Camera Settings for Shooting Action - Sony Alpha A7RIII, A7lll, A6300 and A6500

[@TrungYTeezy]

This is one of the most thorough, informative and easiest tutorial to follow. Love it.

[@loriphillips7902]

Thank you very much for your videos! Being a veteran DSLR user, it has been a challenge to quickly learn my new A7iii. Your videos, by far, have been the best tutorials! I appreciate YOU and your knowledge of the Alpha systems. Cheers!

[@genet6255]

thank you for this. i just upgraded from the A7 ii to the A7 r iii, and all of the new features were a little bit confusing. now I have set me three memory settings to action, landscape and portraits. thanks again for making it so easy to understand.

[@skitza95]

best tutorial videos I've ever encountered. you've got yourself a new fan!

[@andrewchalmers3902]

Thankyou Mark for your informative Videos, this is my first foray into digital. I am an analogue large format Photographer and alternate printer. This is all very new and thank goodness there are people like you who devote so much time for the benefit of others.

[@kanarie93]

You need 10x the current amount of subscriders Mark, truly amazing quality content which helped alot learning the sony system!

[@StephenHsiang]

This is the most in-depth tutorial series of sony alpha camera. thank you so much!

[@highon3d]

Thank you Mark!!!! Just bought A7III and am about to shoot my son's hockey game. I was not sure the logic of being in Aperture mode until you showed the ISO Min Shutter option. Makes sense. Thanks.

[@ninashields3285]

Mark, I can't thank you enough for this extremely informative resource; I'm struggling with action work on my new A7R3, coming from a Canon 1DX2, where I felt totally comfortable and confident; I haven't been getting consistent focusing on my action work so really feel this will make a difference!

[@balmofilms]

Did you have any improvements? I've also been struggling with AF on car racing photography with mi A7r3 for years...

[@Saltydre]

Thank you for this video. It helped me improve my hockey shots a ton. Lot more photos in focus now. Thanks again.

[@berginrp]

Thank you Mark for these videos, I watched all 3 settings - Landscape, Action & Portraiture. Very useful and your channel is my go-to reference. Happy to be a Sony Alpha / GM lens photographer.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Great to hear!

[@jbergene]

this was the best setup video for a7 third gen so far. I was looking for a setup that was fast to use that gave great results. thanks

[@RichardBrown121]

Mark you are a god send. Been struggling to get to grips with my Sony A7R3 having always been a Canon user. I have even been contemplating returning it and going back to Canon. But your clear, concise videos have helped me enormously, thank you so much.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Richard Brown - Thank you for your very positive feedback Richard. This gives me the encouragement to continue supporting the alpha community.

[@greghowes1937]

Great video, really helpful and informative. Going to try these settings out as soon as we're all back to normal

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Glad it was helpful!

[@BigBirdFishin]

Thanks! Maybe this will help me! I was trying to shoot bluebirds this morning on regular wide, and it was locking onto the background almost every time...

[@shadostorm8375]

This was really detailed. I only managed to grasp 3/4 of it. Thank you Sir.

[@FOSMT1hauntINMT]

This is my go to video when I need to brush up on locations to all these high speed settings. Thank you!

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Great to hear!

[@chrislloyd8008]

Thank you Mark, this video and all the others have been so helpful with my A7iii, always come here first for great information.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Great to hear!

[@IrenaLeite]

Thank you very much! I am new to Sony a7III and this was a very useful information! The game day is coming up tomorrow!

[@josephlim4390]

Thank you for this guide. It was quite difficult to get around for a new user like me!

[@gerritpuddig]

Amazing Content! Thank you very much for this easy to follow and professionally explained Tutorial!

[@andyraeber6044]

Mark, thank you so much for such a professional walk thru on for my A7RM3. The best yet.

[@richardruda267]

Excellent, easy to follow, accurate..

[@pablomaresca]

So clear, so nice, so....grateful, Mark! Really great job.

[@peterf9689]

Your videos are easy to understand and so detailed i just set up my new A7R III with the help of your videos and found them so easy to follow. Cant wait and go and try them all out. Thank you very much. AAA teaching

[@OttoGarciaRey]

Thank You Again... My 1-2-3 Are All Set.... Great Educational Content Mark!

[@FlipperNS]

Great video! When you use the joystick, do find the black square is hard to see? Can the colour of the black square be changed?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

At the moment the colour of the square cannot be changed - Sony are aware of the feedback in relation to this - so I hope to see it change or become an option in a future firmware update.

[@cactustweeter2890]

This video is very much appreciated. I'm new to Sony with the recent purchase of the a7r iii. This video was quite helpful. Thank you.

[@PanuTatirat]

Thank you! All my questions have been answered in under 20 mins :-)

[@jeremydriesen2400]

Thanks so much. I just switched over to Sony and your videos have been a fantastic help in getting me up and running. Clear, thoughtful, thorough. Bravo!

[@dorschinger]

Thanks a lot for your extremely useful video tutorials! I should’ve watched them earlier so I wouldn’t have to struggle with changing settings manually after different individual motifs... :))

[@jamesjohnston6765]

Thanks Mark, great video. I use both the a7rii and a7riii bodies. There is so much to learn to maximize the usage of these little gems and your videos make it easy to understand.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

James Johnston - Thanks for the positive feedback

[@psykobibi]

Hi James , can you tell me if after you setting perfectly these too camera, does the A7r3 is still slower than A73?

[@jamesjohnston6765]

I have never used an a7III, only the a7RII and a7RIII. Sorry.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The A73 does not feel slower than the A73.

[@Sonydir]

Mark you are very professional in photography and teaching.I am a regular viewer of your videos.I am planning to take sony a 6600 in time.Can you please do a video about camera buttons and how it works.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Download the A6600 eBook from my website (free download) - it will have all the info you need.

[@Sonydir]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills thanks mark.

[@jostomee1232]

Thanks Mark, You have a clear way of explaining. I have a question concerning Lock-on AF. You will use either Expand Flexible Spot with this option or use Lock-on AF:Wide when your subject is moving too erratic. Can you explain why you don't use one of the other options in Lock-on AF (flexible spot S/M/L or Zone or Center)? Thanks again

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The two options mentioned seem to cover me for 99% of all situations. Lock on AF Expand Flexible Spot is as good as S/M/L as it starts at S but expands to L as required until it can find an edge of the subject to lock on to. Center is like Expand Flexible Spot you have left in the Center of the viewfinder. Zone may be a useful alternative to Lock-On AF: Wide if there was a subject close to the camera (other than the subject you are trying to track) that you want the camera to ignore - moving the zone to the other side will effectively ignore anything outside of this area. I don't typically find many situations where Lock-On AF: Expand Flexible Spot cannot deal with this. If you are NOT skilled at moving the spot with the joystick I can see where zone may be useful. I can also see where Zone may be useful if you are having trouble identifying where the AF point is positioned in the viewfinder.

[@francoispoitras9511]

Great video, thanks. Can you elaborate on why the electronic shutter is not as good as the mechanical shutter for action shooting? Rolling shutter?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The A9 uses a new BIS stacked CMOS sensor for ultra-fast readout times to remove the impact of shutter distortion when using an electronic shutter. The A7RII features a sensor that is a similar design the the A6500 and A7RII so is not immune from shutter distortion - the sensor design is discussed in this article: www.markgaler.com/sonys-stacked-cmos-sensors-the-dawn-of-a-fully-electronic-age

[@redradoa]

Hello. Thank you very much. Comprehensive and clear. I have already followed your advice and registered this settings.

[@Asif.A]

thank you for making a photography a fun for late starter. thank you

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Asif.A]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills how can we improve to take great photos. If you could suggest us

[@krysamon]

Amazing deep video tutorial, thank you very much.

[@newenergyawakening]

Awesome - thank you so much, this will help me dial in my surf photography :)

[@johnvandenbroek6594]

Great job Mark!! …. I learn so much from your detailed tutorials.

[@Bukke100]

Excellent and understandable information for a newbie - Thank`s.

[@Apollohistory11]

Thank you - great intro to action shots on my new A7RIII

[@viczog]

Thank you for this video! So clear and precise. So once I have those saved in my memory, what mode should I shoot on? Auto?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

You are loading Aperture Priority in the saved Memory. You will then be recalling it from either 1, 2 or 3 on the Shoot mode dial.

[@donncha1]

Thanks, that was very informative. I just saw in the A7III manual you have to stop the lens down past f/11 for the focus to lock on the first scene.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

You have to use apertures wider than f/8 on the A7RIII and A7IIII and wider than f/11 on the A9, e.g. f/8, f/5.6, f/4. If you use f/11 or f/16 on the A7 models focus will be locked on the first frame and will not track your subject. Most action photographers shoot with the aperture wide open or close to wide-open.

[@alexgimagery]

Extremely helpful, thank you!

[@katiestoliker]

this was super helpful, thank you for sharing

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Glad it was helpful!

[@zenza7120]

Mark, thanks again. If there is one dog running and everything else is landscape, should i choose WIDE (no-lock on) and sensitivity to 5?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Yes - Wide (lock on and tracking is required when there are obstacles closer than the subject you are tracking).

[@zenza7120]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills thank your being very responsive and helpful

[@alexrout5130]

I appreciate my question is very late to this thread, but I hope you still might be able to answer. Very recently purchased an A7iii and this is exactly the video I've been looking for. My question is, presumably I will have to reset many of these settings after saving as a preset, as many won't work for 'ordinary, day to day' shooting? So many of these settings are specific to action photography, that I wouldn't want set normally. For example I like ot shoot uncompressed. Must I change the setting back once I've made the preset? I'm new to your videos but so far they have been incredibly helpful. Thank you.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

When you are finished recalling a registered Memory on the Shoot Mode (turning it to 1, 2 or 3) when your return the dial to P, A , S or M all of the settings you were using prior to recalling the memory are still there.

[@alexrout5130]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thanks for replying Mark, although I found that if I applied the settings while the dial is turned to A those settings remained for Aperture Priority even after I'd set them to a custom memory. Should I have performed the initial set up with the Dial turned to 1 or 2?

[@JasRWms99]

Very good and informative, but is there a way to change your shooting mode from aperture priority to say manual or shutter priority after saving the setup to memory?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

That is the only thing you can’t change

[@trippalhealicks]

I just got the Sony 100-400mm GM OSS lens today. This really really helped me be successful on my first outing with the lens and my a7RIII. Thank you so much!

[@GerryLefoe]

Fantastic teaching as always Mark - very impressed with A7M3. I'm so pleased the Work experience student who designed the earlier interfaces has been sent back to school and a real interface designer has sorted things out. It is so much more logical. Now can we retrospectively add this to our earlier camera models?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Gerry Lefoe - it would be nice to see this as a firmware upgrade for older models but I suspect Sony will be afraid of upsetting owners who are familiar with their current menu system.

[@Sunflyer54]

Many thanks for this great explanation!!! Straight forward and very professional :-)

[@udoloske]

Thanks for your great videos! Which focus field would you choose for flying birds and can I use the rest of the settings for it 1: 1? Many greetings, Udo

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I have a video tutorial called ‘Focus Area’ that outlines how I choose the appropriate Focus Area for the subject I am choosing

[@willieharvey4399]

Thanks Mark !! Extremely Helpful ...

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Glad to hear it!

[@PaulCoughlan1]

Well done. To the point. Thank you.

[@GReedwelds]

❤❤ you have a new subscriber. Older video but still being viewed today. Thank you

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Awesome! Thank you! - I figure there is no point in removing the older videos from my channel when Sony are still manufacturing some of the older models (such as the A7III).

[@johnwebb3469]

Hello, love your vids!!! I use back button focus, for action shots which do you suggest I use?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I don’t use back button AF as I like to move a spot AF point using the multi-selector and/or the monitor as a touch pad

[@TallesVito]

Hi Mark, thank you very much. I love watching your videos, they are very informative! One question, if I successfully setup all the menus and custom buttons to dial 1 and 2 exactly how you described. I switch from one to the other and it all works really well but when I switch the camera off the settings reset to original. I am making sure I am saving to position 1 and 2 not M1, M2 etc. Do you think there might be an issue with my camera? Thanks

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The Memories should be retained even when the camera is turned off. You should be able to rotate the Shoot Mode dial away from 1 or 2 and when you turn it back to 1 or 2 you should be provided with a screen showing you visual confirmation of the settings you have saved (same screen you saw when saving/registering the settings). When saving settings just check you are pressing the Center button the confirm registration. If your setup workflow is all good you will need to get the camera checked out.

[@TallesVito]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills I will give it another shot. Once again really appreciate your guidance!

[@vicentelongo6147]

Excellent videos.. What settings you recomend for soocer?.. Thanks a lot

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

These ones

[@marcusdekker]

@3:58 Select Media; Selects the memory card slot from which settings are recalled or to which settings are registered for M1 through M4. So it doesnt set the slot where the pictures are stored to as you state in your video.

[@WayneLLC]

Thank you so much Mark, as always!

[@11557bexley]

thank you mark really love your videos and info

[@fredzheng9839]

Hi Mark, great tutorials. When you use Lock-On AF/extended flexible spot, how do you make sure the focus is on the primary target? For example, in your rodeo sequence, how did you make sure that the camera focused on the primary target, in this case, the person, not the bull? Thanks.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

In the Rodeo sequence if the camera was set to Lock-on AF wide and chose the bull instead of the cowboy the depth of field would probably be enough to render both in sharp focus if the two subjects stay close to each other. Depth of field is helped when shooting the subject at a distance with a telephoto lens. If you need to be in control about which subject in the centre of the frame the camera chooses to track then you have to start the sequence with a Spot AF on the cowboy. This is the reason Sony added the multi selector (joystick) to make choosing a subject faster than on previous models. In the example of the Rodeo if the two subjects were at the same distance from the camera and bot close to the centre when the lock on AF engaged the camera would most likely choose the cowboy because of the colourful shirt. In AF wide the camera is also influenced by distinctive colours as well as front and centre.

[@JPS4inLA]

Your the very first person that ever talked about the horrible high fstop tracking I've been commenting about it since release of A7rii it also effects I believe below 1/40 or f8 & higher contrast af kicks in as you lose your 399 or 600+ af points

[@rootintootinable]

Shoot A7RIII so really liked this video; super helpful

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Thanks for the positive feedback

[@paulbeades6681]

I’ve got a lot to learn. Cheers.

[@dorbeas]

I really enjoy your videos Mark. Especially the ones describing how to set up the camera for different situations. Do you change your camera set up every time. In other words, if you shoot action one day and then portraits the next day are you changing your setup? Thanks.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Watch my Memory Mastermind video tutorial and will be clear.

[@brookemiller7230]

Hi! This video is excellent and I, for the most part, set up my camera with your settings. I have a question about Steady Shot and taking photos of birds in flight with the 100-400GM. Usually the birds in flight are flying from right to left, or from left to right, and I am moving the lens with the birds. Is this considered panning? ... and should I put on mode 2 on the 100-400 lens ... or should I turn off steady shot completely? I have not had a high rate of good birds in flight--however the lock on does seem to work, the bird is just not sharp. I have my minimum shutter speed set at 1000 (and maybe that's too low). Thanks for any help you can provide!

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Brooke A Miller - Mode ll is recommended for panning from left to right or vice versa. If the movement of the bird is erratic and the lens has to be moved vertically as well as horizontally then switch steady shot off on the lens. If your panning technique is not yet fully accurate then I would definitely advise raising the minimum shutter speed to 1/2000 second.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Mode 2 on the lens is the correct setting in this instance

[@FitzMichael]

Lock on Af is so slow on the R3 maybe the new firmware fix the lag

[@davidfukuda1492]

I just recently purchased an A7R III and have been trying to get familiar with all of the settings this camera has to offer and your videos are by far the best that I have came across for the different shooting situations and everything else related to Alpha Cameras. I was wondering if you have a specific shooting setup for photographing birds when panning? I have a 70-300 g lens and just started to get into bird photography I find for myself the that continuous lock-on flexible spot is difficult unless you start when the bird is stationary but when a bird is already flying, it is hard to lock on. Pretty much all of my images have been out of focus shooting at 125th of a second at around 200mm hand held.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

David Fukuda - increase the size of the AF area to Lock-on AF zone or Lock-on AF wide -if you cannot accurately target your subject with a spot AF. remember the camera will target the subject that is closest to the camera and towards the centre of your selected AF area. Your shutter speed is way too slow to capture birds in flight. Occasionally motor sports will slow the shutter speed to 1/500 or 1/320 second to add some motion blur behind the speeding vehicle but you can’t blur the sky. The slower the shutter speed the higher the miss rate unless your panning action is 100%. Take the shutter speed up to 1/2000 second as outlined in the movie and use a + exposure compensation value if the bird is backlit by the sky or Manual exposure settings.

[@davidfukuda1492]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Mark, thank you for your response and informative suggestions. I will definitely try them out the next time I go. Thanks again!

[@johnchardine1886]

Useful. Thanks. But one point- APS-C format does not "magnify" your images. It just throws away pixels from the outside of the FF image. The pixels on subject remains the same.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

John Chardine - technically you are correct but in APS-C mode the image is magnified in the EVF and on the LCD screen and this emulates the narrower field of view an owner of an APS-C camera would experience. At 200mm the lens would behave like a 200mm lens on an APS-C with an ‘equivalent’ focal length of 300mm.

[@twinkie1773]

I got my 1st football game gig tonight. Thx ya for this

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Hope the information helped.

[@brunomartelli8163]

great content, solid information, thanks so much

[@joseallende8046]

Great tutorial! Thanks.

[@1209jayt]

I’m a big fan Mark! Thanks for posting this! I followed every steps u said but I missed the shot, do I need to hold the focus hold while pressing the shutter? I would greatly appreciated ur feedback! Thanks!

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

If you have not set the camera up for Back Button AF then holding down the shutter release during the sequence will suffice. If the camera does not Acquire the subject on the first frame then you need to release the shutter and try again. Success at locking into the subject is covered in my Focus Area movie.

[@1209jayt]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thanks for your reply.

[@denisodariuc6591]

Very useful information thank you. Regards

[@bellacavachon7510]

Very informative video. Thanks for taking the time Mark. I was wondering why you yourself don't set up for back button focussing. On that note, can you answer a question please? On my old Canon 7d, if I was in continuous AF and tracking a subject using the shutter button for focussing, it would lose focus after the first shot and would then have to re-acquire focus for the next shot and so on. Consequently, I would get some out of focus shots in the sequence. If I disabled focus from the shutter button and used the AF-ON button for back button focus, then it would continue to autofocus all the while I was pressing the shutter button, without having to re-acquire between shots. Does the Sony A7III work the same way or does it continue to track on the shutter button whilst taking pictures?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The A7lll does no have to reacquire the subject it is tracking because it does not use a mirror. DSLRs phase detect sensor is in the mirror box and is temporarily blinded each time the mirror flips up to clear the path of light to the sensor. The use of back-button AF requires the use of continuous AF only and sometimes I like to use AF-S. Sometimes I am holding down another custom button and I don’t want to have to hold down the AF-On button as well. Back-button AF is loved by many users but it does not add any AF performance for a user who knows the AF systems of the Sony cameras.

[@bellacavachon7510]

That's a very quick and detailed answer, Mark. Thanks very much for taking the time.

[@psxdadz]

Very helpful vid. Is the high+ continous shooting the same for a6500 concerning blackout Thanks

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Yes - the A7RIII behaves exactly like the A65000 in Continuous Shooting Mode when using the mechanical shutter, i.e. Blackout exists between each individual frame but the viewfinder is 'live'. In this respect it is the same experience as using a DSLR. There is no blackout in Hi+ but the feed has lag - making it difficult to pan. The A7RIII should be considered as a full-frame equivalent to the A6500 rather than a slower A9.

[@TallesVito]

Hi Mark, thanks for the great tutorials you have been sharing. I have an A7 III and I am using the 100-400mm GM with the 1.4X TC and I have setup my camera exactly the way you explained and I have been shooting surfing for the most part and the camera isn't locking the focus,. I noticed even thou I place the box spot on the surfer the focus goes from one side to the other side of the frame and I normally lose a few shots. It's actually quicker and more accurate to keep refocusing whilst shooting. Any ideas what could be causing it? Would that be an issue with the 1.4X TC? I haven't tried shooting without the TC. Thanks

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The camera may have trouble separating the subject from the surf - bird photographers have the same problem when a bird is about to take off from a tree. The camera can sometimes see the bird and the tree as one subject so becomes confused when they separate. My solution would be to try increasing the size of the Focus area from Lock on AF: spot to Lock on AF: Zone. If this does not work I would use the wide, zone or spot options that do not have lock on. In this instance the spot would be the hardest option as your panning would have to be accurate or you would have to move the spot AF area accurately. The larger AF areas are your friends when this happens. I have set up the AEL button to quickly change AF area when Lock-on becomes erratic.

[@TallesVito]

Fantastic explanation! Thank you so much. I am very disappointed that I missed your workshop here in Sydney on the 2nd. Hopefully you will be doing more of those soon. You should maybe think about doing one for wild life and sports photography, that would be great! Thanks again

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

These Action settings are the ones I use for sports and wildlife that is moving.

[@DWESTHEIMER]

You've helped me immensely in setting up my A7rIII, thanks! One question I have is regarding the APS C mode. You mentioned that it would reduce the image size to from 42 mp to 18 mp. But if the crop factor is 1.5, wouldn't the APS-C image size actually be 28mp? Thanks

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The crop factor is 1.5 but for some reason the resulting file size is 18 MP. APS-C crop on a 24 megapixel full-frame sensor is 10 MP. 18 is still quite generous as there are 8.3 MP displayed on a 4K monitor.

[@DWESTHEIMER]

Yes 18 mp is generous, but not as generous as you get doing the equivalent crop in PP. And if you crop to 18 mp in PP you end up with even more extension of your telephoto images (crop factor of 2.3). That would make a 400 mm full frame shot result in 933 mm at 18 mp, wow! Seems to me the only reasons to use APS-C mode in still photography would be for memory saving and buffering purposes. Am I missing something? Thanks

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I am not a mathematician but the crop factor between Full frame and APS-C for working out focal length is 1.5 X, while the surface area difference between Full frame and APS-C is 2.4 X

[@DWESTHEIMER]

Ah, you've taught me something else! Here's the math: FF 36x24 or 864 sq mm, APSC 23.5x15.6 or 367 sq mm. (42 mp X 367) / 864 = 17.8 mp Thanks again!

[@etoracca]

Hi Mark, great tutorials. What modifications to the settings would you suggest for amateur photography of indoor sports like volleyball? What about the 70-200 F4 in this situations?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

These settings should still be appropriate for indoor sports so long as the level of indoor lighting is not too low. The FE 70-400 F/4 should be OK - you would only need to switch to a lens with an f/2.8 aperture if the level of lighting is very low. Brighter lenses will lock-on more easily even if you are not shooting at maximum aperture.

[@GeorgeB.]

Thank you Mark! Great informative video. One question though. Is it better to gain frames per second with compressed raw rather than image data with the uncompressed raw format for post processing?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I choose compressed for shooting action for the increased frame rate but Uncompressed may give you extra dynamic range if you are dealing with a a subject brightness range that is extreme. An alternative is to choose the optimum higher ISO of the dual gain sensor. 640 for an A9, A7III, A7RIII and 320 for an A7R IV. If you shoot Uncompressed you can choose to convert the files to DNG files on import into Lightroom which will use lossless compression (typically halving the file size on an A7R file.

[@ryansones1626]

78k views, only 1.7K likes. Please don’t judge the ignorant and selfish masses. Keep up the great work! When are you designing the Alpha Mark?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Thanks for your positive feedback - I would like to help Sony make some of the groups of settings required for certain tasks more accessible to the broader Sony community. The revised AF functionality and menus in the A6400 is a step in the right direction.

[@guelbergoes]

16:56 I like the APS-C function set on C4 button as I need it faster sometimes.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I push the APS-C function out of harms way as it it can be too easily enable during a shoot when positioned on the right side of the camera. It's pretty obvious when this happens on a prime but can go unnoticed for a long time when using a zoom. Not the end of the world for an R but pretty tragic when using a 24 megapixel camera. C3 on the top left of the camera or the Fn menu is often a safer place. The A1 now features an APS-C icon in the finder so I now leave the APS-C mode on the C3 key.

[@vanc3289]

Hi Mark, first of all, awesome videos! Love your work. I used this settings for a indoor low light sports event. But my photos came out really dark. I have a Sony a7riii with the gmaster 2.8 24-70m lenses. With all your settings I failed using 5.2 apature... I should've go as high as 2.8?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Exposure is a separate issue and the level of ambient light should not make difference to the final exposure. If there were strong backlights in the indoor arena this may have confused the meter. Try working with a histogram visible in the EVF so you can monitor overall exposure as you are shooting.

[@mgraham4fx]

Mark, I am currently renting an a7rIII for a week before I purchase this model and change from Canon. It is an amazing still camera and I'm getting marvelous detail in my shots. But It has been struggling with AF-C on every moving subject I select. It takes forever to lock, where my Canon locks in tenths, if not hundredths of a second. I have wondered if anyone has had this issue and if it was a character of the camera, despite the reviews. I was also wondering if Native lenses perform better. But after watching your video, and changing all the settings I am encouraged to think this will fix the problem. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow, which is my third day of location shooting. I am a Canon user with Canon L, and Sigma Art lenses that work very well in Single Shot Auto Focus, but in AF-C they all fall apart. but it appears that the settings are the game changer. Thanks so much for the time you spent in putting this video out. If all this works as I hope, I'll purchase the camera this week. There are so many things about this camera I like. Thank You! mg

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

AF-C performance of these cameras is excellent with native e-mount lenses. Performance using non Sony lenses via third party adapters can be good or bad depending on adapter, firmware of adapter and specific lens being used. Check the firmware of the adapter is the current version and let me know if the settings helped.

[@mgraham4fx]

I read and saw so many recent reviews about the Canon L glass working I was pretty sure it was operator error on my part. Your settings are great and work well. First of all, in AF-C, I discovered in reading the manual you do not have to hold the back button focus down during the shot as you do with Canon. . Second, the lock light is on even when the lens appears to search, and those shots came out in tight focus as well. I'm sure that native glass will function smoother, but for now I don't want to spend what I would need for GM Glass. Advise if I'm incorrect in my findings. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance Mark

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Michael Graham - You can switch AF w / shutter to OFF if you want the AF-ON button to behave as a back-button AF.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Michael Graham - I am pleased you achieved some good results. Obviously the answer to ‘will it focus quickly’ is difficult to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ when dealing with third party products with variations of firmware. The same happens with Flash systems. The Sony Flashes all work great, but photographers have mixed results when using non-sony products.

[@Aenkill]

Thanks for the video, very informative! I've been really struggling with actions shots of my dogs, but I use adapted Sigma ART lenses with the MC-11 adapter. Literally 95% of the pictures are out of focus but I have a feeling that either the primes are slow or it's the adapter that's slowing them down. I have the newest firmware installed on the camera, adapter and lenses. I'm planning to rent the 70-200 f4 and I do hope it performs better, because I really love the camera for dog portraits and landscapes and being able to shoot actions shots would be the icing on the cake for me. I didn't have any issues with action shots on my Canon 6D and 6Dmk2 and the old Sigma 70-200, so I do hope I can get at least the same performance on Sony with a native lens.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Using non-native E-Mount lenses via an adapter slows AF performance dramatically. Make sure any lenses you purchase for your Sony (Sony or non-Sony E-Mount lenses) have linear focus motors.

[@Aenkill]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills I'm renting the Sony 70-200mm f/4 next week, fingers crossed!

[@hanspetterstre4316]

Thank you Mark for a very helpful video, I am shooting Crossfit, that is a quite fast movement and the light are not so great in this gyms. With the A-Priority and auto ISO, i don't get fast enough shutter to freeze the moment. What i do wrong? Should i change to Manual mode?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Hans Petter Støre - the first step would be to switch to a lens with a wider aperture or raise the level of ambient light. When testing the A9 at a TaeKwondo sports event I used an 85 f/1.8 lens and added two large LCD panels.

[@ajethasko6396]

Awesome! Thank you for your lessons

[@town3]

Great video Mark thanks

[@asoasogm]

Hi Mark, Thank you very much for this tutorial Do you think the AF is fast enough for handling wide apertures for subjects walking towards the camera with the 70-200 F2.8 GM? I shoot fashion shows with Canon equipment (5D Mk IV + 70-200 F2.8 IS USM II) and use usually F2.8 to F3.5 Thank you

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Using wide aperture lenses will enhance and not detract from the performance of the AF. The GM is a fast-focussing lens and when matched with an A7RII, III or A9 the performance is outstanding. The only time AF would become problematic is if the level of ambient light was very dim. The low light AF capability of the A7RIII and A9 is very very good (measured at -3 EV)

[@asoasogm]

Thank you Mark

[@bryanstephens6007]

Nice Video Mark. I don't like the idea of the A9 due to it's limiting 24mpx. So I've narrowed it down to a used A7RIV or this A7RIII. The R3 wins on the budget side but it is 4yr. old now but being 42mpx/18mpx(APS-C) will work. So is the R3 viable in 2021 in your view, any big pros/cons?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

The A7RIV is great for landscape with its huge dynamic range and ability to print images larger than 3 feet in length. Less great for action/sports/wildlife as its high ISO performance is a stop behind the other full frame cameras. If you crop aggressively the noise will be more problematic than the A1, A7Rlll or new A7lV. It also doesn’t play well with the 200-600

[@flemmingmorgan1929]

Hi Mark, many thanks. Your tutorials are great. I have a few questions regarding wildlife shooting. If the animals are not moving very fast would you use settings closer to your recommended settings for portraits? ie slower shutter speed etc? Secondly, for action would you not use shutter speed priority? I was surprised you used aperture priority. Do you get the fast shutter speed by setting the minimum shutter speed on ISO?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

If the action is slow I adjust my AUTO ISO Min SS to a slower minimum shutter speed. If the action stops I use the AEL button to recall a set of 'Registered Custom Shoot Settings' that use settings more appropriate settings for a stationary subject. Using Aperture priority provides maximum control over depth of filed, minimum shutter speed while ensuring appropriate exposure.

[@bw162]

Great Alpha videos! You did not comment on the choice of "Spot Metering Point" on page 10 of 14 of settings one. But I noticed your camera was set at "Center". Why this instead of "Focus Point Link" since you are using "Lock-on Expand Flex Spot" in the Focus Area? Thanks.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

George W - I don’t use spot metering for action as it is very unreliable. I rarely use anthing other than Multi/Matrix metering and exposure compensation. Choosing a spot metering link or Highlight Priority metering may be good for concerts but not for sports/action.

[@michaelp3736]

Hi Mark, I’m interested in what you use for your max auto iso settings are (given the min and max can be manually set) for each group of settings (IE, Action, portrait, landscape, etc). I don’t remember seeing/hearing you mention this in any of your videos. I understand you will change this as needed, but was interested in your max ISO starting points. Thank you and excellent work!!

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I typically have the maximum ISO set to 12,800

[@Str8aero2]

Mark - the videos are great! I own both an A7Riii and an A7iii. I like to shoot action photography, have seen your videos and especially like the one on Auto ISO with minimum shutter speed and shooting in aperture vs shutter mode. My question is, in Lock on AF Wide (or any of the Lock On AF settings); when shooting with the A7Riii, after it locks on the subject it shows two larger green boxes - one inside the other as you track the subject. The A7iii doesn't show the larger two green boxes, it shows several smaller 'dancing' green boxes as it tracks the subject. I have been over all the settings numerous times and believe both cameras are set the same. Is there something different about the way the two work that causes that?

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Rick Perry - this is normal. Sometimes the display of the focus area will switch between a box and the individual AF points. There does not appear to be a specific reason for the switch and I have had trouble demonstrating why and when this switch occurs. The older Center Lock-on AF feature (still used in movie AF tracking) uses the boxes. The newer lock-on options found in the focus area settings tend to favour displaying the individual points - I have had some success in making the camera display boxes by stopping down the aperture or using a wide-angle lens to increase the depth of field - but not enough success to put this into a movie. Needless to say I asked a product specialist from Sony to comment on this behaviour but did not get a specific reason for the differences in displaying AF tracking.

[@Str8aero2]

Thanks for the reply. I have tested it using the 100-400GM on both cameras, wide open aperture, etc and very consistently the A7Riii displays the larger green boxes where the A7iii always displays the smaller dancing boxes. I have fooled with it in my studio and have gotten the A7Riii to 'occasionally' switch to the smaller green boxes, but pretty quickly goes back the the larger boxes. I understand the A7iii has some of the focusing technology from the A9 (?); I believe the A7iii is a tad faster acquiring focus and seems to track a bit better? I'm guessing it must just work differently. The good news is both cameras do an amazing job!

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Yes they do an amazing job and I appear to get a much better hit rate than Tony Northrup 😉 I am reluctant to contact him about this following his rant at the end of his last movie. He put the A7Rlll above the A7lll in sports performance AF - and although close it should really have been the other was round. He wouldn’t have noticed shooting a soccer game but it becomes apparent when shooting motorsports or birds in flight.

[@Tazzum]

Hi Mark, why you choose A mode and not M mode? In A mode the SS can go to los values not enough to freeze the action. Thanks and congrats for the good work

[@GreenBaron]

Mark mentioned in his other video that the Auto ISO min SS only works in A mode. Thus using A mode and setting a high min SS speed such as 2000 you will ensure the lowest speed used is sufficiently high to freeze action.

[@MilosBencic]

I have a new a7r3 and i find this video really usefull.

[@MilosBencic]

But i find hard to focus small birds on 600mm

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

Photographing small birds in flight is technically the hardest subject in photography. I am sure it has put many an amateur photographer off photography completely, because of the low success rate. I recommend building up panning practice using slower moving subjects, e.g., bicycles. Practice locating subjects above the finder with your eye and then raising the viewfinder to your eye so that it appears in the centre of your viewfinder each and every time. Practice pre-focusing the lens at an approximate distance before locating a bird in the sky. I also recommend switching to a small spot when the bird is in amongst branches. Newer cameras such as the A7IV have bird Eye AF and superior tracking performance which makes bird photography a little easier. The cameras with stacked sensors (A9, A9II and A1) have better tracking performance when compared to cameras with regular backlit sensors. If you need additional support check out my support channel at Patreon.com/markgaler

[@MilosBencic]

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you for your answer.Today i was trying on big birds flying like ducks and swans and it was great.I got some nice shots.The funny thing was that i have turned on touch operation and moved the focus point with my nose to the lower right corner without knowing and in sunlight it was a bit hard to find out what is wrong.:)

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

You can restrict the Touch pad focus initiation to the upper right-hand corner so your nose doesn't drag the focus point to the lower right-hand corner when it touches the monitor.

[@guelbergoes]

12:23 about the E-front curtain shutter, it also changes the quality of the bokeh. For a better bokeh you should use OFF, but as stated here, you will loose shooting speed.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I prefer the bokeh with it on - some suspect premature shutter failure for those who switch e-front curtain shutter off. Sony now don’t offer the option to switch it off for the latest three full-frame cameras.

[@johnrsims43]

Hi Mark, Great tutorials. Something that I would find helpful would be a spread sheet of your various settings for the A7RM3. Four columns total: Left column for the features, then three columns (one column each) for Landscapes, Actions, and Portrait.

[@AlphaCreativeSkills]

I'll put it on my 'to-do list' :-)

[@johnrsims43]

Thanks Mark. That would be great!

[@strider00111]

Great idea !

[@flemmingmorgan1929]

Great idea! It would be very helpful

[@strider00111]

Hows that "to-do list" coming along? :)

[@aidegarabedian2073]

Thank you for your video, but I need help! Can’t het sharp images with tamron 70-200. Your settings in this video help me a lot but still can get sharp images on indoor volleyball games. How can I get help? Thank you