GETTING STARTED WITH THE SONY EA50
(Quick Reference Guide)
Getting Started
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ALWAYS BRING YOUR OWN HEADPHONES to every shoot!
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Make sure your batteries are fully charged. Battery snaps into back of camera; to
remove battery hit battery release button near the base of the handle.
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Always start by calibrating your LCD display for the current lighting conditions.
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Many cinematographers prefer to shoot using the viewfinder rather than the flip-
out screen; Especially if you are shooting outdoors in bright sunlight, the snap-on
viewfinder reduces glare; also, many documentary filmmakers shooting in
uncontrolled situations find the flip-out screen problematic bgecause the subject /
bystanders can get distracted trying to look at what you’re shooting (on the other
hand, if you’re shooting yourself, the flip screen can be very handy). Your camera
kit includes a clip-on viewfinder attachment - to use the viewfinder, clip it onto the
LCD screen using the built-in clips.
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For handheld / documentary shooting, the built-in shoulder mount provides
excellent ergonomics, allowing you to balance the camera on your shoulder for
even weight distribution and steady shooting. Release the shoulder mount by
pulling the tab underneath the camera.
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Make sure date and time are set correctly when you power on (this is useful
metadata that is written to your clips as you record.
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If you’re using the viewfinder, make sure the diopter ring is set correctly for your
eyesight; if you wear glasses and prefer shooting without glasses, try calibrating
the diopter for your vision (use slider on viewfinder)
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Format your memory card before starting to record – make sure footage from
previous user is cleared off. A 32GB card will hold around two hours of footage.
To format: MENU > OTHERS > MEDIA FORMAT > MEMORY CARD > OK
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Always shoot in manual for professional-quality recording: put IRIS, EXPOSURE
(buttons on side of camera), and ZOOM (bottom of camera, under the lens) into
manual mode before you start shooting.
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Always check your recording format before each shoot to make sure camera is in
the right mode. Your editing system can handle a range of formats, but it is
important to make sure that you are shooting consistently in whatever format you
choose for your project (rather than mixing formats in FCP, which requires
rendering and is hypothetically problematic if you leave FCP for color correction
or layoff). A GOOD GENERAL FORMAT IS 1080 / 24P FX (1920 * 1080
