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Cine EI: What is EI?

ISO is the camera’s sensitivity to light. The camera has two ISO (Base

Sensitivity) settings in Cine EI: Base Low (800 ISO) and Base High (12800 ISO).
You cannot change the ISO (or add GAIN). The ISO will always be one of

these two settings.
Iris, ND filters, and the shutter speed change the actual exposure, the

amount of light getting to the camera’s sensor. I adjust iris and ND values but

always keep the shutter at twice the frame rate unless I want a special effect.
EI stands for exposure index. It is an

offset

that is applied to the exposure.

When you are changing the EI preset on the camera, you are changing the

brightness of the LUT that you applied.
You can choose a lower EI preset value than the Base ISO to slightly

overexpose the image. This is useful for reducing image noise at the Base

High Sensitivity setting (12800 ISO).

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Summary of Contents for FX 6

Page 1: ...Sony FX 6 firmware version 2 0 Quick Start Guide and Tips Centre for Digital Arts Concordia University 2022 ...

Page 2: ...ction P 40 Custom Shooting Mode Settings P 44 Custom Shooting Mode Exposure P 55 Focusing P 82 Cine EI Shooting Mode P 97 Cine EI Option One Exposing Slog 3 with the s709 LUT P 103 Cine EI Option Two Importing custom LUTs P 129 Cine EI Option Three Exposing Slog 3 without a LUT P 136 S and Q Shooting P 143 Attaching the Viewfinder Loupe P 156 Tripod Tips P 170 Additional Resources P 180 ...

Page 3: ...Introduction Sony FX 6 ...

Page 4: ...ute beginner but it does explain some fundamental concepts common to all video cameras It is ideal for the somewhat experienced person who wants to quickly familiarize themselves with the camera I suggest the Sony Z90 and FS5 cameras in the EV Depot for beginners Additional resources are referenced at the end of the guide ...

Page 5: ...If you have never used a digital cinema camera that can import LUTs read the section on Cine EI shooting mode carefully The method of exposure using a LUT described in this section is similar to how many digital cinema cameras expose using LUTs regardless of their manufacturer If you have any questions comments or suggestions about this guide Please email philip hawes concordia ca ...

Page 6: ... 1920 x 1080 4K UHD 3840 x 2160 4K DCI 4096 x 2160 Standard frame rates called frequency scan NTSC 59 94p 29 97p 23 98p PAL 50p 25p DCI 24p S Q frame rates 4K 1 to 120 fps HD 1 to 240 fps Recording options XAVC I 4 2 2 10 bit I Frame for HD and 4K XAVC L long G O P longer recording time and lower quality HD 10 bit 4K 8 bit 4K RAW recording requires an external recorder 4K 16 bit RAW output via SDI...

Page 7: ...t in Cine EI mode This is common to all Sony cinema cameras In this guide the Custom shooting mode is presented first as it is the easiest choice ISO This is a dual sensitivity camera meaning that the sensor is optimized for two different ISO settings called base sensitivity Low and High The low and high ISO ratings change according to the shooting mode See next page ...

Page 8: ...s higher numbers mean more sensitive to light Low Custom 709 Low 320 ISO Cine EI Low 800 ISO High Custom 709 High 5000 ISO Cine EI High 12800 ISO The Base Sensitivity ISO settings change according to the shooting mode See the sections on Shooting Modes and Exposure ...

Page 9: ... execute APR This is the automatic pixel restoration feature that minimizes noise in the LCD when lighting conditions change Put the lens cap on and press OK It only takes 5 seconds If you cancel this option do it next time It should be performed on a regular basis ...

Page 10: ... AC power on the back right side of camera bottom connector Smaller battery BP U35 150 minutes Larger battery BP U100 400 minutes Shooting high frame rates will diminish the battery time The batteries take several hours to charge Charge them overnight ...

Page 11: ...Recording Media Sony FX 6 ...

Page 12: ...Connect the card reader to the computer There is a USB C and USB A cable in the bag The MXF video files are contained in the XDROOT Clip folder on the card Simply back up those files You can also back up the accompanying XML files ...

Page 13: ...rds These can record XAVC I 4K up to 120 fps The camera has two internal codecs XAVC I I Frame XAVC L Long G O P Always use the XAVC I codec unless you need the extra recording time XAVC I is a 4 2 2 10 bit codec in HD and 4K Both codecs are in the cross platform mxf container ...

Page 14: ...I recording times per card XAVC I HD 24p 207 min 30p 168 min XAVC I 4K 24p 83 min 30p 66 min XAVC I File sizes XAVC I HD 30p 950 MB per minute XAVC I 4K UHD 24p 1 8 GB per minute Higher frame rates will have shorter recording times and larger file sizes ...

Page 15: ...ecording time The 10 bit HD 50 Mbps image quality is very good The 8 bit 4K image will be noisier in low light XAVC L recording times per card XAVC L HD 35 Mbps 500 min approx XAVC L HD 50 Mbps 340 min approx XAVC L 4K 150 Mbps 200 min approx XAVC L file sizes are much smaller than XAVC I ...

Page 16: ...However older computers may struggle with the XAVC I 4K higher frame rate bit rates XAVC I bit rates HD and 4K 24 30p 240 300 Mbps HD and 4K 50 60p 500 600 Mbps HD and 4K UHD 120 fps 1200 Mbps XAVC L bit rates 4K UHD 24 30p XAVC L 8 bit 150 Mbps HD 24 30p 50 Mbps or 35 Mbps options ...

Page 17: ...flow as they do not have the identical file names of the full resolution files I recommend creating offline files using Adobe Media Encoder and the Pro Res 422 Proxy codec You can turn on proxy recording in the status pages and menu if you wish Simultaneous Record If you want to have copies of the video files recording to each card simultaneously one copy per card turn on simultaneous record Menu ...

Page 18: ...The kit zoom lens Sony FX 6 ...

Page 19: ...frame lenses on this camera when shooting 4K You can use APS C or Super 35 lenses when shooting HD but then you must change the Imager Scan setting to Super 35 status page 1 The zoom is manual The zoom rockers on the camera will not work with this lens This is not a parfocal lens the focus will change when zooming So it s best to use autofocus when zooming or tracking an object See the section on ...

Page 20: ...he camera see the section on focusing on how to operate the camera in hybrid focus mode When in manual focus you can lock the focus with the large button under the G Optical steady shot stabilization on the lens is necessary since there is no in body camera stabilization Turn off the stabilization when on the camera is on a tripod ...

Page 21: ...Menu Navigation Sony FX 6 ...

Page 22: ...n to scroll through menus Use the touch screen for auto focus see section on focusing Otherwise I recommend keeping your fingers off the screen If the screen becomes dirty it can be cleaned only with a microfiber cloth If it is smudged turn the camera off and clean the LCD screen with a very slightly damp microfiber cloth water only Wait until it dries before turning on the camera ...

Page 23: ...he interfaces In this guide I usually refer to one method of changing a setting 1 The status pages give quick access to the most common settings 2 The direct menu gives access to the most frequently used exposure options while shooting This is the information displayed over the image in the viewfinder 3 The menu gives all the options ...

Page 24: ...into two of the three menus read on The easiest way to navigate the camera menus is to use the large dial on the side of the camera Push the button in and turn the dial Option two is using the multi selectors on the top handle or the grip Multi selectors Menu dial Access to status pages and menu ...

Page 25: ...Three Menu Options the status pages The status pages appear when you press the full menu button quickly they look like this This menu is convenient for changing most settings before you start shooting ...

Page 26: ...e direct menu or button 8 on the top handle that allows you to change aperture shutter speed ND filter setting auto exposure gain white balance and other things directly on the display with the dial or multi selectors In this image the aperture is highlighted because it is being adjusted The direct menu is useful once you start shooting ...

Page 27: ...Three Menu Options the menu The full menu appears if you keep holding down the full menu button It looks like this This menu has all the options This guide will not present them all ...

Page 28: ...able buttons on the camera I am using them in their default setup but you can assign different functions to the buttons as you wish When you get the camera from the depot it is possible that the last user has changed their function Go to the Menu User Assignable Button ...

Page 29: ...Audio Sony FX 6 ...

Page 30: ...speaking no more than 6ft to 8ft away and directly at the camera The microphone is directional what the camera is pointing at will be recorded Because the microphone is mounted on the camera it will pick up some camera noise and fan noise The camera has a rubber adapter to fit the microphone in the holder Use it for other hyper cardioid type of microphones as well The Sennheiser 416 can be used di...

Page 31: ...andle is attached firmly as this affects the audio input Each XLR input has three options Line Mic Mic 48V Mic 48V is for condenser microphones like the Sony ECM VG1 Mic is for dynamic microphones and Line is for an output from an audio mixer or other line level device output from an external recorder for example ...

Page 32: ...Audio Input On status page 3 change the input for the channel In this case I have XLR input 1 going to channels 1 and 2 for a two channel mono recording the same sound on each channel ...

Page 33: ...Audio Volume Level Controls There is a switch for automatic or manual volume level recording control Open the door to switch from auto to manual level control and control the level ...

Page 34: ...ual control adjust the reference sensitivity of the channel The default reference sensitivity is 50 dB This is generally a good setting Changing to a higher number like 60 dB will raise the recording level 40 dB will lower the recording level Change it back to 50 dB before you return the camera ...

Page 35: ...rence for synchronizing audio recorded to an external recorder but it also helps to use a slate By default the internal microphone level is on AUTO The Audio Input level is the manual recording level for the internal microphone manual recording level for internal microphone Internal microphone on channels 3 and 4 ...

Page 36: ...to the signal This is not necessary unless there is a persistent low hum in the environment that you want to remove M is no cut V is the low cut I could not find any documentation on where the low cut starts Probably 90 Hz Otherwise the microphone can pick up sounds as low as 40 Hz ...

Page 37: ... output level for the headphone jack is in the menu audio audio output volume You can also select in that menu whether this is a stereo or mono output The camera kit does not come with headphones I recommend reserving the Sennheiser HD 280 Pro enclosed headphones from the EV Depot ...

Page 38: ...near the fan it will record this noise The two other options are MINIMUM and OFF IN RECORD I recommend OFF IN RECORD if you are shooting in a cinema style with short takes The camera will have time to cool between takes MINIMUM will work better for long takes documentary interviews The noise will be consistent but low Consistent low fan noise is much easier to remove from an audio track than a noi...

Page 39: ...d recording kit is a superior option for recording audio outdoors It includes a blimped Sennheiser 416 Wireless microphones can be a better choice for indoor interviews or outdoors on a calm day depending on the person and what they are wearing Reserve the Sennheiser AVX wireless microphone kit If you need more XLR inputs reserve the Sony XLR K3M adapter and mount it to the hot shoe on the handle ...

Page 40: ...Shooting Modes Introduction Sony FX 6 ...

Page 41: ...s pages as Custom 709 Custom mode will create video files that will not require much correction in postproduction In Custom mode the image looks normal in the viewfinder You can judge exposure largely by what you see In Custom mode you have a choice of Scenes These are different gamma curves and looks that affect the exposure and colour saturation The best Scene is S Cinetone ...

Page 42: ...shooting in Custom shooting mode with the S Cinetone Scene When working in Cine EI mode you can apply a LUT to the viewfinder and on the SDI HDMI outputs Working with a LUT makes exposing Slog 3 much easier than shooting Slog with other non cinema Sony cameras Slog 3 images require more work in postproduction to normalize and correct but you can also use a LUT for correction Cine EI mode can also ...

Page 43: ...Cine EI This guide covers the shooting modes in two separate sections but even if you are only interested Cine EI mode also read the Custom shooting mode section Many of the exposure controls are the same for both shooting modes ...

Page 44: ...Custom Shooting Mode Settings Sony FX 6 ...

Page 45: ... colour space called SDR BT 709 in this camera The majority of display devices in the world are Rec 709 devices HDR HLG target display is chosen when you are shooting for extra bright HDR TVs There will be a separate guide on shooting HDR and dealing with HDR in postproduction Then in this menu or in the status pages pick the Custom Shooting Mode ...

Page 46: ...09 setting Custom mode will appear as Custom 709 in the status pages On status page 4 you can also change the Shooting Mode This is the project page Look at the other selections on this page 4K UHD at 23 98p using the full sensor of the camera and the best internal codec XAVC I See next page for details ...

Page 47: ...sing the full sensor Always shoot full frame unless you are shooting HD with Super 35 or APS C lenses Codec XAVC I Always choose XAVC I unless you need more recording time Video Format this is the image resolution Set it according to your project Frequency Scan this is the frame rate See next page for details on image resolutions and frame rates ...

Page 48: ...20 x 1080 is the HD broadcast web standard Keep in mind that all displays screens projectors in the EV depot are HD There are NO 4K displays There are no HDR displays You can shoot in 4K UHD and output a HD version because the aspect ratio is the same 16 9 But only shoot 4K if you know hope that the project will one day be displayed in 4K For a class assignment just shoot HD unless your professor ...

Page 49: ...t because the shutter speed is slower For 4K DCI pick 24p When in PAL nations pick 25p I consider 59 94p a high NTSC frame rate I only shoot this as a special effect You can pick it as a S Q rate as well The same thing applies for 50p for our PAL friends Some people like to use these frame rates for sports action They are broadcast standards so they are included with the standard rates S Q frame r...

Page 50: ...s image you can see that there is some duplication of settings from status page 4 the frame rate frequency scan Imager Scan and Codec But on this page you can set the Scene File Base ISO Sensitivity and the Shutter See next page Very important ...

Page 51: ...3 98p and 1 60 for 29 97p The ECS shutter speeds are for eliminating rolling lines when shooting monitors screens and projections Base ISO Sensitivity there are two choices Low or High When shooting in Custom mode the Low Base setting is 320 ISO and the High Base setting is 5000 ISO The higher ISO number is more sensitive to light See next page for detail ...

Page 52: ...orms very well at two distinct Low and High ISO settings There is a slight increase in image noise at the High setting When shooting in Custom mode the Base Low sensitivity is the lowest ISO possible on the camera You can only add ND to cut sensitivity Always try to start with this ISO setting when shooting outdoors or in bright settings Ideally try to shoot with either the Low or High setting wit...

Page 53: ... the s709 LUT applied S Cinetone is the best preset choice because it has the most highlight information Exposed optimally it will provide 11 stops of dynamic range This means that one image can have details in the shadows and the highlights of the image a relatively new development in video imaging In terms of dynamic range S Cinetone sits between the standard Rec 709 Scenes 6 stops and shooting ...

Page 54: ...eme highlights can start to have a colour shift ITU 709 has more contrast and colour saturation than Standard but nowhere close to the extreme look of Still The image looks similar to S Cinetone in the shadows and mids but both Standard and ITU 709 lack the highlight details of S Cinetone They have around 6 stops of dynamic range Standard and ITU 709 work well in a situation without extreme highli...

Page 55: ...Custom Shooting Mode Exposure Sony FX 6 ...

Page 56: ...dual sensitivity camera so it performs optimally at two distinct Low and High ISO settings These settings change with the Shooting Mode The ISO settings for Custom Shooting mode are in bold below Base Low Custom 709 Low 320 ISO Cine EI Low 800 ISO Base High Custom 709 High 5000 ISO Cine EI High 12800 ISO ...

Page 57: ...is ISO setting when shooting outdoors or in bright settings Ideally try to shoot with either the Base Low or High setting without GAIN or ISO adjustments The FX6 allows you to switch between displaying adjusting ISO or GAIN on the L M and H preset switches on the side of the camera Adjusting ISO or GAIN does the same thing It s much easier to use GAIN than ISO See next page ...

Page 58: ...itivity of a film stock ISO is used in digital photo videography to preserve a continuity between film stock and electronic sensors It is convenient to use ISO if you are using a handheld light meter with ISO measurements On a video camera ISO and GAIN adjustments do the same thing amplify the signal from the sensor Most video camera sensors have one sensor rating one sensitivity The FX 6 has two ...

Page 59: ... dB for GAIN The image on the left shows how I like to set the GAIN presets for the three options L must always be 0 dB H should not go above 6dB of GAIN Change to the Base High ISO Setting 5000 ISO if 6 dB of GAIN is insufficient In the Base High setting try not to add any GAIN or once again no more than 6 dB Exposure Gain Preset Settings ...

Page 60: ... is low 320 ISO and the lens is wide open at f 4 5 The best option would be to increase the amount of light on the subject but if this cannot be done then a small amount or GAIN can be applied The window has been deliberately overexposed 3 dB of Gain M preset setting Base Low ISO ...

Page 61: ...10000 ISO There is a point where amplifying the Base Low signal 320 ISO makes the image look noisier than switching to the Base High setting 5000 ISO even if you need to add a ND filter to that Base High exposure Changing the ISO to 5000 when in the Base Low setting is NOT the same thing as switching to the Base High 5000 ISO setting Increasing ISO on the Base Low to 2500 ISO creates much more ima...

Page 62: ...you can also change in smaller increments using the direct menu The ISO GAIN button on the side of the camera will allow you to adjust in smaller increments in the direct menu The GAIN or ISO rating will highlight in the display This actually changes the preset setting for whatever preset you are on at the time of the change L M or H ...

Page 63: ...ality You cannot judge image noise in the 720p LCD viewfinder It is too small Image noise appears first in the shadow areas of an image If you are working in a studio consider attaching a large HDMI screen to the camera to judge noise This is critical when shooting green screen backgrounds ...

Page 64: ...nd the gray card only reflects 18 Both sides can be used for setting exposure and the white side for white balance The gray side provides the camera with a neutral low contrast subject for an accurate exposure reading The 18 percent gray card appears in the middle roughly at value 50 of the waveform monitor when exposed This is because our sensitivity to light is logarithmic Different LUTs or Scen...

Page 65: ...nce switch the setting on the side of the camera to A or B Set the iris exposure to auto in the direct menu or expose correctly and hold a white card in front of the lens Try to fill the frame with the white card but allow light to fall on it Press the WB SET button on the front of the camera It will take a few moments for the white balance to be executed ...

Page 66: ... colour temperature remains stored in the A or B setting and is indicated in the display As an aside note the information in this display 4K UHD at 29 97p Full Frame XAVC I Custom shooting mode with S Cinetone scene Base High sensitivity 1 60th shutter speed and no GAIN applied This is a good setup ...

Page 67: ...the Full menu Shooting White Preset White and set the color temperature to your liking Common Color Temperature Settings LCD monitor 6500K Daylight at mid day 5500 K Florescent indoor 4300K Tungsten Indoor light 3200K Street lights not LED 3200K Incandescent indoor light 2500K ...

Page 68: ...ed by pressing the iris button on the side of the camera and then using the wheel on the handgrip handle or dial on the front of the camera Shifting slightly to the left with the multi selector or dial will highlight the M next to the iris setting Change this to A for auto exposure ...

Page 69: ...t want the camera to randomly change shutter speed since this will change how motion appears The shutter should remain at twice the frame rate unless you want a motion special effect Don t automate the shutter With video auto exposure should ideally control the iris Put the IRIS on AUTO in the direct menu for this to happen AUTO iris ...

Page 70: ...ake sure that you never have any GAIN applied before using ND filters Using ND filters does not affect image quality at all Using a ND filter can also allow you to select the manual iris setting you want for the desired depth of field not an iris setting that is dictated by the exposure This method works well because this camera is able to apply incremental amounts of ND There are three ways to us...

Page 71: ...oes off if a light was on Switch to ND PRESET this allows you to toggle between the three ND preset settings made in the Full Menu Shooting menu ND Filter Pressing the ND ON will cycle up through the three presets Pressing the CLEAR will cycle down through the three presets and also allow you to choose CLEAR no ND filter When no ND is applied a light will appear on the CLEAR button ...

Page 72: ...e ND preset settings can also appear in the display and can be changed with the direct menu as well Changing presets in the middle of a shot will be noticeable Don t do it Presets are not the best way to work with ND Read on ...

Page 73: ...ogy Press the ND ON button Turn the ND switch to ND Variable and then adjust the dial This way you can maintain the manual iris setting you want while applying incremental amounts of ND You can also make ND adjustments while shooting The ND AUTO is even more helpful next page This dial becomes your exposure control ...

Page 74: ... LCD display A light goes on the button as well Now the camera will vary the strength of the ND filter automatically to maintain your chosen iris setting providing of course that your iris setting is overexposing the image In AUTO ND the lowest option is It does not go to clear You always have some amount of ND filter applied The display will warn you if the light is low meaning that you are under...

Page 75: ... It can be read from left to right exactly like the subjects in the image The lines on the waveform monitor from bottom to top are 0 25 50 75 100 0 is black and 100 is white The monitor shows values above 100 to 109 these are overexposed areas of the image Values below 0 are invisible Because the waveform monitor is so small in the VF it helps to use Zebra levels to hit precise targets ...

Page 76: ...e to indicate overexposure at 100 percent IRE or at another value Button 9 turns on the waveform monitor or histogram or vectorscope as you keep pressing it in the display The zebra level settings there are two will appear in the waveform monitor as yellow lines If you turn on the stripes in the Zebra menu next page they will appear over the image I usually avoid this ...

Page 77: ...ys be at 100 percent to judge overexposure But Zebra level 1 can be set to another amount to judge exposure For example here I have set level 1 to 81 percent for exposing a white card in Custom shooting mode using the S Cinetone scene The Setting Off refers to Zebra stripes appearing over the image ...

Page 78: ...Exposure Zebra Level In this image the white card is being exposed at 81 percent 81 the white card ...

Page 79: ...ighlights starting at 70 IRE Underexposing will create an more contrasty image and overexposing will create a less contrasty more subdued image You can judge exposure simply by looking in the viewfinder However it can be useful to use Zebra level settings as I just illustrated to help determine exposure The next page offers some suggestions for exposure ...

Page 80: ...be exposed as high as 88 percent and as low as 78 percent on the waveform monitor Skin tones can be exposed as low as 60 percent and as high as 70 percent It is much easier to use a white card to judge exposure manually than skin tones Auto IRIS exposure will also work well with S Cinetone You can add an adjustment to autoexposure if you wish ...

Page 81: ...e range skin tones were exposed at 65 percent on the waveform monitor Avoid overexposing or blowing out highlights especially on skin tones There are tools to diffuse lighting in the EV Depot Look a the Light Disks Scrims and Flags section in the Patron Portal Don t just borrow lights Borrow the equipment to diffuse the light if necessary ...

Page 82: ...Focusing Sony FX 6 ...

Page 83: ...it is largely redundant this section will concentrate on the Hybrid and Total Auto Focus modes Hybrid mode focusing allows you to easily switch between manual and auto focus There is no other camera where this switch is so intuitive In Total Auto Focus manual focus is technically possible but not practical The focus tracking option is quite different in this mode Both modes have their uses but the...

Page 84: ...n Menu Shooting Focus for the options discussed in this section There are many more options but I am concentrating on one method I will look at some of these settings in detail but take the time to enter these settings if you want to follow this method ...

Page 85: ...the lens on AF and change the focus switch on the front of the camera to MAN You can focus manually with the focus ring on the lens and also use the PUSH AUTO button when you want to auto focus Lens on AF Push for Auto focus Focus switch on MAN ...

Page 86: ...focus ring on the lens to begin focusing manually There are two aids to help Button 7 on top handle enables the focus magnifier in the VF Push twice to increase magnification The Focus Peaking button is on the side of viewfinder VF if you prefer that aid ...

Page 87: ... mode it is not practical to manually focus You can push the PUSH AUTO button on the front of the camera to temporarily enable manual focus but as soon as you stop pushing it the camera goes back to auto focus It is not practical to keep holding down this button to manually focus So this mode is for auto focus only AUTO on camera AF on lens ...

Page 88: ...gs that I showed on page 84 there are two types of auto focus flexible spot auto focus and auto focus tracking Button 3 on the side of the camera toggles between the two auto focus types flexible spot and focus tracking whether you are in Hybrid or Total Auto Focus mode ...

Page 89: ...ll appear as an orange square This flexible spot can be moved with your finger on the LCD screen or simply tap the screen to move it to a different part of the image You can also adjust this flexible spot with the multi selector on the top handle or hand grip Flexible spot Multi selector ...

Page 90: ...e spot in auto focus and PUSH AUTO But if you move the flexible spot with your finger it stays at the last spot It does not return to this default location unless you press and hold one of the multi selectors on the camera handle or the grip I like to set the default location at the centre of the image Press and hold ...

Page 91: ...By default it is set to Wide This is the least precise option You can also specify a Zone that is somewhat more precise Specifying a zone might be a good idea when filming a stage for example where all the subjects are on the same plane But I am recommending using a Flexible Spot because usually there is a single subject that is the centre of your focus ...

Page 92: ...ssing button 3 When the flexible spot square is not orange then you have exited that type of auto focus Now simply press on an object on the touch screen A white box will appear on it The box should remain with the object as it or the camera moves This is the tracking box You can select another object on the touch screen to begin tracking that new object Tracking box ...

Page 93: ...ocus changes from one object to another when you select that new object in the touch screen A faster setting is good for sports A slower setting is good for a pull focus effect Caution if another object comes in front of the object that you are tracking the camera will change focus and start to track that object ...

Page 94: ... chosen in Menu Shooting Focus give you a choice of how you want to handle the auto focus tracking by selecting Hybrid or Total Auto focus Menu Shooting Focus Face Eye Priority AF with this selected this is the default setting the camera will automatically track faces and eyes in the frame when in TOTAL AUTO FOCUS People will automatically become the focus See the next page for a more detailed exp...

Page 95: ... initially track any object but as soon as a person enters the frame the camera will automatically shift focus to their face and eyes In hybrid focus mode any object can be tracked and will remain being tracked even if a person walks into the shot Only if a person wanders across the tracked subject does the auto focus tracking shift to the person A white square hovering over the object will show w...

Page 96: ... auto focus tracking Be careful If you see a white square following a person but in addition an orange square then the camera is in total auto focus mode but still in the flexible spot auto focus It is tracking the person but not applying the tracking data It is not changing the focus to that person There should be no orange square in the VF when in auto focus tracking Press button 3 on the side o...

Page 97: ...Cine EI Shooting Mode Settings and Exposure Sony FX 6 ...

Page 98: ... filters are the same However Cine EI is for exposing Slog 3 images so there are differences in how you arrive at the optimal exposure The two Base Sensitivity ISO ratings are different from Custom mode It is not possible to do GAIN and ISO changes in Cine EI mode instead you can use EI ratings to generate an offset on the exposure while using a LUT ...

Page 99: ...If you are not familiar with the concept of LOG video look at these resources part five of the CDA Video Compression Moodle workshop for a detailed explanation of LOG video part six of the CDA Video Colour Correction workshop for how to normalize LOG clips inside Adobe Premiere although this guide covers this topic briefly All Concordia Fine Arts students are enrolled in these Moodle courses Look ...

Page 100: ... subject that has very bright highlights and dark shadows and you need details in both of those luminance areas 2 You want video images that have a more natural or low contrast look 3 You want the maximum control over how the image looks in postproduction and you have the time to spend on this task 4 You are not shooting in a situation of consistent low light no highlights at all In such a situati...

Page 101: ... manner as our eyes The quickest normalization method is by applying a LUT a look up table a file with a cube extension that will apply color and contrast transformations to the file LUTs can be applied in camera in an external monitor or in postproduction software Usually but not necessarily you use the same LUT to monitor in production that you use to correct the image in postproduction ...

Page 102: ...an import a LUT or use one of the built in LUTs to correct the image in the viewfinder and the SDI and HDMI outputs Working with a LUT makes exposing the image much easier In this section we will look at three options 1 exposing Slog 3 with the built in s709 LUT 2 importing custom LUTs 2 exposing Slog 3 without a LUT ...

Page 103: ...Cine EI Option One Exposing Slog 3 with the s709 LUT Sony FX6 ...

Page 104: ...In Menu User Base Setting pick SDR BT 709 for the Target Display and Cine EI as the shooting mode You can also go to status page 4 and change the shooting mode to Cine EI Always choose the XAVC I codec in Cine EI Cine EI Always use XAVC I ...

Page 105: ...Cine EI choose the built in s709 LUT Choose the s709 LUT on status page one This is the default LUT Base Look LUT ...

Page 106: ...I outputs Always turn on the LUT for the SDI HDMI outputs when you are using the LUT in the viewfinder even if you are not using an external monitor or recorder MLUT means the selected LUT is turned ON Make sure Gamma Disp Assist is OFF LUT on outputs LUT on viewfinder You can also choose the LUT here This should be OFF ...

Page 107: ...e SDI and HDMI outputs even if there is no recorder or monitor attached So to avoid confusion even if you are not using an external recorder turn on the LUT for the SDI and HDMI outputs if you are turning on a LUT for the viewfinder This will ensure that signal measured in the waveform monitor corresponds to what you are seeing in the viewfinder the normalized image from the s709 LUT ...

Page 108: ... you are recording in Slog 3 because the camera is in Cine EI mode that you have the s709 LUT applied the selected LUT and the waveform is measuring the signal adjusted by the s709 LUT because you have a LUT turned ON for the SDI HDMI outputs Signal measured by waveform s709 LUT applied to VF What is being recorded Slog 3 ...

Page 109: ...low 50 percent Chapman says 41 percent for the gray card but I found this too bright To make these values appear as a line in the waveform monitor change this setting Menu Monitoring Zebra Zebra level 1 see next page The above levels are for a proper photographic 90 white 18 gray card White paper is brighter than a 90 percent white card so expose white paper at 81 percent These numbers only apply ...

Page 110: ...l 1 is set to 77 percent A line will appear in the waveform monitor at the 77 percent level I keep Zebra 2 Levels at 100 percent to judge overexposure The Setting option determines the zebra stripe overlay on the image Here it is the zebra 2 level You can also turn this setting off for no overlays ...

Page 111: ... EI Slog 3 exposure with the s709 LUT In this image the white card is lined up with the 77 percent line in the waveform monitor This is the optimal exposure for Slog 3 with the s709 LUT applied 77 perc line ...

Page 112: ...h a LUT applied it is easiest to keep the EI preset at the same value as the base sensitivity ISO value In the image you can see that the Base High Sensitivity ISO and the EI preset value are the same 12800 However you can make adjustments Read on Base High ISO EI Preset ...

Page 113: ...mount of light getting to the camera s sensor I adjust iris and ND values but always keep the shutter at twice the frame rate unless I want a special effect EI stands for exposure index It is an offset that is applied to the exposure When you are changing the EI preset on the camera you are changing the brightness of the LUT that you applied You can choose a lower EI preset value than the Base ISO...

Page 114: ...In Cine EI mode the L M and H ISO GAIN preset switches on the side of the camera control EI exposure index ratings They do not change ISO or GAIN The EI presets control the brightness of the LUT You can change these EI preset settings in Menu Shooting ISO GAIN EI or by using the direct menu The next page describes how you may want to set these presets PRESET SWITCHES ...

Page 115: ...ting Preset M or L changes the brightness of the LUT Lowering the EI value below the Base Sensitivity value will lower the brightness of the LUT you will then have to increase exposure open up the iris to expose the Slog 3 image correctly Base Low Sensitivity 800 ISO L 200 EI 4 0 E M 400 EI 5 0 E H 800 EI 6 0 E Base High Sensitivity 12800 ISO L 3200 EI 4 0 E M 6400 EI 5 0 E H 12800 EI 6 0 E ...

Page 116: ...Cine EI EI Presets Here is how the presets have been entered in Menu Shooting ISO Gain EI At Base Low ISO 800 ISO At Base High ISO ISO 12800 ...

Page 117: ...es the image information out of the image shadow areas that have the most noise Overexposing using the EI Presets is most useful when working in Base High Sensitivity 12800 ISO There will be some image noise so they may benefit from being slightly overexposed Don t lower the ISO below the lowest recommended preset value 3200 ISO Images exposed at the Base Low Sensitivity 800 ISO have very little n...

Page 118: ...using the 77 percent line for the white card In these VF details you can see how the iris value changes as the EI preset changes Also the luminance values become a little more compressed in the waveform monitor as you increase the exposure Same EI and Base ISO Overexposing slightly Overexposing more ...

Page 119: ...Cine EI EI Presets and Image Noise Base High 12800 ISO EI Preset 12800 300 percent enlargement ...

Page 120: ...Cine EI EI Presets and Image Noise Base High 12800 ISO EI Preset 3200 300 percent enlargement ...

Page 121: ...reset value is different from the Base Sensitivity ISO rating the auto exposure will be incorrect Shooting with the same EI value as the ISO the auto exposure should work correctly but keep in mind that fluctuations in exposure during the shot can make normalizing the Slog 3 images more difficult In general it is better to use Custom shooting mode when using auto iris exposure ...

Page 122: ... by reapplying the s709 LUT another LUT or correcting the image from scratch The s709 LUT is available from Sony on this page https pro sony en_CA technology professional video lut look up table The s709 LUT is not completely neutral It has a certain look Shooting with the S Cinetone look in Custom mode will make images similar to Cine EI mode with the s709 LUT I don t recommend it but you can sho...

Page 123: ...the s709 LUT to a clip using the Lumetri Color tool If you want to normalize an entire sequence in Premiere you can add an adjustment layer and apply just one instance of the Lumetri color tool to that layer see next page This saves a lot of processing power LUT applied ...

Page 124: ...ment layer with the s709 LUT applied I am using only one instance of the Lumetri color tool to normalize all the clips underneath the layer When making an adjustment layer make sure to have the project window selected not the sequence Adjustment layer LUT applied ...

Page 125: ...uence having a specific working colour space a clip also has an assigned colour space HDR or Rec 709 In this guide we have been focused on shooting videos in the Rec 709 colour space whether in Custom or Cine EI mode Rec 709 is the most prevalent video standard for display devices HDR standards Rec 2100 are for displays that have increased brightness levels ...

Page 126: ...portant settings the Shooting Mode that you can set to Custom or Cine EI and the Target Display The options for Target Display are SDR BT 709 and HDR HLG Everything in this guide is based on the SDR BT 709 setting This is Rec 709 video There will be a separate guide for shooting HDR and working with HDR in postproduction At the moment Concordia Fine Arts has no HDR video display equipment ...

Page 127: ...ec 709 video files from the FX6 correctly When you make a sequence from an imported video clip the sequence settings should have Rec 709 as the working colour space Then you can apply the LUT to the file or to multiple files as I have just described to normalize the image s ...

Page 128: ...t the colour space of the video file If for some reason the file is incorrectly interpreted it will look overexposed with blown out highlights Right click the file in the Premiere project window and go to Modify Interpret Footage Here you can choose the appropriate colour space Rec 709 ...

Page 129: ...Cine EI Option Two Importing custom LUTs Sony FX6 ...

Page 130: ...y documentation that comes with the LUT Different LUTS will also have different white balance levels White balance once the LUT is turned ON in the camera menu Another FX6 built in LUT is the 709 800 LUT For the 709 800 LUT expose a white card at 90 gray card at 45 This LUT makes the image look brighter and more contrasty In all cases the video file is recorded as a neutral Slog 3 image You are no...

Page 131: ... for use with S Log3 and SGamut3 cine It is even better if they are designed for use with the FX6 Put the LUTS in the location shown below on the media card in Slot B of the camera You may have to format Media Card B first A quick format is fine This erases all files Format the card and then import the custom LUT into this location on card B ...

Page 132: ...s Put card B in the camera and then go to Menu Paint Look Base Look Import There are several free spaces for loading LUTs Pick one of them it will say NO LUT Here I am loading a LUT for a sci fi look called Space Adventure Final ...

Page 133: ...ace with No LUT The custom LUT will now appear in this list when you select a LUT on status page 1 It will appear in the VF in Cine EI mode once you have the LUT turned ON for the VF and for the SDI HDMI outputs as described in Cine EI Option One Custom LUT on VF LUT on outputs ...

Page 134: ...m LUTs from the Sony site The custom LUT that I use in this example was taken from the Sony site There are a few interesting LUTs to download here https pro sony en_GB technology professional video lut look up table ...

Page 135: ...k normal in the camera viewfinder But there is no advantage to doing this Gamma Display Assist will make the image appear normal in the viewfinder but the waveform monitor will show the values of the unaltered Slog 3 image So if you use want to use the waveform monitor to judge exposure there is a mismatch between what you see in the VF and what values are being represented in the waveform monitor...

Page 136: ...Cine EI Option Three Exposing Slog 3 without a LUT Sony FX6 ...

Page 137: ...he FX6 without a LUT applied Without a LUT on for the viewfinder the image in the VF will be low contrast and desaturated Without a LUT on for the SDI HDMI outputs the luminance values in the waveform monitor will look compressed I don t recommend this method if you are new to shooting Slog 3 Nevertheless the following pages describe the setup and exposure ...

Page 138: ...3 exposure without a LUT In this case in Cine EI mode status page 1 choose the No LUT option under Base Look LUT There are several choices with No LUT since these are empty fields into which you can load custom LUTs ...

Page 139: ...or the SDI HDMI outputs and the VF This means that no LUT is applied to the viewfinder and the outputs It is very important that the settings are the same for the outputs and the VF You can also verify that the Base Look LUT is set to No LUT and that Gamma Disp Assist is OFF ...

Page 140: ...white card at 61 percent You can make these values zebra settings that will appear on the waveform monitor Menu monitoring zebra zebra level 1 Keep zebra level 2 at 100 percent if you need to judge overexposure The above levels are for a proper photographic 90 white 18 gray card Expose white paper at 63 percent ...

Page 141: ...m monitor is reading the signal from the Slog 3 image not the applied LUT because there is no LUT applied to the SDI HDMI outputs Note that the Base Sensitivity ISO and EI preset match 12800 61 line for white card Signal measured by waveform No LUT applied to the viewfinder What is being recorded Slog 3 ...

Page 142: ... 800 ISO and Base High 12800 ISO sensitivity There is no way to change ISO or GAIN The L M and H preset switches control EI values but changing these values has NO EFFECT because there is no LUT to adjust The EI presets only adjust the brightness of a LUT Your options for controlling exposure are limited to iris ND and shutter ...

Page 143: ...S and Q Shooting Sony FX 6 ...

Page 144: ... by capturing the video at a different frame rate than the frame rate at which the video clip will be played back Shooting at high frame rates is the only way to create smooth slow motion Video editing software has effects that allow you to slow down the speed of a clip These effects rarely look good because the software has to invent extra frames interpolation ...

Page 145: ...e length of the clip is extended on playback For example if the project frame rate is 29 97 fps 30p and the S Q frame frame rate is 120 fps the video clip will be four times the length of what was originally shot A 3 minute clip shot at 120 fps will play back in 12 minutes as a 29 97 fps video clip All of the frames are played back but at a different speed ...

Page 146: ...ity loss above 120 fps There are two frame rates to set see images on next page 1 the base frame rate that the clip is played back at this is the Frequency Scan rate on status page 1 This should be the frame rate of your project typically NTSC rates of 23 98p or 29 97p or the DCI rate of 24p 2 The S Q frame rate set in Menu Shooting S and Q Motion This is the number of frames per second that the c...

Page 147: ...ed back 2 The S Q frame rate In Menu Shooting S Q Motion Enter a S and Q frame rate In this case once S and Q is turned on the video clip will be shot at 120 fps and then played back at 29 97 fps So the clip will play back in Adobe Premiere or other software at 25 percent speed Below is how the a clip shot for three minutes at 120 fps will appear in Premiere frame rate length ...

Page 148: ...S and Q button 1 Enable S and Q motion by pressing button 1 on the side of the camera This button toggles S and Q mode on and off ...

Page 149: ...en shooting standard motion or slow motion the shutter speed should be set to double the frame rate for a normal amount of motion blur in the image So if your S Q rate is set to 120 fps the shutter speed must be adjusted to 1 240th of a second or in this case 1 250th of a second because 1 240th is not an option on this camera With faster shutter speeds you need more light to expose the image See t...

Page 150: ...pick a shutter speed that matches the frame rate For slow motion change the shutter speed to double the S Q frame rate The S Q frame rate is indicated in the top left followed by the base project frame rate Shutter Speed WRONG Shutter Speed RIGHT ...

Page 151: ...emaining The time remaining on the media cards changes once S Q motion is ON This is based on the number of frames that are being captured In this case the remaining time is simply divided by four S Q OFF S Q ON ...

Page 152: ...S Q shutter speed After exiting S Q mode remember to change the shutter speed back to the normal setting ...

Page 153: ...ames play back but at a different speed When shooting fast motion it is not necessary to have the shutter speed be twice the S Q frame rate In the above example I could shoot at 12 fps with a shutter speed of either 1 24th of a sec or 1 48th of a second At 1 48th motion is more crisp At 1 24th there is more motion blur and increasingly more blur as you lower the shutter speed If your frequency sca...

Page 154: ...r of frames being 2 this means the camera takes two frames per second If you are shooting at 24p then the camera takes 2 consecutive frames every 24 frames The shutter speed can be changed while recording in Interval Rec to create special effects Extending the shutter opening time can be combined with the interval time to create blurry ghostly images of what is in motion If you are using auto expo...

Page 155: ...Interval Recording and Shutter Speed For this image the interval rec settings were as illustrated below The shutter speed was 16 F with a base frame rate of 23 98 fps Note the motion blur on the pedestrians ...

Page 156: ...Attaching the Viewfinder Loupe Sony FX 6 ...

Page 157: ...ges look low contrast in this screen unless a LUT is applied The VF cannot show all the highlight detail in uncorrected Slog 3 images You need to apply a LUT and normalize the image to see the highlight details inside the Rec 709 colour space See the section on Cine EI Shooting Mode ...

Page 158: ...Viewfinder Flipping and Rotating Image On the bottom of the VF there is a switch for rotating and flipping the image very convenient if you are shooting yourself The shade can be detached if necessary ...

Page 159: ...ustom 9 button displays the waveform monitor and other scopes by default The shade provides sunlight protection in many situations but you may want to use the loupe in extremely bright situations or situations where you need to see details and focus manually See the following pages for attaching the loupe ...

Page 160: ...as bracket first The Vocas bracket allows the VF and loupe to be tilted but the VF will not have the same range of vertical positions The loupe can be easily removed while shooting once the bracket is in place The camera does not fit into the camera bag with the Vocas bracket attached Remove it once you have finished shooting The process is explained step by step on the following pages ...

Page 161: ...Viewfinder Attaching the loupe Detach the cable for the VF from the right side of the camera Press the sides of the plug to detach it Be careful as there are many small pins on this plug ...

Page 162: ...ewfinder Attaching the loupe Now that the VF cable is free detach the VF from the camera handle by turning the dial Leave the post that is mounted to the handle in place Turn this dial Leave this in place ...

Page 163: ...Viewfinder Attaching the loupe Attach the Vocas viewfinder bracket to the same post that you just removed the VF from Tighten with the red handle Tighten with red handle ...

Page 164: ...Viewfinder Attaching the Loupe Slide the VF into the bracket See the following pages for more detail on this part ...

Page 165: ...nder Attaching the Loupe This image from Vocas gives you a better idea of how the FX6 VF fits into the bracket Ignore that a loupe is already attached to the VF in this image The VF pictured is a Sony FX6 VF ...

Page 166: ...Viewfinder Attaching the Loupe Tighten the VF on the bracket with the dial Plug the VF cable back into the camera taking care to line up the pins correctly ...

Page 167: ...Viewfinder Attaching the Loupe Remove the shade from the VF and attach the Zacuto loupe on to the VF using the top clasp on the loupe Be careful not to scratch the VF screen ...

Page 168: ...Viewfinder Attaching the Loupe Here is another view with the loupe attached to the VF and the VF secure in the Vocas bracket ...

Page 169: ...w the procedure in reverse to detach the loupe When remounting the VF to the camera once the Vocas bracket has been removed secure the VF right at the end of the rod This way the VF has room to turn towards the camera when it is stored in the bag ...

Page 170: ...Tripod Tips Sony FX 6 ...

Page 171: ...o do If you do need to shift the tripod slightly while the camera is on it make sure you have one hand on the camera handle as you are shifting the tripod legs If you suspect that the camera will be in a high traffic area when shooting a conference for example you can steady the legs of the tripod against sandbags available from the EV depot Sandbags are also useful if the surface is uneven ...

Page 172: ...depot staff will give you one of the Sachtler tripods for the Sony FX 6 There are two models the newer model called ACE is pictured to the right The ACE model is lighter and has a simpler quick release plate mechanism Newer model Older model ...

Page 173: ...nd pan are locked To remove the quick release plate you must pull down on the small red disk attached below the red lever Then move the lever to the left The quick release plate should pop up Remove the release plate by the tripod screw Be careful not to get your fingers trapped between the plate and the release mechanism The plate snaps into place with a lot of force Red disk ...

Page 174: ...s The newer Sachtler ACE tripod has a much simpler quick release mechanism Tighten loosen the plate with the side screw Press the red button to release the plate The plate can only go into the tripod in one direction look for the arrow ...

Page 175: ...a screw the quick release plate of the ACE tripod has a pin You can adjust the position of this pin to make sure it aligns with the hole for the pin on the bottom of the FX6 You can also remove the pin when using the tripod with a DSLR pin ...

Page 176: ...legs Make sure the pan and tilt are locked Adjust the handle at the bottom of the tripod head Use the spirit level to ensure that the tripod is level Line up the bubble within the circle of the level It s best to do this operation without the camera mounted but if the camera is mounted keep one hand on the camera handle The handle should be tight when finishing Spirit level ...

Page 177: ...Tripod tips legs Once the legs are at the correct height tighten the supports between the legs This step is easy to forget It increases stability and is important ...

Page 178: ...Tips Pan and Tilt Both models have similar pan and tilt controls Unlock the pan and tilt before adjusting Keep one hand on the tilt handle The fluid head has three drag levels for tilt and pan Zero is no drag ...

Page 179: ...Tripod Tips counter balance Adjust the tension on the counter balance to change how the head springs back when tilting Counter balance ...

Page 180: ...Additional Resources Sony FX6 ...

Page 181: ...lace to go is the Sony User Manual The manual defines all the aspects and options that this guide has overlooked Unfortunately the language is somewhat opaque on the actual operation of the camera https pro sony en_GB support resources ilme fx6 manual ...

Page 182: ...e is from his tutorials https www xdcam user com category fx6 Doug Jensen is a nature cinematographer in the U S He has a lot of concise and clear video instruction on the FX6 Here are two of his videos The hybrid focus method in this guide is based on his tutorial https www youtube com watch v ASQXluuCWkQ His observations on the firmware 2 0 upgrade https www youtube com watch v VSsPs49dRuo ...

Page 183: ...formative reviews on cameras with lots of scenic imagery These are meandering but entertaining I have not watched them all His review of the camera before the firmware update https philipbloom net blog sonyfx6review His review following the firmware version 2 update https www youtube com watch v Vy0LwZqsAws ...

Page 184: ...o sony en_CA technology professional video lut look up table Sony LUTs for the Venice camera You can try them on Slog 3 images shot with the FX6 https sonycine com resources luts Overview of other LUTs for the FX6 https filmplusgear com fx6 luts ...

Page 185: ...Thank you for reading this guide If you have any comments questions or suggestions please email philip hawes concordia ca ...

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