Category for advanced manuals with tips, tricks and a full menu run-through for mirrorless cameras from Sony, Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Samsung, Panasonic, Olympus, Ricoh/Pentax, Sigma.
You might know that the i40 is capable of high-speed sync in other Hotshoe mounts, but that Fuji isn’t currently supporting this functionality. Here is a neat Fuji Nissin i40 HSS trick to force the Fuji X-T1 to use high-speed sync feature:
Turn the i40 on manual mode
Press and hold test button for three seconds
Watch the lamp next to the m for manual go on and off. You just turned on high-speed sync (or the same functionality anyway)!
Turn on the flash put the right dial on the appropriate speed
HSS works up to 1/4000
The only catch is that you’re in manual mode, no TTL (through the lens) metering, so you have to manually dial-in the appropriate shutter speed. A bit of a trial-and-error way, but it works.
How it works: With high-speed mode manually activated on the flash, it cycles several thousand times a second. And in case you’re wondering: yes it’s possible to change flash power in this pseudo-HSS mode.
Update, All Fuji cameras tested:
Fuji X-T1: HSS up to 1/4000 OK
X-E2: HSS up to 1/4000 OK
X-pro1: HSS up to 1/4000 OK
X-M1: not working
Let me know how you get on with this Fuji Nissin i40 HSS trick!
The Samsung NX1 is the company’s first assault on the Pro and Semi-Pro photography market. As always with a newcomer in this market (think Sony), there is much debate on the professional capabilities of this camera. This confusion isn’t helped by the fact that Samsung decided to add some gimmicky features like ‘Baseball Mode’ in the scene selection menu, features few pros will ever use. Also, their Auto mode (that automatically selects the right scene from SCN mode) is currently only available in Jpeg, at the moment lacking RAW support. If you look beyond these advertising gimmicks, you’ll find that this mirror-less camera capable of taking fantastic images and video. Don’t believe anyone telling you otherwise.
Menu System and touch screen
Although very intuitive, you’ll need to get to grips with the Menu System if you’ve never used a Samsung camera before. Everything is very straightforward, and I’d invite you to read the simple manual provided by Samsung first. I’ll be going over the Menu system in detail later.
The NX1 is packed with the latest technology, including a Super AMOLED display like you’ll find in the most recent Galaxy Phones. It features an integrated digitizer, meaning that the layer that detects multiple finger touch is integrated into the screen, rather than overlaid on top of it. This feature means all functionality is also accessible via the touch screen, besides the usual buttons and dials.
Autofocus
first things first: firmware update for best autofocus performance
Whist the current firmware 1.01b does have some limitations when it comes to autofocus tweaking of the NX1, many reviews have made the mistake of not updating older NX mount lenses to the latest firmware, which offers full compatibility with said camera. So head on over to their support website and make sure you have the latest firmware installed for both camera and lenses you have.
Use S-AF (single AF) with older lenses
Although there are quite a few NX lenses available, some are not ideally suited to the NX1. The Samsung NX 85mm f/1.4, for instance, a fantastic portrait lens, will tend to hunt quite a bit when your camera is set to C-AF. I would suggest setting it to S-AF with lenses where you experience a lot of focus hunting.
Drive Settings
Depending on the type of lens, autofocus results in C-AF may vary considerably depending on the lens used. The 3 ‘S’ range lenses are fully supported:
Samsung 16-50 mm F2-2.8 S ED OIS
Samsung 16-50 mm F3.5-5.6 Power Zoom ED OIS NX
Samsung 50-150 mm F2.8 S ED OIS
As usual in digital cameras, there are three drive settings:
Continuous High: Continuously capture photos while you are pressing the Shutter. You can capture up to 8, 10, 12, or 15 pictures per second.
Continuous Low: continuous shooting while the shutter is engaged at a lower rate.
Single: When you press the Shutter button halfway, the focus fixes in the focus area. The area turns green when the focus is achieved.
Active AF
When half-pressing the shutter, the camera automatically detects the subject‘s movements and switches between Single AF and Continuous AF. It adjusts focus when the subject goes away from the camera (Single AF). It continues to focus automatically when the subject gets closer to the camera (Continuous AF). This mode is recommended for shooting subjects that are moving unpredictably.
Tracking AF
AF tracking is only available via the touch screen. You’ll need to turn on Touch AF in the menu (or touch screen) and select Tracking AF. You’ll see a white square appear when you touch your subject on the display, this means Tracking AF has been engaged. When you half-press the shutter, you’ll see the white square turn free, meaning focus was achieved. If the camera for any reason can’t focus (subject is too small, moves irregularly, is backlit), the square will turn red.
Manual focus
You can manually focus on a subject by rotating the focus ring on the lens. The MF Assist function lets you quickly bring a subject into focus. While you are turning the focus ring, the focus area is magnified. When you use the Focus Peaking function, the color you selected appears on the focused subject. This mode is recommended for shooting a subject similar in color to the background, a night scene, or fireworks.
Menu settings
Accessing the MENU settings is possible via either the MENU button on the backplate or the MENU icon on the touch screen.
MENU – Camera Icon
Photo Size
Photo Size selects the dimensions and size in pixels of your stored images. As the Samsung uses a 28 Megapixel APS-C sensor, the crop is best left to 3/2 and full resolution 6480×4320. This setting will leave you with the most flexible jpeg file, and you can always decide another image crop in your preferred image editor later.
Photo Quality: RAW vs. JPEG
I’m sure you know the difference between a RAW and JPEG file. A RAW file (named .SRW in Samsung language) records all data from the sensor uncompressed while JPEG compresses this data with settings applied. A RAW file will always be more flexible when it comes to editing your image in post production. This flexibility means more sharpening, colour information, highlight and shadow recovery, etc. will be possible later on with RAW files. JPEG files will compress the data in order to have smaller files, and will also have in-body noise reduction applied according to your settings.
JPEG is available in Super Fine, Fine and Normal; this depicts an increase in image compression. Although I would always recommend shooting in RAW for optimal flexibility, I have fun that the Super Fine JPEG setting does still retain a lot of useable information in post processing.
ISO Auto settings
Here you can change the ISO range that the NX1 will use when set to ISO Auto. As you can read in my post on ISO performance, the back-illuminated sensor performs very well, even at mid-to-high levels. Conservatively, you can set max ISO to 3200 or even 6400 where you will find that your images are still very usable, especially if with close-up subject matter. For busy scenes with lots of detail, you might see some loss of detail there, but that is always the case drawback of an APS-C sensor. For optimal performance, the lower the ISO, the better as always. If you find that shutter speeds are getting too long, or if the camera has problems focussing, you might want to raise the ISO above 6400 manually (or make a user preset). It’s always better to have an in-focus shot than a ton of blurred images.
Super Amoled display
The Samsung NX1 has a fantastic touch sensitive Super Amoled Display, rendering beautiful realistic colours and detail. In the OLED color Menu setting, you can optimise performance for this kind of display. The factory settings have it turned off, probably because it’s always better for a manufacturer that your image look best on your (perhaps inferior) desktop screen than on the LCD, but I turn it on, as I have an excellent desktop screen as well.
Minimum shutter speed and how to get ‘Tack Sharp’ images
Auto linking shutter speed to focal lengths: Longer focal lengths will accentuate camera shake so you’ll need to choose a faster shutter speed. Traditional photography theory tells you to choose a shutter speed with a denominator that is larger than the focal length of the lens. For example, if you’re shooting with the Samsung 50-150 at 150mm, you’ll probably want to shoot at a minimum of 1/150. Samsung’s image stabilisation will give you between 2 and 3 stops advantage though, which is not bad. Linking minimum shutter speed to focal length takes all these things into account, and it’s best left set-up this way.
White Balance
Samsung needs to improve Auto White balance in the next firmware upgrade, although manually selecting the desired White Balance for your different lighting scenes works better. I’ve found AWB to be quite cold, and needed to turn it up at least 2000K for a more neutral and realistic balance.
Picture Wizard
The Picture Wizard Menu is one of the features that will make most professionals shiver. It’s basically a set of filters you can apply to JPEG images in-body. It is also a way for Samsung to show of the capabilities of their DRIMe V processor.. Once you’ve worked with the NX1, I don’t think anyone will deny the fact that it is one of the most powerful camera processors out there. And I actually found the Portrait effect useful in some situations. Think of it as a mini version of desktop software like Portrait professional, as you are able to make your subject feel a bit better with how they look, and does an OK job at decreasing wrinkles and pores. Nice to have if you don’t have time to do any real post processing.
Autofocus settings
Next in the menu, you’ll find the Autofocus settings. Compared to a sports camera in the same price bracket like the Sony A77M2, it is true that the NX1 offers less flexibility when it comes too autofocus tweaking. This means you’ll have to get to grips with how the available settings work, instead of customising the camera to what you are used to. One of the most-visited posts on my blog is the Sony A77 II tips and tricks page, mainly because it’s so difficult to wrap your head around, and in real life it’s true that not everyone needs this advanced customisation. Honestly, this might be a blessing in disguise for many because this means there is less of a learning curve.
AF Modes
Single AF (SAF): autofocus is engaged when you half press the shutter button. If you find the AF ‘hunts’ to much with some lenses like the 85mm f/1.4 in CAF, try SAF. Works better.
Continuous AF (CAF): Autofocus is continuously trying to lock. Advantageous in some situations but drains the battery more rapidly.
Active AF (AAF): switches between Single AF and Continuous AF as the camera deems fit.
Manual Focus (MF): only available if your lens is also set to MF, if it is set to AF, you’ll see this option greyed out. Use Focus Peaking to help you get the focus right in MF.
AF Area
Selection AF: selection AF allows you to use a specific, selectable autofocus point on the sensor.
Multi AF: Multi AF uses all available focus points. I personally never like to use all focus points, as this AF area setting is so unpredictable. You can change the size of the AF area in multi AF to a smaller square though, a tweak which I did find very useful.
Face Detection AF: NX1 will give focus priority to detected faces. When Face Detection is on, the camera is automatically set to Multi AF.
Self Portrait AF: The ultimate selfie tool, where the camera will focus on your face close to the camera and automatically engage the shutter when it is detected.
Tracking AF, Touch AF and Focus tracking
Another fantastic feature of the Samsung NX1 is the touch screen. To many it might look like a gimmick, but my guess is that you’ll quickly find it very useful for easy operation and, at times, it actually is the fastest way of having the camera focus on exactly what you want. The Touch AF menu setting allows for customisation of what happens when you touch the screen.
In my view, turning this feature off largely negates how this camera is made to be used. You’ll have to get into Samsung’s frame of mind if you want to get optimal performance out of this camera, especially if you come from a non touch-screen DSLR.
Off: Touch AF is disengaged.
Touch AF: Turns touch screen usage on for AF operation.
AF point: Allows you to select a specific auto-focus point by touching the screen.
Tracking AF: Lets you select a moving target for auto-focus tracking. This setting automatically enables C-AF, so you can set your camera to Selection AF, and quickly change to C-AF when needed if Touch AF is set to Tracking AF. This is the only way to engage AF tracking by the way.
One Touch Shot: the camera will focus on anywhere you touch the screen and take an image.
MF assist
This is a focussing assist aide, which will enlarge your point of focus 5 or 8 times. Since there is currently no Eye-AF available, I have it set to 5 times and when doing portraiture in a custom mode.
Focus Peaking
Focus peaking is now found in all cameras as a manual focussing aide. It adds a white, red or yellow ‘noise’ on your image in order to guide you in getting your focus exactly right. Setting it to ‘Normal’ will suffice in the NX1, it works as well as this feature in any other camera I’ve tried.
Link AE to AF point
This setting is basically telling your camera to link Exposure point to focus point when using spot metering or multi metering. So your camera will decide on correct exposure depending on your subject. It’s a valuable tool at times, but you might want to consider turning it off as often having exposure set to AF point can lead to blown highlights.
Brightness Adjustment Guide
Adjust the brightness using the selected area as a reference. The brightness of the selected area is displayed as a value to help you to conveniently adjust the brightness. This is available only in Program, Aperture Priority, or Shutter Priority mode. I personally don’t use this feature.
Overexposure guide
View overexposed areas on a photo in Shooting mode before capturing a photo. Setting this feature will cause the overexposed areas of a photo to blink. Very handy at times, especially when shooting video. Others might find that it clutters your screen or viewfinder though.
Framing Mode
When you adjust the aperture value or shutter speed, the exposure changes according to the settings, so the display may darken. With this function on, the brightness of the display is constant regardless of the settings, so you can better frame your shot in certain conditions, like a studio setting.
OIS (Anti Shake)
Select if you want in-lens image stabilisation to be active all the time, or only when half-pressing the shutter button (or touch AF). I have it set to Mode 1, as this conserves battery life and puts less stress on lenses.
Drive Settings
The Menu drive settings allow you to customise the timing of the Drive rotator.
Continuous High: sets the Drive setting for continuous shooting mode. It might be a good idea to set it to 12 or 10 fps if you want to have more keepers when using CAF.
Timer: sets the timer for using the timer shooting mode.
Bracket: sets the functionality of the bracket shooting mode.
Interval Capture
Set the shooting interval, the number of shots, and shooting start time for interval captures. Use this function to capture photos at regular intervals like a lunar eclipse or a sunrise. You can also save an interval capture as a movie if you set the Time Lapse function to ON.
Metering Mode
Metering Mode sets the way the camera measures exposure of your captures. This is standard set to Center Weighted but I often change to Multi if I want to better capture the mood of a scene.
Multi:calculates the amount of light in multiple areas. When light is sufficient or insufficient, the camera adjusts the exposure by averaging the overall brightness of the scene. This mode is suitable for general photos.
Center Weighted: calculates a broader area than the Spot mode does. It sums up the amount of light in the center portion of the shot (60–80 %) and that of the rest of the shot (20–40 %). It is recommended for situations where there is a slight difference in brightness between a subject and its background or where the area around a subject is large compared to the overall composition of the photo.
Spot: calculates the amount of light in the center. When you capture a photo in conditions where there is a strong backlight behind a subject, the camera adjusts the exposure to shoot the subject correctly. For example, when you select the Multi mode in a strong backlight condition, the camera calculates that the overall amount of light is abundant, which results in a darker photo. The Spot mode can prevent this situation as it calculates the amount of light in a designated area.
Dynamic range (only for JPEG)
Automatically corrects the loss of bright detail that can occur due to shading differences in the image when shooting Jpeg.
Flash settings
Fill-in flash: Fill flash is a photographic technique used to brighten deep shadow areas, typically outdoors on sunny days,
Fill-in Red Eye: Flash will fire a few pre-flashes in order to reduce red eye
First curtain: also know as front curtain sync. This is the normal flash mode, with the flash being triggered near the start of the shutter duration.The flash finishes quick, and freezes the motion.
Second curtain: also known as rear curtain or slow sync. With moving subjects, the shutter opens and the lights record their streaks. Then the flash illuminates the subject right before the end of the exposure. The streaks from the lights lead up to the subject, giving the illusion of speed.
External Wireless settings
Set the flash mode, exposure value, flash brightness, or multi flash when you attach an external flash to the camera. You can also set wireless sync to control the internal or external flash. The flash settings are supported only when you attach a compatible, optional external flash (SEF-580A).
If data can be exchanged between the camera and the flash, the settings for the external flash can be adjusted on the camera or the flash. Your previous options will be applied.
Flash Mode
A-TTL: In the A-TTL (Advanced Through The Lens) mode, the camera measures the light reflected by the subject through the lens. Then, it calculates the optimum exposure based on the exposure value and shutter speed.
Manual Flash: The flash emits the full amount of light or the flash intensity can be adjusted manually.
Multi Flash: When you press [Shutter], the flash fires multiple times based on the number you have set.
Flash EV
Set the exposure of the flash when the flash mode is A-TTL.
Flash Output
Set the brightness of the flash when the flash mode is Manual Flash.
Multi Flash Settings
Set the count, brightness, or frequency of the flash when the flash mode is Multi Flash.
Internal/Wireless Flash controller
Set wireless sync to control internal and external flash units remotely
via wireless signals. The remote system consists of a master flash that is mounted on the camera and one or more slave flash units. A slave flash is assigned to one of three groups: A, B, or C.
Internal Flash
standard setting, uses the in-body pop-up flash
Use Wireless Flash
Set to use wireless sync with TTL functionality
Channel Selection
Select channels for wireless sync. There are four remote channels available to allow multiple remote systems to operate at the same time. Master and slave flash units, in the same remote system, must be set to the same channel. (Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4)
Group Mode flash
Set the flash mode for group A, B, or C. Changes to the flash mode must be made on the master flash. The changes are then applied to slave group A, B, or C, and the slave groups operate as a remote system of the flash mode (TTL or manual) according to the settings for the master flash.
A-TTL: Set the exposure of the flash when the flash mode is A-TTL.
Manual Flash Set the brightness of the flash when the flash mode is Manual Flash.
Off : Do not fire the flash.
Movie size
Select different Movie sizes according to your needs, from 4K to medium sized video, aspect from 16-9 to 4:3.
Movie Quality
Normal: Record videos in normal quality.
HQ: Record videos in high quality.
Pro: Record videos in ultra high quality. Available only when the movie size is set to UHD 30p or higher. This is a format provided for editing. Video in may not play smoothly depending on your computer‘s specifications. We recommend you connect the camera to a UHD TV with an HDMI cable to ensure the video plays smoothly. Many users have reported problems with these large files, don’t worry, it will get better once major 3rd party editing software fully supports the NX1.
Fast/Slow Movie
Set the playing speed of a video. If you select an option other than x1, the sound recording function and the Distortion Correct function will not be supported.
x0.25: Record a video to view it at 1/4 normal speed during playback. Available only with 1920X1080 (30p/25p), 1280X720 (30p/25p), 640X480 (30p/25p).
x0.5: Record a video to view it at 1/2 normal speed during playback. Available only with 1920X1080 (60p/50p/30p/25p), 1280X720 (60p/50p/30p/25p), 640X480 (60p/50p/30p/25p).
x1: Record a video to view it at normal speed during playback. x5: Record a video to view it at 5X normal speed during playback.
x10: Record a video to view it at 10X normal speed during playback.
x20: Record a video to view it at 20X normal speed during playback.
Fader
You can fade a scene in or out using the fader function on the camera. Set the fade in option to gradually fade in at the start of a scene. Set the fade out option to gradually fade out at the end of a scene.
Off: The fader function is off.
In: Scene gradually fades in.
Out: Scene gradually fades out.
In-Out: The fader function is applied at the start and end of the scene.
Voice
Sometimes, a muted video is more appealing than one with sound. Turn Voice off to record a muted video.
Wind Cut
When you record videos in noisy environments, unintended sounds can be recorded in videos. In particular, severe wind noise can prevent you from enjoying your videos. Use the Wind Cut function to remove some surrounding noise in addition to wind noise.
A filter is applied to the internal microphone or mic input in order to reduce noise.
Mic Level
Set the Microphone input level in a range between 1 and 10.
Smart Range
Corrects for the loss of bright detail when shooting JPEG.
Manage Custom Mode
Manage the custom mode dials C1 and C2, where you can set-up your Samsung NX1 according to your own preferences for use in specific situations.
Auto ISO Range
One of the most important settings on any camera, where you can select the range between minimum and maximum ISO values to be used when set to ISO Auto. Setting this conservatively to a maximum of ISO 1600 will ensure you’ll still have quite flexible files in post processing. However, the Samsung NX1’s fantastic sensor can still yield very usable images up to 6400 (and even 12800) if not too much detail is required. As lighting conditions deteriorate, you’ll need to go to higher ISO in order to achieve a fast enough shutter speed, so it is advisable to change ISO auto settings (or go full manual) according to the scene you’ll be shooting.
Color Space
You’ll find the usual colour space options: sRGB, Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB. The latter two have an expanded colour range, so you might find it useful to select ProPhoto RGB if you intend to do a lot of post processing in an image editor like Lightroom if you shoot RAW.
iFn Customising
Many Samsung lenses have a customisable iFn button on the lens itself. This is an easy way of changing your frequently used settings on-the-fly by pressing the iFn button and using the focus ring to change the value. Which settings are exactly available is customisable in this menu. You might find it useful to set ISO only as an option, and use a conservative ISO Auto range. This will allow you to quickly change the ISO value you’re shooting at if you find that the camera cannot achieve fast enough shutter speeds in low light conditions. As I have mentioned before, autofocus seems to work better in low light at higher (suitable) ISO’s, so this can be a way of increasing AF performance in low-light. Another option is to assign Aperture only to the iFn button, effectively allowing the focus ring to be used as an aperture ring.
User Display
You can add or remove shooting information from the screen in this setting. As you’ll find that the touch screen is very useable when it comes to quickly changing setting on the Samsung NX1, I would advise you to at least set the Buttons enabled. Icons will give you a quick overview of your current camera settings.
Key Mapping
After a few weeks with the NX1, I’l sure you’ll find that there are some buttons you rarely use, and some settings you wish you had more direct control of. The Key Mapping menu allows for advanced customisation of all the camera’s buttons and dials. I always set command dials to aperture and shutter speed, as I very much like a hands-on control type camera.
AF Release Priority
Set to capture a photo when focus is achieved.
Focus: Capture a photo only when the focus is achieved. When you select the Continuous High shooting method, the focus is prioritised only on the first shot. It should always be set to Focus.
Release: Capture a photo when you press the Shutter even when focus is not achieved.
Mobile Link/NFC
Set the size of photos to transfer to a smart phone using the MobileLink or NFC function.
Resize to 2M or lower: If a photo’s size is larger than 3M, the camera will transfer it after resizing it to 2M or lower.
Original: The photo will be transferred in its original size.
AF light
Select the AF lamp brightness. When shooting in dark places, turn the
AF lamp on to improve the operation of the auto focus. The Auto Focus functions more accurately in dark places when the AF lamp is on. The AF lamp emits the light in irregular vertical patterns. I’d suggest you leave it at High Brightness unless you’re in a situation where your subject finds it bothersome.
Off
High Brightness
Medium Brightness
Low Brightness
Electronic Shutter
This feature is available only when you attach a Samsung lens using a Samsung NX mount.
When you use a large diameter lens and a fast shutter speed, a “bokeh“ effect (an aesthetic blur in out-of-focus areas) may be affected by the subject and the shooting conditions. To make the bokeh effect appear correctly, set the E-Shutter to Off.
When you change the E-Shutter settings, the first curtain of the shutter is adjusted and you will hear a noise as the shutter adjusts. This is normal when preparing the camera to operate the E-Shutter.
This feature is not available when you attach an external flash like the SEF-580A.
Off: Set to use the mechanical shutter.
On: Set to use the electronic shutter curtain first and the mechanical curtain second.
Quick View
Set the Quick View time length–the amount of time the camera displays a photo immediately after you capture it. Select Hold+Focus Zoom to display the image after shooting with the focus area enlarged. I find this feature very useful for checking if my focus is exactly where I want it, and have it set to Hold + Focus Zoom.
Other possibilities:
Off
Hold+Focus Zoom
Hold
1 sec
3 sec
5 sec
Display Adjust
Adjust the display brightness, auto brightness setting, display color, or level gauge.
Display Brightness: You can adjust the display brightness manually.
Auto Brightness: Turn auto brightness on or off.
Display Color: You can adjust the display color manually. Horizontal Calibration: Calibrate the level gauge. If the level gauge is not level, position the camera on the level surface, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
Auto Display
Set the display off time. The display turns off if you do not use the camera for the time you set.
(Off, 30 sec, 1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 10 min)
Power Save
Set power shut off time. The camera shuts off if you do not use it for the time you set. (30 sec, 1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 10 min, 30 min). Factory setting is 1 minute, this is to conserve battery power, but I have it set to a medium 3 minutes.
Help Guide Display
The Help Guide display can be very useful when first starting out with the NX1.
Mode Help Guide: Set to display help text about the selected mode when changing shooting modes.
Function Help Guide: Set to display help text about menus and functions.
Tip: Press trash to hide the help text.
Language
Set a language the camera shows on the display. I would advise you to set it to English, as it will be easier to google trouble-shoot any problems you have with the camera .
Date And Time
Set date, time, date format, and time zone. (Time Zone, Date Settings, Time Settings, Date Type, Time Type)
Video Out
Set the video signal output to the appropriate system for your country when connecting the camera to an external video device, such as an HDMI-supported TV.
NTSC: USA, Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, etc.
PAL (Supports only PAL B, D, G, H, or I): Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, England, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Norway, etc.
Anynet plus
When you connect the camera to an HDMI-supported TV that supports Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC), you can control the playback functions of the camera with the TV remote control.
Off: You cannot control the play function of camera with the TV remote control.
On: You can control the play function of camera with the TV remote control.
HDMI Output
When you connect the camera to an HDMI-supported TV with an HDMI cable, you can change the resolution of the image.
NTSC: Auto, 4096x2160p, 4096x2160p Clean out, 3840x2160p, 3840x2160p Clean out, 1920x1080p, 1280x720p, 720x480p, 720x576p (activates only when PAL is selected)
File Name
Set the method of creating file names. Standard*: SAM_XXXX.JPG (sRGB)/_SAMXXXX.JPG (Adobe RGB) Date:
– sRGB files – MMDDXXXX.JPG. For example, for a photo captured on Jan. 01, the file name would be 0101XXXX.jpg.
– Adobe RGB files – _MDDXXXX.JPG for the months Jan through Sept. For the months Oct through Dec, the month number is replaced by the letters A (Oct.), B (Nov.), and
C (Dec.).
For example, for a photo captured on Feb. 03, the file name would be _203XXXX.jpg. For a photo captured on Oct. 05, the file name would be _A05XXXX.jpg.
File Number
Set the method of numbering files and folders.
Reset: After using the reset function, the next file name is started at 0001.
Series: New file numbers continue the existing number sequence, even if you have installed a new memory card, formatted the card, or deleted all photos.
Folder Type
Set the type of folder.
Standard: XXXPHOTO
Date: XXX_MMDD
Bluetooth
Set to connect your camera to a smart phone automatically via the Bluetooth feature. If the devices have previously been connected and you launch Samsung Camera Manager on the smart phone, they will connect via Bluetooth automatically.
Format
Errors can occur if you use a memory card formatted by another brand of camera, a memory card reader, or a computer. You should always format memory cards in the camera before using them to capture photos.
Format the memory card: Formatting deletes all existing files including protected files.
Wi-Fi Network
Set to connect to a Wi-Fi network.
My Smartphone
View the model name and connection status of the smart phone registered on the camera and edit the registered smart phone.
Delete My Smartphone: Delete the registered smartphone and register a different smart phone.
Bluetooth Auto Time Set
Set to sync the camera’s date and time with the smart phone when connecting the camera to a smart phone via Bluetooth.
Wifi Privacy Lock
Set to require a PIN when connecting the camera and a smart phone.
PIN: Enter a PIN before connecting.
None: Allow a connection without requiring a PIN.
Connections will automatically be made without requiring a PIN when using the NFC function.
PINs are automatically generated and renewed only when you reset the camera settings or update the firmware.
If you have previously connected your camera to a smart phone via a PIN, they will connect automatically.
Sensor Cleaning
Factory setting is OFF, but I would strongly advise you to select “Shut Down Action” in order to keep the sensor free of dust.
Sensor Cleaning: Remove dust from the sensor immediately.
Start-Up Action: When on, the camera performs sensor cleaning each time you turn it on.
Shut down Action: When on, the camera performs sensor cleaning each time you turn it off.
Dual Band Mobile AP
Set a frequency for using the camera as an AP for the Quick Transfer, MobileLink, or Remote Viewfinder features. (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Reset
Camera Menu: Return the setup menu and shooting options to the factory defaults.
Key Mapping: Return the custom button functions to the factory defaults.
C1/C2 Mode: Return the Custom 1 and Custom 2 mode settings to the factory defaults.
Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: Return the connection history, ID, and password of the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions to the factory defaults.
All: Return all settings to the factory defaults. (Date, time, language, and video output settings will not change.)
Device Information
View the firmware version of the body and the lens,the Wi-Fi MAC address, Bluetooth MAC address, and network certification number, or update the firmware.
Software Update: Update the firmware of the camera body or lens. (Body Firmware, Lens Firmware)
You can update the firmware by connecting the camera to a computer and starting i-Launcher.
You cannot run a firmware update without a fully charged battery. Recharge the battery fully before running a firmware update.
If you update the firmware, user settings and values will be reset. (Date, time, language, and video out will not change.)
Do not turn the camera off while the update is in progress.
Bulb exposure is a shutter speed setting on your Sony Alpha camera that allows for long exposure times under the direct control of the photographer. With this setting, the shutter simply stays open as long as the shutter release button remains engaged. How your final image will exactly look after your long exposure is mostly guessing work (or experience) though.
Olympus have had a feature called ‘Live View’ in their cameras for years, where you could see the exposure build up on the screen, something I’ve missed in Sony cameras. Now there is a way to do this too on the Sony A7s and A5100, thanks to a PlayMemories app called ‘Light Trail’. It will cost you $4,99 and is unfortunately only available for these two cameras.
How to make a bulb exposure with the Sony PlayMemories ‘Light trail’ app:
First you will need to get a Sony Playmemories account via your desktop.
In your A5100 or A7s menu, you will need to make a connection with your WiFi network and to sign-in on your PlayMemories account.
Navigate to the ‘Light Trail’ app, purchase it and install it on your camera.
Launch the app, choose one of the presets or make your own.
Press the shutter button to start your Bulb exposure, you’ll see the image ‘build up’ on the screen.
Once you’re happy with your image, press it again. The camera will save your final image to your SD card (yes RAW is also available).
You might have experienced some focusing problems with the Sony A7r. It’s a known fact that the 36MP full-frame camera is not the easiest of the A7 series to auto-focus with. It only uses contrast detect AF (as opposed to dual phase/contrast on the A7) and is very unforgiving when it comes to any movement (even with an OSS stabilised lens).
Polarising filter
As I’m always experimenting with screw-on filters, I noticed that adding a polarising filter improves AF.
Polarising filters are used to select which light rays enter your camera lens. They enable colours to become more saturated and appear clearer, with better contrast. Added benefit for the Sony A7r is that AF seems to have an easier job at auto-focussing, I guess because contrast is easier to detect with a polarising filter on.
A disadvantage is that these filters will darken your images by about one stop, so it’s only helpful in the proper light. Try it out.
Direct manual focus
Another good tip is setting Focus Mode to Direct manual focus (DMF).
Setting your camera to DMF will allow you to make fine adjustments after the camera does the necessary focusing. This setting also has the benefit of being able to use Focus Peaking with autofocus. Although Focus Peaking on the Sony A7r is not as accurate as you might think, it’s still a helpful aide when you set it to LOW. You’ll notice how bad a job the camera sometimes does at AF when it’s set to Low.
Direct Manual Focussing will also allow you to use Focus Magnification to fine-tune focus. Using Focus Magnification is the only way to make sure your focus point is right. Set it to 5 seconds to allow you enough time to get it exactly right.
As setting your camera up this way won’t work for all situations, sometimes you just need to be fast, regardless of the consequences. It might be a good idea to have one of the two memory recall slots set-up like this. (Hit “Menu”, under the camera icon go to page 7, the bottom option is “memory”)
The Sony A7r light leak issue, where light ‘leaked” in through the lens mount to the sensor at long exposures and high ISO settings, caused some concern amongst users.
Even though most users won’t ever experience this problem, the A7r especially is often used by landscape photographers who tend to use these extreme settings.
There have been a few DYI solutions available which involved using tape or plastic hair bands to ensure no leakage is possible and even a temporary solution by Sony repair centres. Now there is a permanent Sony A7R light leak fix available.
I sent my A7r in and tech repair told me the A7r light leak fix involves two steps:
Added dark sheeting strips inside the camera body to ensure no leaks occur there
A custom made rubber band that slides on the camera lens mount to fully seal that area too.
A7R without a rubber band appliedA7R with the rubber band applied
Testing
I just thoroughly tested the camera at long exposures and high ISO and can safely say the Sony A7r light leak fix works as it should.
I’d suggest anyone with an A7 or A7r to send it in for repairs within your warranty period, as it will ensure the possible resale value of you camera.
Besides the advanced customizable autofocus functions (find the guide here), The Sony A77 II has some more hidden features and functions that you might want to familiarize yourself with.
I’ll start with some of my settings after a few months’ experience with the A77 M2.
12fps and Bulb Mode
Cont. Priority AE (12fps dial)
This modes uses a fixed fast aperture (camera does not change the aperture during shooting) and allows you to shoot images continuously at high speed. Pressing the middle button of the multi-selector (even while the shutter button is pressed) changes your focus from whatever focus area mode you’re in (like wide) to the center of your image. This way, you can switch from wide mode to the center your subject and follow technique during shooting. A very powerful feature.
Make sure you set the mode dial (front lower left dial) to C (Cont. Priority AE). The camera will lock on focus and exposure while shooting. If the focus mode dial is set to MF or S (Single-shot AF), the focus is locked on the first image.
Remember that ISO Auto range can be changed in this mode dial function, so I’d advise setting the upper limit to ISO 3200 or 1600.
besides that I have my camera set to:
AF drive speed to slow (the camera takes a bit more care with AF, resulting in a larger number of in-focus shots)
AF track duration is set to 3 or 4
Bulb Mode
Setting the A77II to Bulb mode is also an often requested feature. This mode allows you to shoot trails of light with a long exposure.
You should use a tripod to get good results.
Set the mode dial to M
Turn the rear dial clockwise until Bulb is indicated.
Select the aperture value (like f/8) using the front dial.
Press the shutter button halfway down to adjust the focus.
Press and hold the shutter button for the duration of the shooting.
After shooting, noise reduction will take about as long as the time that the shutter was open. Remember cannot shoot any more while noise reduction is in progress.
If Bulb mode isn’t accessible, make sure:
Cont. Priority AE is OFF
Smile Shutter is OFF
Auto HDR is OFF
Picture Effect is not set to HDR Painting or Rich-tone Mono.
Multi-Frame NR is OFF
Drive Mode is NOT set to Cont. Shooting, Cont. Bracket or Self-timer Continuous
Eye AF
You’ll need to assign this function to a button for it to work.
MENU – Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) – page 6 – Custom Key Settings – assign the Eye AF function to the desired button.
The Eye AF feature will let the camera focus on the subject’s eyes while you keep the button pressed.
Point the camera at a face, and push the button to which you have assigned the Eye AF
Press the shutter button while pressing the button
The Sony A77II may not be able to focus on the eyes depending on the circumstances, like when no
Eyes can be detected within the autofocus area. In such cases, the camera focuses on the face.
You cannot use Eye AF when the focus mode is set to C, set it to A.
When the camera focuses on the eyes and Smile/Face Detect is on, a detection frame is.
Displayed on the face after it is displayed on the eyes. When Smile/Face Detect is of, a detection frame is shown on the eyes.
Auto Obj. Framing (not available in RAW)
Menu – Camera Settings – page 7 – Auto Obj. Framing – desired setting (On or Off)
When the A77II detects and shoots faces, macro shooting subjects or subjects that are tracked by Lock-on AF, the A77 M2 automatically trims the image into an appropriate composition and saves it.
Live View Display
MENU – Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) – page 2 – Live View Display – desired setting
Live view shows your images as they’ll appear out of the camera, with effects of the exposure compensation, white balance, Creative Style, or Picture Effect on the screen.
Setting Effect ON (default setting and intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, Sweep Panorama, Movie or Scene Selection): Displays Live View in conditions close to what your picture will look like as a result of applying all your settings. This setting is useful when you want to shoot pictures while checking the results of the shot on the Live View screen. Live View is always displayed with the appropriate brightness even in Manual Exposure mode.
Setting Effect OFF: Shows Live View without the effects of exposure compensation, white balance, Creative Style, or Picture Effect. This is useful for precisely checking your composition in particular conditions. Like when you use a third-party Flash, such as a studio flash, Live View Display may be dark for some shutter speed settings.
Aperture Preview
You’ll need to assign this function to a button for it to work. Can be useful for portraiture or macro shots where you want to have full control over the effects of your aperture settings.
MENU – Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) – page 6 – Custom Key Settings – set the Aperture Preview function to the desired key.
With the screen or viewfinder, you may see an image with an aperture that differs from the shooting result. Since the blurring of a subject changes, if the aperture is changed, the blurriness of the actual picture will vary from the image you were viewing prior to shooting.
While you press and hold the key to which you assigned the [Aperture Preview] function, the aperture is stopped down to the set aperture value, and you can check the blurriness prior to shooting.
Shot. Result Preview
MENU –Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) – page 6 – Custom Key Settings – set the Shot. Result Preview to desired key
With the monitor or viewfinder, you may see an image with an aperture that differs from the shooting result. Since the blurring of a subject changes, if the aperture is changed, the blurriness of the actual picture will vary from the image you were viewing prior to shooting. While pressing down the key to which Shot. Result Preview is assigned; you can check the picture preview with the DRO, shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity settings applied. Verify the shooting effect preview before shooting.
Some effects cannot be previewed depending on the shooting settings. Even in that case, the settings you have selected will be applied to the images you shoot.
e-Front Curtain Shut.
MENU – Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) – page 5 – e-Front Curtain Shut – desired setting ON or OFF
Yes the Sony A77 II has an electronic front curtain shutter! This shortens the time lag between shutter releases.
Remember that when you shoot at high shutter speeds with a large diameter lens attached, the ghosting of a blurred area may occur, depending on the subject or shooting conditions.
When a lens made by another manufacturer (including a Minolta/Konica-Minolta lens) is used, turn this function off. If you set this function to On, the correct exposure will not be set or the image brightness will be uneven.
Lens compensation features
The Sony A77 II has a range of built-in lens compensation features. I can see this being useful for journalism and sports shooters who want to quickly get their jpegs to their editors with the minimum amount of editing.
Shading Comp.
MENU – Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) – page 6 – Lens Comp – Shading Comp – desired setting ( Auto or Off)
Compensates for the shaded corners of the screen, caused by certain lenses.
The Shading Comp function is only available with certain A-mount lenses.
Chromatic Aberration Compensation
MENU – Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) –page 6 – Lens Comp – Chro. Aber. Comp – desired setting (Auto or Off)
Reduces the color deviation at the corners of the screen, caused by certain lens characteristics.
The Shading Comp function is only available with certain A-mount lenses.
Distortion Compensation
MENU – Custom Settings (the wheel pictogram) –page 6 – Lens Comp – Distortion Comp – desired setting (Auto or Off)
Compensates for the distortion of the screen, caused by certain lens characteristics.
The Shading Comp function is only available with certain A-mount lenses and with some cannot be turned Off.
Memory card issues
Some people have reported problems with certain memory cards. These issues include:
Unable to magnify images on the card.
Buffer related problems.
Inability to read the memory card.
SD, SDHC, SDXC memory card and Memory Stick PRO Duo, Pro-HG Duo, PRO-HG HX Duo media are all supported.
Before contacting Sony support desk, make sure you:
Format the memory card once you’ve inserted in the camera.
If you’re using fast burst speeds, use a fast card (32GB 95MB/s read and 45mB/s) write is my recommendation to take advantage of A77 II FR and Buffer.
If you’re using larger cards (64 or 138GB), make sure you get the fastest available.
An SDHC UHS-I card (stands for “Ultra High Speed”) is recommended for best performance in burst mode.
Sandisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I cards seem to work very well.
Conclusion
There you have it, Sony A77 II advanced features guide late 2014. The more I use it, the more I realise how customisable this camera actually is.
There is a steep learning curve though, but referring back to the manual and reading tutorials like this one will help you grasp its’ full potential.
If you have any more questions on the Sony A77 II, feel free to comment.
Before the new releases at Photokina in September 2014, I thought it was time for my current top 5 street photography cameras.
First I’ll start with some general street photography tips:
Make sure you can capture in RAW format. You won’t have the time to choose your settings carefully, so having the RAW files often means being able to recover images that would otherwise be lost.
Buy a fast lens, at least F/2.8. This is split-second photography, so a fast lens will help you capture that. This will also help in shady streets and dimly lit situations.
It’s sometimes best to have a prime lens over a zoom. Anywhere between 35 and 55 mm (full frame equivalent) is the most used range for this kind of photography. A 35mm will give you a view comparable to what your eyes see while something like a 50mm gets you just a bit closer.
Choose a small and inconspicuous camera. Street Photography often involves going into dodgy neighbourhoods, and the worse your camera looks the better. I’ve often used masking tape to make it look like my camera is all beaten up, and it helps. When visiting poor neighbourhoods in third world countries, I always take some pens, soaps, shampoo, etc. to hand out to children and the needy. It’s a beautiful way to help, and people always appreciate the fact that you brought presents.
Shake hands. If anyone comes up to you, shake their hand. It instantly builds a rapport and can often get you out of otherwise tricky situations.
Shoot first, ask later. Many countries don’t allow you taking pictures of strangers anymore. A significant problem for street photographers, as you want to capture your subject in real life, without too much posing. The solution is to shoot first and ask their permission afterwards if you think your subject is recognisable. Most people don’t mind, and a smile can go a long way.
These are the cameras I tried out this year that I think are most suited to this kind of photography. Attempt to find a right balance between image quality and size, and it should be very easy to use, with a decent AF system. You can click on the titles to go to my full review of each street photography camera.
The smallest of the Olympus micro-four-thirds sensor cameras, the Pen E-PL series have the same sensor as their bigger brothers. Image quality, when coupled with a decent lens can be fantastic.
The Olympus Pen E-PL7 (latest model) is small and inconspicuous. Used a fast prime Olympus or Panasonic or my personal favourite the Leica 25mm f/1.4, you’ll have fast autofocus and fantastic looking images.
The touch screen comes in handy for those sneaky hip shots, and gives you the added ability of focussing anywhere you want on the screen.
The latest Sony RX100 III squeezes out every pixel of possible quality from the 1 inch Exmor CMOS sensor. Coupled with the very fast F/1.8-2.8 24-70 Zeiss-designed fixed lens, you won’t find a better camera this size out there. It’s noise-free up to ISO 800, usable up to ISO 6400.
This relatively affordable camera has a unique hybrid autofocus system that covers more than 90% of the sensor. Great for never missing that split second shot that you’ll need for street photography.
The APS-C sensor offers good performance up to ISO 3200, but I’d recommend buying the body only and investing in one of the Zeiss Touit lenses if you want to get the most out of it.
The Fuji XT1 is a bit bigger than the other cameras here but capable of making lovely images. All dials are readily available, and autofocus is quite basic but works very well. Fujinon has a broad range of both zoom and prime lenses available which offer excellent value for money. The build of this camera is extraordinary: the screen is made from reinforced glass, and the body is fully waterproofed.
The Sony RX100 III is without a doubt the best pocket camera currently available. Compared to its predecessor, Sony now uses a faster f/1.8 – f/2.8 variable aperture 24-70mm fixed lens and the latest Bionz X processor. There are some significant changes in the video department too, and we’ll look at those later in this guide. Make sure you are running firmware version 2.0, released in 2017.
Are you looking for a guide for other RX100 cameras?
For anyone new to the Sony camera range, there are some Sony RX100 III hidden features that are worth discovering. Read on to find nuùmerous hidden tips and trick in the menus.
Diving into the Sony RX100 III MENU system
When you switch on your camera, you’ll be asked to enter a date, time and timezone. This setting is necessary, as all images captured will have a timestamp, making it easy to find your favorite pictures in the future.
After this is setup, press the MENU button. You’ll see a range of icons and pages.
We’ll start at page 1 of the camera Icon (camera settings)
(MENU → Camera Settings → page 1)
Image size:
The larger the image size, the more detail will be reproduced when the image is printed on large-format paper. The smaller the image size, the more images can be recorded.
Image size when the aspect ratio is 3:2:
L: 20 megapixels
M: 10 megapixels
S: 5 megapixels
Image size when Aspect Ratio is 16:9
L: 17 megapixels
M: 7,5 megapixels
S: 4,2 megapixels
Please note that when Quality is set to RAW or RAW & JPEG, the image size for RAW images is automatically set to L for optimal quality.
If SD card space is an issue, you can set it to Small.
Aspect ratio:
You can choose 3:2 (which uses the full sensor surface) or 16:9 (crop but a more broad view). Leave as is at 3:2, you can always crop your pictures later.
Quality:
Do you edit your pictures on your desktop? If so, set to RAW or RAW+jpeg. A RAW file saves all information the camera pixels register during shooting and will make for better quality images if you want to edit in something like Adobe Lightroom.
A RAW file saves all information the camera pixels register during shooting and will make for better quality images if you want to edit in something like Adobe Lightroom.
A jpeg is a compressed image (available in FINE (larger) and STANDARD (smaller, less quality) which takes up less space on your SD card but is less suited for editing afterward. Jpeg images will also have in-camera noise reduction applied, something you might or might not want to take care of yourself later, depending on your use.
Jpeg images will also have in-camera noise reduction applied, something you might or might not want to take care of yourself later, depending on your use.
Panorama size
(Only available when in panorama shooting mode) Size is selectable between standard and wide. Wide means your picture will cover a larger area. Set it to standard, having to scan an even broader area when making panoramas will take some experience with the camera to do efficiently.
Size is selectable between standard and wide. Wide means your picture will cover a larger area. Set it to standard, having to scan an even broader area when making panoramas will take some experience with the camera to do efficiently.
Set it to standard, having to scan an even broader area when making panoramas will take some experience with the camera to do efficiently.
Panorama direction
A panorama picture (only available in jpeg) is a composite of several images stitched together. When in this mode, you’ll see an arrow that guides you in what direction and speed you should pan the camera to take the sequential images that will be stitched together. You can choose the path in this menu (either, up, down, left or right).
You can make panoramas while scanning your camera up-down or left-right.So what is this all about? This might sound confusing at first, but this comes down to how you hold the Sony RX100 III when shooting panoramas: either in portrait or landscape orientation.
File format
Selects the movie file format.
XAVC S: Records 60p/50p/30p/25p/24p* /120p/100p movies in XAVC S format. This file format is suitable for high bit rates. Audio: LPCM
AVCHD (default setting): Records 60i/50i/60p/50p/24p/25p movies in AVCHD format. This file format is suitable for high-definition TV. Audio: Dolby Digital
MP4: Records mp4 (AVC) movies. This format is suitable for WEB uploads, e-mail attachments, etc. Audio: AAC
Note that when recording XAVC S format movies, you should use the following memory cards:
SDXC memory card (64 GB or more and Class 10 or faster)
SDXC memory card (64 GB or more and UHS-I-compatible)
Memory Stick XC-HG Duo media
(MENU → Camera Settings → page 2)
Record setting
Also for video functionality only. You can choose the quality of recorded video here. You can change the image size, frame rate, and image quality for movie recording. The higher the bitrate, the higher the image quality. If you’re not familiar with this, leave as is.
When File Format is set to XAVC S:
This records high-definition movies by converting them to MP4 file format using the MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec.
When File Format is set to AVCHD:
60i/50i: Movies are recorded at approximately 60 frames/sec (for 1080 60i-compatible devices) or 50 fields/sec (for 1080 50i-compatible devices). Also in interlaced mode, with Dolby Digital audio, in AVCHD format.
24p/25p: Movies are recorded at approximately 24 frames/sec (for 1080 60i-compatible devices) or 25 frames/sec (for 1080 50i-compatible devices). Also in progressive mode, with Dolby Digital audio, in AVCHD format.
60p/50p: Movies are recorded at approximately 60 frames/sec (for 1080 60i-compatible devices) or 50 frames/sec (for 1080 50i-compatible devices). Also in progressive mode, with Dolby Digital audio, in AVCHD format.
When File Format is set to MP4:
Movies shot are recorded in MPEG-4 format, at approximately 30 frames/sec (for 1080 60icompatible devices) or about 25 frames/sec (for 1080 50i-compatible devices), in progressive mode, with AAC audio, mp4 format.
Menu items details:
When File Format is set to XAVC S:
60p 50M*/50p 50M** (default setting): Records high image quality movies at 1920 × 1080 (60p/50p). Bit-rate: Approx. 50 Mbps (Avg.)
30p 50M/25p 50M**: Records high image quality movies at 1920 × 1080 (30p/25p). Bit-rate: Approx. 50 Mbps (Avg.)
24p 50M (Only for 1080 60i compatible models): Records high image quality movies at 1920 × 1080 (24p). This produces a cinema-like atmosphere. Bit-rate: Approx. 50 Mbps (Avg.)
When File Format is set to AVCHD:
60i 24M(FX)*: 50i 24M(FX)**: Records high image quality movies of 1920 × 1080 (60i/50i). Bit-rate: Approx. 24 Mbps (Max.)
60i 17M(FH) (default setting)*: 50i 17M(FH) (default setting)**: Records standard image quality movies of 1920 × 1080 (60i/50i). Bit-rate: Approx. 17 Mbps (Avg.)
60p 28M(PS)*:
50p 28M(PS)**: Records the highest image quality movies of 1920 × 1080 (60p/50p). Bit-rate: Approx. 28 Mbps (Max.)
24p 24M(FX)*: 25p 24M(FX)**: Records high image quality movies of 1920 × 1080 (24p/25p). This produces a cinema-like atmosphere. Bit-rate: Approx. 24 Mbps (Max.)
24p 17M(FH)*: 25p 17M(FH)**: Records standard image quality movies of 1920 × 1080 (24p/25p). This produces a cinemalike atmosphere. Bit-rate: Approx. 17 Mbps (Avg.)
When [ File Format] is set to MP4:
1440×1080 12M (default setting): Records movies of 1440 × 1080. Bit-rate: Approx. 12 Mbps (Avg.)
VGA 3M: Records movies of VGA size. Bit-rate: Approx. 3 Mbps (Avg.) *
60p/50p movies can be played back only on compatible devices.
Movies recorded with the [60p 28M(PS)]/[50p 28M(PS)]/[60i 24M(FX)]/[50i 24M(FX)]/ [24p 24M(FX)] /[25p 24M(FX)] setting in [ Record Setting] are converted by PlayMemories Home in order to create an AVCHD recording disc. This conversion can take a long time. Also, you cannot create a disc in the original image quality. If you want to keep the original image quality, store your movies on a Blu-ray Disc.
To play back 24p/25p movies on a TV, the TV must be compatible with the 24p/25p formats. If the TV is not compatible with the 24p/25p format, 24p/25p movies will be output as 60i/50i movies.
You cannot create discs with movies recorded with [XAVC S] or [MP4] recording settings using PlayMemories Home.
Drive Mode
You can set the drive mode, such as continuous or self-timer shooting.
Single Shooting (default setting): Shoots one still image. Normal shooting mode.
Cont. Shooting: Shoots images continuously while you press and hold down the shutter button. Hi: takes about six images per second, Lo about 3
Self-timer: Shoots an image after 10 or 2 seconds. (selectable in sub menu) You can change the angle of the LCD screen and shoot images while monitoring the image on the screen.
Self-timer(Cont): Shoots a specified number of images continuously after 10 seconds or 2 seconds (selectable in the sub menu).
Cont. Bracket: Shoots images while holding the shutter button down, each with different degrees of brightness. (from 3 to 5 images with between .3 and 3 EV difference, selectable in the sub menu.) For processing as HDR on your PC.
Single Bracket: Shoots a specified number of images, one by one, each with a different degree of brightness. (from 3 to 5 images with between .3 and 3 EV difference, selectable in the sub menu) For processing as HDR on your PC.
WB bracket: Shoots a total of three images, each with a different color tone according to the selected settings for white balance, color temperature, and the color filter. (3 images with either LO small changes or Hi large changes)
DRO Bracket: Shoots a total of three images, each at a different degree of D-Range Optimizer.
Dual Video Rec
Allows you to simultaneously record an XAVC S movie and an MP4 movie, or an AVCHD movie and an MP4 movie.
Flash Mode
Flash off;
Turns the flash off, even when the flash unit is popped up.
Autoflash:
The flash works in dark environments or when shooting towards a bright light.
Fill-flash:
The flash works every time you trigger the shutter.
Slow sync:
Tells the camera to use a longer shutter speed along with a flash, and thus is better for night shots. In manual and shutter priority modes, there is no difference in flash power. But when using aperture priority, program, or auto, choosing slow sync tells the camera to use a longer shutter speed than it would ordinarily pick.What the slow sync flash mode actual does is first fire the flash for the subject exposure, then allow for a longer shutter speed that will allow for more ambient light to be captured by the sensor.
Rear Sync:
Capturing an image involves two shutter actions: one when the capture starts and on when it stops. Rear Sync tells the flash to fire right before the shutter closes. Moving objects will show a streak where they came from and a sharp image where they were at the end of the exposure. This conveys a sense of speed with moving objects. Rear Sync is a creative technique, if you’d like to know more about this type of photography, I’d suggest doing a Google search on ‘Rear Sync Flash Photography.’
Flash compensation:
Especially when using Slow Sync or Rear Sync Flash modes, you might have to lower the power of the Flash to get a decently exposed image.
Red Eye Reduction:
This anti-Red Eye setting quickly fires the flash before your image capture starts, reducing the red-eye effect often seen when using a flash
(MENU → Camera Settings → page 3)
Focus Mode
Here, you can select how the autofocus engine will behave when you half-press the shutter button. This functionality is partly dependent on what focus area you select (see next)
AF-S:
With a half-press of the shutter button, the camera will focus only once. Suitable for capturing stills.
AF-C:
The camera will continuously focus on any movement when you half-press the shutter button.
DMF:
The RX100 Mark 3 focuses on your subject and allows you to fine tune your focus area further using the manual focus ring on the lens.
MF:
No autofocus is used, and you focus manually using the focus ring on the lens.
Focus area
You might think it is best to leave it on the factory ‘wide’ setting (as this uses all AF points), but for certain scenes, it is often better to use a zone or flexible spot to get it to focus on what you want.
Wide:
Wide focus area uses all focus points on the sensor. Ideal for action scenes where there is a lot of movement going on in your frame.
Center:
Focusses on whatever is centered in your images. A fail-proof way of getting the camera to focus on what you want. If you have any problems using the autofocus and are in a situation where you don’t want to miss any shots, revert to Center and just make sure you have your subject centered.
Flexible spot:
Flexible spot area selects a spot anywhere on the screen where the camera should focus. (similar to Center spot, except not.. in the center) You can set it to small, medium or large. If you want to use this focus area, set it to medium or large, as the camera will struggle to find focus when set to small (except perhaps for close-up portraits where you’d want to focus on the iris of the eye)
Lock-on AF:
When the shutter button is pressed and held halfway down, the product tracks the subject within the selected autofocus area. Point the cursor to [Lock-on AF] on the [Focus Area] setting screen, then select the desired tracking start area using the left/right sides of the control wheel. You can move the tracking start area to the desired point by designating the area to be the flexible spot. On the Flexible Spot shooting screen, you can change the size of the AF range finder frame by rotating the control wheel.
AF Illuminator:
The AF illuminator is a little red light allowing the camera to focus more easily when the shutter button is pressed halfway. It automatically is switched off when you fully press the shutter. Leave it on.
Exposure Comp
(Also available in the Quick Menu, accessed by pressing the FN button):
If you find that your image is overexposed (for instance when you are shooting at large apertures for a shallow depth-of-field in bright daylight), you can tweak the exposure compensation here in a plus or minus 5 (exact EV dependent on next step) range.
ISO
You can select at which ISO value you’d like to capture your image or change the AutoISO range
I have this range set between 100-1600 as this range is virtually noise free, and I don’t like the ISO performance above 3200. If you’re a jpeg shooter (and use built-in Noise Reduction), you might think of using a higher top value (factory setting goes up to 12800).
ND filter
From the Mark 3 onwards, the Sony comes with a built-in 3 stop ND filter. If you use an ND filter, the amount of light entering the camera is reduced. You can slow down the shutter speed and decrease the aperture value for a better exposure.
Auto (default setting): Automatically turns on the ND filter based on the shooting mode and brightness.
On: Always uses built-in ND Filter.
Off: Disables the ND Filter function.
(MENU → Camera Settings → page 4)
Metering Mode
Metering mode refers to the way the camera reads the light and sets the exposure.
In multi, it considers the whole frame and sets exposure according to internal algorithms programmed in camera.
In spot or center, the camera only considers what is in that spot or the center (per example, if your subject is completely black, the camera will try to compensate by overexposing the image).
White Balance
You can either:
Auto (default setting): The product automatically detects the light source and adjusts the color tones.
Daylight: The color tones are adjusted for the daylight. Shade: The color tones are adjusted for shadiness.
Cloudy: The color temperature is adjusted for a cloudy sky. Incandescent: The color temperature is adjusted for places under an incandescent lamp, or under bright lightings, such as in a photo studio.
Fluor.: Warm White: The color temperature is adjusted for warm white fluorescent lighting.
Fluor.: Cool White: The color temperature is adjusted for white fluorescent lighting.
Fluor.: Day White: The color temperature is adjusted for neutral white fluorescent lighting.
Fluor.: Daylight: The color temperature is adjusted for daylight fluorescent lighting.
Flash: The color temperature is adjusted for a flash.
Underwater Auto: The color temperature is adjusted for underwater shooting.
C.Temp./Filter: Adjusts the color tones depending on the light source. Achieves the effect of CC (Color Compensation) filters for photography.
Custom: Uses the white balance setting saved in [Custom Setup].
Custom Setup: Memorizes the basic white color under the light conditions for the shooting environment.
Underwater Auto: new feature from the 2017 firmware version 2.0 update. Similar ro the regular Auto White balance, the camera will automatically adjust white balance when used underwater in an underwater housing like the Sony MPK-URX100A.
DRO/Auto HDR
DRO:
This stands for Dynamic range optimize and analyses the contrast of your scene in real-time. It produces an image with optimal brightness and recovered shadow detail. You can use this function even while the subject is moving or during the continuous shooting.
D-Range Optimizer: Auto (default setting): Corrects the brightness automatically.
D-Range Optimizer: Lv1 ― D-Range Optimizer: Lv5: Optimizes the gradation of a recorded image for each divided area. Select the optimization level from Lv1 (weak) to Lv5 (strong)
Auto HDR:
(not available for RAW captures) this feature Shoots three images with different exposures and then overlays the bright area of the underexposed image and the dark area of the over exposed image to create a picture with an extended range from highlight to shadow.
The highlight detail in auto HDR is better than that in DRO and with reduced noise. The shutter is released three times, so using this function for moving subjects is not recommended.
Auto HDR: Exposure Diff. Auto (default setting): Corrects the exposure difference automatically. Auto HDR: Exposure Diff. 1.0EV ―
Auto HDR: Exposure Diff. 6.0EV: Sets the exposure difference, based on the contrast of the subject. Select the optimal level between 1.0 EV (weak) and 6.0 EV (strong). For example, if you set the exposure value to 2.0 EV, three images will be composed of the following exposure levels; −1.0 EV, optimal exposure, and +1.0 EV
Creative Style
This menu setting allows you to select the desired image processing. You can adjust exposure (shutter speed and aperture) as you like with [Creative Style], unlike with [Scene Selection] where the product adjusts the exposure.
Standard (default setting): For shooting various scenes with rich gradation and beautiful colors.
Vivid: The saturation and contrast are heightened for shooting striking images of colorful scenes and subjects such as flowers, spring greenery, blue sky, or ocean views.
Portrait: For shooting the skin color in a soft tone, ideally suited for shooting portraits.
Landscape: The saturation, contrast, and sharpness are heightened for shooting vivid and crisp scenery. Distant landscapes also stand out more.
Sunset: For shooting the beautiful red of the setting sun.
Black & White: For shooting images in black and white monotone.
Sepia: For shooting images in sepia monotone.
Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpness can be adjusted for each Creative Style item. Select an item to be set by pressing the right/left side of the control wheel, then set the value using the top/bottom side of the control wheel.
Contrast: The higher the value selected, the more the difference of light and shadow is accentuated, and the bigger the effect on the image.
Saturation: The higher the value selected, the more vivid the color. When a lower value is selected, the color of the image is restrained and subdued.
Sharpness: Adjusts the sharpness. The higher the value selected, the more the contours are accentuated, and the lower the value selected, the more the contours are softened.
Picture Effect
Think of this menu as an Instagram app right in your camera, with all kinds of retro filters and effects. These are only available when quality is set to Jpeg (Not in RAW).
Off (default setting): Disables the Picture Effect function.
Toy Camera: Creates a soft image with shaded corners and reduced sharpness.
Pop Color: Creates a vivid look by emphasizing color tones.
Posterization: Creates a high contrast, abstract look by heavily emphasizing primary colors, or in black and white.
Retro Photo: Creates the look of an aged photo with sepia color tones and faded contrast.
Soft High-key: Creates an image with the indicated atmosphere: bright, transparent, ethereal, tender, soft.
Partial Color: Creates an image which retains a specific color, but converts others to black and white.
High Contrast Mono.: Creates a high-contrast image in black and white.
Soft Focus: Creates an image filled with a soft lighting effect.
HDR Painting: Creates the look of a painting, enhancing the colors and details.
Rich-tone Mono.: Creates an image in black and white with rich gradation and reproduction of details.
Miniature: Creates an image which enhances the subject vividly, with the background defocused considerably. This effect may often be found in pictures of miniature models.
Watercolor: Creates an image with ink bleed and blurring effects as if painted using watercolors.
Illustration: Creates an illustration-like image by emphasizing the outlines.
Focus Magnifier
When focussing manually or in DMF mode, you can set the camera to magnify a part of the screen so you can check focus. This sub-menu allows you to select the part of the image that will be magnified during shooting.
(MENU → Camera Settings → page 5)
Long exposure NR
Yes, finally it’s here for Sony RX100 users, Long exposure Noise Reduction. This kicks in when you set the shutter speed to 1/3 second or longer. Noise reduction is turned on for the duration that the shutter is open. With the function turned on, the grainy noise typical of long exposures is reduced.
High ISO NR
Here you can select the amount of noise reduction applied to images with high ISO settings (when quality is set to jpeg). As Sony has rather aggressive noise reduction, I would chance it to Low. (if not, you run the risk of getting paint-like, smeared images at higher ISO values)
Center Lock-on AF
This is a very powerful autofocus feature. When turned ON, it allows you to track a subject. In the iAuto mode, you can access this feature (when turned ON and the camera is set to AF) by pressing the Center button of the multi-controller. You’ll see a square on your screen, then center your desired tracking subject and the camera will continue to track it, even when it exits your frame and reappears.
Smile/Face Detect
This is another powerful feature. It can be set to automatically detect on focus on (registered) faces and enable a function called Smile Shutter. When the latter is enabled, the camera will automatically capture an image when a smile is detected. Did I hear you say Selfie? Yes, it’s the ultimate selfie tool, along with the pivoting screen.
Soft skin effect
Sets the effect used for shooting the skin smoothly in the Face Detection function. I don’t like the results, so on my camera, it is turned off.
Auto Object Framing
When enabled, the Sony RX100 III will automatically crop your captured image to what it deems best. Meaning it will cut the picture for a nicer composition. Only available for Jpegs, though, a nice feature if you don’t want to bother too much with the technical side of photography.
(MENU → Camera Settings → page 6)
Scene Selection
This allows you to shoot with preset settings according to the scene. To change the scene, simply rotate the control wheel on the shooting screen and select a new scene.
Portrait: Blurs background and sharpens the subject. Accentuates the skin tones softly.
Sports Action: Shoots a moving subject at a fast shutter speed so that the subject looks as if it is standing still. The product shoots images continuously while the shutter button is pressed.
Macro: Shoots close-ups of the subjects, such as flowers, insects, food, or small items.
Landscape: Shoots the entire range of a scenery in sharp focus with vivid colors.
Sunset: Shoots the red of the sunset beautifully.
Night Scene: Shoots night scenes without losing the dark atmosphere.
Hand-held Twilight: Shoots night scenes with less noise and blur without using a tripod. A burst of shots are taken, and image processing is applied to reduce subject blur, camera shake, and noise.
Night Portrait: Shoots night scene portraits using the flash. The flash does not pop-up automatically. Pop-up the flash before shooting.
Anti Motion Blur: Allows you to shoot indoor shots without using the flash and reduces subject blur. The product shoots burst images and combines them to create the image, reducing subject blur and noise.
Pet: Allows you to shoot images of your pet with the best settings.
Gourmet: Allows you to shoot food arrangements in delicious and bright colors.
Fireworks: Allows you to shoot images of fireworks in all their splendor.
High Sensitivity: Allows you to shoot still images even in dark locations without using the flash, and reduces subject blur. Also allows you to shoot dark movie scenes more brightly
Movie
Steadyshot (stills)
Sets whether or not to use the SteadyShot (also known as image stabilization) function for photography. Steadyshot allows you to take sharp pictures at longer shutter speeds (say on a cloudy day). It stabilizes your image and is a very powerful feature. Set it to ON, except when shooting on a tripod.
SteadyShot (movies)
Sets SteadyShot when shooting movies.
Here you have three options:
Intelligent Active: Provides the most powerful SteadyShot effect. I set it to this.
Active (default setting): Provides a more powerful SteadyShot effect.
Standard: Reduces camera shake under stable movie shooting conditions.
Color Space
You can choose between Standard and Adobe (extended color range)RGB. If you don’t know what this means, leave it to standard.
Auto Slow Shutter (movie mode)
Sets whether to adjust the shutter speed automatically during video recording in case if the subject is dark/ Set to ON.
(MENU → Camera Settings → page 7)
Audio Recording
You can switch off audio recording in movie mode.
Micref Level
You can select the microphone level for movie recording to Normal (for dialogue) or Low (for concerts etc).
Memory Recall
Allows you to shoot an image after recalling often-used modes or camera settings registered in advance.
Set the mode dial to MR (Memory recall).
Press the left/right side of the control wheel or turn the control wheel to select the desired number, then press on the center
You can also recall registered modes or settings by selecting MENU → (Camera Settings) → Memory recall.
Memory
Allows you to register up to 3 often-used modes or product settings in the product. You can recall the settings using just the mode dial.
Items that can be registered:
Shooting mode
Aperture (F number)
Shutter speed
Camera Settings
Optical zoom scale
To recall registered settings: Set the mode dial to MR, then press the right/left side of the control wheel or turn the control wheel to select the desired memory number.
To change registered settings: Change the setting to the desired one and re-register the setting to the same mode number.
(MENU → Custom settings (wheel) → page 1)
Zebra
The zebra function shows a zebra pattern on the screen while shooting in any area that is in danger of highlight clipping. You can switch this OFF or anywhere in a range between 70 and 100.The Zebra Pattern is a highlight warning indicator that is common in video cameras. It does not control exposure but just warns you that your highlights are blown out. It is not recorded into the resulting image.I have it set halfway at around 75, and it is a very useful indication of correct exposure of the full picture. As I capture in RAW, I am very careful not to have any highlight clipping, to be able to recover highlights in Lightroom possibly entirely.
MF assist
This works in conjunction with the Focus Magnifier on Page 5 of the camera settings. You might remember that you can select the area to magnify there when using manual focus (MF). MF assist will need to be turned on if you want to use this feature.
Focus Magnif Time
You can set how long to hold the magnified area during MF assist. 2 sec, 5 seconds or no limit. 2 seconds is how I have it set up.
Grid Line
Having a grid line on your screen is a helpful aide for the composition of your image.
The human brain is hard-wired to recognize the structure, and most people find a well-composed image more eye-pleasing.
During photography history, rules have been developed on how to compose the different elements best within a scene. Many landscapes you’ll see have the horizon run through the middle of the image for instance, but this is just composition in its simplest form. Many photographers with a thorough understanding of these techniques go far beyond that.
A good starting point is using the in-camera grid to make your brain aware of the possibilities in composition.
The Rules of 3rds, Square and Diag +square are available in the Sony Alpha ILCE-5100.
Auto Review
Select the amount of time the camera displays your image directly after capturing the image. 10, 5 and 2 sec is available, or you can turn this feature OFF if it annoys you.
MENU – Custom Settings – page 2
Disp button
Selects the functionality (what is shown) on the screen when you press the DISP button (on the control wheel). You can choose Graphic Display, all info; no dips info and histogram.
Peaking Level
Peaking Level is a manual focusing aid that works when you have your camera set to MF or DMF.
You’ll see a type of noise outlining the parts of your image where the focus lies; you can adjust the sensitivity to high, mid or low.
Which setting is best depends on what lens you use, as with a sharper lens it can be configured to low, while more soft lenses benefit from a medium or high setting to clearly visualize what you’re focusing on.
Peaking Color
You can choose the color of this Peaking between Red, white and yellow. I have it set to red, as this contrasts nicely with most scenes you capture.
Exposure set guide
Sets the guide displayed when exposure settings are changed in the shooting screen. Excellent tool when you’re getting to know the functionality of your new camera. If you’re familiar with Sony’s feature, turn it OFF.
Live view Display
Live view display allows you to see the image you’re going to capture with the settings you have dialed in like aperture and shutter speed. Some users report easier auto-focussing in low-light when it’s turned OFF, and you’d need to turn it off when using external flashes too that can’t be used with Sony’s TTL (through the lens) functionality.
Pre AF
When pre-AF is set to ON, the camera will continuously focus, even without half-pressing the shutter button. This can be draining to the battery, especially when using some lenses like the Zeiss Touit range. Set it to OFF.
Many People prefer to set Pre-AF off. This to prevent the camera from constantly trying to acquire focus without pressing the shutter button. It also saves battery life.
MENU – Custom Settings – page 3
Zoom settings
Set to Optical zoom only (using the optical zoom capabilities of your lens. If you set this to digital zoom, the camera will be basically cropping pixels out.
Finder/Monitor
Sets the method for switching the display between Electronic Viewfinder and the screen.
Auto (default setting): When you look into the Electronic Viewfinder, the display is switched to the Electronic Viewfinder automatically.
Viewfinder: Switch between the Electronic Viewfinder display and the screen display by pushing up/down the pop-up finder. When the Electronic Viewfinder is pushed down, the image is displayed only on the screen. When the Electronic Viewfinder is pushed up, the screen is turned off and the image is displayed only in the Electronic Viewfinder.
AEL with shutter
Selects whether to fix exposure automatically when you press the shutter button halfway down. Leave ON.
Auto (default setting): Fixes the exposure after adjusting the focus automatically when you press the shutter button halfway down when [Focus Mode] is set to [Single-shot AF]. When [Focus Mode] is set to [Automatic AF], and the product determines that the subject is moving, or you shoot burst images, the fixed exposure is canceled.
On: Fixes the exposure when you press the shutter button halfway down.
Off: Does not fix the exposure when you press the shutter button halfway down. Use this mode when you want to adjust focus and exposure separately.
Self-portrait timer
You can change the angle of the LCD screen and shoot images while monitoring the image on the screen.
Tilt the LCD screen 180° upward, and then point the lens at yourself.
Press the shutter button. The product starts the self-timer shooting after three seconds. Hint If you want to use another Drive Mode than the 3-second self-timer mode, first set [Selfportrait/ -timer] to [Off], then tilt the monitor upward approx. 180 degrees.
Hint If you want to use another Drive Mode than the 3-second self-timer mode, first set Self-portrait/ -timer to Off, then tilt the monitor upward approx. 180 degrees.
Bracket order
You can set the shooting order for exposure bracketing and white balance bracketing.
Face Registration
This is where you can register faces; it works only when face recognition is set to ON (registered faces). This is an interesting functionality, as you can register faces of your subject (like at a wedding the bride and groom) and the camera will automatically detect these registered faces and give autofocus priority to them. You can register up to 8 faces (by taking a picture of them within this menu) and set a priority order.
Works well, and helps to get the right people in-focus in busy shots.
MENU – Custom Settings – page 4
Write Date
Sets whether to record a shooting date on the still image.
Function menu set
You can assign the functions to be called up when you press the Fn (Function) button.
Custom keys setting
Assigning functions to the various keys allows you to speed up operations by pressing the appropriate key when the shooting information screen is displayed.
Zoom Func. on ring
Sets the zoom functions when using the control ring to change zoom scales. The settings for Zoom Func. on Ring are valid only when auto-focusing.
Standard (default setting): Zooms in/out smoothly when you operate the zoom by turning the control ring.
Step: Zooms in/out at certain angle steps when you operate the zoom by turning the control ring.
Movie button
Sets whether or not to activate the MOVIE button.
Always (default setting): Starts movie recording when you press the MOVIE button in any mode.
Movie Mode Only: Starts movie recording when you press the MOVIE button only if the shooting mode is set to Movie mode.
Wheel lock
You can set whether the wheel will be locked by pressing and holding the Fn (Function) button.
MENU – Wireless functionality – page 1
Send To Smartphone
You can send one or several images directly to your wireless device (phone or tablet) by pressing this button.
You can either decide to choose which images you want to transfer on the camera or on the wireless device (via the Sony PlayMemories app, available for free in the apple or android store).
You’ll have to connect the camera via Wifi first (it makes a Wifi access point), using the instruction on the Sony RX100 III screen.
It works just like connecting to any other access point with your phone or tablet.
You should do this as quickly as possible, just to get it out of the way.
When your phone has wirelessly connected to the camera once, and you’ve entered the password, it will remember this, and make it a lot faster to connect later.
Send to Computer
You’ll need to physically connect the computer to the camera using the supplied USB cable, and you can push selected pictures to your Sony PlayMemories desktop software (installed from the CD or downloaded from their website). This can even be set up to continue pushing images after the camera has turned off.
View On TV
If you have a Wifi-enabled TV, you can view images and slideshows directly from your camera through your home wireless network.
One Touch NFC
Enables Quick, one-touch connection (as opposed to first accessing the camera’s wireless network and then navigating to the Playmemories app) with NFC (near-field communication) capable devices.
I have not tried this (as my iPhone does not have NFC) but it looks a lot easier to use.
Airplane Mode
Disables all wireless functionality, just like airplane mode does on your phone.
WPS Push
If your access point has the WPS button, you can register the access point to the camera easily by pushing the WPS button.
MENU – Wireless functionality – page 2
Access Point Set
Here you can setup an access point for your camera to the internet.
It enables the Sony RX100 II to install PlayMemories apps from the internet directly. Works just like setting an access point (WiFi connection) on your phone.
Edit Device name
If you wish, you can change the name of the Device Access point perhaps to make it easier to identify which A6000 is yours in certain situations.
MENU – Playmemories settings- page 1
Application List
You’ll find The Smart remote control camera app (wich allows you to use your phone as a remote control via PlayMemories phone app for iPhone and Android) and the Playmemories Camera app here.
You can access your online PlayMemories account here, or create an account (once you’ve set up your camera connection with your Wifi network).
You’ll also be able to download new apps available for purchase in the Sony Playmemories online app store like the Time-lapse and smooth reflection app.
If you do not want to connect your camera to the internet, you can always install new apps (and updates) if you connect the camera to your Mac or PC with the supplied USB cable, using the Sony PlayMemories desktop application.
MENU – playback options – page 1
Delete
Delete on or multiple images stored on your SD card.
View Mode
select how the camera will arrange captured images in the viewing browser.
Image Index
Select whether you want the image browser to display 12 (larger) or 30 (smaller) images per page.
Display rotation
Select whether you want the camera to automatically rotate images when you rotate the camera or not.
Slide Show
Select whether you want the camera to repeat slideshows when all pictures are viewed or not, and choose the interval between slides.
Rotate
Change the orientation of images in-camera.
MENU – playback options – page 2
Enlarge
Select an image and enlarge a portion of that image. Useful for checking details and focus.
4K Still Image PB
Outputs still images in 4K resolution to an HDMI-connected TV that supports 4K.
Protect
Protect images (selectable or per date) from accidentally being erased.
Motion Interval ADJ
Change the interval of the image tracking of the subject’s motion in high-speed, like a stroboscopic image.
Specify Printing
Specify Printing is a feature that allows images to be marked for printing later. Registered images are displayed with the DPOF mark. (DPOF stands for Digital Print Order Format)
Beauty Effect
Allows you to apply the Beauty Effect to retouch the still image of a person and make it look better, for example, by retouching it for smoother skin, larger eyes, and whiter teeth. You can set the effects from level 1 to level 5. An image on which the Beauty Effect is used is saved as a new file. The original image is retained as it is.
Skin Toning: Adjusts the skin color as you like.
Skin Smoothing: Removes age spots and wrinkles from the skin.
Shine Removal: Reduces the look of oily skin. Adjusts the skin color as you like.
Eye Widening: Enlarges the eyes of the subject.
Teeth Whitening: Whiten the teeth of the subject.
To use two or more effects with Beauty Effect one after another, first apply an effect to the image, then select another effect using.
MENU – Setup – page 1
Monitor Brightness
Manually set the Monitor brightness (recommended leave to zero) or change to a brighter setting for Sunny Weather.
Viewfinder Bright.
When using an electronic viewfinder, you can adjust the brightness of the electronic viewfinder according to the surrounding environment. Leave it on Auto.
Finder Color Temp.
Adjusts the color temperature (-2 +2) of the electronic viewfinder.
Volume settings
Change the playback volume for recorded video or demos.
Audio Signals
You can turn off audio signals like the beep when te camera achieves focus. Useful if you want a more stealthy operation (although you’ll still hear the second curtain shutter).
MENU – Setup – page 2
Title Menu
choose between tiles or a tiled front page when accessing the MENU or a direct tab style menu layout
Mode Dial Guide
You can display the description of a shooting mode when you turn the mode dial and change the settings available for that shooting mode. Handy when you are learning how to use the RX100 II.
Delete confirm
You can set whether Delete or Cancel is selected as the default setting on the delete confirmation screen.
Display Quality
You can change the display quality. Set to standard to preserve battery life.
High: Displays in high quality.
Standard: Displays in standard quality.
Pwr Save Start time
Selects the time it takes for the camera to go into sleep mode if you don’t use it.
MENU – Setup – page 3
Demo Mode
Demo mode is only used in retail stores for demonstration purposes.
HDMI settings
You can find all HDMI connection settings here:
HDMI Resolution: When you connect the product to a High Definition TV with HDMI terminals using an HDMI cable, you can select HDMI Resolution to output images to the TV. Auto, 1080p and 1080i are available.
CTRL FOR HDMI: When connecting the Sony RX100 III to a “BRAVIA” Sync-compatible TV using an HDMI cable, you can operate this product by aiming the TV remote control at the TV. Turn it ON if you want to use it.
HDMI Info. Display: Selects whether to display the shooting information when this product and the TV are connected using an HDMI cable.
USB connection
Selects what will happen when you connect your camera to your PC or MAC.
Auto (default setting): Establishes a Mass Storage or MTP connection automatically, depending on the computer or other USB devices to be connected. Windows 7 or Windows 8 computers are connected in MTP, and their unique functions are enabled for use.
Mass Storage: Establishes a Mass Storage connection between this product, a computer, and other USB devices.
MTP: Establishes an MTP connection between this product, a computer, and other USB devices. Windows 7 or Windows 8 computers are connected in MTP, and their unique functions are enabled for use.
USB LUN Setting
Improves compatibility with external devices by limiting the functions of the USB connection.
Older devices that are not able to connect to the camera might work when set to single. Otherwise, use Multi.
Language
Set your preferred language. The advantage of setting it to Eglish is that you’ll find much more information online when you need any troubleshooting.
MENU – Setup – page 4
Date Time Setup
Change date, time, date format and Daylight savings time
Area setting
Select your region, or change region when abroad, the camera will automatically change time and date for you.
Format
Format your SD card before use; this will erase any images still on the memory card.
File Number
Number your files according to number of shots or reset it to start from 1
Select REC folder
Selects where the camera will store newly captured images
MENU – Setup – page 5
New Folder
Make a new folder for easily organizing events and locations
Folder name
Choose whether to have folder names in standard form (DSC) or create a new one by date. Setting folders by date will make organizing your images easier.
Recover Image DB
If you have a storage card error, you can try to rebuild the database to possibly retrieve lost images.
Display media info
You can check how much space is left on your SD card (have pictures in your desired quality and how many minutes of video)
MENU – Setup – page 6
Version
Check what version of the operating system your camera and lens are running. Sony sporadically releases updates with new features, so it might be worth checking if any new firmware versions are available.
Setting Reset
Fully resets the camera to factory settings.
The Next Chapter is about the different Shooting Modes Available, another concept that is necessary to understand fully.
We’ll go over some of the more interesting features of the RX100 II. Let’s call it lazy mode for you out there that doesn’t want to browse through the entire menu system.
shooting modes available via the select button
Intelligent Auto:
This mode automatically detects the type of scene you’re shooting and adjusts the scene automatically. You’ll see the icon for the recognized scene appear on the top right hand of the screen.
These scenes are the same ones which can be selected individually in SCENE mode.
The Sony RX100 III will also use the most appropriate FOCUS AREA, and ISO value (the ISO range cannot be changed in iAuto though).
Drive Mode (single shooting, continuous shooting Lo-Mid-Hi), Self-timer and Self-timer cont (multiple images with the self-timer) can be changed by using the Fn button.
Works for both RAW and JPEG shooting.
Disadvantage: ISO range is fixed to 50-6400 (you can’t change the range).
Superior Auto:
Superior Auto is similar to iAuto, as it also detects scenes automatically, except it uses more complex processing.
This includes composite layering (layering different shots on top of each other for HDR style pictures) and automatically choosing what it thinks is the best image.
You can either choose whether you want the camera to save all images captured or just the composite image, by selecting S. Auto Img. Extract in the MENU system.
Disadvantage: ISO range is (like in iAuto) fixed and only useable for jpeg shooting.
P (Program Auto):
Program (P) mode automatically adjusts exposure and aperture according to your desired setting.
See this as a more advanced iAuto mode, as you’ll be able to change all other settings through the touch screen (Focus area, creative style, exposure compensation,…);
tip: lower the automatic ISO range to 100-1600 for better image quality (ISO-Auto range in MENU SYSTEM)
A (Aperture Priority):
Allows you to adjust the aperture and shoot, for example when you want to blur the background (large aperture like f/1.8), or want a sharp corner-to-corner image (around f/5.6-f/8).
The aperture value can be changed during movie recording, a technique that will be familiar to videographers.
Smaller F-value: The subject is in focus, but objects in front of and beyond the subject are blurred (what is called Bokeh).
Larger F-value: The subject and its foreground and background are all in focus.
If proper exposure cannot be set, the shutter speed on the shooting screen blinks.
S (Shutter Priority):
The go-to mode if you cant to shoot fast-moving subjects, by manually adjusting the shutter speed. You can express the movement of a moving subject in various ways by adjusting the shutter speed, for example, at the instant of the movement with a high-speed shutter, or as a trailing image with a low-speed shutter. The shutter speed can be changed while recording movies. The aperture is automatically adjusted to obtain proper exposure.
If proper exposure cannot be obtained, the aperture value on the shooting screen blinks.
Use a tripod to prevent blurring when you use a slow shutter speed.
The SteadyShot warning indicator does not appear in shutter speed priority mode.
When the shutter speed is 1 second(s) or longer, noise reduction will be applied (Long Exposure noise reduction in the Menu ON/OFF) after shooting for the same amount of time that the shutter was open. This will temporarily freeze your camera, and you want to be able to capture images while noise reduction is in progress.
The brightness of the image on the monitor may differ from the actual image being shot (there is no Live view on Sony cameras for long exposures).
M (Manual Exposure):
Both shutter speed and the aperture value can be changed in this mode, also during movie recording.
Press the bottom side of the control wheel to select the shutter speed or aperture value, then turn the control wheel to select a value.
When ISO Auto is used, the ISO value automatically changes to achieve the appropriate exposure using the aperture value and shutter speed you have set.
If the aperture value and shutter speed you have set are not suitable for appropriate exposure, the ISO value indicator will blink.
When the amount of ambient light exceeds the metering range of the Metered Manual, the Metered Manual indicator flashes.
The SteadyShot warning indicator does not appear in manual exposure mode.
The brightness of the image on the monitor may differ from the actual image being shot.
Bulb Mode in Manual exposure
Bulb is the mode used to shoot a trailing image of a subjects’ movement with a long exposure time. Think light trails from cars or fireworks.
Press the bottom side of the control wheel to select the shutter speed, then turn the control wheel counterclockwise until BULB is indicated.
Press the shutter button halfway down to adjust the focus.
Press and hold the shutter button for the duration of the shooting.
As long as the shutter button is pressed, the shutter remains open.
Tips:
Use a tripod for long exposures.
Use the PlayMemories remote or a wired remote control to eliminate any movement of the camera.
After shooting, noise reduction will be applied (as noise builds up quickly with long exposures). This will take as long as your long exposure did, and you won’t be able to use the camera until this is finished.
Can’t get the shutter speed to Bulb Mode? Check these settings and turn them OFF:
Is Smile Shutter activated?
Is Auto HDR activated?
Is Picture Effect is set to HDR Painting or Rich-tone Mono?
Is Drive Mode set to Cont. Shooting, Cont. Bracket or Self-timer(Cont)?
Movie:
Although you can capture movies in any mode, it is easiest to change all related settings for movie recording here. You can adjust the shutter speed or aperture value to your desired settings for recording movies. You can also check the image angle before shooting.
Press the MOVIE button to start recording and again to stop recording
Menu:
Program Auto: Allows you to shoot with the exposure (both the shutter speed and the aperture value) adjusted automatically. Other settings can be adjusted manually, and the settings are retained.
Aperture Priority: Allows you to shoot after adjusting the aperture value manually.
Shutter Priority: Allows you to shoot after adjusting the shutter speed manually.
Manual Exposure: Allows you to shoot after adjusting the exposure (both the shutter speed and the aperture value) manually.
When a zoom lens is mounted, you can also zoom by operating that lens. When a motor zoom lens is mounted, move the zoom lever of the zoom lens to enlarge subjects.
Sweep Panorama:
Allows you to shoot a panoramic image by compositing the images.
Panorama mode will capture a series of images in succession.
You’ll be guided through this process using an arrow on-screen that shows the direction and speed of the camera panning.
The RX100M3 will automatically detect and capture the series of images while panning.
Afterward, it will stitch together all these images into a wide view of the scenery and save it as a Jpeg.
TIP: Panorama size (standard or wide) and panning direction can be changed in the MENU on page 1.
Scene Selection Mode (SCN)
Allows you to shoot with preset settings according to the scene. iAuto and Superior Auto detect these scenes automatically for you and applies the presets it deems best and does a very good job at that. However, in certain circumstances (when you know what you are going to capture) it is better to select the appropriate scene yourself, as it takes the guessing work out of the equation.
The Sony RX100 III has a decent range of well-designed presets:
Portrait:
Blurs background for a nice Bokeh, and sharpens the subject. How good this will look depends largely on the lens you’re using. A zoom is less suited to this kind of photography, best use a prime, fast lens.
This preset accentuates the skin tones softly.
portrait SEL35F14Z at f/1.4
Sports Action:
Shoots a moving subject at a fast shutter speed (lso that the subject looks as if it is standing still. AF-C and continuous shooting hi is on, so you’ll be able to snap away while the shutter button is pressed.
Macro:
Shoots close-ups of the subjects, such as flowers, insects, food, or small items.
Landscape:
Shoots the entire range of scenery in sharp focus with vivid colors. The camera will go to a smaller aperture to achieve this, as lenses are sharper corner-to-corner at smaller apertures.
Sunset:
Shoots the red of the sunset beautifully.
Night Scene:
Shoots night scenes without losing the dark atmosphere. Will go to higher ISO values and larger apertures to achieve a useable shutter speed, enabling you to capture sharp images without blur. The Sony RX100 III does have its limitations when it comes to shooting dark scenery.
Hand-held Twilight:
Shoots night scenes with less noise and blur without using a tripod. A burst of shots are taken, and image processing is applied to reduce subject blur, camera shake, and noise. This does not work well in my opinion.
Night Portrait:
Shoots night scene portraits using the built-in flash.
Anti Motion Blur:
Shutter Priority mode, which will use the fastest shutter speed possible, to counter motion blur.
Best RX100 III for shooting portraits and make-up
Shooting portraits and makeup is a challenge for many photographers. Firstly we need to think about what we want to achieve. As a rule of thumb, the larger your aperture (the f number), the more separation between subject (focus point) and background you’ll have. If you’re going for maximum sharpness and detail, you can stop down the lens (change aperture) to around f/8. If you want to get that creamy ‘bokeh’ effect, shoot at the largest available aperture (f/1.8-f/2.8 depending on your focal length). Or set the SCN to Beauty.
Also, try out some of the Beauty processing presets on Beauty effects in MENU – playback options – page 2.
To get real looking colors, It’s a good idea to set your creative style ((MENU → Camera Settings → page 4) to standard and find a suitable white balance (also on page 4). Try the ‘Fluor’ settings if you are shooting under fluorescent light.
Other things you can consider are shooting in RAW so you have more control over white balance.
Buy a so-called gray card for even more precise colors using custom white balance in your camera.
Calibrate your monitor with something like Datacolour Spyder to make sure your monitor is displaying the colors as true as possible.
Mode dial functions: what’s the difference between intelligent and superior auto?
It might be a good idea to go over the differences between Intelligent Auto and Superior auto.
Intelligent Auto
This mode lets the camera detect what kind of scene you are photographing. It switches to the scene setting it finds most appropriate, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and AF mode.
These different scene settings are the same you’ll find manually selectable in SCN mode.
All Sony cameras do a good job at detecting scenes, although the advanced photographer will prefer to shoot in Aperture, Shutter priority or fully manual mode in order to have more control over things like depth-of-field, movement, and focusing area.
Superior Auto
Does the same scene recognition and (when the camera decides it is appropriate) adds hand-held twilight, anti-motion blur, and backlight correction HDR in order to optimize dynamic range, movement, and exposure.
This is only for jpeg shooters, as it uses multiple images shot in close succession at high quality and combines them into one jpeg. Works well on stills but should not be used for movement.
Face Detection & Smile Shutter
Face detection
This is a valuable tool to increase AF accuracy and speed.
There is a general face recognition setting, which uses the RX100 III’s processor to detect any faces and a face registration feature, where it will give focus priority to faces you’ve previously registered.
There is also an option to record eight faces that will have priority when auto-focussing
Face registration with registered faces works in 2 steps:
first you’ll have to take a clear picture of the face through the face recognition menu,
after your the new face has been registered, you can set an order of priority for the maximum of 8 registered faces
Smile Shutter
Smile shutter will automatically take a picture once a smile is detected.
Great for family or group shots.
Big, Slight and Normal smile presets are available, and there is even a bar graph on the screen that shows the detection level.
Zebra highlight clipping aide
Zebra will show zebra pattern lines on blown highlights.
The clipping detection threshold is selectable from 70 to 100+. Lower values indicate possible highlight clipping sooner than higher.
Setting it somewhere around 90 will give you a good indication of whether you’re in danger of unrecoverable clipping without having the screen cluttered with stripes all the time.
Center Lock-on AF
When you press the center button, the camera detects the subject positioned in the center of the screen and continues to track the subject.
Align your subject in the center of the frame and press the center of the control wheel.
Press again to stop tracking.
Exposure aides
AE lock
When contrast between the subject and background is high, meter the light at a spot where the subject appears to have the appropriate brightness and shut the exposure before shooting.
You’ll need to assign a button to this function to do this in Menu – Custom Settings – Custom Key Setting and then assign the AEL toggle to the desired key.
Then:
Center the spot at which the exposure is to your liking
Press the button to which the AEL toggle function is assigned
exposure will be locked, and AE lock lights up.
Focus on your subject and press the shutter button.
To cancel the exposure lock, press the button to which the AEL toggle function is assigned.
It’s easiest to select the AEL hold function in Custom Key Settings; then you can lock the exposure as long as
you are holding down the AEL button.
ND Filter and Bulb mode
ND Filter
The RX100 III has 3 EV steps ND filter. This is sufficient to enable you to get that smooth waterfall or flowing river picture.
You can easily access it through the Fn button Menu.
Bulb Mode
Bulb mode is great for shooting trails of light, such as fireworks, car lights, etc.
It’s best to use a remote or the Sony Playmemories remote app (that is downloadable for free) as you want to eliminate movement.
Firstly set the mode dial to M.
Connect your phone to the camera using Wifi or NFC.
Then:
Dial exposure time to Bulb on the app.
Dial in a suitable Aperture value from F/5.6.
Press the shutter button on the app to start the exposure.
Press the shutter button again on the app to stop the exposure.
Conclusion
Besides excellent image quality for a pocket camera, many of the advanced functionality of the A6000 and A7 range have been incorporated in this little beast. The Sony RX100 III is packed full of interesting functions for you to discover, making it a very useful pocket camera.
Taking pictures of the full moon isn’t an easy task. You’ll need some good equipment to get a nice close-up. Here are some tips:
You preferably need a fast zoom lens, like an f/2.8, but you can get away with a slower lens if you stabilise it correctly (see tripod)
If you want a real close-up, you should have at least a 300mm but preferably a 500mm
Shoot manual mode
Set ISO at 100 for zero noise
Preferably a camera with a full-frame sensor. Full-frame sensors do better at high ISO, and you’ll need it if you want to capture decent images in total darkness. The Sony A7s would be an excellent choice for this
If you’re going to for that close-up, remember that nighttime exposure is not going to work as you’re effectively shooting sunlight bouncing off the surface of the full moon
Set manual focus to infinity or just below
Use focus peaking if you have it on your camera to check focus
Use spot metering (spot on the moon) and use the in-camera metering for exposure
try bracketing with apertures between F/5.6 and F/16 and see what works best depending on atmospheric conditions
have your laptop, so you can quickly check your shots on a big screen, and redo them if necessary
use a tripod, so you’re free to experiment with longer exposures
if you want to avoid any possibility of camera shake, use a remote
Good luck on trying to get those full moon shots, and if it doesn’t work out, remember that another one like this will be along in about 40 years 🙂
I’ve been playing with the Sony A6000 for the last week, updating my impressions daily. The on-sensor hybrid AF system is indeed very fast. It uses 179 phase detect AF points as well as 25 contrast detect points and covers over 90% of the sensor.
In order to get the most out of the Sony A6000’s AF system, it is necessary to make yourself familiar with the advanced autofocus functions. This will mean straying from iAuto mode for certain functions to work.
Focus area set in P, A, S, M (access through the Fn button)
Wide: uses all 179 phase-detection points and 25 contrast-detection points. Use this are set to take full advantage of all detection points.
Zone: AF works with the detection points in the selected specified region.
Center: focuses automatically on a subject in the center of the image. When used together with the AF lock function, you can compose the picture you want.
Flexible Spot you can choose among the 25 contrast detection AF points available for use (Small, Medium, Large).
AF Modes
AF-A (Automatic AF): when the shutter button is pressed halfway down, the camera automatically recognises whether the subject is moving or not, and switches the AF mode between AF-S and AF-C accordingly. Use this mode to shoot various subjects at the same time, or to avoid changing the AF mode manually.
AF-S (Single-shot AF): autofocus operates when the shutter button is pressed halfway down. Once the subject is in focus, the focus is locked. It is suitable for shooting motionless subjects, such as landscapes or snapshots.
AF-C ( Continuous AF): autofocus continues to operate and keeps adjusting the focus while the shutter button is pressed and held halfway down. It is suitable for shooting moving subjects, such as sports or action photography. If you want to take full advantage of AF tracking.
You can set Face Detection to OFF, ON (Registered faces, see next subject), ON (detects all faces, even without registering them first).
Activate Smile Shutter and your camera will automatically take the photo when your subjects smile. You can choose a varying degree of smile from slight to big. No need to press the shutter; the camera does it for you. And it works! Excellent function if you need it.
Face Registration (MENU → → page 5 →Face Registration]
Great for portraits and family shots. The procedure is simple: in the Face Recognition menu, go to ‘New registration‘, take a picture of your subjects’ face in good lighting and the camera will register it. You can take register up to 8 faces, and the camera will give priority focus-by-number to this face when Smile/ Face detect is set to ON.
I noticed Face Recognition improves AF accuracy even more, so it is a very useful feature. Funny thing is that he recognition software detects Cameron Diaz as my girlfriend, which made her euphoric 🙂
Lock-on AF ((MENU → → page 5 → Lock-on AF)
Lock-on AF allows the camera to lock on a subject and follow focus when your subject moves.
For best tracking results, set the Focus mode to AF-C, center your subject in your frame and press the central button in the control wheel.
The Sony A6000 will follow your subject. Leave it ON always, it is a very handy feature, and you’ll get used to the process in no time! You can check out the rest of my multi-page review here.
Conclusion
Although not as customizable as the Sony A77II, the Sony A6000’s AF system is in some ways superior. Especially for the novice photographer, or if you’re new to Sony’s AF system. It’s easier to set-up and more straightforward to customise.
After a few weeks of use, you’ll quickly get the hang of the different Focussing Modes, Focus Areas and Focus Settings.
It’s always useful to go back to the manual if you’re unsure about certain features, and to use online guides like this one to help you along. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.
→ page 5 → Smile/Face Detect)
→ page 5 →Face Registration]