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Sony PXW-FX9, Quick Reference Manual

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Contents

137

Section Index

S6. Backing up media

It is a good idea to always check your material before the 
original files are permanently removing from the XQD 
cards. Sony’s free Catalyst Browse application can be used 
to play back, copy and manage the files recorded by the 
FX9. When backing up or making a copy of the XQD cards, 
I recommend that you use Catalyst Browse to make the 
copies. This way you can use Catalyst to view and play 
back the copies of clips to ensure there are no problems 
before you erase or format the XQD card. 
Once you have copied your clips from the XQD card to 
your computer, do ensure that you correctly eject the card 
from the computer to prevent corruption of the card. You 
must always use the computer’s eject function before 
physically disconnecting the card from the computer to 
prevent corruption of the data on the card.

S. Recording, Recording Media and Backups

Summary of Contents for PXW-FX9

Page 1: ...Quick Reference Guide PXW FX9 pro sony FX9 This guide has been optimised for mobile viewing and is fully interactive ...

Page 2: ...he right operating mode D Scan Modes frame rates and codecs E Shutter Shutter Speed and Shutter Angle F ISO Gain and Dual ISO G White Balance and Tint H Exposure Zebras Waveform and Histogram I Aperture Iris and Auto Exposure J The ND Filter System K Auto Focus and Focus Aids ...

Page 3: ...er Settings use with caution O Using the Cine EI Mode in detail P Slow and Quick Motion Interval Record and Picture Cache Record Q SteadyShot and Post Production Image Stabilization R Audio Options S Recording Recording Media and Backups T Networking and Wi Fi Overview U Error messages and common problems ...

Page 4: ...st from the camera Where you see text in bold it indicates a menu setting button or switch setting For example MENU Project Base Setting Shooting Mode Indicates refer to the camera menu Project page Base Setting page Shooting mode sub page Where there are multiple menu choices a suggested or recommended setting will be given as an initial starting point to get you going These settings should give ...

Page 5: ...Contents 5 B Initial camera setup B1 APR and bright pixels B2 Multi function Dial B3 Assignable Buttons B4 User Menu B5 Direct Menu B6 Saving your preferred camera settings B7 Status Pages Section Index ...

Page 6: ...bright or dark sensor pixels and minimizes sensor noise Cover cap the lens so that all light is excluded and press the Multi function Dial the handgrip thumbstick or the set button to execute the APR function If you do not perform APR you will be reminded to perform APR the next time the camera is turned on You should perform APR regularly to maintain the best possible image quality or if you noti...

Page 7: ...also set the Multi Function dial to control some of these functions directly without having to first press a button If you go to MENU Project Multi Function Dial Default Function you can add a default function for the dial for when the camera menu is not activated or when a function button has not been previously pressed My personal preference is to set this to Iris Do note however that control of...

Page 8: ... 7 8 9 and 10 So there is plenty of scope to add new functions to these buttons Functions are assigned to the buttons via MENU Project Assignable Button A suggestion is to assign the Base ISO Sensitivity and Video Signal Monitor options to two of the buttons as these will likely be commonly used functions In addition if you shoot using S Log3 you may want to assign Gamma Display Assist to another ...

Page 9: ...st delete at least 1 item from the user menu before the new item can be added The user menu can be edited by going to MENU User Menu Edit User Menu As well as adding and removing items from the User Menu you can also change the display order by using the Move option to move each item up or down the item list In addition it is also possible set the camera so that only the User Menu is active This i...

Page 10: ...User Menu With Lock When you select ON you will be prompted to enter a 4 digit security code to enable the User Menu only locked function WARNING Be sure to make a record of this security code as it is required to unlock the full menu system You cannot unlock the menu system if you lose this code number and will need to contact your local Sony office for assistance To unlock the full menu system p...

Page 11: ...the Direct Menu button on the hand grip or by pressing the Multi function Dial Once activated you will see the direct menu items highlighted in orange in the viewfinder You can then scroll through the direct menu items using the Multi function Dial or by using the Thumbstick on the handgrip Direct Menu items can then be selected and adjusted directly For full details on the items that can be adjus...

Page 12: ...items are included in the user menu You can also use All Files to save not only the User Menu settings but also a snapshot of the camera s setup including any other menu settings such as configuration of the assignable dial operating mode and scan mode etc All Files are very useful for switching quickly between different frame rates and scan modes by saving an All File for each preferred setup or ...

Page 13: ... Section Index B Initial camera setup All files are saved to an SD card in the Utility Card slot by going to MENU Project All File See the user manual for full details of what is saved in the different file types ...

Page 14: ...of pages that show the current status and setup of the camera These pages are very useful for quickly checking things like recording setup audio levels scan mode network and monitoring status It is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the status pages as they are a useful way to quickly determine how the camera is configured ...

Page 15: ...Contents 15 C1 Custom Mode and Cine EI Mode What s the difference C2 Overview of Custom Mode and S Cinetone C3 Overview of Cine EI Mode C Choosing the right operating mode Section Index ...

Page 16: ...ecorded to the XQD cards In the Cine EI mode the camera operates using optimized settings that allow it to capture the widest possible dynamic range and colour range This wide range image will look flat and washed out if viewed directly on a conventional monitor But it contains a huge amount of picture information that can be manipulated and adjusted on a computer in post production to achieve a h...

Page 17: ...c 709 standard for television cameras When Sony s VENICE digital cinema camera was introduced it came with a new default look tailored for high end film style production This new look produces very pleasing images with warm skin tones and very smooth film like highlights The two different base operating modes can be selected via MENU Project Base Setting ...

Page 18: ...including White Balance and tint which changes the camera s colour response to match the colour temperature of the light in the scene so that white objects appear white Gain or ISO which changes the brightness of the image Gamma and Knee alters the cameras dynamic range and contrast of the recorded images The Matrix which alters the colour range hue and colour saturation Detail and Aperture which ...

Page 19: ...deo direct from the camera with minimal effort for many types of video productions rather than film or movie production that may include post production grading In addition in Custom mode it is also possible to use other gamma and matrix combinations to match the FX9 to other Sony cameras See sections 12 13 and 14 for more details on using Custom Mode and its various settings ...

Page 20: ...ion to produce the desired end look This is a more complex workflow compared to shooting a direct final image using Custom Mode but it does offer more creative possibilities As a result the Cine EI mode tends to be used more for productions where image quality is the primary consideration rather than ease of use or production turnaround speed When using the Cine EI mode depending on how the camera...

Page 21: ...ting mode RECOMMENDATION For straight forward projects or where a fast turnaround is needed use Custom Mode For film style productions where image quality is paramount and there will be the time and budget for post production grading use the Cine EI mode ...

Page 22: ...Section Index D Section Introduction D1 Scan Modes Overview D2 Full Frame Scan Modes FF 6K and FF 2K D3 S35 Scan Modes S35 4K and S35 2K D4 Codecs XAVC I XAVC L and MPEG HD D5 HD Sub Recording and Proxy Recording D6 Proxy Recording D7 Base Frame Rate ...

Page 23: ... and which scan modes can be used with which frame rates and recording formats There are two selectable frame sizes Full Frame FF and Super 35 S35 Full Frame is the larger of the two sensor scan sizes When Full Frame is selected the sensor area is similar to that of a Full Frame photo camera In the Full Frame mode you will need to use lenses designed for Full Frame The frame size in Full Frame sca...

Page 24: ...ilm S35 This is the same frame size as cameras such as the PXW FS7 or FS5 In this mode you can use lenses designed for APS C S35mm as well as lenses designed for Full Frame In the S35 mode if you use a Full Frame lens the field of view will be narrower than it would be in the Full Frame mode by a factor of 1 5 D Scan Modes frame rates and codecs ...

Page 25: ...obtain a shallower depth of field D1 Scan Modes Overview The Imager Scan Mode settings are found at MENU PROJECT IMAGER SCAN MODE As the recording format and frame rate choices are governed by the imager scan mode in most cases the imager scan mode should be set prior to setting the recording codec frame rate or video format Picture When using the same 35mm full frame lens the field of view will b...

Page 26: ...ty of the UHD recordings will be higher than possible from a 4K scan Noise in the image is reduced and the resolution and colour sampling is maximised However reading 19 million pixels from the sensor takes some time and as a result there are some frame rate limitations in FF 6K scan The highest frame rate that can be selected when using FF 6K scan is 30 frames per second You can record both UHD a...

Page 27: ...de can operate at up to 120fps However in this mode the camera s optical filtering is less optimal and this means that the image quality is somewhat reduced compared to the FF 6K scan This scan mode is best suited to high frame rate shooting where the ability to shoot at a high frame rate is the main priority You can only record HD from FF 2K scan Future update will enable FHD 180fps shooting in F...

Page 28: ...igh as can be achieved from the FF 6K scan mode But the reduced number of pixels that need to be read means that S35 4K can be used to record both UHD and HD at frame rates up to 60fps S35 2K Optimised for speed with S35mm and APS C lenses In S35 2K mode 2K scan as above uses the smaller Super 35mm frame area However the sensor is read at 2K instead of 4K The reduced resolution allows the sensor t...

Page 29: ...evel higher instead Custom mode Choose the gamma category setting of Original S Cinetone or STD STD1 to 6 This diagram is at Ver1 0 Future update will enable FF 4K 60p 50p recording image sensor scan size is around 5K and FHD 180fps shooting in FF 2K scanning mode D Scan Modes frame rates and codecs Image Scan Mode UHD Recording HD Recording Quality FF 6K 3840x2160 30fps 1920x1080 30fps Highest S3...

Page 30: ...g codec XAVC I is an I frame only codec and as a result is easy to work with in post production on modest computers XAVC L High quality small file size 10 bit 4 2 2 HD and 8 bit 4 2 0 UHD XAVC L HD UHD XAVC L is a long GOP codec offering similar image quality to XAVC I but with a smaller file size In HD it is 10bit 4 2 2 In UHD it is 8bit 4 2 0 not recommended for S Log3 In HD there are three bit ...

Page 31: ...ery long time As a result it is extremely widely supported even when using older editing hardware It is still very popular with many broadcasters because it is very easy to work with However the image quality is not as good as the more modern XAVC codec MPEG HD 422 may be a good choice where the priority is to have maximum backwards compatibility or when editing using older low powered computers D...

Page 32: ...cording both UHD and broadcast quality HD at the same time 4K HD Sub Rec can be enabled when the main recording format is UHD XAVC I at up to 30fps or UHD XAVC L at 50 59 98p When enabled an MPEG HD 422 clip is recorded on the same XQD card as the main recordings In the Cine EI mode this could be particularly useful as it gives the ability to record S Log3 UHD as well as an easy to edit HD recordi...

Page 33: ...rd or Memory Stick in the Utility Card slot You can choose between 1920 x 1080 9Mbps 1280 x 720 9Mbps 6Mbps and 640 x 360 3Mbps The quality of the 1920 x 1080 9Mbps is generally considered good enough for the coverage of breaking news stories Like the HD Sub recording mode when recording UHD S Log3 in the Cine EI mode and using a monitor LUT the LUT is baked into the Proxy recording MENU PROJECT P...

Page 34: ...re is no PAL or NTSC region setting As a result you can now quickly choose any of the cameras base recording and playback frame rates with this single menu setting The frequency chosen here will then determine the range of frame rates available in the cameras S Q mode and the frame rate at which footage shot in the S Q mode will play back D Scan Modes frame rates and codecs ...

Page 35: ...Contents 35 E Shutter Shutter Speed and Shutter Angle Section Index E Section Introduction E1 Choosing between shutter speed or shutter angle E2 Setting the shutter speed E3 ECS Shutter E4 Auto Shutter ...

Page 36: ...that the shutter speed is set to a multiple of the local mains electricity frequency Please check the mains frequency of the country you are shooting in to determine the most appropriate shutter speed In a 50Hz country 1 50 or 1 100 is recommended In a 60Hz country 1 60 or 1 120 is recommended E Shutter Shutter Speed and Shutter Angle ...

Page 37: ...ond shutter speed or in degrees In either case the operation of the shutter is identical there is no difference in the quality of the images captured Shutter speed is the easiest to understand and is similar to how the shutter period would be expressed in a stills camera With Shutter Speed the shutter timing remains fixed at the speed set even if you change the recording frame rate unless the shoo...

Page 38: ...In a video camera this means that the sensor will capture light for half of the recording frame rate For example if shooting at 24fps a 180 degree shutter will be open for half of 1 24 which is 1 48th of a second With shutter angle if you change the recording frame rate the shutter speed will also change as it will always be the same fraction of the recording rate To change the shutter period indi...

Page 39: ...er speed or angle If the shutter is set to Off or if you wish to set the Shutter to Auto or ECS press and hold the shutter button for approximately 2 seconds This will bring up a small sub menu direct menu in the viewfinder where you can select the required mode Suggested settings are 180 degrees or for 50Hz countries 1 50 and for 60Hz countries 1 60 E Shutter Shutter Speed and Shutter Angle ...

Page 40: ...t the computer screen and using the ECS function it is normally possible to eliminate or minimize these dark bands Do note however that in an office environment where there may be multiple computer screens you may only be able to synchronize the shutter with one monitor at a time E4 Auto shutter The shutter speed will be set automatically by the camera s auto exposure system to provide the optimum...

Page 41: ... ISO Gain and Dual ISO Section Index F Section introduction F1 What is the difference between gain and ISO F2 Selecting gain or ISO Custom Mode F3 What is Dual ISO and how to use it F4 When to switch to Hi Base ISO ...

Page 42: ... Please see section 6 3 for more information on Dual ISO In addition to this the signal that comes from the camera s sensor can be made brighter by adding additional gain amplifying the signal This may be useful when shooting in low light situations where it is difficult to obtain a sufficiently bright image However it should be noted that when you increase the camera s gain as well as making the ...

Page 43: ... twice as bright but also twice as noisy Adding 12dB will mean a picture is 4 times brighter than 0dB but also 4 times noisier and so on ISO can be a little more confusing Every time you double the ISO value you make the image twice as bright the equivalent of opening the aperture by 1 stop But in addition every time you double the ISO value you also double the amount of noise ISO values are used ...

Page 44: ... to avoid confusion when in custom mode you should use dB gain rather than ISO Gamma Lo Base Lowest Lo Base Highest ISO High Base Lowest High Base Highest ISO S Cinetone STD Gamma HG1 HG4 320 ISO 2500 ISO 1600 ISO 12800 ISO HG7 HG8 500 ISO 4000 ISO 2500 ISO 20000 ISO S Log3 800 ISO 6400 ISO 4000 ISO 32000 ISO ...

Page 45: ...veral ways to change the gain ISO of the PXW FX9 You can use the ISO Gain push button to quickly set the gain simply by pressing the button and then using the multi function dial to quickly set the desired gain ISO level You can use direct menu to select the gain ISO indication on the viewfinder screen and set a new gain ISO value or set the gain to automatic AGC ...

Page 46: ... button for at least 2 seconds or use direct menu to active the gain direct menu sub menu From here you can set the gain to auto The ISO Gain button will illuminate when the AGC mode is activated NOTE If using Auto gain you can set an upper gain for the auto gain via MENU Shooting Auto Exposure AGC Limit This may be useful to prevent excessive amounts of gain being added automatically NOTE In Cust...

Page 47: ...ase the ISO not only does this make the images brighter but it also increases the noise levels Adding 6dB of gain or doubling the ISO via gain will make the recordings twice as bright but it will also make them twice as noisy Adding gain may also result in decreased dynamic range Because the Dual ISO function works by altering the operation of the sensor to make the sensor more or less sensitive w...

Page 48: ... has the very lowest noise levels and where your light levels are lower you should choose Hi Base RECOMMENDATION I suggest adding the Base ISO Hi Lo function to an assignable button so that you can quickly switch between Hi and Lo Base as needed You should also note that if operating the camera in Custom Mode with the camera set to ISO rather than dB gain it can be a little confusing as to how muc...

Page 49: ...ting Hi Base ISO as this produces an image of the same brightness but without such a significant noise increase Please refer to the table below Gamma Lo Base Lowest Suggest Switch to Hi Base Always switch to Hi Base for best results Lo Base Highest ISO don t use use hi base instead High Base Lowest High Base Highest ISO S Cinetone STD Gamma HG1 HG4 320 ISO 0dB 800 ISO 8dB 1600 ISO 14dB 2500 ISO 18...

Page 50: ...Contents 50 G White Balance and Tint Section Index G Section Introduction G1 Preset White Balance G2 Auto White Balance G3 ATW Auto Tracking White Balance Custom Mode only G4 Tint ...

Page 51: ...n a user selectable Preset White Balance and additionally in Custom Mode there is an Automatic Tracking White balance option In addition to the white balance adjustments you can add a tint offset to help deal with different light sources or to alter the hue of the captured images In previous generations of Sony cameras you were only able to use white balance presets in Cine EI The FX9 has greatly ...

Page 52: ...and go to MENU Shooting White Preset White and select the desired colour temperature It is possible to manually enter a white balance colour temperature setting into the WHT BAL switch A and B positions To do this go place the switch into either the A or B position and go to MENU Shooting White Color Temp A or MENU Shooting White Color Temp B and set the desired colour temperature G White Balance ...

Page 53: ...in the viewfinder using direct menu allows you to dial in the colour temperature manually using either the Multi function Dial Thumbstick on the hand grip or the Up Down menu buttons When changing the white balance colour temperature this way the new setting replaces any value previously set via the menu G White Balance and Tint ...

Page 54: ...mine the correct white balance automatically by continuously analyzing the scene being shot and adjusting the white balance while you shoot This function is called ATW Auto Tracking White Balance Generally this works well but under most situations you may occasionally see a shift in colours while shooting To enable ATW the WHT BAL switch must be set to either the A or B position Then press and hol...

Page 55: ...tings for both the A and B WHT BAL switch positions To add a Tint go to MENU Shooting White Tint A or MENU Shooting White Tint B HINT Adding a small tint value for example 10 to 15 can be very useful for dealing with lighting that is too green RECOMMENDATION Return the any Tint offset to 0 when you no longer need to add a Tint as the Tint setting may have a different effect under differing lightin...

Page 56: ...Contents 56 H Exposure Zebras Waveform and Histogram Section Index H Section Introduction H1 Using Zebras H2 Using the Waveform or Histogram ...

Page 57: ...he Original S Cinetone and STD gammas the default level of 70 works well in most cases a small amount of zebras appearing across a typical face For the Hypergammas the zebra level should be reduced to 60 for optimum results Zebra 1 at 100 is used to indicate highlights approaching over exposure or clipping In MENU Monitoring Zebra Zebra Select you can choose whether to show zebra 1 zebra 2 or both...

Page 58: ...s on a vertical scale that goes from 0 or black at the lower dotted line at the bottom to 109 clipping point at the top There are additional dotted reference lines at 25 50 75 and 100 The left side of the waveform meter represents the left side of the image being recorded while the right side of the waveform meter is the right side of the image H Exposure Zebras Waveform and Histogram 109 100 75 5...

Page 59: ...e exposure brightness on a horizontal scale where black is at the left and 109 clipping point is on the right The vertical height of the indicated level represents the amount of the image that is exposed at that brightness H Exposure Zebras Waveform and Histogram ...

Page 60: ...Contents 60 I Aperture Iris and Auto Exposure Section Index I1 Iris in Custom Mode I2 Auto Exposure Offsets I3 Getting a shallow depth of field for the filmic look ...

Page 61: ... at least 2 seconds or using Direct Menu to select the iris indication in the viewfinder allows you to toggle the camera between manual iris and auto iris When Iris control is set to Auto the camera will automatically adjust the iris for the optimum exposure When manual iris control is selected the Iris Push Auto button can be used to momentarily set the iris automatically I Aperture Iris and Auto...

Page 62: ...the image There are presets for backlit scenes or scenes where the main focus of the scene is under a spotlight These offsets can be chosen via direct menu or via MENU Shooting Auto Exposure Mode You can also enter your own offset to the Auto Exposure system using direct menu or via MENU Shooting Auto Exposure Level The values indicated are fractions of I Aperture Iris and Auto Exposure ...

Page 63: ...Contents 63 Section Index stops A plus value will make the images brighter and a minus value will make them darker I Aperture Iris and Auto Exposure ...

Page 64: ...n using a large iris you should consider introducing the ND filter to reduce the exposure level In very bright scenes you may observe softening of your footage if you use a very small iris This is due to diffraction effects and as a result you should avoid using very small iris values f16 f22 etc Most lenses provide the best performance in the middle of their iris aperture range Use the camera s b...

Page 65: ...Contents 65 J The ND Filter System Section Index J Section Introduction J1 The electronicaly controlled Variable ND Filter J2 Auto ND Filter ...

Page 66: ...ral Density filters are used to reduce and control the amount of light falling on the sensor in bright filming conditions They allow the use of larger apertures than would otherwise be possible in high light level scenes ND Filter Preset Controls ND Auto Button ND Filter Dial ...

Page 67: ...t that reaches the sensor When the ND filter mode switch is set to preset the ND filter provides 3 preset levels of ND filtration The default values are 1 1 4ND 2 stops 2 1 16ND 4 stops and 3 1 64ND 6 stops However if you wish you can change these preset ND levels in the menu MENU shooting ND Filter Switching the ND filter switch to Variable allows you to use the ND Variable wheel to vary the amou...

Page 68: ...lter The Variable ND filter can also be made to operate automatically by first enabling the ND filter system by pressing the ND button and the pressing and holding the ND Auto button for at least 2 seconds The button will illuminate when the Auto mode is activated ...

Page 69: ... Auto Focus and Focus Aids Section Index K Section Introduction K1 Auto Focus Controls K2 Auto Focus Detection Area K3 Changing the AF speed and responsiveness K4 Face Detection AF K5 Peaking K6 Focus Magnification ...

Page 70: ...d auto focus AF system purpose designed for video applications This AF system is called as Fast Hybrid AF It combines phase detection AF for fast accurate subject tracking with contrast AF for exceptional focus accuracy The speed and responsiveness of the AF system can be tailored to suit different shooting scenarios It also has the ability recognize and to track individual faces ...

Page 71: ...der for the cameras auto focus functions to operate correctly if the lens has an AF MF switch it must be set to AF If using a lens with a focus ring that slides between AF MF it must be in the AF position Some Sony lenses have a Focus Hold button on the lens itself When AF is enabled and this button is pressed the auto focus function is temporarily halted until the button is released It is also po...

Page 72: ...area to the Focus switch and an alternate focus area to the Push Auto AF button In order to have a different focus area for the AF Push Auto button you should go to MENU Shooting Focus Push AF Mode and select Single shot AF AF S Now you can select a different focus area for the AF Push Auto button by going to MENU Shooting Focus Focus Area AF S There are 3 different focus areas to choose from When...

Page 73: ...age using the thumbstick on the hand grip or the up down left right menu button Flexible Spot This is a much smaller area useful for isolating a single object or very small part of the image The flexible spot can be moved around the image using the thumbstick on the hand grip or the up down left right menu button ...

Page 74: ... Wide area for the Focus switch and then setting up the AF Push Auto button to use AF S and the flexible spot This way you can quickly alternate between Wide area and Flexible Spot You should also consider assigning the ability to change the focus area to one of the assignable buttons ...

Page 75: ...priate for drama RECOMMENDATION If the focus is set to a very fast transition speed the focus can sometimes look unnatural as the focus flicks quickly from one object or subject to another For more natural looking focus I recommend using a slightly slower setting than default perhaps 3 The AF Subject Shift Sensitivity setting allow you to adjust how strongly the AF will hold on to the object it is...

Page 76: ...ing through the shot If you were to set the camera to 5 Responsive the AF may attempt to quickly shift to the traffic as it passes through the shot RECOMMENDATION For general shooting the default setting of 3 works well For interviews or similar shots using 1 Locked On will stop the AF from being distracted by objects that may cross the foreground or background of the shot On the other hand 5 Resp...

Page 77: ...In addition the camera has the ability to differentiate between different faces allowing you to select memorize and then prioritize an individual face out of a group of people MENU Shooting Focus Face Detection AF Or via Direct Menu When set to OFF AF if via Direct Menu the autofocus system will focus on whatever object appears to be the main object in the shot whether that is a face or something ...

Page 78: ...ill be displayed around any detected faces and an orange cursor will appear under one of the boxes The cursor can be moved between faces using the thumbstick on the hand grip or the menu up down left right buttons By placing the cursor under a preferred face and pressing the thumbstick or the select button the box around that face will become a double white box and the camera will register that fa...

Page 79: ...an individual face has been selected then the AF will only operate when this particular face is detected Note that if you have selected Face Only AF and then turn the camera off the focus will revert to Face Priority AF HINTS AND TIPS Faces must be looking straight at the cameras for the best results Beards facial hair and spectacles may prevent the detection of a face When shooting with a very sh...

Page 80: ...Contents 80 Section Index K Auto Focus and Focus Aids NOTE Auto Focus does not function when using the S Q mode To assist with obtaining the best possible focus there are a number of focus aids ...

Page 81: ...pe to colour and choosing a colour such as Red Avoid using an excessively high peaking level HINTS AND TIPS Peaking works by enhancing the appearance of high contrast edges within the image by adding coloured or black or white normal peaking highlights to the high contrast areas This makes it easier to determine which parts of the image are in focus However it should be noted that as peaking is co...

Page 82: ...y 3x pressing it a second time by 6x and the third press returns the image to normal Focus Magnification has no effect on the recordings or HDMI or SDI outputs so can be used at any time When Focus Magnification has been activated the thumbstick on the handgrip can be used to select which part of the full image is magnified The Focus Magnification function can also be assigned to an assignable but...

Page 83: ...Contents 83 L Gamma Settings In Custom Mode Section Index L1 What are Gamma Curves L2 Original Gamma S Cinetone L3 Standard Gamma STD L4 Hypergamma HG L5 S Log3 ...

Page 84: ...at you regard as the best looking image It is worth experimenting with different gamma curve settings to achieve different looks A gamma curve with a large dynamic range will capture a larger scene brightness range but result in a flatter on screen image A gamma curve with a smaller dynamic range will result in a higher contrast image but is only capable of capturing a narrower scene brightness ra...

Page 85: ...ss a gradual change in the gamma curve occurs that gradually reduces contrast all the way up to the clipping point This roll off results in smooth looking highlights In addition S Cinetone s highlight roll off has been carefully designed to retain details and textures even in the brightest highlights in a manner similar to film Most conventional gammas have an aggressive knee or highlight roll off...

Page 86: ...ally is that simple But do note that the design of the curve means that if you expose a touch brighter the image will become very slightly flatter and less contrasty Expose a touch lower and the contrast increases giving you the ability to quickly tweak the way your images look If you wish to use zebras or the waveform display to assist with getting the right exposure as a starting point I recomme...

Page 87: ...ones at 60 the image will be more contrasty Personally for a more film like look I really like the results you get when you expose skin tones in the 60 to 65 range But you should experiment for yourself with different exposure levels to see what suites your shooting style and the look you wish to achieve L Gamma Settings In Custom Mode ...

Page 88: ... life contrast when viewed on a conventional TV or monitor However these curves have a limited dynamic range The scene brightness range that can be captured is restricted to maintain compatibility with normal TV displays STD gamma curve STD5 R709 is the standard gamma for HDTV production A white card would be exposed at around 90 and average skin tones around 70 L Gamma Settings In Custom Mode ...

Page 89: ... range and optimum exposure levels are indicated in the full name of the hypergamma curve for example HG4609G40 HG 460 9 G40 which indicates HG Hypergamma with an over exposure range 460 greater than standard TV gamma Recording to 109 the other option being a 0 which indicates recording to 100 G40 being the optimum exposure for a 18 middle grey card of 40 In practice a Hypergamma with a lower G mi...

Page 90: ...s range of over 15 stops This will result in a very flat on screen image Note that the peak recording level for S Log3 is 94 The PXW FX9 is primarily designed to use S Log recording in the Cine EI mode and it is recommended that if you wish to shoot S Log3 that you use Cine EI rather than Custom Mode L Gamma Settings In Custom Mode ...

Page 91: ...Contents 91 Section Index M1 The Preset Matrix Options M2 Adaptive Matrix for dealing with intense blue lights M3 User Matrix M4 Multi Matrix M The MATRIX How to change the colour ranges ...

Page 92: ...he assumption that it will be used under some types of Florescent or LED lights It is very effective at producing a pleasing image under these types of lights Cinema Similar to the Cinema matrix in some other Sony cameras It gives slightly muted colours with a colour range designed to provide a more film like look BT 709 A standard Rec 709 compatible colour matrix for HD broadcast television produ...

Page 93: ...Contents 93 Section Index incorrect You should only use the BT 2020 matrix if you are delivering material to be viewed on Rec 2020 devices M The MATRIX How to change the colour ranges ...

Page 94: ...he user matrix allows you to alter the way the camera combines colours to give accurate hues and shades Difficult to adjust unless you know what you are doing MENU Paint Matrix User Matrix M4 Multi Matrix An easier to use way of adjusting the colours the camera reproduces You can take multiple colours by selecting several different AXIS settings and adjust the saturation and hue of those colours B...

Page 95: ...Contents 95 N Custom Mode Other Settings use with caution Section Index N1 White Clip N2 Detail N3 Aperture N4 Black Gamma N5 Knee ...

Page 96: ...nd edges making the image making them appear sharper May look artificial if set too high If doing any post production grading it is recommend that you turn Detail OFF default as you can always sharpen in post and excessive in camera sharpening can restrict how much you can grade your footage There are separate detail settings for HD and UHD MENU Paint Detail N3 Aperture A frequency based edge shar...

Page 97: ...int Black Gamma N5 Knee Adjusts the point where the knee starts to compress and the compression ratio of highlights in the standard gammas Done to increase dynamic range MENU Paint Knee Best left alone unless you have a waveform monitor to get the settings just right If shooting a scene with a very low dynamic range you can turn the knee off to eliminate sometimes electronic looking highlights but...

Page 98: ... the Cine EI Mode in detail Section Index O Section Introduction O1 Setting the color gamut O2 Monitor LUT s O3 Using Exposure Index O4 Cine EI example Using the s709 MLUT O5 When you can t use MLUT s Gamma Display Assist ...

Page 99: ... records using the S Log3 gamma curve at either the Hi 800 ISO or Low 4000 ISO base sensitivity You cannot add gain in the Cine EI mode as this would reduce the dynamic range Instead you have the ability to alter the EI Exposure Index NOTE The FX9 has a very large dynamic range Too large for S Log2 to record so there is no S Log2 option only S Log3 The base exposure level for S Log3 is Middle Grey...

Page 100: ...o change this you can do so via MENU Project Cine EI Setting S Gamut3 A very wide range colour gamut suitable for high end productions that have good colour management S Gamut3 Cine A wide range colour gamut suitable for most types of productions It is a slightly smaller gamut than S Gamut3 and the colour primaries are closely aligned with the DCI P3 colourspace This makes it very easy to use in p...

Page 101: ...as been colour graded The default LUT in the FX9 is the same s709 LUT as used by the VENICE camera As a result when this MLUT is applied to the viewfinder or outputs the video will look very similar to footage from a VENICE camera While in many respects similar to S Cinetone the s709 LUT is different as s709 was designed as a post production starting point for film style productions As a result it...

Page 102: ...ead wish to record the MLUT as a baked in look If you wish to use a different MLUT you can change the MLUT by going to MENU Shooting Monitor LUT If the camera is set to output 1920 x 1080 HD over SDI or HDMI then the MLUT will be added to the output signal If the camera is set to output 3840 x 2160 UHD then the MLUT will only be applied to the viewfinder and if enabled the streaming output HD Sub ...

Page 103: ...Mode in detail A full list of the MLUT recording and output options is displayed on the MENU Shooting Monitor LUT Setting page The Viewfinder HDMI and SDI output status can be viewed via page 3 of the Status pages press the Status button to activate ...

Page 104: ...UT EI only changes the MLUT the camera always continues to record at the base ISO of either 800 ISO or 4000 ISO in order to preserve the cameras full dynamic range To change the Exposure Index select a different position for the L M H gain switch or press the ISO Gain button and use the Multi function Dial or use Direct Menu to select the EI value displayed in the viewfinder When you lower the Exp...

Page 105: ...in the CineEI mode This can be enabled via MENU Monitoring Display On Off Video signal Monitor When the SDI HDMI output is set to HD the waveform display will be measuring the brightness of the chosen LUT When the SDI HDMI output is set to 3840x2160 UHD the waveform display will show the brightness of the S Log3 recordings What the waveform is measuring is indicated immediately above the waveform ...

Page 106: ...n this would be considered to be the base or normal exposure level If you were to now lower the Exposure Index to 400 EI the image in seen in the viewfinder via the MLUT will become 1 stop darker and appear to be under exposed To compensate for this you should adjust your exposure so that 1 stop more light falls on the sensor This brings the brightness of the images seen in the viewfinder back to ...

Page 107: ...mages Because of the darker S Log3 exposure using an EI higher than the base ISO will increase noise in the final images so should be used with caution Middle Grey White Grey Highlight Shadow Range Base S Log3 800 4000EI 41 61 6 9 Base Exposue at 800EI 800 Base ISO Exposure index is reduced to 200EI image via the LUT becomes 2 stops darker Exposure is adjusted 2 stops brighter to bring brightness ...

Page 108: ... RECOMMENDATION For most applications using an Exposure Index that matches the base ISO will produce good results Exposure Index ratings higher than the base ISO should be used with caution due to concerns over increasing noise levels in the final graded material ...

Page 109: ...s applied to the viewfinder This look is very similar to the 709 800 MLUT but it is only applied to the viewfinder it cannot be added to any of the outputs In addition because this is a viewfinder function its brightness does not change if you change the exposure index Because in most cases with the FX9 you do not need to use an exposure index offset to get a good end result the viewfinder Gamma D...

Page 110: ...er do not use both together IMPORTANT When using Gamma Display Assist even though the images in the viewfinder look like normal Rec 709 images it is important to realize that if you are using zebras the histogram or waveform display to measure the exposure these will all be measuring the S Log3 recording levels Viewfinder with Display Gamma Assist Viewfinder without MLUT or Gamma Assist Viewfinder...

Page 111: ... the Gamma Display Assist function to an assignable button RECOMMENDATION When using Gamma Display Assist with S Log3 if you wish to use Zebras to check the exposure you should set the Zebra level to 52 for typical skin tones or to 61 to check the exposure using a white card as the zebras will be measuring the levels of the S Log3 recordings ...

Page 112: ...tents 112 Section Index P Section Introduction P1 Setting up for S Q motion P2 Interval Record Time lapse recording P3 Picture Cache Record P Slow and Quick Motion Interval Record and Picture Cache Record ...

Page 113: ...an the base frame rate action can be sped up by shooting at a higher frame rate action can be slowed down When shooting UHD the camera can shoot at between 1fps and 60fps When set to HD the camera can record HFR High Frame Rate slow motion footage at up to 120fps As of Ver1 0 Future updates will enable 180fps shooting in HD mode P Slow and Quick Motion Interval Record and Picture Cache Record ...

Page 114: ...er to use S Q motion the XAVC L or XAVC I codec must be selected MENU Project Rec Format Codec Next select the base frame rate which will be the frame rate at which the footage will play back MENU Project Rec Format Frequency If you have previously selected FF 6K scan and you choose a base frame rate frequency greater than 30fps then the Sensor Scan Mode will revert to S35 4K To enable the S Q mod...

Page 115: ...zes frame rates so image quality may be reduced depending on the shooting environment In this instance the settings below are recommended Cine EI mode Set EI gain lower and exposure level higher instead Custom mode Choose the gamma category setting of Original S Cinetone or STD STD1 to 6 NOTE Auto Focus and Auto Iris are disabled and audio is not recorded when using S Q MLUT s are not available at...

Page 116: ... as an All File This will then allow you to recall the All File to quickly setup the camera for your preferred S Q mode NOTE Be aware that when shooting at high frame rates under some types of artificial light sources that flicker from the lights can be introduced into the footage This may not always be obvious in the viewfinder while shooting I recommend that when shooting at high frame rates tha...

Page 117: ...d p and the playback rate of the footage is determined by the selected record format MENU Project Rec Format Frequency Interval record is enabled and set via the menu MENU Project Interval Rec Setting or it can be assigned to an assignable button RECOMMENDATION Set the Interval Time to 1 second and the Number of Frames to 1 Increasing the number of frames beyond 1 typically results in jerky motion...

Page 118: ... to 1 3 of a second or to 360 degrees especially when shooting night scenes to add a pleasing blur to movement If shooting during daylight you may need addition ND filters to control the exposure P Slow and Quick Motion Interval Record and Picture Cache Record ...

Page 119: ...ng unpredictable events for example filming an event that may occur unexpectedly or suddenly without warning The maximum length of the cache period depends on the recording format that is being used It will be longer for HD recordings than UHD recordings To enable Picture Cache Record go to MENU Project Picture Cache Rec Setting The cache time period is selected via MENU Project Picture Cache Rec ...

Page 120: ...Contents 120 Section Index Q Section Introduction Q1 SteadyShot Optical Stabilisation Q2 Post Production Image Stabilisation Q SteadyShot and Post Production Image Stabilisation ...

Page 121: ...e optical image stabilization SteadyShot or has the ability to add motion metadata to the internally recorded XAVC clips so that image stabilization can be performed in postproduction You can use one or the other but not both together Q SteadyShot and Post Production Image Stabilization ...

Page 122: ...e lenses stabilization function MENU Shooting SteadyShot Setting Standard In addition if the lens has a separate SteadyShot or Image Stabilisation switch you will need to set this to ON in order to active the stabilization The performance of the stabilization will be dependent on the lens that is being used Steadyshot can also be turned on and off via Direct Menu Q SteadyShot and Post Production I...

Page 123: ... process it is expected that this function will become available in most of the major editing applications in the near future In order to use the postproduction stabilization feature you must ensure that any optical stabilization is turned off You must set MENU Shooting SteadyShot Setting to OFF In addition the lens that you are using must be Sony E mount lens capable of sending valid focal length...

Page 124: ...hat you use a fast shutter speed to prevent blurring of the image during any rapid camera movement I suggest a minimum shutter speed of 1 100th of a second or a 90 degree shutter The metadata based postproduction stabilisation is very advanced and incorporates geomoteric corrections to provide a very natural looking image after stabilisation Due to the geometric corrections in many instances the s...

Page 125: ...Contents 125 R Audio Options Section Index R Section Introduction R1 Audio Input Options R2 Audio Input Level R3 Monitoring Audio Levels ...

Page 126: ...ches to control the input options for audio channels 1 and 2 as well as a separate audio level control dial for each of the 4 audio channels There is a basic built in microphone on the right side of the camera body and a small loudspeaker on the left side In addition there are further audio controls in the menu MENU Audio Audio ...

Page 127: ...mera s internal microphone as a recording source for any of the 4 audio channels The input source settings for audio channels 1 and 2 are on the side of the camera The input source settings for channels 3 and 4 are found at MENU Audio Audio Input There is an additional input source setting for channel 2 in the audio menu that allows you to select Input 1 as the source for channel 2 This allow you ...

Page 128: ...channels On the side of the camera there is a switch to select between auto and manual audio control on the side of the camera To switch between auto and manual for channels 3 and 4 you should go to MENU Audio Audio Input CH3 CH4 Level Control R Audio Options Wireless Radio Mic Attached via MI Shoe URX P40 with SMAD P5 adapter Input Settings For Ch1 Ch2 Audio Level Controls ...

Page 129: ...ld be left at the default setting of 99 but it can be useful for globally changing the recording level of all 4 audio channels together If you do not wish to allow the global Audio Input Level control to affect one or more of the 4 audio channels go to MENU Audio Audio Input CH1 level CH2 3 4 etc and select Side If you wish to have the audio channel only controlled by the global Audio Input Level ...

Page 130: ...mbstick If you need to frequently view the Status screen pages consider assigning Status to an assignable button By going to MENU Audio Audio Output you can select which channels of audio are fed to the headphones When the Headphone Out is set to mono the audio channels are mixed together When set to Stereo and CH1 CH2 or CH3 CH4 selected each channel will be fed independently to the left and righ...

Page 131: ...S Recording Recording Media and Backups Section Index S Section Introduction S1 Simultaneous Record S2 Utility Card Slot S3 Formatting Media S4 Safely Ejecting and Removing Media S5 Restore Media S6 Backing up media ...

Page 132: ...s G series cards are used to ensure the greatest compatibility and reliability You should store the cards in the supplied plastic case or another suitable media case when not in use to prevent dirt or other foreign objects from becoming lodged in the cards connectors Do not apply stickers or labels to the faces of the cards as these may become detached and can cause the card to get stuck in the ca...

Page 133: ...ossible to control each slot independently using the record button on the side of the camera to control one slot and the handle record button to control the other slot This may be useful when you need to record a long event or performance without any breaks onto one card while using the second card to capture highlight clips See MENU PROJECT SIMUL REC Also as mentioned in 4 5 chapter you can simul...

Page 134: ...such as User Files All Files or Scene Files In addition H 264 proxy files can be recorded on to and SD card or Memory Stick S3 Formatting Media Before it can be used for the first time you will need to format your media It is recommended that media cards are formatted in the camera The format function can be found at MENU TC MEDIA FORMAT MEDIA WARNING If a card is formatted in the camera as a secu...

Page 135: ... not be removed Removing a memory while it is being accessed can result in the loss of footage or corruption of the data on the card Should you remove a card that is being accessed in error you should immediately place the card back in the camera The camera will perform an integrity check of the data on the card and if any errors are found you will see a message in the viewfinder saying Restore Me...

Page 136: ... attempt to restore the media By ejecting the card from the camera and re inserting it back into the camera the camera will again perform a media check and if the problem persists the restore media function can be attempted again If after several restore media attempts you still see a message saying Could Not Restore Some Clips you may still be able to salvage the remainder of the material on the ...

Page 137: ...you use Catalyst Browse to make the copies This way you can use Catalyst to view and play back the copies of clips to ensure there are no problems before you erase or format the XQD card Once you have copied your clips from the XQD card to your computer do ensure that you correctly eject the card from the computer to prevent corruption of the card You must always use the computer s eject function ...

Page 138: ...rview Section Index T Section Introduction T1 First you must set up a password T2 Access Point Mode or Station Mode T3 Using Access Point mode to connect a mobile device to the camera T4 Connecting the camera to a network using Station mode ...

Page 139: ...oad via FTP If you wish to use an Android or Apple mobile device with the camera you should first download and install the latest version of Sony s Content Browser Mobile application from the Apple Store or Google Play store T1 First you must set up a password Before you can use any of the cameras network capabilities you must first set up a password Until you set up a password you will not be abl...

Page 140: ...t mode you will connect your device to the camera When you set it to Station Mode you connect the camera to a network and then you can connect other devices to the camera via the network Generally you would use Access Point mode when you want to connect a mobile device running the Content Browser Mobile application CBM to the camera This is the easiest way to connect a mobile device to the camera ...

Page 141: ...on Index T Networking and Wi Fi Overview However in some cases you may find that you can get a more stable and more reliable connection by setting the camera to Station Mode and connecting the camera to the mobile device ...

Page 142: ...s this Ensure that Wi Fi and NFC are enabled on the mobile device Then go to MENU Network Wireless Lan NFC select Execute and place the mobile device against the NFC symbol on the upper left side of the camera When the mobile device detects the camera the Content Browser Mobile app will open and you will be prompted to enter the username and password for the camera that you set previously ...

Page 143: ...o DIRECT PXW FX9_ Now select the WPS option on the mobile device to connect Once connected open the CBM app to complete the connection Manual Connection You can connect to the camera manually by going to the mobile devices Wi Fi settings and manually connecting to the camera To find the cameras SSID and Wi Fi password got to MENU Network AP Mode Settings Camera SSID Password Once connected open th...

Page 144: ...ual Connection Go to MENU Network ST Mode Settings Scan Networks and select Execute to scan for available wireless networks Select your desired network from the network list In the next page scroll down to Password and enter the networks password Once you have entered the password scroll down and select Connect Once the connection is successfully established the Connected Network should be shown o...

Page 145: ...y using Access Point mode instead If there is no Wi Fi network available consider setting up a Wi Fi Hotspot on the mobile device and connecting the camera to the Hotspot If the mobile device has a good cellular network connection you can also upload files via FTP using the phone as the internet connection See the PXW FX9 user manual for more information on the cameras network functions ...

Page 146: ...ction Index U1 Restore Media U2 Execute APR U3 Audio is not being recorded U4 Unable to enable MLUTS U5 Using an external recorder connected via HDMI U6 Unable to change the SDI or HDMI output format U7 Can t access any network functions U8 System Reset ...

Page 147: ...he Restore Media function It is not an error or fault just housekeeping U2 Execute APR After switching the camera on you may see a message saying Execute APR This is not an error or malfunction The APR function minimizes the appearance of bright or dark sensor pixels and minimizes sensor noise Cover cap the lens and press SEL SET to execute the APR function If you do not perform APR you will be re...

Page 148: ...9 U4 Unable to enable MLUTS An MLUT can only applied when the camera is set to record UHD in the CineEI mode U5 Using an external recorder connected via HDMI To remotely control the record function of the external recorder you have to enable the record control via HDMI in the Project Menu But you ALSO have to enable the HDMI timecode output in the Timecode menu This is not obvious and took me a wh...

Page 149: ...rn off the picture cache function to change the output settings U7 Can t access any network functions Before you can use any of the camera s network capabilities you must first set up a password Until you set up a password you will not be able to access any of the other network functions U8 System Reset If the camera is not performing as expected try a system reset to restore the factory defaults ...

Page 150: ...els B2 Multi function Dial B3 Assignable Buttons B4 User Menu B5 Direct Menu B6 Saving your preferred camera settings B7 Status Pages C Choosing the right operating mode C1 Custom Mode and Cine El Mode What s the difference C2 Overview of Custom Mode and S Cinetone C3 Overview of Cine El Mode ...

Page 151: ...nd FF 2K D3 S35 Scan Modes S35 4K and S35 2K D4 Codecs XAVC I XAVC L and MPEG HD D5 HD Sub Recording and Proxy Recording D6 Proxy Recording D7 Base Frame Rate E Shutter Shutter Speed and Shutter Angle E1 Choosing between shutter speed or shutter angle E2 Setting the shutter speed E3 ECS Shutter E4 Auto Shutter ...

Page 152: ...or ISO Custom Mode F3 What is Dual ISO and how to use it F4 When to switch to Hi Base ISO G White Balance and Tint G1 Preset White Balance G2 Auto White Balance G3 ATW Auto Tracking White Balance Custom Mode only G4 Tint H Exposure Zebras Waveform and Histogram H1 Using Zebras H2 Using Waveform or Histogram ...

Page 153: ... shallow depth of field for the filmic look J The ND Filter System J1 The electronically controlled Variable ND Filter J2 Auto ND Filter K Auto Focus and Focus Aids K1 Auto Focus Controls K2 Auto Focus Detection Area K3 Changing the AF speed and responsiveness K4 Face Detection AF K5 Peaking K6 Focus Magnification ...

Page 154: ...es L2 Original Gamma S Cinetone L3 Standard Gamma STD L4 Hypergamma HG L5 S Log3 M The MATRIX How to change the colour ranges M1 The Preset Matrix Options M2 Adaptive Matrix M3 User Matrix M4 Multi Matrix N Custom Mode Other Settings use with caution N1 White Clip N2 Detail ...

Page 155: ...he colour gamut O2 Monitor LUT s O3 Using Exposure Index O4 Cine El example Using the s709 MLUT O5 When you can t use MLUT s Gamma Display Assist P Slow and Quick Motion Interval Record and Picture Cache Record P1 Setting up for S Q motion P2 Interval Record Time lapse recording P3 Picture Cache Record ...

Page 156: ... Post Production Image Stabilisation R Audio Options R1 Audio Input Options R2 Audio Input Level R3 Monitoring Audio Levels S Recording Recording Media and Backups S1 Silmultaneous Record S2 Using Waveform or Histogram S3 Formatting Media S4 Safely Ejecting and Removing Media S5 Restore Media S6 Backing up Media ...

Page 157: ... mobile device to the camera T4 Connecting the camera to a network using Station Mode U Error messages and common problems U1 Restore Media U2 Execute APR U3 Audio is not being recorded U4 Unable to enable MLUTS U5 Using an external recorder connected via HDMI U6 Unable to change the SDI or HDMI output format U7 Can t access any network functions U8 System Reset ...

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