleasure - thanks for the kind words. I can empathize with that thought - unless you've been using recent model Sony cameras - there is a lot to understand. If you have 30 minutes, I explain more here: ruclips.net/video/N3M5QR_MuTY/видео.html
Clear zoom at 13:01 there is a step mode press up or down on the wheel and a pan mode press left or right on the wheel. The pan mode is smooth and may be usefully.
Thanks - the footage is at 7:56, and as you can see, I am using the left/right and while it's better than the stepped up and down zoom, at .1 zoom increments, it is far from smooth, as you can see in the demonstration.
Using a Sony cinema lens that is almost twice the cost of the camera, that's gonna break some of your viewers' hearts when they look up the price! I had forgot about that lens, so with me, you just opened up an old wound ;) Seriously...nice video!
in Low light, No matter what setting I put, 4k or 1080 and ISO ( High or low) I still get a grainy picture, let alone slow motion which is always grainy. What is the reason? I thought this camera is supposed to be great in low light, I want useable clear video, I am struggling and not achieving it in LOVE LIGHT!
Some grain is unavoidable, particularly at higher ISOs, particularly if the majority of the scene is dark. Slow motion and dark scenes are not really compatible (the higher shutter speed reduces quality further). What ISO are you using? What shutter speed? What aperture?
well done, some helpful tips here. I did notice however the touch to focus doesn't change from autofocus of manual IF used whilst in flexible/spot focusing. I myself don't find I use that feature much, but if anyone new is reading this, it might help, and if I may add, I use the custom dial 1/2 for switching between 4k/and 120fps in 1080, helps with quickly switching between the two shooting styles. anywho thanks for a very well made informative video!! 👍
Maarten Heilbron yessir! Appreciate it. Lots of things made simple - my favorite discovery was being able to set the white balance with such ease. Reminds me of the days I worked in broadcast. Didn't have that detection feature with my last camera
That's very kind, thanks for commenting. With a broadcast background myself, those are the kinds of things I miss and appreciate when they are available.
Hello again. Many people are intersted in sony a6500 becouse of its better low light performance compared to other cameras in the market. I would appreciate your comment fot wha i found about video settings in low light. After some experiments I found that you get less noise (always in low light or dark and very environment) if you set "details" at -7 and black levels between +9 to even +15, at Cine 3 & 4. The most important factor as it concern the noise proved to be the "details" tab. Best result came with : detail -7, black +10, saturation -3.
Those are good ways to keep the noise low - those curves are good in low light and reducing detail and saturation will reduce noise levels. Not sure about increasing the black - I'll have to try that. Thanks for the tips.
Great video! I recently shot a wedding video with my a6500. Since I am using the camera for mainly video, I programmed the AEL button on the back to be the REC start/stop button rather that use the one on the side of the camera.
Thanks 👍🏻 great review - i bought the A 6500 as my second cam (first Sony PXW Z 90) and i am very happy with it 👍🏻🎬🎥 best regards from a small german filmmaker😉
Hello. In your experience what is the best settings for low light video shooting ? Which mode (cine, slog etc) and which color mode (sgamut etc) you think provide the better balance for post process (grading, dynamic range ) with low noise ? Thanks
I'd use cine4 with cinema colour - but that may not be the mood or setting that works for your scene. In general, I try to get by with as little grading as possible.
Awesome tutorial, thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’m completely new to shooting. I have a a6500 mainly purchased because we have a baby on the way so looking forward to taking tons of pics and video. Will definitely be setting up my video settings how you described. Thanks again!
Nice video again, good to see you provide valid info on the overheating warning. It confirms with my testing and most i have seen who came to the same conclusion. I don't fully understand why sony didn't move the warning too since the 'gap' between warning and well not shutting down is now huge. One more tip on AF in video if you use face detect make sure you also select wide area focus since it drops back to the focus mode if it can't find a face and if you for example have spot focus on it will well jump to that spot instead of probably keeping the person in focus in wide mode (hope that makes sense).
Really detailed and helpful explanation. I wonder if you can share more about touch focus and lock-on focus when shooting video. Thank you for your efforts!
thanks for the video very helpful.....glad to say my settings are more or less the same as yours apart from the zoom where I just stick to the lens zoom - have several lenses with diff reach thanks to adapters! The picture profile I'm using for moving images is PP8 with Cine4 as the Gamma and S-Gamut as color mode. I find it more flexible (iso minimum 200 as opposed to 800) than full on LOG whilst still holding onto the highlights well enough....just like when I used to use slide film like Fuji Provia etc I expose for the highlights anyway as there's nothing worse than clipped highlights on human skin on these digital cameras....
I'm brand new to the A6500 and have an E 55-210mm lens, I like to shoot travel videos with many landscape shots but I'm so confused and trying to learn which settings to use. I typically don't need to focus on particular objects but instead I like the full picture to be focus and as crisp as possible. Do you have any recommendations for settings that I can try for basic landscape shots???
For basic landscape AFS and wide should be fine - but if you do decide to use manual, back it off slightly from infinity. Incidentally, shoot with a fairly small aperture for your sharpest images F11-F16.
Well they are really useful - I like how you use the camera with cine profile and flatter settings. The results are great out of camera. Do you eyeball whitebalance on screen?
Thank you for the kind words, they are appreciated. I try to eyeball the white balance when setting with degrees K, I usually have a fairly good sense what the setting would be. However, I'm only confident when I capture and set a custom white balance.
Thank you for the video, Maarten. Quick question that I am still confused about: do sony cameras really shoot at 29.97 fps when you set them to 30fps? Likewise, to they shoot at 59.94 fps when you set them to 60 fps? Or do they shoot at a true 30 and 60 fps? Thanks so much.
I'm finding that outdoor shots in standard metering mode on the A6500 are almost always overexposed and usually I have to set exposure compensation to -.7 or -.3 every time I go outside. This isn't a "need an ND filter" issue, but instead seems to be a metering issue. Did you run into this at all? I'll test out those other metering modes.
I agree with that - the camera does a slightly aggressive version of "expose to the right". However, if you're shooting RAW, even if the highlights are blown out (slightly anyway) they can usually be recovered in lightroom. I'll post my full review in the next week or so.
Thanks for the kind words, appreciated. I do like the focus. Fast, accurate, reliable. I only use Sony - but I am planning to review some e-mount adapters this year.
Maarten Heilbron I was about to ask you to make a video about focus and adapters like the cheap Commlite and the very expensive Metabones. This saturday I will go to the Sony store so they can help me with my focus problem (I think it's a lack of configuration)
I agree that the native lenses may work better - but Sony's support in the e-mount line for third party lenses has always been one of the main attractions. Adding IBIS makes it even more powerful for that purpose. Thanks for commenting.
I have not. That's documented/demonstrated in the A6300/A6500 comparison: ruclips.net/video/iAkRdgnq2nY/видео.html. With a fully charged battery over an hour of 4K shooting. With an external USB power (and a fully charged battery) over 90 minutes.
I appreciate the kind words. My advice would generally be the same - the A6000 lacks 4K (use 24 or 30 frame XAVC-S) and picture profiles. And the focus engine (particularly in AFC) isn't quite as fast/reliable - but, sorry, not video advice on the A6000. Here's my settings for the A6300 though: ruclips.net/video/AVUS6GoL42Y/видео.html
Great and precise info as always! Have you tried the BlackMagic Video Assist 5" with either a6300 or a6500? I really like it's size and the 1080p screen but I've heard it doesn't work well with Sony alpha and will only record interlaced. I love the Atomos Assasin but it's size is a little too big for my rig. What do you reccomend?
I appreciate the kind words, thanks! Haven't see the BlackMagic, so can't really provide advice on it. I use the Atomos Shogun (now discontinued) but the Flame is more or less the same/upgraded version. Yes, it's a little heavy so I tend to use it mostly with a tripod. I'd tried several other monitors and recorders, but Atomos gets my highest recommendation.
I have one question. I have both 6300 and 6500 and to shoot my videos on the light I have, I set my camera's F to 9.5 - 11 and Sutter Speed to 1/45 - 1/30 and ISO 800. Now with these settings when I pan/tilt, I do not feel the vision is smooth. Is it because of shutter speed?
I am new at this and I'm going to be shooting daughters volleyball games - what is the best focus options for such a shoot and is there any other advice you can give
Although I think you're best to try to keep the depth of field large (larger F-stop, meaning higher ISO) and using the AFC and wide mode, if you just need to maintain focus on your daughter, you could try Centre lock-on AF (it needs to be assigned to a custom button, I use the bottom of the dial). I find it a little difficult to manage, but worth trying, maybe I just don't use it enough to be comfortable/familiar.
When I tap the screen to focus on something in the frame, nothing happens. Actually an icon that looks like a finger pops up and it says Focus Cancel at the bottom of the screen. Is there something that should be turned on in the menu to use that option of tapping the screen to focus? I have it set to Touch Panel + Pad. I am using an AF lens too.
Maarten (Dutch??) great video, question, what software do you use to ingest your 4K clips? I just found out that Catalyst only transcodes to 2K. Any (cheaper) alternatives that give you the best possible results? Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words, and your comment. Am I missing something? Why would you need to ingest or use a Catalyst? Final Cut and Premiere import and open the XAVC-S files directly with internal transcoding.
Thank you for the Review. I have a question, What would you suggest for Video a6500 or Fuji X-T20. I will be getting the Zhiyun Crane V2. to use with it. Side note, I will also be doing stills as well. Thank you for your response.
Although I use the X-T2 and would in general term prefer it (particularly with the XF 16-55 lens) that combo is really too heavy for the Zhiyun, so for that reason alone I'd recommend you go with the A6500, which is lighter - although you'll still need to be careful with your lens selection.
THANK YOU for getting back with me! You said the X-T2. what about The X-T20? would you still recommend The a6500? I didn't know if Image Stabilization would be a problem with The X-T20 on the Zhiyun.
Sorry, going too fast ... between the X-T20 and A6500, I'd definitely take the A6500. It should be a problem, but I didn't try it. The Zhiyun is pretty stable, and as the X-T20 is relatively small/light it should be able to handle it. When using the Zhiyun, I would recommend turning the camera's stabilization off.
Thanks Martin this video is going to really help me as I'm going to buy a A6500. Does it have a electronic shutter as I'm going to buy the timelapse app and I believe using the electronic shutter will have less wear on the mechanical shutter.
I appreciate your kind words, thank you. Yes, the shutter can be set from full physical curtain (front and back) to back only to completely electronic (silent). Note that in full electronic the RAW files are 12, not 14 bit.
As always, an excellent review. I really would like to use this handheld, but I'm used to shooting with an LCD Viewfinder. I always shoot fully manual focus, so the touch focus holds no appeal for me. Do you know any third party viewfinder that will work with the Sony?
Thank you, kind words are always appreciated. I've not used viewfinders, but my understanding is that most are fairly universal and can mount on most LCDs. Check with your dealer to make sure.
I found a product---I'll let you know if that's okay. The 6500 is virtually impossible to shoot out of doors using the LCD. The EVF may possibly work, but for a video shooter it is, let us say, LESS than satisfying to shoot that way. So, the LCD viewfinder and peaking are essential to my own shooting, and I'm sure I'm not alone. By the way, I'm primarily a Canon fan boy---great, and I really appreciated your review of the XC-10. I have the XC-15 and it is awesome---unbelievably easy shooting and excellent results--consistently so.
Hey,Have you heard of EOS HD? Is it worth paying for? he gives you a PDF containing settings for your default color, giving it a pretty nice look, or is it something i can find elsewhere or play with myself or is it even worth changing the default settings. Also what color grading or LUTs i guess should i look into for my new a6500?
For starters I would recommend using the gamma curves that don't require a LUT - like Cine 1-4, depending on the scene and lighting. You may consider reducing the saturation and detail (as mentioned in the video) provide me the results I want. Not sure what you're looking for. In general, I would recommend trying to get the colour and exposure right in camera and then making small adjustments as required in post (I use FCPX with Color Finale). I find most LUTs, which are typically designed to be used with SLog gammas, not to work as well as adjusting the image myself with Color Finale and referencing the on-screen waveform. Hope this helps.
So when you say recommend trying to get the colour and exposure right in camera, are you talking about within the different picture profiles and messing with those? as you can tell im new to most of this.
That's exactly what I recommend. And, unless you really need them (ruclips.net/video/g5ByPkuhuM4/видео.html) don't use the SLog settings without testing them first and then only on scenes that really need them. The low bandwidth 8-bit recordings of the A6500 can't be pushed/stretched too far when colour grading without deteriorating.
Maarten Heilbron thank you so much for the advice! (the link didn't work) but I will adjust the in camera and do what you said, once It comes in tommorow and I can get hands on, I'm sure things will make a lot more sense
Thank you Maarten! Great tips and a good place for me to start as I will be using the a6500 in a Nauticam housing with various lenses for underwater 4K videos. I'm expecting I will need to experiment with settings a bit to get optimal results. Again, thanks - for all your videos.
I am following your recommendations with my new A6500 (UK model). I cannot access face detect in movie mode at 4K. Do you need to change to manual picture mode to access face detect? Many thanks for video - it's been a big help!
Always glad to help, but I'm puzzled. Although I no longer have the A6500 here to check, it works on my A6300, so not clear why it's not working for you. Is the menu option dimmed out, or is it just not working for a specific face?
I am using a Sony 1.8 35mm OSS lens. When I select face detection at 4K in movie mode on the A6500 a dialogue box says " not available with this file format" or something to that effect. When I switch file format from 4k to XAVC-S HD the face detect can be turned on. I have no idea what is going on - hope I don't have a dodgy camera...
Hi - I have spoken with Sony reps at the Photo show a couple of weeks ago. They have reported the issue to Sony but reckon it might be a firmware issue. How are you getting on with your new A6500 - all good so far?
Hey Maarten i have a question about the built in stabilization. Do you have to use a special lens for that to be effective? I shot something last night completely handheld and I did have the option turned on for stabilization in the camera's menu but when I looked at the footage it was shaky as all get out. I was using a Rokinon 14mm lens.
It sounds like you need a tripod or a gimbal stabilizer. Even with both optical the in-body stabilization, it really doesn't do much for video - and Sony's solution works best with the stabilized Sony lenses. The only camera I've seen recently where the stabilization was half reasonable was the Olympus OMD EM1-II.
Very well done. thank you very much for all the time you spend to share your experience. In your experience do you think your details settings will reduce the moire effect in 4K ?
OK Thanks, i will watch it with attention ! I use almost the same settings for my A6500. I've also assigned the magnifier to central button for manual focusing with Canon lenses and speed boosters because the peaking is not always very precise in some very bright or very dark conditions.
Thanks. Good plan, particularly for video - the focus magnifier is an essential tool - I've always used C1, but maybe the centre button is easier to find in the dark ...
Hi, I wonder if you know about the 4k output on this camera. I'm trying to shoot with an external 4k recorder, but the option for 4k output on the camera is disable and I can't change it. Do you have any idea about this issue thanks
I do know about the 4K output. It's complicated - but I do explain this in the video section of my review of the A6500 - ruclips.net/video/N3M5QR_MuTY/видео.htmlm30s hope this helps, if not, let me know
I think your using an atomos recorder, I own an Odyssey 7q. but the mode on the actual camera is totally disable like it does not work. I don't know why yours is different, and shows you the settings you can do when shooting 4k into a recorder. I saw your video, but is not the same for me on my camera
Excellent video. I just purchased the a6500. I downloaded photos and videos to my macbook pro, I can see the files in small preview pictures, but when I try to take it up in full screen OSX.. It doesn't work. Any help? Thanks
I appreciate the kind words, thanks. In the OSX Finder, all you need to do is tap the spacebar for a full size preview of the currently highlighted file. You can also import the images into Photos, or open the videos using QuickTime. If that doesn't work - how did you download the images?
OSX has not yet been updated to support RAW files from the A6500. It does support the JPEG files. If you are shooting RAW, both Capture One (free with the camera) and Lightroom do.
Hi, thanks for your video. Please can you help me on a particular point, after resetting to default as per video I choose file format XAVCS 4K then when scrolling down to record settings unlike your display mine only shows two options, 25p 100m and 25p 60m, your window shows 4 options to which you choose 24p 100m, can you tell me why I have two options to your 4. Thank you
Always my pleasure - thanks for the kind words. Your camera is set to PAL, where frame rates are multiples of 25. In NTSC, frame rates are multiples of 30.
Greetings, thanks for your video on the a6500 settings. I recently bought the the Sony camcorder z90v, just available at B&H on January 4th 2018. Could you please give me a link to your explanation of the picture profiles (for a6500)? I can't seem to find it on your page. I bought the camcorder style because I need to be able to do run and Gun video, get the shot quickly there is no second take. I had planned to augment it with the a 6500 as a second camera, assuming that if I shoot in s log 3 they would be pretty easy to color match, and perhaps even be a good match shooting in a identical picture profile. However, I have noticed a fair amount of grain or dirt in the darker areas of the z90. I am thinking this is something I am doing, as I have not seen anyone else complain about this yet. I am at 0 DB which I assume is similar to a low ISO. Any help you could offer would be great, even if it's based on your experience with the a 6500. I'm really looking for a good overall picture profile to shoot in, and they seem to be set at about the same presets. I don't necessarily want to grade every video that I do, often there simply is not the time on a tight turnaround. I just want to make sure that my image is sharp and not full of the dancing grain sometimes seen in dark areas. Thank you for your help. By the way, you were video was so well done, comprehensive yet concise and coherent, that I have subscribed and plan on watching many more of your presentations. Great job.
Thanks for your kind words, appreciated. I think this sums it up: ruclips.net/video/1P8pIKYBmP0/видео.html, but you might also enjoy: ruclips.net/video/g5ByPkuhuM4/видео.html. There's more picture profile and gamma curve details sprinkled through all of my Sony reviews - I should do an excerpt of the best bits!
Hi Martin, what are the settings to have a cronological order for video settings. I notice the camera assigns the same file names everytime you insert a new card.
Everytime you format the card, it restarts at C0001. And they are numbered chronologically, but I assume you mean so that you can put multiple days shooting in the same folder - using the same system as used for stills. Sadly, I don't know of one - even the "set file name" option is only available for stills.
Thank you so much for your response! I was filming a wedding using multiple 32gb sd cards on an A6500 and an A6300, to my surprise, I had similar file names between these cards at the time I was uploading into my computer. I will buy much larger cards. Maybe that can make it easier.
After watching tons of videos I wish I would of came across this one first. Great video! I have one question what would you recommend for filming fast moving objects (cars, Motorcycles) that would REALLY help a lot . Thanks !!
Thanks for your kind words. I don't have experience with racing cars, but I do with horses. For as much as I tried other settings, smooth movement (camera panning plus horse moving) only came at 30 frames with 1/60. I'd be tempted to try 60 frames 1/120 to see if that might be better.
I'll be using the camera in some training that I conduct. Is there HDMI output to plug into a TV or PC or is the only option to download the file(s) and playback from another device?
Please watch the video as it starts at 4:50 min, and you will understand the Glitch. I have the same issue: ruclips.net/video/fzb1EpSRIQ8/видео.htmlm50s
Thanks for the link. Not sure what's happening with David - that's a very strange fix. Also there may be some lens interplay. But I would suggest that the steady shot feature is not really designed for video (use the lens OSS instead). I also suspect that this move is outside of the tolerances of the capabilities of this feature. There are other cameras that provide the capability to turn off the horizontal stabilization when panning - that's a feature Sony could implement to hopefully eliminate this. I think the solution is to turn off the stabilization (not very good under the best of circumstances) and use a gimbel instead.
Maarten Heilbron I have been searching for a tutorial on the A6000 and can't find it anywhere and i'm new to the camera, I subscribed and hopefully you can do one. amazing channel keep up the great work !
Although the distinction is more historical than technical - video (which previously had a lower resolution and limited dynamic range) had a crisp and detailed look, with luminance settings that covered the entire allowable exposure range (100 IRE units). Although TV was afraid of dark images, cinema never was. Film, particularly for cinema, offered a higher resolution and when projected a softer look (both inherent and intentional - with cinematographers shooting slightly soft to make the stars look prettier). Colour TV often used high chroma levels to exaggerate the colour, and while this look was sometimes also seen in film, film colour tends to be lower in saturation for a more natural look. However, in many cases these are artistic decisions, not technical ones. As for the point, I think you might have to read Marshall McLuhan's book "The Medium Is the Message". These are subtle effects that speak to viewers in a variety of ways, engendering a variety of emotional cues and responses. Hope this helps.
I have always simply heard that historically, they shot cinema in 24 fps and tv in 30 fps. Never knew the historical reason why until your comment here!! Thank you!!
The difference between the two frame rates comes from a different source. For cinema, 24 frames was selected as the minimum refresh rate where human viewers would perceive persistence - that is the image would not flicker. Film was expensive, so the requirement was to reduce the use of film to the minimum - that turned out to be 24 frames. Older silent movies that now seem speeded up were shot at 18fps, which is too slow to look smooth. TV (in North America and other regions where the power mains frequency is 60Hz) is 30 frames, as that turned out to be an easy source for a reliable pulse. In Europe (and other regions where the mains frequency is 50Hz) the TV frame rate is 25, for the same reason. Of course, in the days of digital and LCD screens these are no longer issues, except they need to be considered for legacy installed base issues.
Would you recommand using 5500K all the time, because it is in the middle of WB.Because in a night Club lights Color are always changing and this could lead to extrem changes in WB, during a shoot. My Buddy told me to use Auto WB, because he often moves with his camera for example when he leaves the church Auto WB + Auto ISO is his recommandation, to get footage that can be used otherwise he risks losing important moments
I'm good with auto ISO, but not auto WB. For lights in a club, that feels a little high. For a single shot from interior to exterior, maybe auto ISO, but otherwise set or capture an accurate setting - otherwise the colour shifts will make editing difficult.
There is no RAW for video. Increasing the exposure compensation won't help (it's not a magical fourth exposure setting). If your video looks grainy you can try shooting at 1/30, or you'll need to increase the light. Otherwise, don't be too critical - many movies have "dark" or grainy scenes.
While I understand the aesthetic appeal of shooting at the exact 180 shutter equivalent, I'm pretty sure that 1/50 would fill your needs, and that you won't be able to find anyone who can detect whether any particular 24 frame clip was shot at 1/50 or 1/60, never mind 1/48 or 1/50. As I say, I understand the appeal, but I'd recommend you let this one go. Do you know the history of the 180 shutter? It was decided on as a compromise between the amount of time needed to expose the film (the film was slow) and the time required to move the film between frames (a complicated process). In the end, the mechanics won out, and studio lights got more powerful to accommodate. 1/48second was as quickly as they could make the film move in the gate.
New user with the A6500 - Maarten can you confirm please that filming in 4K XAVC-S always records to SD card as an mp4. Can the recorded file type be changed to anything else? If so - how? I'm also totally stumped on workflow. Do you have to "unpack" the mp4 to full 4k res in software such as Adobe prelude and create proxy files to edit in Premier - is that how it works? Using a macbook pro to edit. Just shifted to Sony from Canon so finding this a tad strange to say the least. I would really appreciate your help...
The only internal recording option is XAVC-S on the SD card. You can also record on an external recorder via HDMI. There's no need to unpack or anything else - just import the XAVC-S file directly from the card into Premiere - I assume you're using the latest version. Premiere needs to see the attached XML file for reference, so import from the card. Prelude isn't needed (but can be useful for complicated projects). I use FCP 10 on a 5K iMac and don't have issues working with 4K directly. If your computer is slower (or your edits are more complicated) proxy files might be useful. Although different, it really should be easier than Canon's workflow.
Thanks for your response Maarten. I am only recording internally at 4k and I can only see .mp4 files on my SD cards - there is nothing that says "XAVC-S". The only footage that appears on the files is found in 'Private - M4Root - Clip'. The clips are named "C0001.mp4, C0002.mp4" etc. I really need to know whether this is correct or not if I am shooting 4k XAVC-S. I am really trying to ascertain if the camera settings are right. My basic question is: Does the 4K XAVC-S recorded footage appear on the SD Card as an mp4? Is the 4K XAVC-S footage I record subsequently stored in an mp4 wrapper on the SD card? No one seems to be able to tell me - it's driving me nuts. Your help would be very much appreciated on this one.
The video files are found in the Private/M4Root/Clip folder. They are saved with the extension .mp4. If you import/open them in PP, you'll see that they are 4K. If you are transferring them, store the .XLM files too, as they are used to import the files (in FCPX anyway). Hope this eases your mind.
I'm sorry to bother you, but I am having a lot of trouble with visual noise. I have my ISO on auto, my aperture is at f4.0, and my shutter speed is at 1/60.
Thanks for sharing these great tips. What about settings for shooting video while walking... lets say on a gimbal with a 20mm wide angle Sony lens or the 35mm Sony lens?
Hi Maarten, I've learned heaps of details from you. But there is one thing that until now I cant figure it out and still searching for infos about shooting in low light for a6500. I just noticed that your footage especially in shadows are not grainy/noisy. Is there any plug-ins in post? Even the ev set to +3 or +7 and wide open of 1.4 at 1/60 with auto iso max of 3200, shadows still grainy in any condition. Any tips? I used cine 4 though.
No, that's pretty much out of camera, with the settings as you see them. The mistake you may be making is to try to make the images look too bright. Let dark scenes, and dark areas in dark scenes be dark - don't feel the need to bring the meter to 0 (or the histogram to the right) if the scene is a dark one. As for the cine settings, I judge based on the scene, so I'm always trying each to determine which gives me the right mood. I would forgo changing the EV and make adjustments only the ISO, so you know what you're getting. With an ISO of 3200, a +3 EV is actually increasing the ISO by three more stops. I assume you're aware that EV is not a fourth exposure adjustment - there are only three (aperture, shutter and ISO). So when you've set the aperture and the shutter, changing the EV increases the ISO. It sounds like the situation might need more light.
I just bought this camera and it was a major upgrade.... I'm having trouble uploading the video from the card to my mac. Any help/advice/videos to point me in the right direction? Thanks,
I found that the 120 fps looks very bad in wide angle actually. Tight lines get artifacts. Do you know if 60fps is a much better choice for quality, or is it basically the same with less frames?
Try changing the setting from PAL to NTSC - but this will likely make your videos incompatible with TV sets in your region. No issue on computers though.
So, you say that in 4K mode the excellent touch-to-snap focus doesn't work with an external recorder? If I had a 4K recorder, this limitation would be terribly annoying. No touch-shutter, and now this issue. Hmm. Thank you for the excellent review.
So first, there is no touch-to-snap, there's only touch-to-focus. When an external recorder is connected (and the camera is in video mode) the touch only works in HD (not in 4K) and only when the HDMI info is set to off - as it would most likely be. Not sure why the same touch pad function used for the viewfinder doesn't work for the external monitor. Aaarrgghh.
This is party true (i must recheck) touch focus does work in 4k in one mode but since the screen is dark the value is limited i guess. What sony should do is what panasonic now does allow us to 'program' 3 or 4 points before recording starts and allow us to switch between them this would work perfectly also in this case since the place you touch will more a 'general area'. to select the correct 'box' kind of how now you can touch the face in picture mode to select the face you want to focus or do eye-detect on.
The touch focus does work in 4K (it is its own mode as far as I can see) and works with the viewfinder touch pad - as you are right, the darker screen is a limiting factor. Thanks for commenting.
I really don't understand why not more brands build in focus 'presets' that would be so nice and would even make things like sigma lenses on the mc11 so much more useful. Just give us 3 or 4 memories and 'face detect' like boxes around them we can use to switch and make it slowly pull focus. Even better allow each to have different settings like f-stop how cool would that be. I am still considering making a external app for that if i find some extra time..
What a cool idea! Sounds like the just the kind of thing Panasonic might do. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
What a refreshingly straightforward tutorial video! The fact that this wasn't shot by a 20 year old camera vlogger wearing a black snap-back hat, in a room full of soundproofing panels, with the sound of Lofi Beats to Study To playing throughout, immediately makes the information more palatable. Thank you for your expertise
Always nice to hear from a viewer who appreciates my old-school style. Thanks for your kind words, they are appreciated!
I've had my 6500 for 3 years, but after recently testing it against a DJI Osmo Pocket 2, the Sony was disappointing. Operator error! I had the settings all wrong after watching too many RUclips videos suggesting that I try X, Y or Z. I don't edit in post. Martin's tips were by far the most helpful I have seen. THANKS!!!
I appreciate your kind words, always nice to know my videos are helpful.
Thanks again Marrten very well done. One of your opening comments should be practiced by all new users "I am starting with the camera in its default setting" This feature rich camera is excellent but I was testing some odd settings buried deep in the menus and it did trip me up a couple of times I now note a few key settings I like and RESET back to the default setting before a major shoot like I did before my Vacation in Mexico. I also changed the C1 button to movie for this trip . I used the manual setting you suggested in an earlier video and after a bit of practice I am very pleased with the results. I was not comfortable with the touch screen focus and turned it off for this trip. Now if i could just remember to pack my new external mic when go out for the day:) Looking forward to you next video.
I appreciate the kind words, and fully sympathize. More than once I've come home only to find that I was trying something (like a white balance colour adjust) and forgot to reset it. I will note that on most recent Sony models with picture profiles that a full reset does not reset the profile settings - each has an individual reset.
I have to tell you that I have watched a very large number of videos regarding this sony model and found your explanation and delivery the easiest to follow. Thank You.
That's very kind of you to say, I appreciate your kind words, thanks!
Your calm, Canadian cadence is a pleasure to listen to. Lots of useful information.
It was a pleasure to read your kind words, thanks for taking the time to comment.
Best tutorial review yet, and I'm only 4 minutes in
Very kind of you to say - I hope it's that good all the way to the end.
Thanks. i am new to this camera. I am a film maker but the kind that had a camera person to realize my documentaries. Recently i decided i wanted to learn how to do this myself. Big respect for camera experts and much humility in this learning curve. Thanks for the help.
Always nice to read that my work is useful and appreciated. Thanks for the kind words.
this is a professional, high valued tutorial and recommendation video. Thank you very much!
Thanks for the kind words, they're appreciated.
thanks so much for this... I am about to do a shoot in the Whitsundays on a sailboat next week!!! can't wait to play on the a6500
That sounds like fun, hope it works out for you.
This video is a shining beacon in a sea of unhelpful others, you totally fixed my issues and can't thank you enough!! Sooooooo releived when I found this.
That was very kind of you to say, thanks for taking the time to comment, appreciated.
Thank you Maarten for the settings information. I've been a Nikon user for 25 years. My new a6500 has a bit of a learning curve. Thanks again.
Always my pleasure - thanks for the kind words. I can empathize with that thought - unless you've been using recent model Sony cameras - there is a lot to understand. If you have 30 minutes, I explain more here: ruclips.net/video/N3M5QR_MuTY/видео.html
Clear zoom at 13:01 there is a step mode press up or down on the wheel and a pan mode press left or right on the wheel. The pan mode is smooth and may be usefully.
Thanks - the footage is at 7:56, and as you can see, I am using the left/right and while it's better than the stepped up and down zoom, at .1 zoom increments, it is far from smooth, as you can see in the demonstration.
Using a Sony cinema lens that is almost twice the cost of the camera, that's gonna break some of your viewers' hearts when they look up the price! I had forgot about that lens, so with me, you just opened up an old wound ;) Seriously...nice video!
Wish I could afford one too. But thanks for the kind words.
Your delivery is superb!
What a kind comment! Thank you.
Thank you so much! This was very informative and helpful!
Thanks for your kind words, appreciated.
Wow, the is the most valuable tutorial for Sony a6500!!! Thank you very much!
Glad you think so! Thanks for your kind comments.
in Low light, No matter what setting I put, 4k or 1080 and ISO ( High or low) I still get a grainy picture, let alone slow motion which is always grainy.
What is the reason? I thought this camera is supposed to be great in low light, I want useable clear video, I am struggling and not achieving it in LOVE LIGHT!
Some grain is unavoidable, particularly at higher ISOs, particularly if the majority of the scene is dark. Slow motion and dark scenes are not really compatible (the higher shutter speed reduces quality further). What ISO are you using? What shutter speed? What aperture?
well done, some helpful tips here. I did notice however the touch to focus doesn't change from autofocus of manual IF used whilst in flexible/spot focusing. I myself don't find I use that feature much, but if anyone new is reading this, it might help, and if I may add, I use the custom dial 1/2 for switching between 4k/and 120fps in 1080, helps with quickly switching between the two shooting styles. anywho thanks for a very well made informative video!! 👍
Excellent tips, thanks for your note and your kind words.
As usual, thanks for your video Maarten!
Always nice to hear from you - thanks for the kind words.
Awesome quick-start guide! Thanks for making this - just snagged an a6500
Glad to hear you found it useful, always nice to read kind words from my viewers.
Maarten Heilbron yessir! Appreciate it. Lots of things made simple - my favorite discovery was being able to set the white balance with such ease. Reminds me of the days I worked in broadcast. Didn't have that detection feature with my last camera
That's very kind, thanks for commenting. With a broadcast background myself, those are the kinds of things I miss and appreciate when they are available.
Hello again. Many people are intersted in sony a6500 becouse of its better low light performance compared to other cameras in the market. I would appreciate your comment fot wha i found about video settings in low light. After some experiments I found that you get less noise (always in low light or dark and very environment) if you set "details" at -7 and black levels between +9 to even +15, at Cine 3 & 4. The most important factor as it concern the noise proved to be the "details" tab. Best result came with : detail -7, black +10, saturation -3.
Those are good ways to keep the noise low - those curves are good in low light and reducing detail and saturation will reduce noise levels. Not sure about increasing the black - I'll have to try that. Thanks for the tips.
Great video! I recently shot a wedding video with my a6500. Since I am using the camera for mainly video, I programmed the AEL button on the back to be the REC start/stop button rather that use the one on the side of the camera.
I really do appreciate you creating this detailed explanation.
It's always nice to hear from someone who appreciates my work, thanks for the kind words.
Thanks 👍🏻 great review - i bought the A 6500 as my second cam (first Sony PXW Z 90) and i am very happy with it 👍🏻🎬🎥 best regards from a small german filmmaker😉
Thank you for your kind words, glad to hear you appreciate my videos.
Thanks. this is really helpful for new user.
That's nice to hear - thanks for the kind words.
thank you very much for a very clearly details,love your VDO setting .
Such a pleasure to read your kind comments, thanks for watching and commenting.
always best and detail explanation......love it..
That's very kind, thanks for commenting.
Very useful!... Thank you for this video
That's kind of you to say, thanks for commenting.
Nice basic overview, thanks!
That's very kind, thanks for commenting.
Great overview video. Thank you so much for all the helpful info!
A pleasure to read your kind words, thanks for commenting.
Hello. In your experience what is the best settings for low light video shooting ? Which mode (cine, slog etc) and which color mode (sgamut etc) you think provide the better balance for post process (grading, dynamic range ) with low noise ? Thanks
I'd use cine4 with cinema colour - but that may not be the mood or setting that works for your scene. In general, I try to get by with as little grading as possible.
Awesome tutorial, thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’m completely new to shooting. I have a a6500 mainly purchased because we have a baby on the way so looking forward to taking tons of pics and video. Will definitely be setting up my video settings how you described. Thanks again!
How nice of you to take the time to comment - I appreciate the kind words.
Nice video again, good to see you provide valid info on the overheating warning. It confirms with my testing and most i have seen who came to the same conclusion. I don't fully understand why sony didn't move the warning too since the 'gap' between warning and well not shutting down is now huge. One more tip on AF in video if you use face detect make sure you also select wide area focus since it drops back to the focus mode if it can't find a face and if you for example have spot focus on it will well jump to that spot instead of probably keeping the person in focus in wide mode (hope that makes sense).
Thanks for the kind words and your observations - and yes, that's the recommendation I make in the video - wide area with face detect.
Oops sorry i missed that or but its a good extra warning to be careful to others in what mode its 'default' if you use facedetect.
Always good to reinforce and reiterate a good idea, thanks!
Really detailed and helpful explanation. I wonder if you can share more about touch focus and lock-on focus when shooting video. Thank you for your efforts!
I appreciate the kind words. I'm just finishing my review of the A6500, and those are details I've covered.
Good info! Thanks for sharing!
Glad to hear you found it useful, thanks for the kind words.
thanks for the video very helpful.....glad to say my settings are more or less the same as yours apart from the zoom where I just stick to the lens zoom - have several lenses with diff reach thanks to adapters! The picture profile I'm using for moving images is PP8 with Cine4 as the Gamma and S-Gamut as color mode. I find it more flexible (iso minimum 200 as opposed to 800) than full on LOG whilst still holding onto the highlights well enough....just like when I used to use slide film like Fuji Provia etc I expose for the highlights anyway as there's nothing worse than clipped highlights on human skin on these digital cameras....
Thanks for the kind words, they're always appreciated. Thanks for sharing, always nice to know what's working for other shooters.
I'm brand new to the A6500 and have an E 55-210mm lens, I like to shoot travel videos with many landscape shots but I'm so confused and trying to learn which settings to use. I typically don't need to focus on particular objects but instead I like the full picture to be focus and as crisp as possible. Do you have any recommendations for settings that I can try for basic landscape shots???
For basic landscape AFS and wide should be fine - but if you do decide to use manual, back it off slightly from infinity. Incidentally, shoot with a fairly small aperture for your sharpest images F11-F16.
Thank you for this video! Im still learning to work with my 6500! This was usefull!
It's always nice to read the word "useful" about my videos - thanks very much.
Well they are really useful - I like how you use the camera with cine profile and flatter settings. The results are great out of camera.
Do you eyeball whitebalance on screen?
Thank you for the kind words, they are appreciated. I try to eyeball the white balance when setting with degrees K, I usually have a fairly good sense what the setting would be. However, I'm only confident when I capture and set a custom white balance.
Great stuff. Thanks for the tips.
Always nice to know my videos are helpful, thanks for commenting.
Thank you for the video, Maarten. Quick question that I am still confused about: do sony cameras really shoot at 29.97 fps when you set them to 30fps? Likewise, to they shoot at 59.94 fps when you set them to 60 fps? Or do they shoot at a true 30 and 60 fps? Thanks so much.
Always my pleasure, thanks for the kind words. Yes, they really shoot at drop frame (29.97 etc). Most cameras do.
Awesome review. Thank you!
That's very kind, thanks!
I'm finding that outdoor shots in standard metering mode on the A6500 are almost always overexposed and usually I have to set exposure compensation to -.7 or -.3 every time I go outside. This isn't a "need an ND filter" issue, but instead seems to be a metering issue. Did you run into this at all? I'll test out those other metering modes.
I agree with that - the camera does a slightly aggressive version of "expose to the right". However, if you're shooting RAW, even if the highlights are blown out (slightly anyway) they can usually be recovered in lightroom. I'll post my full review in the next week or so.
Another great video! Thank you for a very detailed overview of the settings.
That's very kind of you to say, thanks for your comment.
Useful video. Will try the saturation and detail advice. How do you like the focus quality so far? Do you use Canon lenses or only Sony? Kind regards
Thanks for the kind words, appreciated. I do like the focus. Fast, accurate, reliable. I only use Sony - but I am planning to review some e-mount adapters this year.
Maarten Heilbron I was about to ask you to make a video about focus and adapters like the cheap Commlite and the very expensive Metabones. This saturday I will go to the Sony store so they can help me with my focus problem (I think it's a lack of configuration)
If you any guidance to suggest for the review, that would be appreciated.
In general native works better, i guess the new metabones 5 has not been tested but the mb4 and mc11 are limited compared to native lens.
I agree that the native lenses may work better - but Sony's support in the e-mount line for third party lenses has always been one of the main attractions. Adding IBIS makes it even more powerful for that purpose. Thanks for commenting.
Have you heard any good reviews on battery grips? Also what is your shooting time while recording 4k on a fully charged battery?
I have not. That's documented/demonstrated in the A6300/A6500 comparison: ruclips.net/video/iAkRdgnq2nY/видео.html. With a fully charged battery over an hour of 4K shooting. With an external USB power (and a fully charged battery) over 90 minutes.
An excellent review of the camera! Thank you so much for helping me to get acquainted with my new camera!
It's my pleasure, thanks for the kind words - always nice to know my videos are appreciated.
Nice video! I work with the sony a6000 do you have a setings video too? Do you have tips for cinematic settings?
I appreciate the kind words. My advice would generally be the same - the A6000 lacks 4K (use 24 or 30 frame XAVC-S) and picture profiles. And the focus engine (particularly in AFC) isn't quite as fast/reliable - but, sorry, not video advice on the A6000. Here's my settings for the A6300 though: ruclips.net/video/AVUS6GoL42Y/видео.html
super helpfullllll thanks Maarten 😍🎥
Thanks, I appreciate the kind words.
Great and precise info as always! Have you tried the BlackMagic Video Assist 5" with either a6300 or a6500? I really like it's size and the 1080p screen but I've heard it doesn't work well with Sony alpha and will only record interlaced. I love the Atomos Assasin but it's size is a little too big for my rig. What do you reccomend?
I appreciate the kind words, thanks! Haven't see the BlackMagic, so can't really provide advice on it. I use the Atomos Shogun (now discontinued) but the Flame is more or less the same/upgraded version. Yes, it's a little heavy so I tend to use it mostly with a tripod. I'd tried several other monitors and recorders, but Atomos gets my highest recommendation.
This was very useful. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful, thanks for taking the time to comment.
This is a great video for newbs like me. Thanks for sharing.
Glad to hear I've provided useful information - thanks for the kind words.
I have one question. I have both 6300 and 6500 and to shoot my videos on the light I have, I set my camera's F to 9.5 - 11 and Sutter Speed to 1/45 - 1/30 and ISO 800. Now with these settings when I pan/tilt, I do not feel the vision is smooth. Is it because of shutter speed?
I think the ideal shutter speed for motion capture is 1/60 - but maybe it’s not smooth because of your tripod and camera movement?
No, kindly watch this video in full screen (if possible of course) and see when the camera pan/tilts, you will not see the smoothness.
Did you intend to include a link?
Very sorry. Here we go- ruclips.net/video/fYN9WccA5YQ/видео.html
The motion is not smooth - but also possibly the stabilization is on which causes those kinds of artifacts.
I am new at this and I'm going to be shooting daughters volleyball games - what is the best focus options for such a shoot and is there any other advice you can give
Although I think you're best to try to keep the depth of field large (larger F-stop, meaning higher ISO) and using the AFC and wide mode, if you just need to maintain focus on your daughter, you could try Centre lock-on AF (it needs to be assigned to a custom button, I use the bottom of the dial). I find it a little difficult to manage, but worth trying, maybe I just don't use it enough to be comfortable/familiar.
When I tap the screen to focus on something in the frame, nothing happens. Actually an icon that looks like a finger pops up and it says Focus Cancel at the bottom of the screen. Is there something that should be turned on in the menu to use that option of tapping the screen to focus? I have it set to Touch Panel + Pad. I am using an AF lens too.
You need to press the shutter button (or the AF-On button) to focus. All the touch screen does is select the focus point.
Maarten (Dutch??) great video, question, what software do you use to ingest your 4K clips? I just found out that Catalyst only transcodes to 2K. Any (cheaper) alternatives that give you the best possible results? Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words, and your comment. Am I missing something? Why would you need to ingest or use a Catalyst? Final Cut and Premiere import and open the XAVC-S files directly with internal transcoding.
Thank you for the Review. I have a question, What would you suggest for Video a6500 or Fuji X-T20. I will be getting the Zhiyun Crane V2. to use with it. Side note, I will also be doing stills as well. Thank you for your response.
Although I use the X-T2 and would in general term prefer it (particularly with the XF 16-55 lens) that combo is really too heavy for the Zhiyun, so for that reason alone I'd recommend you go with the A6500, which is lighter - although you'll still need to be careful with your lens selection.
THANK YOU for getting back with me! You said the X-T2. what about The X-T20? would you still recommend The a6500? I didn't know if Image Stabilization would be a problem with The X-T20 on the Zhiyun.
Sorry, going too fast ... between the X-T20 and A6500, I'd definitely take the A6500. It should be a problem, but I didn't try it. The Zhiyun is pretty stable, and as the X-T20 is relatively small/light it should be able to handle it. When using the Zhiyun, I would recommend turning the camera's stabilization off.
Thank much!!! I will look into the A6500! Enjoy your videos!
Always my pleasure
Ready to shoot after 13 minutes. Thank you so much! It would have taken me days to figure all that out.
Always nice to hear that my videos are useful - thanks for the kind words.
Thanks Martin this video is going to really help me as I'm going to buy a A6500. Does it have a electronic shutter as I'm going to buy the timelapse app and I believe using the electronic shutter will have less wear on the mechanical shutter.
I appreciate your kind words, thank you. Yes, the shutter can be set from full physical curtain (front and back) to back only to completely electronic (silent). Note that in full electronic the RAW files are 12, not 14 bit.
Yeah saves on wear n tear - when you do the math on your shutter count time lapse can burn through its life expectancy.
I get that - but I'm not sure how many photographers would run into this - or do I just not understand?
I have a sony a6500 but my record settings are different from yours in the video. I am given the option of 60p/50m, 30p/50m or 24p/50m.
Those are the HD options, the 4K options are different.
As always, an excellent review. I really would like to use this handheld, but I'm used to shooting with an LCD Viewfinder. I always shoot fully manual focus, so the touch focus holds no appeal for me.
Do you know any third party viewfinder that will work with the Sony?
Thank you, kind words are always appreciated. I've not used viewfinders, but my understanding is that most are fairly universal and can mount on most LCDs. Check with your dealer to make sure.
I found a product---I'll let you know if that's okay. The 6500 is virtually impossible to shoot out of doors using the LCD. The EVF may possibly work, but for a video shooter it is, let us say, LESS than satisfying to shoot that way. So, the LCD viewfinder and peaking are essential to my own shooting, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
By the way, I'm primarily a Canon fan boy---great, and I really appreciated your review of the XC-10. I have the XC-15 and it is awesome---unbelievably easy shooting and excellent results--consistently so.
I"m grateful for your kind words, yes, please keep me posted.
Hey,Have you heard of EOS HD? Is it worth paying for? he gives you a PDF containing settings for your default color, giving it a pretty nice look, or is it something i can find elsewhere or play with myself or is it even worth changing the default settings. Also what color grading or LUTs i guess should i look into for my new a6500?
For starters I would recommend using the gamma curves that don't require a LUT - like Cine 1-4, depending on the scene and lighting. You may consider reducing the saturation and detail (as mentioned in the video) provide me the results I want. Not sure what you're looking for.
In general, I would recommend trying to get the colour and exposure right in camera and then making small adjustments as required in post (I use FCPX with Color Finale). I find most LUTs, which are typically designed to be used with SLog gammas, not to work as well as adjusting the image myself with Color Finale and referencing the on-screen waveform. Hope this helps.
So when you say recommend trying to get the colour and exposure right in camera, are you talking about within the different picture profiles and messing with those? as you can tell im new to most of this.
That's exactly what I recommend. And, unless you really need them (ruclips.net/video/g5ByPkuhuM4/видео.html) don't use the SLog settings without testing them first and then only on scenes that really need them. The low bandwidth 8-bit recordings of the A6500 can't be pushed/stretched too far when colour grading without deteriorating.
Maarten Heilbron thank you so much for the advice! (the link didn't work) but I will adjust the in camera and do what you said, once It comes in tommorow and I can get hands on, I'm sure things will make a lot more sense
Here's the link again ... ruclips.net/video/g5ByPkuhuM4/видео.html
Thank you Maarten! Great tips and a good place for me to start as I will be using the a6500 in a Nauticam housing with various lenses for underwater 4K videos. I'm expecting I will need to experiment with settings a bit to get optimal results. Again, thanks - for all your videos.
Thanks for the kind words. Sounds like an interesting challenge - I expect there will be some trial and error to discover the optimal settings.
I am following your recommendations with my new A6500 (UK model). I cannot access face detect in movie mode at 4K. Do you need to change to manual picture mode to access face detect? Many thanks for video - it's been a big help!
Always glad to help, but I'm puzzled. Although I no longer have the A6500 here to check, it works on my A6300, so not clear why it's not working for you. Is the menu option dimmed out, or is it just not working for a specific face?
I am using a Sony 1.8 35mm OSS lens. When I select face detection at 4K in movie mode on the A6500 a dialogue box says " not available with this file format" or something to that effect. When I switch file format from 4k to XAVC-S HD the face detect can be turned on. I have no idea what is going on - hope I don't have a dodgy camera...
Strange. I have no further explanation.
did you find out what the problem is? I just got the sony a 6500!
Hi - I have spoken with Sony reps at the Photo show a couple of weeks ago. They have reported the issue to Sony but reckon it might be a firmware issue. How are you getting on with your new A6500 - all good so far?
Thank you so much I needed all this info
I was very pleased to read your comment, always nice to know I've been able to assist.
Maarten Heilbron you seriously helped me setup my camera for my YT channel I am grateful
Thank you, that's always nice to hear. Best wishes.
Thank you so much! Very Helpful
Thanks for the kind words, and taking the time to comment.
Can face detection be used while filming in 4k?
Yes.
Would you do one for Panasonic lx10 video setting?
I can put it on my to-do list, but I'm not sure it will happen as I would have to borrow the camera again.
Question i have! , im really curious about if the sony a6500 can playback Slowmotion in camara ? did you know?
love your tips , and really than you! , very complete info.
It can, but it's limited compared to some Sony RX10 and RX100 models - it's demoed in my review: ruclips.net/video/N3M5QR_MuTY/видео.html
Always a pleasure to read my viewer's kind words - thanks for commenting.
Maarten Heilbron thank you so much sir!!!!
Always my pleasure.
Hey Maarten i have a question about the built in stabilization. Do you have to use a special lens for that to be effective? I shot something last night completely handheld and I did have the option turned on for stabilization in the camera's menu but when I looked at the footage it was shaky as all get out. I was using a Rokinon 14mm lens.
It sounds like you need a tripod or a gimbal stabilizer. Even with both optical the in-body stabilization, it really doesn't do much for video - and Sony's solution works best with the stabilized Sony lenses. The only camera I've seen recently where the stabilization was half reasonable was the Olympus OMD EM1-II.
oh ok gotcha! Thanks!
always happy to help.
Awesome Tutorial!
Thanks!
Thank you for your kind words, appreciated.
Great video, do you think It is a good idea to use a picture profile on the A6500 for music videos?
Sure - as long as it serves the effect you're trying to create and doesn't degrade the quality.
Very well done. thank you very much for all the time you spend to share your experience. In your experience do you think your details settings will reduce the moire effect in 4K ?
Yes, but ... More details on my review in the next week or two.
OK Thanks, i will watch it with attention ! I use almost the same settings for my A6500. I've also assigned the magnifier to central button for manual focusing with Canon lenses and speed boosters because the peaking is not always very precise in some very bright or very dark conditions.
Thanks. Good plan, particularly for video - the focus magnifier is an essential tool - I've always used C1, but maybe the centre button is easier to find in the dark ...
Hi, I wonder if you know about the 4k output on this camera. I'm trying to shoot with an external 4k recorder, but the option for 4k output on the camera is disable and I can't change it. Do you have any idea about this issue
thanks
I do know about the 4K output. It's complicated - but I do explain this in the video section of my review of the A6500 - ruclips.net/video/N3M5QR_MuTY/видео.htmlm30s
hope this helps, if not, let me know
I think your using an atomos recorder, I own an Odyssey 7q. but the mode on the actual camera is totally disable like it does not work. I don't know why yours is different, and shows you the settings you can do when shooting 4k into a recorder. I saw your video, but is not the same for me on my camera
Can you give me more details? What are your settings?
Excellent video.
I just purchased the a6500. I downloaded photos and videos to my macbook pro,
I can see the files in small preview pictures, but when I try to take it up in full screen OSX.. It doesn't work. Any help? Thanks
I appreciate the kind words, thanks. In the OSX Finder, all you need to do is tap the spacebar for a full size preview of the currently highlighted file. You can also import the images into Photos, or open the videos using QuickTime. If that doesn't work - how did you download the images?
The OS doesn't support the Raw files from a6500.
OSX has not yet been updated to support RAW files from the A6500. It does support the JPEG files. If you are shooting RAW, both Capture One (free with the camera) and Lightroom do.
Thank you!
Do you know if iMovie supports 4K videos from a6500?
My pleasure. I do know, and it does.
Hi, thanks for your video.
Please can you help me on a particular point, after resetting to default as per video I choose file format XAVCS 4K then when scrolling down to record settings unlike your display mine only shows two options, 25p 100m and 25p 60m, your window shows 4 options to which you choose 24p 100m, can you tell me why I have two options to your 4. Thank you
Always my pleasure - thanks for the kind words.
Your camera is set to PAL, where frame rates are multiples of 25. In NTSC, frame rates are multiples of 30.
Thanks
glad I could help
Greetings, thanks for your video on the a6500 settings. I recently bought the the Sony camcorder z90v, just available at B&H on January 4th 2018. Could you please give me a link to your explanation of the picture profiles (for a6500)? I can't seem to find it on your page. I bought the camcorder style because I need to be able to do run and Gun video, get the shot quickly there is no second take. I had planned to augment it with the a 6500 as a second camera, assuming that if I shoot in s log 3 they would be pretty easy to color match, and perhaps even be a good match shooting in a identical picture profile. However, I have noticed a fair amount of grain or dirt in the darker areas of the z90. I am thinking this is something I am doing, as I have not seen anyone else complain about this yet. I am at 0 DB which I assume is similar to a low ISO. Any help you could offer would be great, even if it's based on your experience with the a 6500. I'm really looking for a good overall picture profile to shoot in, and they seem to be set at about the same presets. I don't necessarily want to grade every video that I do, often there simply is not the time on a tight turnaround. I just want to make sure that my image is sharp and not full of the dancing grain sometimes seen in dark areas. Thank you for your help. By the way, you were video was so well done, comprehensive yet concise and coherent, that I have subscribed and plan on watching many more of your presentations. Great job.
Thanks for your kind words, appreciated. I think this sums it up: ruclips.net/video/1P8pIKYBmP0/видео.html, but you might also enjoy: ruclips.net/video/g5ByPkuhuM4/видео.html. There's more picture profile and gamma curve details sprinkled through all of my Sony reviews - I should do an excerpt of the best bits!
thank you for your excellent informations
Always my pleasure, thanks for your kind words.
Hi Martin, what are the settings to have a cronological order for video settings. I notice the camera assigns the same file names everytime you insert a new card.
Everytime you format the card, it restarts at C0001. And they are numbered chronologically, but I assume you mean so that you can put multiple days shooting in the same folder - using the same system as used for stills.
Sadly, I don't know of one - even the "set file name" option is only available for stills.
Thank you so much for your response! I was filming a wedding using multiple 32gb sd cards on an A6500 and an A6300, to my surprise, I had similar file names between these cards at the time I was uploading into my computer. I will buy much larger cards. Maybe that can make it easier.
I can see how that's an issue - and had a similar experience at the RUclips Toronto Space with a two camera shoot.
super, thanks! funny... I just got the camera and my 1st shoot w the new machine is at The Burdock, so this was PERFECT!
Perfect! Love that space, and thanks for the kind words.
After watching tons of videos I wish I would of came across this one first. Great video! I have one question what would you recommend for filming fast moving objects (cars, Motorcycles) that would REALLY help a lot . Thanks !!
Thanks for your kind words. I don't have experience with racing cars, but I do with horses. For as much as I tried other settings, smooth movement (camera panning plus horse moving) only came at 30 frames with 1/60. I'd be tempted to try 60 frames 1/120 to see if that might be better.
Maarten Heilbron awesome thank you so much I will give those both a try !
@@aaronmichaelnunez Always happy to help.
I'll be using the camera in some training that I conduct. Is there HDMI output to plug into a TV or PC or is the only option to download the file(s) and playback from another device?
Yes, the camera has an HDMI out, and live video can be provided to a TV - not sure about a PC, unless it has an HDMI input.
Nice work. I wish the 6500 screen wouldn't get dark in 4K.
I know - it's annoying. In bright conditions I shoot with the viewfinder.
When I pan and tilt up, the video flicks for a moment. Did you notice that?
I have not. On the viewfinder, the LCD or in the recording? What and where are you recording?
Please watch the video as it starts at 4:50 min, and you will understand the Glitch. I have the same issue: ruclips.net/video/fzb1EpSRIQ8/видео.htmlm50s
Thanks for the link. Not sure what's happening with David - that's a very strange fix. Also there may be some lens interplay. But I would suggest that the steady shot feature is not really designed for video (use the lens OSS instead). I also suspect that this move is outside of the tolerances of the capabilities of this feature. There are other cameras that provide the capability to turn off the horizontal stabilization when panning - that's a feature Sony could implement to hopefully eliminate this.
I think the solution is to turn off the stabilization (not very good under the best of circumstances) and use a gimbel instead.
I have both 6300 and 6500. The tilt screen flick problem only happens with 6500 and do not happen with 6300 with the same lens. :)
Thanks for your note.
Hey, do you have any for the Sony A6000?
Sorry, I did not do a video settings video for the A6000. However, it may still be worth doing. Let me see if there's space on the editorial calendar.
Maarten Heilbron I have been searching for a tutorial on the A6000 and can't find it anywhere and i'm new to the camera, I subscribed and hopefully you can do one. amazing channel keep up the great work !
Thanks for the kind words, I'll do my best.
what is meant by cinematic vs video output look? Settings for 'cinematic' seem lower, so what is that point?
Although the distinction is more historical than technical - video (which previously had a lower resolution and limited dynamic range) had a crisp and detailed look, with luminance settings that covered the entire allowable exposure range (100 IRE units). Although TV was afraid of dark images, cinema never was.
Film, particularly for cinema, offered a higher resolution and when projected a softer look (both inherent and intentional - with cinematographers shooting slightly soft to make the stars look prettier).
Colour TV often used high chroma levels to exaggerate the colour, and while this look was sometimes also seen in film, film colour tends to be lower in saturation for a more natural look. However, in many cases these are artistic decisions, not technical ones.
As for the point, I think you might have to read Marshall McLuhan's book "The Medium Is the Message". These are subtle effects that speak to viewers in a variety of ways, engendering a variety of emotional cues and responses. Hope this helps.
That was a well thought out and courteous reply, much appreciated. I will look up your reading recommendation. Thanks again.
Always my pleasure, just doing what I'd hope all RUclips creators would do.
I have always simply heard that historically, they shot cinema in 24 fps and tv in 30 fps. Never knew the historical reason why until your comment here!! Thank you!!
The difference between the two frame rates comes from a different source. For cinema, 24 frames was selected as the minimum refresh rate where human viewers would perceive persistence - that is the image would not flicker. Film was expensive, so the requirement was to reduce the use of film to the minimum - that turned out to be 24 frames. Older silent movies that now seem speeded up were shot at 18fps, which is too slow to look smooth.
TV (in North America and other regions where the power mains frequency is 60Hz) is 30 frames, as that turned out to be an easy source for a reliable pulse. In Europe (and other regions where the mains frequency is 50Hz) the TV frame rate is 25, for the same reason.
Of course, in the days of digital and LCD screens these are no longer issues, except they need to be considered for legacy installed base issues.
Would you recommand using 5500K all the time, because it is in the middle of WB.Because in a night Club lights Color are always changing and this could lead to extrem changes in WB, during a shoot. My Buddy told me to use Auto WB, because he often moves with his camera for example when he leaves the church Auto WB + Auto ISO is his recommandation, to get footage that can be used otherwise he risks losing important moments
I'm good with auto ISO, but not auto WB. For lights in a club, that feels a little high. For a single shot from interior to exterior, maybe auto ISO, but otherwise set or capture an accurate setting - otherwise the colour shifts will make editing difficult.
When recording RAW, why does the video look very grainy in low light? Should I up the exposure compensation?
There is no RAW for video. Increasing the exposure compensation won't help (it's not a magical fourth exposure setting). If your video looks grainy you can try shooting at 1/30, or you'll need to increase the light. Otherwise, don't be too critical - many movies have "dark" or grainy scenes.
Greetings, Thanks for the video!! Is there a way to set shutter speed to 1/48th which is the 180 degree angle to 24 fps?
While I understand the aesthetic appeal of shooting at the exact 180 shutter equivalent, I'm pretty sure that 1/50 would fill your needs, and that you won't be able to find anyone who can detect whether any particular 24 frame clip was shot at 1/50 or 1/60, never mind 1/48 or 1/50. As I say, I understand the appeal, but I'd recommend you let this one go. Do you know the history of the 180 shutter? It was decided on as a compromise between the amount of time needed to expose the film (the film was slow) and the time required to move the film between frames (a complicated process). In the end, the mechanics won out, and studio lights got more powerful to accommodate. 1/48second was as quickly as they could make the film move in the gate.
thanks for the reply!
Always my pleasure. Thanks for the kind words.
Tony: I turned my reply to you into a video: ruclips.net/video/NqRKzp3qHfE/видео.html
Awesome Maarten!! Thanks so much!
New user with the A6500 - Maarten can you confirm please that filming in 4K XAVC-S always records to SD card as an mp4. Can the recorded file type be changed to anything else? If so - how? I'm also totally stumped on workflow. Do you have to "unpack" the mp4 to full 4k res in software such as Adobe prelude and create proxy files to edit in Premier - is that how it works? Using a macbook pro to edit. Just shifted to Sony from Canon so finding this a tad strange to say the least. I would really appreciate your help...
The only internal recording option is XAVC-S on the SD card. You can also record on an external recorder via HDMI.
There's no need to unpack or anything else - just import the XAVC-S file directly from the card into Premiere - I assume you're using the latest version.
Premiere needs to see the attached XML file for reference, so import from the card. Prelude isn't needed (but can be useful for complicated projects).
I use FCP 10 on a 5K iMac and don't have issues working with 4K directly. If your computer is slower (or your edits are more complicated) proxy files might be useful. Although different, it really should be easier than Canon's workflow.
Thanks for your response Maarten. I am only recording internally at 4k and I can only see .mp4 files on my SD cards - there is nothing that says "XAVC-S". The only footage that appears on the files is found in 'Private - M4Root - Clip'. The clips are named "C0001.mp4, C0002.mp4" etc. I really need to know whether this is correct or not if I am shooting 4k XAVC-S. I am really trying to ascertain if the camera settings are right. My basic question is: Does the 4K XAVC-S recorded footage appear on the SD Card as an mp4? Is the 4K XAVC-S footage I record subsequently stored in an mp4 wrapper on the SD card? No one seems to be able to tell me - it's driving me nuts. Your help would be very much appreciated on this one.
The video files are found in the Private/M4Root/Clip folder. They are saved with the extension .mp4. If you import/open them in PP, you'll see that they are 4K. If you are transferring them, store the .XLM files too, as they are used to import the files (in FCPX anyway). Hope this eases your mind.
Brilliant Maarten - thank you so much!
Always my pleasure.
I'm sorry to bother you, but I am having a lot of trouble with visual noise. I have my ISO on auto, my aperture is at f4.0, and my shutter speed is at 1/60.
It's no bother. Maybe the scene needs more light. If the ISO wasn't on auto - where would it have to be to expose properly?
Just bought a sony a6500 but the video settings are different. it doesnt have 30p 4k, 120fps, 60p HD. Do you know what's the problem?
I do. It is in PAL mode (likely to be compatible with TV sets in your region) switch to NTSC for the other settings.
Thank you problem solved.
My pleasure, glad I could help.
Thanks for sharing these great tips. What about settings for shooting video while walking... lets say on a gimbal with a 20mm wide angle Sony lens or the 35mm Sony lens?
I appreciate the kind words. A wide angle is better when shooting with a gimbal.
Hi Maarten, I've learned heaps of details from you. But there is one thing that until now I cant figure it out and still searching for infos about shooting in low light for a6500. I just noticed that your footage especially in shadows are not grainy/noisy. Is there any plug-ins in post? Even the ev set to +3 or +7 and wide open of 1.4 at 1/60 with auto iso max of 3200, shadows still grainy in any condition. Any tips? I used cine 4 though.
No, that's pretty much out of camera, with the settings as you see them. The mistake you may be making is to try to make the images look too bright. Let dark scenes, and dark areas in dark scenes be dark - don't feel the need to bring the meter to 0 (or the histogram to the right) if the scene is a dark one.
As for the cine settings, I judge based on the scene, so I'm always trying each to determine which gives me the right mood. I would forgo changing the EV and make adjustments only the ISO, so you know what you're getting. With an ISO of 3200, a +3 EV is actually increasing the ISO by three more stops.
I assume you're aware that EV is not a fourth exposure adjustment - there are only three (aperture, shutter and ISO). So when you've set the aperture and the shutter, changing the EV increases the ISO.
It sounds like the situation might need more light.
Thank you for your prompt reply Maarten, appreciated for the effort in helping the beginners. Will keep the infos and advises and try it out soon 👍
Always happy to help.
I just bought this camera and it was a major upgrade.... I'm having trouble uploading the video from the card to my mac. Any help/advice/videos to point me in the right direction?
Thanks,
Acutally figured out my issue. Changed memory cards and..... voilà! Works fine now.
Sorry I didn't reply in time to help ... glad to hear it's working now, and it's improving your french!
I found that the 120 fps looks very bad in wide angle actually. Tight lines get artifacts. Do you know if 60fps is a much better choice for quality, or is it basically the same with less frames?
Given the same data rate, 60fps will be higher quality.
Hi, I can't understand how some of my video is unsharp even when I am recording in 4k? I would appreciate your advice. Thanks :-)
Hmmm ... not sure what you mean by unsharp. Is it not in focus? Is the ISO high? Which lens? Or any other details so I can help decode the issue?
Hello Maarten i bought a6500.Can you tell me how to unlock 120fps?
Which settings are available? Are you using the camera in PAL or NTSC modes?
Hello. When I set my 4k record settings, it’s different. It only gives me 25p 100m or 25p 60m options???
Try changing the setting from PAL to NTSC - but this will likely make your videos incompatible with TV sets in your region. No issue on computers though.
my auto touch foucs isnt working how do i get it back to the touch focus on the screen?
Make sure that touch is turned on in the setup menu, then change mode by using the touch icon screen left.