Sony a6400 Low Light Video Test 4K | Sigma 16mm f1.4 | HLG3 | Gardens by the Bay | Singapore

I took these shots to test the low light capabilities of both the Sony a6400 and Sigma 16mm f1.4 DC/DN lens. All shot in 4K 24FPS HLG3.
Only stabilization was added & color grading.
No noise reduction were done in post.
BGM: Forest Canvas by Elm Lake
Camera: Sony a6400
Profile: 4K 24FPS HLG3
Lens: Sigma 16mm f1.4 DC/DN Contemporary
Gimbal: Moza Air 2
Location: Gardens by the Bay in Singapore

[@agenericaccount3935]

Man, I hate how KZbin fails at handling dark skies. It would have been neat to see it uncompressed. Not your fault. This is lovely work.

[@skeyboardi]

Sorry I must've missed this reply back then, but still, thank you :)

[@ProducedByChristo]

Put the quality to 4k And you'll see it clearly, But their's a ton of noise in the dark areas

[@mitchcoull6290]

Watched this before I went to sleep last night. Truly beautiful.

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you, means a lot :)

[@Jayutap]

I literally decided to buy the lens when i saw this video now I'm waiting mine to arive in a week

[@skeyboardi]

Glad to be of help! Enjoy the lens :)

[@nickyyoung509]

bro It's incredible! I'm going to buy A6400 and this lens RIGHT NOW!!

[@skeyboardi]

Thanks bro! You'll have a great time this holiday season with the combo :)

[@PreciseAimm]

haha . yo i just bought this combo and gettin it today ! spensive but fuk it . sumtimes yu gotto risk it 😂.... but this camera a beast tho

[@gauravprakash288]

@@PreciseAimm Hey, how's your experience with A6400 so far? I'm looking to buy it. What's your feedback?

[@pluviophile2438]

@@gauravprakash288 did you buy it...? I got mine the other day but with kit lens.. Since I'm coming from Nikon background, I'm thinking about playing it with for a while before I get this lens

[@miltondhaka]

Beautiful lights captured during low light indeed.. thanks for sharing

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you for watching :)

[@user-gr6vd1bk9v]

Beautifully shot and edited as well 🙏

[@hellamorrigan]

This is beautiful.. Lov how u move your angle n the timings when the colour changes. N the music really touches. Sgp needa wakeup man... N c this! Legit 10/10 Leeooow😻👍🏻

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you Nad! 🐰 yes the lights are pretty!

[@MannyRataul]

Amazing footage and the editing is on point 👌

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you :)

[@user-gr6vd1bk9v]

Really great video! I was wondering about the low light on this camera and this video alone was the final straw for me deciding on the a6400 over the a7iii. Thanks for posting

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you for the compliment! Yeah the a6400 can do wonders. I got my a6400 + 2 sigma prime + gimbal + accessories for the price of an a7iii body. If when the time comes where my profession requires the extra perks of a better camera, say a7 series or BMPCC tier, then I'll just use the a6400 as a B cam.

[@user-gr6vd1bk9v]

Leeyo DS Nice! That sounds like a great setup you have rn and using the 6400 as a B Cam later on would be ideal as well 👌

[@JeremyCWW]

@@skeyboardi what is the other sigma prime yo uhave? is it 30mm f1.4? i'm wondering to get the 16mm first or 30mm, btw , your video looks great!

[@skeyboardi]

@@JeremyCWW thank you Jeremy! My other Sigma prime is the 54mm f1.4. I'd recommend differently depending on your content. The 16mm is definitely easier to start with as you can always crop your images. Only downside is if you're into taking portraits as the 16mm will make your subjects look wider depending on how you use it.

[@JeremyCWW]

@@skeyboardi Thank you so much for the reply! as thats not the only lens that i plan to get , i think it's true that i should starts with the 16mm first as it's easier to start with , thanks!

[@iamvinku]

I have the same camera and lens and a DJI Ronin SC gimbal but gear is no match for raw skill. Awesome job, man 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you. You'll get a hang of it soon enough 😁

[@aravindsankar1615]

How do you manage to calibrate a6400 in SC

[@LizaLavolta]

....wow. This is so well done

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you Liza :)

[@ivandj707]

Great work!

[@HasbiksRightHand]

Beautiful Shots 🙏🔥

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you, Ray!

[@JflowVisuals]

GREAT FOOTAGES! I GET AN A6400! NOW I'M WAITING FOR MY 16MM

[@skeyboardi]

Thanks! Have fun shooting with the 16mm :)

[@saiba9050]

So vibrant nicely done mate 👍👍

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you! :)

[@RealSteveEyes]

Incredible. I have this camera and lens I'm a super noob so I can't wait to figure everything out!

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you! Have fun experimenting with your kit! 😁

[@tusharborade]

Great Video man👍🏼

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you :)

[@mauriceo1537]

Amazing footage! Do you think there is a possibility to reduce the noise more? At some points it was quite heavy I think. Maybe the 6400 is just not capable enough in this conditions.

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you! Other picture profiles might have lesser noise (maybe cine profiles but I've not tried it). Alternatively applying noise reduction in post will most likely help a lot. Most video editors should have some form of noise reduction setting or you may try Topaz Video Enhance AI (paid software). It's quite a magical software :)

[@mauriceo1537]

@@skeyboardi hey thanks for the answer that helps a lot!

[@SHOOTMEFILMS-]

Beautiful Shots 👌

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you

[@andrenelboxy1778]

using canon 6dmrk 2 for 2years straight im giving up , a6400 is my nxt buy (Y)

[@denmayy721]

Unbelievable

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you

[@tabinototyu__4789]

fantastic 😆👍

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you!

[@rafaelm3404]

Great video bro! What were your settings for recording this video? I mean the HLG3 settings... like blacks, detail, colour? Did you use Detail at -7? BT2020 or REC709? Thanks

[@skeyboardi]

Hi, I believe these were my settings: PP10 Black Level = 0 Gamma = HLG3 Black Gamma Range = Middle Knee = Manual = Point 100% = Slope +5 Colour Mode = BT.2020 Saturation = -7 Colour Phase = 7 Colour Depth = All 0 Detail = (4K -5) (1080p 0)

[@SuperIRico]

Amazing! You added any stabilization in post ?

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you! Yes, I added stabilization for the walking shots and maybe some others. All done using the inbuilt stabilizer in Davinci Resolve

[@yeahhhhh007]

Love it

[@user-vk3dp5vk7i]

WHAT A GOOD FOOTAGE😭😭😭 Could you tell me what BGM it is? It's very touching

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you!! Yeah this BGM totally hit me when I found it at EpidemicSound. Unfortunately I can't remember the name though... will let you know if I manage to find it again!

[@skeyboardi]

Found it!! It's Forest Canvas by Elm Lake. Enjoy :)

[@user-vk3dp5vk7i]

@@skeyboardi Thank you👍

[@FLASHAHOLIC_TV]

Does your 16mm lens focus hunt pretty badly when the scene gets really dim? Also I think the over saturation in HLG3 is so when the HDR brightens the image the colour doesn't get washed out

[@skeyboardi]

Hmm, I don't remember having any issue with the 16mm. It's been a while since I've graded anything, but I remember HLG3 being quite unsaturated like an easier slog. I probably added a little bit of saturation when grading this in SDR but it's been a couple of years, I could be be remembering wrong.

[@momorehan2259]

you think HLG2 or 1 would be better than HLG3 as far as noise performance goes?

[@skeyboardi]

Hi, unfortunately I've yet to try HLG 1 or 2. I settled with HLG3 because everyone seems to be recommending it on KZbin when I first purchased the camera. Wish I could give a better answer than this, sorry!

[@micahmayfield]

I can't seem to pull any results like this on my a6400. My footage comes out extremely soft and grainy. Granted I have the kit lense. But I don't come anywhere CLOSE to this. Any tips?

[@skeyboardi]

Hi! The kit lens is very far behind in terms of sharpness and light performance, especially when comparing to one of the sharpest and fastest apsc lens available at the moment. f3.5 lets in almost 3 stops less light than the f1.4 that the Sigma has, which would mean a higher, granier iso level required. What I can recommend is to use a lighter HLG profile that performs better in low light, HLG1 has the least amount of noise while HLG3 has the highest amount. Alternatively, you can skip using HLG profiles entirely and use Cine4, it is more forgiving and performs quite a bit better in low light if I'm not wrong :)

[@TalhaShaikhani]

What ISO were you shooting at? and are you using "High ISO" NR feature in camera?

[@skeyboardi]

Hi, I don't recall fiddling with any NR features. I believe the ISO used ranged from 400 to around 1600.

[@cesarneri7308]

I got bought the camera and the lens, but would like to know how you set the settings in the camera, thanks.

[@skeyboardi]

Hi, my settings were as below All scenes were shot in 24fps 1/50 shutter speed :) lens wide open at f1.4 PP10 Black Level = 0 Gamma = HLG3 Black Gamma Range = Middle Knee = Manual = Point 100% = Slope +5 Colour Mode = BT.2020 Saturation = -7 Colour Phase = 7 Colour Depth = All 0 Detal = (4K -5) (1080p 0)

[@FLASHAHOLIC_TV]

@@skeyboardi Those settings make a huge difference to colour accuracy over the default settings! How come you didn't convert & upload it as 10bit to see HDR playback?

[@skeyboardi]

@@FLASHAHOLIC_TV Hey, the colour profile was converted to SDR for editing in Davinci Resolve. It's been a while but as much as I can remember, HLG3 has a pretty narrow dynamic range even though it's considered HDR since it's still 8 bit. It's still no match for 10 bit cameras like BMPCC and stuff.

[@FLASHAHOLIC_TV]

@Leeyo DS doesn't HLG look ok in resolve? HLG is designed to playback as SDR on non HDR devices. I can view it fine in Filmora. It just doesn't export as 10bit sadly.

[@skeyboardi]

@@FLASHAHOLIC_TV Yup HLG looks fine in resolve, but there was a way to get it looking quite flat like slog by colour managing in settings. That was in Resolve 15 or 16, it seems different now in 18 so I'm not sure how I would do it, sorry.

[@ArifNiza_art]

Nice video broo. Could you please give detail of setting. Shutter speed Iso and F.

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you! F1.4 FPS = 24 Shutter Speed = 1/50 (Double your FPS) ISO = Can't remember but should be 400-1000ish depending on scene

[@ArifNiza_art]

@@skeyboardi thanks friends. I will try for the new year fireworks.

[@skeyboardi]

@@ArifNiza_art you're welcome! Fireworks will be a lot brighter especially if you're nearby. Becareful not to overexpose and maybe drop the f.stop down a little bit to around 1.8 or 2 for better overall sharpness and to keep everything in focus. Good luck! :)

[@ArifNiza_art]

@@skeyboardi yes.... Good. How about profile picture? Use HLG?

[@skeyboardi]

@@ArifNiza_art yes HLG will be fine

[@aaroncapua1712]

This is really detailed shot! may I know your settings used?

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you, Aaron! My HLG3 details for this video are as below PP10 Black Level = 0 Gamma = HLG3 Black Gamma Range = Middle Knee = Manual = Point 100% = Slope +5 Colour Mode = BT.2020 Saturation = -7 Colour Phase = 7 Colour Depth = All 0 Detal = (4K -5) (1080p 0)

[@lbdizzzle]

@@skeyboardi What ISO are you shooting with this? Beautiful shots btw!

[@skeyboardi]

@@lbdizzzle Thank you. IIRC it was 400-800 ISO for this.

[@mitchcoull6290]

@@skeyboardi are you doing a 1/50 shutter, bro? Or did you take it down to 1/30?

[@skeyboardi]

@@mitchcoull6290 1/50 :)

[@kokwai1989]

This is amazing video !!! Mind to share u hlg 3 setting ?

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you! Will get back to you once I've checked my settings. :)

[@kokwai1989]

Leeyo DS ok wait for u

[@skeyboardi]

@@kokwai1989 sorry for the wait. My HLG3 profile is as below. PP10 Black Level = 0 Gamma = HLG3 Black Gamma Range = Middle Knee = Manual = Point 100% = Slope +5 Colour Mode = BT.2020 Saturation = -7 Colour Phase = 7 Colour Depth = All 0 Detal = (4K -5) (1080p 0) Hope this helps, have a great EOY :)

[@kokwai1989]

Leeyo DS bro which focus mode you are using ?

[@skeyboardi]

@@kokwai1989 hey bro, I'm using AF-C

[@jensonfu7138]

Hi sir i have a question about the sony a6400 I was searching for my first camera purchase. The price range was about $1000 below Do you have any other camera at that price range which can compete with the sony a6400? I was kindda worry about the rolling shutter issue, If i was shooting with handheld/ tripod with 1080p will there'll be like jelly footage? The camera i'll be using it was for my personal use only. And to record my dance video Thanks 😊🙏🏻

[@TheJigFreak]

that's it! i'm sellling my a7s2 for this combo! ... or is there any equivalent lens for the A7s2? cheers...

[@skeyboardi]

You could have a look at the sigma art series which are their FE lenses. They're really sharp too from what I hear. Quite a bit more expensive though. Alternatively you can still use these apsc lenses on your full frame but in crop mode.

[@TheJigFreak]

@@skeyboardi thanx for the tips! Keep up the vids... subbed 😁

[@teacherliew985]

What iso did u used？it is clean and nice

[@skeyboardi]

Hi, I can't remember for sure but I think it was around 400 to 1000.

[@HayAxelCruz]

Now im decided to buy the a6400 with the kit lenses 16-50mm for $940.. is it a good price? Or should i wait ?

[@skeyboardi]

Hello! That sounds like a pretty decent price in my country if it's brand new. The price also varies depending on which country you're in so you'll have to research on that.

[@HayAxelCruz]

Leeyo DS yeah, its on sale now, but i’ve been watching some videos of the Fujifilm X-T30 do you think that ones better or do I get the a6400 now?

[@skeyboardi]

@@HayAxelCruz hmm... I'm not familiar with the xt30 but I just checked it out. Seems like a strong competitor against the a6400 but Sony's tracking is quite unbeatable IMO. Also the a6400 has no record duration limit while the xt30 has a pretty short limit. Am not sure about the lens selection though.

[@gigaraga]

How stable is the footage if stabilisation wasn't applied in post? The A6400 + Sigma 16 f1.4 don't have sort of optical stabilisation so I worry that if used on a gimbal it won't be as smooth as say if I used an A6600 with IBIS and a gimbal.

[@skeyboardi]

Still pretty smooth without post stabilisation. I've heard different opinions regarding ibis/ois and gimbals. Some say they counter one another, giving undesireable effects while some say they work well together. I think it depends on the gear and camera movements.

[@gigaraga]

Awesome, thanks for the reply!

[@mendiastudio]

That is how you sell a product

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you

[@Akshitguleria7]

Does the sigma 30 mm f1.4 have the same quality of sharpness?

[@skeyboardi]

Yup it's equally sharp. Same goes for the 56mm :)

[@alfitosaurus]

@@skeyboardi how bout the sony 35 mm f1.8?

[@skeyboardi]

@@alfitosaurus sorry but I'm not sure about that lens 🙁

[@alfitosaurus]

@@skeyboardi owkay, thanks bro! nice video btw~ 😁

[@skeyboardi]

@@alfitosaurus thanks!! Appreciate it :)

[@skills_hd]

the objects that are bein captured with the camera, are already lit, so its goin to look good, any other camera n lens will look like this, if the camera was shooting people instead, it wouldnt look good unless they were lit, technically this is not exactly low light shooting

[@ardiyanto.t]

This link to pleasure you.. m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4esfoeNlqehras

[@Akshitguleria7]

Still no noise though

[@SamiKhanvlog]

I have a6400, and same 1.4 16mm lens. But i still get noise. Do you think using Picture Profile HLG3 has some effect of managing noise? I mean how you managed noise without using any NR plugin

[@skeyboardi]

Hi, at 24 fps, 1/50 shutter speed, you should be able to get quite a large amount of light into the sensor without needing to bump the ISO too high. I film all my videos at 24fps 1/50 unless slow motion is required. If I remember correctly, HLG3 is supposed to have more noise than HLG2 (not sure about HLG1).

[@SamiKhanvlog]

@@skeyboardi Thanks for your prompt response. You are absolutely right. I was making a mistake of shooting at 120fps. Did you ever shoot at 120fps at night? Secondly, HLG3 will work great in day time shooting too?

[@skeyboardi]

@@SamiKhanvlog Glad to be able to help! I try to avoid doing 120fps at night due to noise reasons but if your subject is well lit then it should turn out decent. There's also Neat Video (NR plugin) that seems to be quite powerful but I've yet to purchase it to give an honest opinion on it.

[@skeyboardi]

@@SamiKhanvlog Oh and yes, HLG3 is perfect for day time shooting!

[@SamiKhanvlog]

@@skeyboardi Thanks much appreciated

[@wsw0522]

I took a few stops of camera exposure.??😍

[@skeyboardi]

Hello! I don't really understand you but thank you! ^^

[@wsw0522]

Exposure over 0 +3+7+10?How many pictures do you want?

[@skeyboardi]

@@wsw0522 exposure was maybe -0.5 to 0 as I had to control the lights to not overexpose them.

[@donteventrip1209]

Whats your ig bro these shots are dope

[@skeyboardi]

Thanks bro, my IG is currently empty and sort of inactive but here it is @desoulej

[@martinjrgensen8377]

What iso is this?

[@skeyboardi]

Hello! The ISO range used should have been between 400 - 1600 if I recall correctly.

[@martinjrgensen8377]

Awesome, very well made 👌 makes me more excited i just ordered the a6400 and the 16mm 1.4 sigma 🤩

[@skeyboardi]

@@martinjrgensen8377 Thank you! You won't regret it. The a6400 paired with the 16mm sigma is a compact powerhouse for both photos and videos.

[@WargodFilms]

LOOKS GOOD JUST DIAL DOWN YOUR SHARPING A BIT

[@skeyboardi]

Thank you! Appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately I don't have a 4k monitor so it's a little bit hard for me to tell how the actual 4k looks like.

[@WargodFilms]

@@skeyboardi no worries understandable you still put out great content just thought I would let you know.