Sony a7iii Camera Workshop 2 of 2

Thrown together by David Tams, 2nd Edition, Revision 1, October 30, 2024

This slide deck is updated periodically; if you have any comments or suggestions for improvement, please use this contact form: https://davidtames.com/contact/

Refer to the Sony a7iii Camera Workshop 1 of 2 slide deck for an introduction to the Sony Video Kit and basic configuration and use.

Copyright 2024 by David Tams, some rights reserved, shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/legalcode.en

Can you explain the function of: Lens (aperture, focal length, camera-to-subject distance, depth-of-field, angle of view); Camera (shutter, ISO, sensor size, video recording format {frame rate, codec, resolution, data rate, color depth, scan}); Locking the shutter speed to 1/48 (or 1/50 on the a7iii) at 24p.

Can you describe how each of the following can be used creatively? Aperture, Shutter speed, ND filters, Frame rate, Focal length, Camera-to-subject distance, Composition, and Movement?

Using the a7iii in movie mode with manual exposure baseline configuration for the camera

This workshop will cover Manual Focus, Manual Exposure, and Manual White Balance.

We will work on manual focus and manual exposure in this workshop. The steps for initializing the camera to factory defaults, enabling Touch Focus, setting AF-C focus mode, formatting the SD cards, etc., are the same as the Introduction Workshop in Video Basics. See Sony a7iii Camera Workshop 1 of 2 https://writingwithacamera.com/presentations/sony-a7iii-camera-workshop-1-of-2.html (slides and notes from Video Basics) for basic camera setup.

Set camera to Movie Mode (a.k.a. Video Mode) by setting the mode dial to MOVIE MODE icon

In Movie Mode, aperture and shutter speed are set manually for complete creative control over the image

Leave the exposure compensation dial on 0, unlike program mode, now youll be using manual control of aperture, ISO, and ND filters to control exposure (keeping shutter speed fixed at 1/50)

(Camera 2 => Movie1 (1/9) => Exposure Mode: Manual Exposure)

Exposure modes:

Manual Aperture and shutter speed are set manually for complete creative control over the image this is the mode we want to use for VIDEO

Program Auto Aperture and shutter speed set automatically by the a7iii, while other settings can be adjusted manually

Aperture Priority Adjust aperture manually (to control both exposure and focus range or background blur) and the a7iii will select the shutter speed automatically.

Shutter Priority Adjust shutter manually (to control both exposure and motion blur) and the a7iii will select the shutter speed automatically.

(just like we did in the Introduction session)

(Camera 2 => Movie1 => File Format: HD or 4K)

(Camera 2 => Movie1 => Record Settings: {will show the frame rate and the data rate, which will be 24p 50M for HD or 24p 100M for 4K})

Standards for this course: (1) XAVC S/H.264 HD or (2) XAVC S/H.264 4K at 24p

24p will provide the film look with the motion blur that is associated with cinema, shot with 1/50 shutter speed for this (technically it should be 1/48 but the a7iii cant do that, so we set shutter speed to 1/50 since it is close enough.

Zebras aid in exposure adjustment (Camera 2 => Display/Auto Review1 (6/9) => Zebra Setting)

4 Enable Zebras set Level to 90 for starters

Enable Zebras to aid in exposure adjustment (Camera 2 => Display/Auto Review1 (6/9) => Zebra Setting)

Areas that exceed the exposure threshold youve set will have zebra stripes over them (in this case 90 IRE). Zebras are a visual overlay that appears as diagonal stripes on overexposed or brightly lit areas of the image (they will not appear on the final image). Zebras serve as a tool for setting proper exposure. They appear on parts of the image that are brighter than a threshold you have set (90 percent in this example). Areas of the image that are above 90 percent will appear white without textural detail. 50% corresponds to middle grey in the tonal scale from 0 black to 100 white. Zebras do not indicate underexposure; they only highlight areas where the exposure is ABOVE the threshold you set.

4 Enable Zebras Luminance Levels

4 Enable Zebras to aid in exposure adjustment (Camera 2 => Display/Auto Review1 (6/9) => Zebra Setting)

In this example, the Zebra is set to 85, and no zebras are showing, therefore, all elements of the scene are below 85 on the 0 (black) to 100 (white) luminance scale.

100 - White, no textural detail

90 - Brightest highlight area with some textural detail

70 - Highlight areas with textural detail

50 - Middle of the tonal scale (e.g. 18% grey)

10 - Darkest areas that are safe from the noise inherent in the shadow areas

0 - Black, no exposure (noise)

Now you have manual control over exposure by adjusting:

a. the aperture dial

b. the shutter speed dial (though youll want to keep this at 1/50 for normal motion blur), and

c. ISO sensitivity via the multi-function dial

The MM display shows you how many stops the exposure is over or under according to the built-in light center.

The aperture dial controls the size of the opening of the iris in the lens, which determines how much light reaches the sensor. The aperture is measured in f-stops (e.g., f/1.4, f/2.8, f/4, etc.), where lower numbers correspond to a larger aperture (more light enters), and higher numbers correspond to a smaller aperture (less light enters). We'll explain this in more detail in upcoming slides.

The shutter speed dial controls how long the camera's shutter remains open, allowing light to hit the sensor. We usually choose a shutter speed that corresponds to the frame rate. We do not change it during the shoot unless we change the frame rate (based on the exposure time of a 180-degree film shutter). Therefore, with 24 fps, we use a 1/48 shutter speed; with 30 fps, we use a 1/60 shutter speed; with 60 fps, we use a 1/120 shutter speed; etc. This provides us with normal motion blur; the rule of thumb is to set the shutter speed to double your frame rate, which gives a natural amount of motion blur similar to what the human eye perceives and what we're used to seeing in movies. We'll explain this in more detail in upcoming slides.

The ISO sensitivity adjustment controls the camera sensor's sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO setting, the more sensitive the sensor is, which allows you to shoot in low-light conditions without needing as much light. However, higher ISO values can also introduce noise or grain into the image. This is an oversimplification we'll explain adequately in a later slide.

Prime lens: A lens with a fixed focal length.

Zoom lens: a lens with a variable focal length.

Comparing wide, normal, and telephoto lenses

The focal length of a lens is the distance between the optical center of the lens and the image sensor where the subject is in focus, usually stated in millimeters. The focal length of the lens determines:

field of view (a.k.a. angle of view), perspective, depth of field, and motion blur (as a result of camera movement; depends on angular velocity, higher for longer focal lengths).

A normal lens is a lens with a focal length that provides a perspective and angle of view (conventionally about 40 degrees horizontally) that resembles human vision.

A wide angle lens is a lens with a focal length shorter than a normal lens. It provides a wider angle of view with greater depth of field compared to a normal lens. In addition, theres less noticeable motion blur (as a result of camera movement) when using low shutter speeds compared to a telephoto lens.

A telephoto lens is a lens with a focal length longer than a normal lens. It provides a narrower angle of view and shallower depth of field. Because telephoto lenses magnify the scene in comparison to wide angle lenses (the angular velocity of camera movement is greater), camera movement leads to more visible motion when shooting with telephoto lenses compared to wide-angle lenses.

A prime lens is a lens with a fixed focal length (e.g. 50mm) while a zoom lens has a variable focal length (e.g. 24-70mm) that can be adjusted by turning the zoom ring on the lens.

Minimizing motion blur. The rule of thumb for hand-held shooting is that the shutter speed should be greater than the focal length (or the full-frame equivalent focal length for non-full-frame cameras) of the lens, for example, when shooting with a 50mm lens, the shutter speed should be 1/60 or less, however, when shooting with a 200mm telephoto, the shutter speed should be 1/250 of a second or less.

A wide angle lens also exaggerates perspective such that the apparent distance between objects along the Z axis is expanded in comparison to a normal lens.

A normal lens also provides a perspective that resembles human vision.

A telephoto lens also provides a perspective that compresses the apparent distance between objects along the Z axis in comparison with a normal lens.

Focal length and angle of view and perspective (comparison by Dan Vojtch) 1/3

A normal lens reproduces afield of viewand perspective that appears natural to a human observer. In addition to angle of view differences, wide-angle lenses exhibit depth expansion while telephoto lenses exhibit depth compression, both introducing noticeable distortion in comparison to a normal lens.

Images by Dan Vojtch, http://www.danvojtech.cz

Focal length and angle of view and perspective (comparison by Dan Vojtch) 2/3

Focal length and angle of view and perspective

Comparison of wide angle lens and normal lens. Notice how the characteristics of the face change. This is why people look so different in selfies (shot with a wide lens) compared to portraits, which are usually shot with a normal lens (50mm) or short telephoto (85mm) instead of a wide lens.

Focal length and angle of view and perspective (comparison by Dan Vojtch) 3/3

Focal length and angle of view and perspective

Comparison of normal lens and telephoto lens. Notice how the characteristics of the face change.

How do we calculate f-stops?

The lens aperture (f/stop) has an effect on both exposure and depth of field. Smaller apertures reduce the the amount of light passing through the lens and also results in greater depth of field. Larger apertures permit more light to pass through the lens and also results in less depth of field. The formula used to assign the numbers used to refer to the lens aperture is: N = f / D where N is the f/stop, f is the focal length, and D is the aperture diameter, this is why we end up with the funny numbers like f/2.8.

Each stop represents one half or twice the light being allowed to pass through the lens. As the size of the aperture gets smaller the numbers get bigger. These numbers are a factor of the square root of 2. Each represents a full stop difference in exposure. Dont worry if these numbers are confusing at the moment they will eventually become second nature.

Example f/2.8

Example f/4

Example f/5.6

Example f/8

Example f/11

Example f/16

Example f/22

One reason to avoid small apertures is that the smaller the aperture, the more diffraction, and this leads to a loss of sharpness. Each lens has an optimal aperture, depending on the design of the lens.

Aperture and depth of field

The aperture also has an effect on depth of field. Large apertures yields shallow depth of field while smaller apertures yield greater depth of field.

Depth of field is actually a function of three factors: focal length of the lens, the aperture, and the focus setting (see Hyperfocal distance later in this document). Wide angle lenses provide deeper depth of field while telephotos provide shallower depth of field.

The manual control of aperture offers you many creative options and you are encouraged to experiment shooting the same subject at different apertures. With photography this can be accomplished by varying the shutter speed, however, with video, which is usually shot a shutter speed of 1/60th (in order to achieve natural motion blur), it may require the use of Neutral Density (ND) filters to reduce the light entering the lens when shooting outdoors. Most camcorders and cinema cameras have built in ND filters, however, most Mirrorless and D-SLR cameras that double as photo/video cameras do not.

Large aperture results in very shallow depth of field with longer lenses

Smaller aperture results in greater depth of field which is even greater with shorter lenses.

With wide lenses we are often concerned about the Hyperfocal distance

The hyperfocal distance is the focus setting at a particular aperture that produces the greatest depth of field. It depends on the same three factors that determine depth of field:

Aperture:A wider depth of field means that you can focus closer and still keep the background sharp. The smaller the aperture, the closer the hyperfocal distance will be, and

Focal length: The smaller the focal length (the wider the angle of view), the closer the hyperfocal distance, and

Sensor size:The larger the sensor, the closer the hyperfocal distance will be.

If you set the lens focus to the hyperfocal distance, your depth of field will extend from half of the hyperfocal distance to infinityproviding you with much deeper depth of field than simply focusing on infinity.

Determining the hyperfocal distance can help you make sure you have the right parts of your image in focus. It is mostly useful for landscape work where you are often concerned with keeping distant elements sharp and its hard to confirm focus on a small LCD even with the magnification feature. In these cases the following these hyperfocal distance charts should help you set the optimal focus. With experience youll develop a feel for the proper settings and where you want to focus.

Shutter speed has an effect on both exposure (how much light is allowed into the camera) and motion blur. With slow shutters speeds, objects that are moving appear blurry. Motion blur is also caused by camera motion (e.g. doing a swish-pan or simply hand-holding the camera when using a slow shutter speed). The rule of thumb when shooting with a normal lens in still photography is you should use a tripod or other camera support when using shutter speeds below 1/60.

High Shutter Speed results in frozen motion

Shutter speed has an effect on both exposure (how much light is allowed into the camera) and motion blur. With fast shutter speeds action is frozen and objects, even if moving, are crispy sharp.

24p film look with more motion blur, with a7iii use 1/50 shutter* (a7iii cant do 1/48)

30p video look with motion blur similar, but less than 24p, with a7iii Use 1/60 shutter

60p real look with less motion blur, with a7iii use 1/125 shutter (a7iii cant do 1/120)

120p hyper-real look with very little motion blur, on a7iii use 1/250 shutter* (a7iii cant do 1/240)

The length of time that the sensor inside the camera is exposed to light when exposing a frame (video) or image (photography). The amount of light that reaches thesensoris proportional to the exposure time. 1/100 will let half as much light reach the sensor as 1/50.

Frame rate(designated in frames per secondorFPS) is therate(frequency) at which consecutiveframes (images) are captured by a camera or displayed by a playback system. While temporal sensitivity and resolution of human vision varies between individuals and depends on the characteristics of the visual stimulus, roughly, a frame rate above 12 or fps are required to perceive the individual frames as movement, and a frame rate above 24 or so fps are required for the movement to appear smooth.

The cinema standard of 24 fps was a trade-off between smooth motion and film consumption. The standard 1/48 shutter speed is the result of a 180 rotating shutter. While the shutter blade covers the gate, the camera advances the film to the next frame. The frame is exposed while the shutter does not cover the gate. Higher shutter speeds are achieved by adjusting the shutter angle, with an effect on both exposure and motion blur, however, 180 became the standard and along with it motion blur of moving objects and/or camera movement due to 1/48 shutter speed, resulting in a major factor of the film look.

Animation: Joram van Hartingsveldt (CC BY-SA 3.0), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_disc_shutter#/media/File:Moviecam_schematic_animation.gif Diagram: plowboylifestyle (CC BY-SA 3.0), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ShutterAngle.png

MOTION BLUR EXPLAINED IN 2 MINUTES by Freewell Gear, Jun 25, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hiivc6Bdnp4

Shutter speed, frame rate, and motion blur Rule of Thumb

Set shutter speed to 2x frame rate for natural motion blur (e.g. at 24 fps set shutter speed to 1/48 (Note: Sony a7iii cant do 1/48 so 1/50 is as close as we can get)

The look of videowhether hyper-real, real, or cinematicdepends on frame rate and motion blur, influencing perception. Higher frame rates appear more realistic, crucial in video games and immersive displays. 60 fps video looks more real, while 30p is closer to a cinematic look. Filmmakers favor 24fps at 1/48 shutter speed for its natural motion blur.

Shutter speed plays a key role in motion blur: 1/48 for 24p create a familiar cinematic blur, while higher speeds (e.g., 1/125 for 60fps) reduce blur but introduce a strobing effect. Maintaining a stable camera and panning slowly when using the cinema standard of 1/48 to avoid unwanted blur or strobing from panning to quickly. Follow the seven second rule to avoid strobing effect on pans at 1/48 (it should take seven seconds or more for an object to go from one edge of the frame to the other edge of the frame when panning).

For 24p video, some lighting systems at 50Hz power can cause flickering unless the shutter is locked to 1/50 or 1/48. Progressive video (30p, 24p) captures full frames rather than interlaced fields, making it ideal for a filmic look. Today, filmmakers choose 24p for a traditional film aesthetic, while 30p or 60p offer a smoother, live appearance used in sports or television. Experimenting with shutter speed allows creative flexibility in achieving the desired visual style.

Weve become accustomed to seeing some motion blur in our moving images and it has an influence on how the image is interpreted. Rule of thumb: For normal motion blur, lock your video shutter speed to double the frame rate: 1/48 (or 1/50 on Sony a7iii) for 24p, 1/60 for 30p, 1/125 for 60p.

(1) Standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) representing sensitivity to light specified as a number; (2) A higher number indicates a higher sensitivity and a greater ability to capture light. Double the number indicates double the sensitivity, half the number represents half the sensitivity; (3) The higher the sensitivity, the higher the noise level, sensors vary greatly in their noise levels; (4) Lower ISOs are not always better than the BASE ISO or the NATiVE ISO on some cameras (a7iii BASE ISO is 800); (5) Traditional film emulsions have ISO sensitivities in the 25 to 500 range; current digital sensors have much higher sensitivity

Bottom line: Cameras like the Sony a7iii produce their lowest noise when you shoot at their NATIVE or BASE ISO settings. For the a7iii this is ISO 800.

The higher the sensitivity, the less light (smaller aperture and/or shorter shutter speed) will be required to capture a properly exposed image. Exposure index (EI) is a camera setting derived from the sensitivity of the imaging system used to determine the cameras exposure in response to a light level measurement. EI and ISO sensitivity are closely related but distinct concepts: EI refers to speed rating assigned to a particular camera and shooting situation in variance to the actual ISO sensitivity of the camera. The EI is an absolute measure of the amount of light that will reach the image sensor.

But we dont need to split hairs, as were getting started we can think of the ISO setting and the EI as the same thing. The important thing to remember is that increasing the ISO setting on the camera increases the analog gain at the image sensor output prior to digitization (A-to-D conversion), allowing the camera to operate with less light, however, the trade-off is that this increases the level of noise, degrading overall image quality. Current cameras do not produce significant noise until about ISO 1600. High ISO ratings allow us to shoot video under very low light conditions, but there are tradeoffs with added noise at high ISO ratings. The important takeaway is if youre shooting under good lighting conditions or want to open up the aperture more than the camera will let you, adjust the ISO down to 100 to lower the sensitivity to light.

The notion that lower ISOs are better is a generalization that is not entirely accurate; cameras like the Sony a7iii produce their lowest noise when you shoot at their NATIVE ISO settings, for the a7iii this is ISO 800. Different cameras have different NATIVE or BASE ISOs. For more on this topic, see: What Actually Is ISO & Why Its So Critical That You Know The Base ISO Of Your HDSLR https://noamkroll.com/what-actually-is-iso-why-its-so-critical-that-you-know-the-base-iso-of-your-hdslr/

Exposure refers to how much light is allowed to reach the cameras sensor, determining how bright or dark the resulting image will be. Proper exposure is when the camera captures enough detail in a scene's bright and dark areas. Exposure is controlled by three main factors: aperture, shutter speed, and ISO sensitivitytogether known as the exposure triangle. These settings must be balanced to achieve the desired exposure, especially given the limitations of a camera's ability to reproduce the full gamut of light and dark that the human eye can perceive. We'll talk more about the exposure triangle later.

Cameras have a limited dynamic range compared to the human eye. The dynamic range is the range of light intensities (from the darkest shadows to the brightest highlights) a camera can capture without losing detail. The human eye can perceive a far wider range of light levels than most cameras can record, meaning: Bright areas can become overexposed, losing detail in highlights; Dark areas can become underexposed, losing detail in shadows.

Given this, setting the correct exposure is critical to retaining as much detail as possible in both the shadows and highlights, even though the camera cannot reproduce the entire gamut (range) of light in the scene. Correct exposure is not just a technical issue, it is also a creative decision, as you are usually having to choose between detail in the highlights or detail in the shadows, you often can't have both.

Lets assume we have a scene that exceeds the dynamic range of the Sony a7ii sensor Heres what happens if we adjust the exposure to record detail in the shadows: some of the highlight areas will be recorded as pure white without textural detail.

Lets assume we have a scene that exceeds the dynamic range of the Sony a7ii sensor Heres what happens if we adjust the exposure to prioritize detail in the shadows, some of the highlight areas will be recorded as pure white without textural detail.

According to an exposure meter, a good exposure is when a surface with 18% reflectance in the scene is reproduced in the middle of the tonal scale (50)

In terms of creative vision, good exposure is whatever produces the image you are looking for.

Quick Review The classic exposure triangle transformed for video at 24 fps with 180 (1/48) shutter

When shooting 24p on the a7iii, set the shutter to 1/50 and dont change it.

Use ND Filter kit instead of closing down aperture to maintain desired DOF

Now you have manual control over exposure by adjusting: a. the aperture dial, b. the shutter speed dial (though youll want to keep this at 1/50 for normal motion blur), and c. ISO sensitivity via the multi-function dial

to help you determine the right exposure, use these tools: Zebras, (2) internal light meter, and (3) histogram

Zebras show areas that exceed the exposure threshold youve set will have zebra stripes over them (in this case 90 IRE)

M.M. indicates if you are over- or under-exposed according to the a7iii metering system

For maximum creative control, set focus manually, to help you do this, enable peaking, a focusing aid that indicates areas of high contrast

For maximum creative control, set focus manually, enable peaking, a focusing aid that indicates areas of high contrast; (Camera 1 => Focus Assist (13/14) => Peaking Level => Peaking Setting => Peaking Display: On); then set Level and Color

The color temperature of a light source describes the spectral response of a source that is on the line from reddish/orange via yellow to more or less white to blueish white light in units of K (degrees Kelvin). This measure is derived from the Kelvin temperature given off by a black body radiator as it is heated (a theoretical lamp filament); 0 K = -273.15 C.

In this image, ambient lighting has been adjusted to be mid-way between 5600K Daylight and 3200K Tungsten.

The camera does not know what combination of red, green, and blue values should be rendered as white, so we need to White Balance the camera to tell it. This offers much better color rendering than auto white balance.

Color temperature and white balance PRESETS commonly found in digital cameras

White Balance

White light is actually a mixture of multiple colors across the visible spectrum. A camera records the intensities of the additive primaries (red, green, and blue) with the goal of rendering colors (especially neutral colors and skin tones) correctly. White balance changes the overall mixture of these primaries in an image. Our eyes and brain are very good at determining what is white under different lighting conditions, however, photography and video cameras are not, even with auto white balance (AWB) set.

Incorrect white balance usually leads to a color cast in an image, usually excessive blue outdoors or excessively orange or green indoor. Cameras can be white balanced by pointing the camera to a white surface under the current illumination and setting the white balance following the instructions in the manual. Cameras usually have several presets including daylight (5500K) and tungsten (3200K).

Attention to white balance is important because if the red channel is overexposed (as will happen if you shoot with the camera set to daylight under tungsten lighting conditions) or the blue channel is overexposed (as will happen if you shoot with the camera set to tungsten under daylight lighting conditions), you cant correct the color in post, since critical information has been lost!

a. Press Fn to bring up the Function Menu scroll to the White Balance tile / b. Select White Balance

c. Scroll to Custom Setup and then press the Multi-Function select button

d. Place a white reference card in the scene and then press the Multi-Function select button to set the White Balance

e. Choose a register to store the setting, then press Multi-Function select button to store it

f. White balance set and stored in a register!

PRESET and AUTO Settings Available
PRESET Options include: Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent

AUTOMATIC SETTINGS INCLUDE: Automatic White Balance, AWB (Priority Set: Ambience), AWB (Priority Set: White)

For more creative control, use the Manual setting, and you can save setting in Custom 1/2/3 memory

For exposure, well focus on using the greyscale.

Camera 1 => Color/WB/Img. Processing (12/14) Picture Profile => Select

Scroll to cycle through the various Picture Profiles Available

Push ISO on Control Wheel in Picture Profile Page to enter Settings Adjustment page

Shoot without a picture profile with you start out

FOR THIS WORKSHOP SHOOT WITHOUT A PICTURE PROFILE, and for your projects, consider no PP. With a well-exposed image without a PP, you have a good baseline for color grading in post.

A Picture Profile (PP) in Sony cameras is a collection of camera settings that adjust the look of videos before recording. It controls parameters like gamma curve, color mode, black level, knee, detail, and saturation. Key Elements of Sony Picture Profiles include (1) Gamma Curve - Defines how brightness levels are recorded; (2) S-Log2 / S-Log3 - Used for high dynamic range and color grading; (4) Cine1, Cine2, Cine3, Cine4 - Softer contrast for a more cinematic look; (5) HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) - Optimized for HDR displays; (6) Color Mode - Defines the color science: (a) Standard - Natural-looking colors; (b) Pro - Balanced for professional color work (c) S-Gamut/S-Gamut3.Cine - Designed for color grading; (d) Detail - Controls sharpening levels; (e) Knee & Black Level - Adjust highlights and shadows to prevent clipping.

PP1:{Movie}gamma

PP2:{Still}gamma

PP3: natural color tone using{ITU709}gamma

PP4: ITU709 standard color

PP5: {Cine1}gamma

PP6: {Cine2}gamma

PP7: {S-Log2}gamma

PP8: {S-Log3}gamma &{S-Gamut3.Cine}

PP9: {S-Log3}gamma &{S-Gamut3} HDR recording using{HLG2}gamma

Experiment with PP4, PP5, and PP6 if you wish, however, when you are starting out, shooting without a Picture Profile is recommended. If you want to experiment with S-Log shooting, use PP8, however, S-Log works best if it is recorded with 10-bit or 12-bit color, but the Sony a7iii records 8-bit color, therefore, the disadvantage of shooting S-Log with the a7iii outweigh the benefits.

For more details on Sony S-Log see: Sony Picture Profiles & Dynamic Range Guide (Cine vs S-Log vs HLG) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2iqEDUe1qg by Gerald Undone.

In Movie Mode audio levels are manually adjusted.

interpret the prompts any way you like, preserving their spirit, have fun!

For this workshop shoot HD/24p VIDEO in Movie (manual) mode w/ auto-focus ; experiment with touch focus and manual focus and exposure adjustments.

Refer to the handout for shot list and instructions

Produce a series of creatively composed shots with these camera settings:

Movie Mode / Recording Format: XAVC HD 24p (24 fps) / Shoot with NO Picture Profile

Manual exposure (enable zebras exposure aid, vary aperture and ISO to achieve good exposure)

Use ND filters when you want to shoot with a large aperture (for a shallower depth of field) under bright lighting conditions.

Shutter speed: 1/50 (1/48 is the standard shutter speed for 24fps recording but the a7iii cant do 1/48) unless otherwise stated on the shot list

Aperture: use primarily to select the desired depth of field

Manual focus (enable peaking as focus aid) or Auto Focus using touch focus, your choice

Lens focal length: choose the focal length for the desired perspective and angle of view

Dont forget to format the SD card before going out to shoot!

Read through the shot list carefully and make a plan before shooting. Double-check camera settings.

Maintain a camera log while shooting, noting shot size, description, settings, etc.

// 1 - MS, a person in the foreground, activity in the background, deep focus

// 2 - CU, a person in the foreground, shallow focus, activity in the background that is out of focus

// 3 - XLS, a 60-second shot with the camera locked off on a tripod (setting with motion; the camera is perfectly still)

// 4 - MS, panning shot following a person moving, exhibiting standard motion blur (use the standard 1/50 shutter speed)

// 5 - MS or LS, panning quickly following a person moving, Camera panning quickly to exhibit a lot of motion blur (use a low shutter speed, e.g. 1/25 or even lower)

// 6 - MS or LS (shot size same as 5), panning quickly following a person moving, Camera panning quickly to exhibit strobing (use a high 1/500 or higher shutter speed)

// 7 - through 12. A sequence of shots, a variety of sizes, and compositions. Practice the compositional and framing covered in the homework and experiment and explore the possibilities of working with the a7iii in Movie Mode with manual focus control and exposure while developing a sequence. Establish location, establish character, and show an activity.

Please return to the classroom on time (before the specified time).

Review, Select, Edit, Export, and Share your sequence

Copy the ENTIRE contents of the SD Card to the /Workshop Deliverables/Camera Workshop 2 of 2/Media Folders/FirstName-LastName folder in the class folder on the CAMD Media Server (youll need to create this folder prior to ingest).

Return all kit components (including the SD Card!) to the case and ensure no missing parts.

Create a Premiere Pro project folder and project file on a workstation in the classroom.

Create a sequence that matches the resolution and frame rate of your camera clips.

Import the footage and review your work (drag all clips into a sequence facilitates this).

Select and trim your best takes and assemble them into the sequence in shot list order (except for shots 7-12, which should be reordered to work better as a sequence).

Add 4 sec. of black at the start of the sequence and 2 seconds of black at the end, and add a title with your names at the beginning over the 4 sec. of black leader.

Export sequence with Preset: Match Source - Adaptive High Bitrate, Format: H.264 export settings.

Name your sequence FirstName-LastName-Camera2.m4v.

Upload your sequence to the /Workshop Deliverables/Camera Workshop 2 of 2/Sequences/ folder in our class folder on the CAMD Media Server.

Sensor size does not have an effect on depth-of-field, however, what we consider a normal lens is determined by sensor size, therefore, a normal lens for a camera with a Micro Four-Thirds (MFT) sensor like the Panasonic GH5 is 25mm, while a normal lens for a full-frame camera like the Sony a7iii is 50mm. What full-frame cameras make possible in comparison to smaller sensor counterparts is shorter camera to subject distances when shallow depth of field is required.

There are many different sensor sizes used in photography and video production ranging from small 1/3-inch sensors which youll find in old-school camcorders to large full-frame sensors like the Sony a7iii. Full frame sensors get their name because they match the size of a traditional 35mm analogue film frame. Two other common sensor size standards youre likely to come across include APC-C (is used in cameras like the Canon Rebel series and Sony a6000 series and many cinema cameras that are designed to work with widely available cinema lenses designed to cover the Super35 aperture, which was the film standard for many years before digital cinema cameras took over the world, therefore, some folks will refer to APS-C as Super35) and Micro-Four Thirds (abbreviated MFT, smaller than APC-C but still reasonably large compared to compact cameras and old school camcorders). The Panasonic GH7 is an example of a camera with a MFT sensor.

Many consumer digital cameras on the market have smaller sensors due to a variety of constraints, primarily cost and camera size. The smaller the sensor, the smaller the camera and lens can be. Consider the small camera in your smartphone, its got a very small sensor and a tiny wide-angle lens. In general, large sensors provide higher quality and are more sensitive to light. The size of the sensor also influences the perspective and depth of field of the images you take with the camera.

Whats a normal lens? The actual focal length of what is considered a wide-angle, normal, and telephoto lens depends on the sensor size. For camera with a full frame sensor a 50mm lens is considered normal. For a camera with an APC-C sensor a normal lens would be around 31mm (not a common focal length for prime lenses), however, 35mm lenses are commonly available for APS-C cameras. For a camera with a Micro-Four Thirds (MFT) sensor sensor a normal lens would be 25mm.

Why do so many photographers and filmmakers prefer cameras with large sensors? Cameras with large sensors make it easier to produce images with shallow depth-of-field at close camera to subject distances because a normal lens for that format has a longer focal length compared to the focal length of a normal lens on a camera with a smaller image sensor. And since depth of field is determined by the aperture and focal length, the smaller the sensor, the farther away you need to move (along with opening up the aperture) in order to produce the equivalent image in terms of framing and depth of field.

A lot of photographers and filmmakers want to separate subjects from their backgrounds using selective focus while at the same time maintaining a close camera to subject distance, thus their preference for larger sensor cameras. If you wanted to shoot the same image with the exact same field of view and depth of field using cameras with different sensor sizes (lets say MFT, APC-C, and Full Frame) youd have to do three things: (1) Use the same focal length lens, in this example well use a 50mm lens (recall that depth of field is a factor of focal length, aperture, and focus point); (2) Position the cameras at different camera to subject distances accounting for the angle of view of the 50mm lens on each of the cameras given their sensor size; and (3) Set each lens to the aperture that provides the same depth of field (recall depth of field is dependent on focal length, aperture, and focus setting).

The comparison chart was created using the depth of field calculator available at http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

I suggest creating your own version of the chart using the depth of field calculator with your shooting scenario to get a better feel for this. Eventually, you develop an instinct for this.

The smartphone lookIts the size of the sensor and the wide angle lens on smartphones that accounts for their distinctive look in terms of perspective and depth of field compared to videos produced with larger sensor cameras using a normal lens or something close to it. The perspective of a wide angle lens (exaggerating the distance between objects in the Z-axis) is one reason why smartphone selfies look so different than portraits, which are often shot with short telephoto lens and a large sensor camera.

Photo/video cameras vs. smartphones what really differentiates digital cameras is the size and quality of the image sensor and the lenses you can use with them. Generally, the bigger the sensor, the better the pictures, especially in lower light conditions. Professional hybrid and digital cinema cameras have bigger sensor than a smartphone and thus capture finer detail with lower noise at low light levels and they also support interchangeable lenses for more flexibility.

Sony a7iii Camera Help Guide : https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/1720/v1/en/index.html (website)

Sony Help Guide for Creators : https://helpguide.sony.net/di/pp/v1/en/index.html. (website, Covers Picture Profiles)

Sony a7iii Instruction Manual : https://tinyurl.com/sony-a7iii-manual (PDF)

Sony a7iii Camera Settings : https://connect2.shu.ac.uk/self-help/cmcbookings/forms/Sony_A7III_Settings_Guide.pdf (PDF, Sheffield Hallam University)

Sony A7 III - Beginners Guide, How-To Use the Camera (Jason Hermann) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L8j4FkxDTw

SONY A7III SETUP ALL CINEMATIC FUNCTIONS (MAKE. ART. NOW.) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa5voIxwsPI

Best AUTOFOCUS Settings for Sony A7IV, A7sIII, FX3, A7III, FX30, A6600, A7c Camera (Jacques Crafford) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGgUSVkHcCM&t=394s

Stop wasting your time with Picture Profiles (Sony A7SIII + A7III) (Chris Brockhurst) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXdrhprZTHQ