5 Tips For Shooting Better Video On the Sony a7S II (Also Applies to a7R II, a6300, a6500 etc)

[@Whazkez]

man i have been checking out your videos for a few months now, and i purchased the sony a7sii like 1 month ago, you are giving good information, you got yourself a new sub, thanks alot, for me its all still pretty new so we need people like you, you deserve way more credit!

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Dre Brazil many thanks :) means a lot

[@meltingunicorns2086]

I watch a lot of KZbin tutorials and I think this is the first time every single tip was helpful. Thank you!

[@BrennFilm]

A tip for removing DEAD PIXELS. It happened to my brand new A6300 and was ready to return it to the store. One white pixel. For photography not a big deal, but video is annoying. adjust your date/time setting to 'whatever' (I changed the year +1.) shut down you camera. Wait for the 'click'. Change the date back to previous and... voila. The sensor has been remapped and ready to go. They say it works on all mirrorless models. Glad to be of service.

[@RohannvanRensburg]

Thank you! Doesn't the camera do this automatically every month?

[@sheldonnorton9035]

Harv... discovered you just yesterday but already think you are the man!!

[@follydentoom1721]

Your vids are great man! As a musician/aspiring film maker + music producer, you're a huge inspiration!

[@NuMetal92]

I came to this video knowing I'll be shooting a car outdoors in the snow tomorrow at 120FPS in S-Log2. In the first tip you tell me I should ignore the exposure meter. Then you tell me to stay away from S-Log2 at high fps all together and suggest Cine4 instead. Finally you finish it all with the statement that Cine4 will clip my highlights when shooting outdoors (IN THE SNOW!) so really I should shoot in S-Log2 at 50fps and call it a day. Seriously though, good video!

[@OtterFlips]

Make a video on how to set white balance with a gray card!

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

Watch this space :)

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZfJY4JumdSFfZY as requested :)

[@OtterFlips]

Ah! Thank you so much!!!!

[@Kibbletyts242]

you're like my doppelganger across the pond! Thanks for the tip on the EV monitor during slog exposures. it's helped find that look I've been trying for

[@JoshuaAalampour]

Thank u mate! Hella helpful! I just got a 6300

[@michaelwtapp]

One really cool thing on this camera is you can switch the mode dial wheel to setup custom setups. It's a great way to dial in 60fps and the shutter + white balance too.

[@scheervideo8451]

Nice content. Nice delivery. Was a pleasure to subscribe! Keep it up!

[@hartleygabolinscy3152]

Thank you from NZ. Looking forward to asking some future question.

[@paulscottfilms]

Excellent tip series Harry

[@gabinobre6020]

Harv, this is such a wonderful video! i really enjoy your work. Don't bother too much bout naysayers. You are doing a great job

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

Many thanks, I really appreciate it :) lots more good stuff coming

[@marks8059]

Good tips, solid info based on user experience... thanks & keep up the good work.

[@Josh_Oakes]

Enjoying your channel man! Keep it up!

[@colddwarf]

great vid as always harv!

[@jeffeisley]

Where'd you get that blue hoodie?

[@WojtriX]

Slog3 lights up the shadows a tiny bit more that Slog2. That is why it looks noisy. If you darken the shadows in Slog3 footage, it starts to look the same way as in Slog2 because you hide the noise.

[@JaidonLalor]

True harv we are all learning thanks for another great video!!

[@juanno1983]

Harv! i find your videos Just when i was thinking about buyingg the a7sii. And i did! very helpfull videos.

[@BasementBrandon]

Appreciate these videos dude.

[@AzamKhanPhotography]

Great video! Keep up the good work.

[@RobertoGiordanoVideographer]

anche dall' italia ti apprezziamo e ti seguiamo... grazie per i tuoi consigli!!

[@HighPressureAviationFilms]

Thanks for the advices Harv!

[@afdlinazmei288]

Liking your content mate. Keep it up!

[@mariomangata]

Mate you just got a new fan!

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Mario Mangata much appreciated :)

[@jimmystate]

Great tip on exposure meter. Thank you!

[@vfx_jon]

Supporting a fellow englishamn. keep it up

[@MannyFernandezMF]

what do you think would be the best profile/settings that would be good to match an A6300 and a7sii?

[@esgee3829]

Use gamma assist on display when recording in slog 2 or 3.

[@peternevill4404]

great info - thanks for sharing! subbed.

[@geekanoids]

Great tips :D thanks for sharing.

[@TyroneMardon]

What colour corrector do you use?

[@datalaforge]

Those are great tips. Also, that music is very syrupy. I like it. I'm really considering selling my a7s and getting an a7sii. I want that in body stabilization and internal 4K + 120fps @1080p.

[@Bigboytravel]

why not the a6500?

[@christopherwarring5444]

Grey cards are actually used for exposure, while white cards are used for white balancing. But if it works don't fix it. Thanks for your videos.

[@prettypcollins]

How can I get a better skin tone using the a6500 using a ring light

[@narasenaiman]

Love your color grading, please make tutorial :))

[@TaylorTheTraveler]

Thank you so helpful

[@AliSheikhOfficial]

Hi Harv! Need urgent guidance!! while in Continuous Focus mode the camera will not actually lock on focus at all and wobbles. This happens in AF-C in M S A and P modes. Any idea?!

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Ali Sheikh hi Ali, unfortunately I only use adapted lenses so I'm not able to use continuous AF. Are you using the most recent firmware?

[@MIMCKMedia]

why should the ISO at high frame rates be low? Shutterspeed is much faster and less light captured than in normal frame rates. Or can the Problem in high ISO cause the Problem you shown at 1:57 where one frame is more red the following more green?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+MIMCK Media the point I was making was that in my opinion you're best off shooting the hfr stuff in any picture profile but slog2 and 3 because the min ISO in those modes is 3200 whereas the other modes let you shoot at a much lower ISO. HFR footage (which is pretty noisy in any mode) shot in slog3 (which you need to expose very carefully) can be very difficult to get looking good

[@NNHK97]

what profile pic are you using in this video? lut?

[@EmmaochKonrad]

Hey dude! Totally random question. I've just bought a Sony A6500 today. I've been a Canon fanboy until now. So I'm used to exposing using the "canon light meter" is there any similar option in the Sony? Or what should I got for?

[@KeemIbarra]

Bro you should make a video on matching the picture profiles on the a7rii to match the fs5.. i can't figure it out.

[@soamjena]

Do you suggest 2 extra stops in exposure dial even while shooting at cine4 + sgamut3 color mode ?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

Not with cine4, just expose normally otherwise you’ll likely clip your highlights areas :)

[@GuyCassidy]

Great tips!

[@slangdoll]

I go into M mode and set a custom white balance with just a piece of white card stick paper. I've always used a white card... what is the advantage of a grey card? Isn't the grey more for contrast? I really have no idea... thanks!

[@francescomanfredi]

Norman Weichel I think they gray card is more accurate because it is less reflective and much more similar to skin tones, middle gray is also used by the camera to judge exposure, but that's another story :)

[@DragonChanu]

I don't understand why use cine 4 for high frame rate. 3200 iso means brighter video and HFR mode needs high shutter speed which darkens the video. I think those two offset each other. let me know if I'm wrong.

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

This applies more to well lit shooting conditions, HFR mode seems to be prone to things like moire and increased noise due to the 2X crop (should be 4 times more noise right?), not to mention your lenses imperfections are magnified. Best results for me have been in cine4 :)

[@bluefilmsltd]

Agreed. Slog 2 and Slow Mo don't work well together.

[@DragonChanu]

Thanks for the reply!

[@elliottsin]

I've read in multiple places that ISO for Sony A7S2 should always be 3200 or in multiples of 2x (6400, 12800 etc). Can anyone confirm this? Thanks

[@marcusjudd6501]

Where does one learn all these camera terms on the interweb?

[@helliescorner]

how is shooting landscapes with this camera in natural light? I saw the swan shot but it didn't really give me much of the landscape feel as if you could post a shot done outdoors in the woods or wherever. :)

[@edgarayala945]

Im gonna have to watch this a few more times because I heard you say avoid slog 2 and 3 and then I heard you say that you prefer it. It's getting late lol.

[@ericknorpp8238]

Nice and I agree with you 100%, S-log 3 in low light is way to grainy and s-log 2 is a dream. Also would be nice if you could do a more intense video on white balance with your grey card idea and tweaking the color less green, A7sII is usually more on the green side and ND filters (Variable Type) usually make it even greener. I have used many and the Grenustech sp? Is the best so far!! I could never get the custom white balance to work properly, supposedly you can set it in photo mode then use it I believe, but you cannot set it in movie mode. Another thing I cannot believe is why the heck sony does not allow there app to transmit to an iPhone as a monitor with out reverting to automatic video settings.. Seems like an easy thing to allow by Sony and many would even pay for that option..

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

TY! I think I may have to do a vid on setting a custom white balance, quite a few people have rested it off the back of this vid :) watch this space

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZfJY4JumdSFfZY set white balance with a grey card vid as requested :)

[@nalufilms]

What picture profile you like better for adding luts?

[@jjjun92]

good tips bro~

[@RolandMcGruner]

My message to a7S-day-one-me would be, that it's tricky to change the way an image looks. Prioritise skin tones. Lightness and darkness is fairly straight foward to change. However colour is much trickier, as there are multiple things that you are wanting to balance at once, each alteration with skew another. Don't underestimate how long/difficult it takes to be a decent colourist/grader, or what they are capable of. So, *1. Get your white balance perfect in-camera.* \ You can *remedy* in post, but it won't be perfect. *2. Decide on a 'look' in-camera.* \ ie. Don't just shoot flat by default, have a reason to do so. -how capable are you of accurately and nicely stretching/warping the data (colours light etc) -how flexible is the data to stretching/warping? Maybe it's just not flexible enough to get to point C point A, you need to start at point B, and lose the flexibility to go in other directions if you change your mind. 3.

[@JamesWestVideo]

Is there a way to get our sony alpha cameras to live preview a more realistic view when filming rather then what the profile looks like, when filming in slog2 its basically only good for framing.

[@bluefilmsltd]

Some really insightful tips there, mate. Interesting that you are one of the few who don't mind using SLOG 2 in low light situations and the footage you display would suggest that the image doesn't suffer for it, it looked great. I shied away from them at first, but i've found zebras set at 100 to be rather useful for exposure. It event takes into account the increased dynamic range of SLOG 2. Btw, what grey card are you using for white balance?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

Thanks again, hmm I think I may have to do a vid about setting a custom white balance. Not sure what brand it is :S

[@lifeasakingstonlaak8843]

Great Stuff!..

[@elijahone3247]

My question is how do I work around the terrific crop that comes with the 100p 100m mode?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

ElijahONE do you mean in terms of being able to get wide angles? aps-c or even adapted micro 4/3 lenses work amazingly, canons cheapy 10-18 for example would be good

[@elijahone3247]

I'm working with a 35mm lens actually

[@elijahone3247]

:(

[@elijahone3247]

Yes Yes, in order to get some more wide angles

[@heartshapedfilms]

Do you not use Gamma assists when using SLog2/3 gives a rec 709 colour space overlay on the screen. Be careful as it affects the screen so you might think your photos look nasty cos you turned PP off and have Gamma assist on. also if you take photos with both on it will look good until its all flat - fine if its raw though.

[@PaulCoboPhoto]

I just bought my first real video camera and it's the a6500. I shoot mainly stills at the beach here in Miami Beach and my exposure is usuallly F2.8 - F4 at 1/250 ISO100 with a 3 stop ND filter. If the best dynamic range quality is with SLog 2 as you recommend and its minimum iso is 800 that would put me at F5.6 - F8. But, since I should over expose SLog 2 by about 2 stops then I'll be back to as if I had ISO 200. Am I correct about this? My main question is how to make SLog2 work at the beach when it's sunny and I'm shooting a model? Question 2: What Profile do you recommend at the beach when shooting at 120pfs if there are both highlighs from the water hitting the rocks and some shadows by the rock as well? Thanks you.

[@jackbrowning3138]

Hi Harv, The settings you explained are you saying this goes for the Sony a6300 as well?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Jack Browning hmm, I've not used one but shouldn't be too different :)

[@jackbrowning3138]

Ok your title says a6300 maybe change the title, you may fool more people like me ;)

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Jack Browning the theory is sound and I believe the video will help people using the a6300 as well as the others mentioned, the title remains :)

[@littlecloudproductions-vid9937]

Hi Harvey. Love the channel. Is there a limit in iso I should be using for best quality. When I shot with the canon 600d the limit was 800 iso fir best. Could you do a video about that or can you answer here. For best quality in daylight and best in low light. Cheers

[@cre8tivity06]

Do you have any tips for shooting video with the a6500 outside in bright sun light? Is it just a matter of brightening the display on the back of the camera so you can see it better?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Chuck Purnell I'd use the evf as much as possible, otherwise I'd look into external monitors with covers to reduce glare etc

[@lena.kazachkova]

Thank you =*

[@wojtekanimations2530]

what do you think about gh5 vs sony a6500? I know that we Have to wait for gh5...xd

[@unmuffled]

Can anyone tell me why in his equipment listing he is using a Canon lens?I am still on the hunt for the best a7s ii macro lens for video (under $1,000)

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Bbowls I adapt all my canon lenses to Sony e mount, for a great macro lens i would get a tamron 90mm (and adapt it!). It's super sharp :)

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Bbowls also the sigma 105mm macro is meant to be really good and much better value:)

[@danhicks1912]

I adapt mine for a Nikon fit Sigma 105 Macro. It comes in Canon fit too. You need tons of light though if you want to shoot at F8 or higher. Cracking lens. Good for portraits too.

[@datalaforge]

Hey, Harv! I'm wondering what you think about the lack of dual card slots on these cameras. I haven't had a problem with a bad card but I feel like the first time that happens, it will ruin me. Do you ever feel like you're playing with fire in that regard? I guess I could go to a more expensive and in some ways less capable camera or go in via HDMI (a connector that is perhaps far less reliable than a good SD card) to a recorder with Dual media recording capabilities but geez to the cost and size.

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+datalaforge I know what you mean, I've never had it happen either but I'm sure it will at some point. I'm sure Sony will address this with the next iterations, the a9 is certainly encouraging anyway. All I can do for the moment is just make sure I'm getting new cards now and again in the hope that it might make the inevitable slightly less likely :S

[@datalaforge]

Completely unrelated, I'm going to work on a Canon Prolost like profile on my A7s to match my friend's 1dxii. If we get it right would you be interested in knowing what we did?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+datalaforge definitely! Many thanks :)

[@JamaWest]

Great videos mate, random question perhaps, do you use PAL vs NTSC? im from the UK and im pulling my hair out on which to use.

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+JamaWest many thanks, personally I use PAL, 25fps is a nice universal frame rate and I like how divisible the high frames are (talk about OCD!)

[@JamaWest]

banging mate, if its good enough for u its good enough for me, thank u.

[@s.mohammadmirlohi9864]

how i can shoot raw video on Alpha 7s?

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+a mir unfortunately there is no way of doing it that I know of

[@s.mohammadmirlohi9864]

Thanks

[@Ollilonien]

great video but i cant find the sub button.

[@antonintissot]

S-log 2 don't make sense in daily outdoor because you start at 800ISO while you can be at 100ISO and your footage will look better

[@romekirkland7798]

Oh

[@markshirley01]

that's what has put me off buying these cameras is learning to grade slog - sounds a headache

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+mark shirley personally I love grading, if I ever don't feel like it there's loads of contrasty profiles to choose from. Slog is optional :)

[@markshirley01]

Yeah thanks - I probably need to download some slog files and see how difficult it is on my Mac. Going for the XT2 at the moment as the video looks nice from standard settings.

[@AlexK-ei7yh]

dislike for asking to subscribe in the beginning of the video

[@HarvVideoAudioStuff]

+Alex K seriously?