The Sony A6500 is designed as a still
camera but the excellence of its video
mode makes it a great choice for
recording video. There are lots of
options and settings. Here my
recommendations to get great results
with a minimum of fuss. I'll try to keep
this simple and share a few advanced
tips and tricks at the end. Use an SDXC
memory card rated U3, now called
v30 or faster. Press the red button, yes
it's kind of tricky, to record video from
any setting on the mode dial, But use the
mode dial's video setting that changes the
display to the video 16x9 aspect,
displays audio meters and adjusts other
settings for video. For example while
shooting video only manual and
continuous autofocus are available. I'm
starting with the camera in its default
settings. If you wish to do a reset use
setup screen seven, select initialize. The
video settings are on tab to screen1 in
movie S&Q motion select manual exposure.
That provides full control of the
settings. Then set the file format. Use
one of the XAVCS modes - HD or 4k. 4k is
the 16x9 aspect ratio. There's no
setting for the 4k cinema aspect ratio.
(music)
Even down rezzed 4k looks better than HD
and offers the ability to zoom and pan
when outputting to HD. I recommend 4k
unless you're limited by memory cards,
computer editing power or space. Then
record setting. For a video look, 30
frames 100, for a cinematic feel - 24 frames
100. This video was recorded and output
at 24 frames. Note that the 30 frame
image is cropped in slightly. The super
35 millimeter frame of the 24 frame mode
is larger.
(music)
100 refers to the data rate using 60
reduces quality slightly but doesn't eat
up card space as quickly. For all the data
in a 4k image 100 megabits already feels
a little like a compromise so I never
use 60 and memory cards are cheap.
With manual mode aperture and shutter
are manually adjusted but I go back to
tab1 screen 8 and use auto ISO, until I
want to fully control the image. Set the
minimum 2 100 max to 12.8. Then set the
metering mode. In general multi provides
a good overall exposure, but for specific
situations center might help a centered
subject that's either brighter or darker
than the rest of the scene and - this is
new on the 6500 - highlight, a great
solution for performers on stage or just
to keep the highlights from blowing out.
Assuming you're shooting people,
tab1 screen 14 to turn face detection on.
Press the fun button to confirm
autofocus continuous mode and select the
autofocus area-wide works for most
scenes. The A6500 has a touchscreen, just
tap to focus on an object or to change
focus to another. I could do this all day
long.
It's worth noting that this doesn't work
when an external monitor is connected
and that when the focus is achieved the
mode changes to manual. Set the white
balance to the appropriate setting never
auto, which will make subtle shifts while
you shoot making editing difficult. Using
the back control wheel, set the shutter
speed to 1/60th or for dark interiors
1/30th, or any setting in between. The back
control dial is the default - it's
displayed bottom right on screen. AV is
aperture, TV - time value - is shutter. When
using a lens with a manual aperture ring,
like this one, I prefer to use the top dial,
making it less likely that it's
accidentally changed. On tab 2 screen 8
you can flip the operation of these
controls but here they're labeled F
for aperture and SS for shutter -
consistency would be nice.
Using the top control dial, or if you
also change the control setting, the back
control wheel, to set the aperture to f4
or a smaller number. This will be
different for each lens. F4 or smaller
keeps the backgrounds defocused but also
makes for a very narrow depth of field,
so sometimes a number smaller than f4
can be a little frustrating with a
quickly changing scene. Use a smaller
aperture f11 or f16 to have a sharper
in focus background. On this lens, the
sony 28 to 135 cine lens, use the lens
ring to set f4 and set the iris lock on
to prevent it from accidentally going to
auto. For a softer background back up and
zoom, in but keep the subject as close to
the lens as possible. Under very bright
lights, or if you're shooting outside, the
camera will warn you by flashing ISO
Auto - turn the dial until it stops. If
that doesn't work you may need an ND
filter - remember to set things back when
you return inside. The scene is now
properly exposed but if you want it
brighter or darker, press the bottom of
the control wheel and turn to override
with EV adjustments. Alternately press
the right side of the control dial to
set the ISO manually. Those settings will
provide the maximum return for the
minimum effort. Obviously any lens, even
the kit lens, works for video - but let me
explain why a cine lens is a better
option.
First, the iris is set manually on the
lens making exposure adjustments both
silent and gradual. Secondly the focus.
When this lens is in full manual - pull
the focus ring towards the camera - the
focus ring travel is defined. This makes
a highly accurate and repeatable rack
focus possible using the distance
marking on the ring or your own. Although
the touch focus is a suitable
alternative. Thirdly - zoom.
Although this is a zoom by wire lens,
even when the zoom ring is used, the
effect of that is that the actual zoom
is slower than the ring, when the ring is
moved quickly, it takes the lens a second
or two to catch up.
That said, used manually it can create a
perfectly smooth and organic zoom without
focus adjustments or breathing - all of
the lens elements are tuned to
facilitate this. Incidentally, to set the
focus, zoom in, focus and then compose.
Then you'll always be in focus -
this is a par focal lens.
If you can spare a few more minutes I'll provide
some advanced tips. Here's what I do
beyond what i just described.
I prefer to capture a custom white
balance. On tab1 screen 11 white balance
and scroll down to set, while pointed at
a white sheet of paper or pro 18-percent
gray card. Save it - there are three
registers but I just overwrite one. When
the lens doesn't zoom far enough
tab2 screen5 turns on Clear Image
Zoom which is a nearly unnoticeable
quality loss in video. Then you zoom to
set - turn the dial or press down left/
right by steps. There's no need to dive
into the menu to change the zoom setting,
use a custom key and assign the center,
or another button, to the zoom function.
Then press and zoom appears. This is an
adjustment that I would not make while
recording. The next step to improving
video production is audio.
(music)
The onboard mics are fine for background
ambience. Improve the sound using an
external mic, and there are lots to
choose from.
I'm using a Rode link FilmMaker wireless kit.
It connects to the red mic input (music)
There's no headphone jack, so if audio is
important for this shot do a quick test
recording. Here at Burdock I'm using an
external recorder connected to the
soundboard. I synchronize them in post. If the
on-screen meters are flickering too
close to the right end use tab 2 screen
2 turn them down. For the Rodelink I
find that 12 works best. Picture
profiles on tab1 screen 11 are not an
essential adjustment, but you may find
the results with three and four to be
best for TV viewing, while five and six
are designed to simulate cinema exposure
and colors.
Whichever you choose, I find turning the
saturation down to minus 2 and detail to minus 2 to
provide a slightly more pleasant image.
For this recording of Mara and Michelle
i used these settings.
In the description below you'll find
links to other videos I've produced
which provide more detail about picture
profiles. You can eyeball exposure, use
the meter and check with the histogram
or use zebra for a more accurate setting.
On tab 2 screen 6, set zebra to 100.
This alerts me to any area in the image
that's over-exposed. If that results in
an underexposed object, an expensive
camera LED light can help. The reason not
to use auto ISO is that as it's
continually making adjustments, the
resulting footage may be distracting and
harder to edit. Set the ISO manually by
turning it up or down until the zebra
stripes are eliminated or minimized -
judgment call. Marker settings on tab to
screen three - eighty percent safety zone
helps to remind you to keep your primary
subject within this area. Turn the
marker on and off with a menu, but this
can also be assigned to a custom button.
(music) On a tripod after I set the zoom
and compose the shot, I use manual focus
to prevent it from wandering
accidentally. If there's no manual focus
control on the lens, with the switch on
AF/MF just press the button. By the way, on
a tripod turn steadyshot off.
For black-and-white footage, turn picture
profiles off and select it from the
creative style menu. (music)
A few final tips - shooting handheld use
the viewfinder, it makes the shot
steadier. Use tab 2 screen 9 to turn
the beeping sounds off, although I like
the confirmation that recording has
started and ended. Battery life is short
but can be extended using an external
USB battery. I find this adds about 50%
I'm getting over a hundred minutes.
At room temperature, the A6500
will stop recording, without any warning
after 29 minutes and 50 seconds. You can
start recording and immediately, but when
shooting 4K, sooner or later the
overheating icon will appear. And a few
minutes later the camera turns off. Tab 6
screen 2 has an option to set the
power off too high, which resets the
temperature higher and although I've
tried, I've not had power off at room
temperature when set to high.
Sony warns that the camera will get hot
and recommends a tripod, which I'd be
using if i'm recording that long anyway.
I hope this helps, if you have comments
or questions please use the comments
field below. I do reply to all relevant
and civil questions.