Adam_Weinberg

This list inspired me to revisit Sony's A6000 as I noticed it not only gained XAVC-S with a recent firmware update but also just dropped significantly in price - a $400 24MP camera with XAVC-S that can become full frame with a speed booster has perked my interest.

Looking into this camera now I noticed something interesting: Andrew, your first A6000 post with footage (http://www.eoshd.com/2014/04/surprise-sony-alpha-a6000-video-mode-huge-improvement/) has a downloadable AVCHD clip straight from the card that you were initially impressed with .. this short clip looks infinitely better than any other clip i've seen shot with this camera (resolution / color / codec), INCLUDING future A6000 footage you posted when you became less happy with the camera's image.. I can't seem to figure out why.

Did you have a pre-production camera that was somehow higher quality? I'm baffled. When I initially saw the footage in the above link I was sold on the A6000 for $400 thinking it could be a great B-cam to my A7S.. and then I saw every other clip out there shot with it.....

i purchased a Viltrox EF-NEX II adapter based on Matthew Allards recommendation - this is a fraction of the cost and performs consistently BETTER THAN (at least in terms of autofocus) the Metabones equivalent. i tested both side by side.. returning the Metabones.

i'm wondering if there is a consensus yet as to whether the A7S's video quality is clearly superior in crop mode vs. full frame - i've been looking for a thorough test but haven't come across any.

from what i've observed it seems as though the crop mode is slightly more detailed while being slightly noisier, but it has been hard to judge based on compressed uploads. would love if someone could confirm or debunk this.

i ask because i'm trying to determine whether or not it makes more sense to get a speed booster for use in crop mode or a standard EF to NEX to use in full frame mode - quality is far more important to me than rolling shutter issues as i will mostly be using the A7S as a locked down camera.

also wondering if it's consistent between video mode and stills mode.

any tips would be greatly appreciated!

i really hope andrew is writing one.

Yes the A7s is hard to judge exposure with. I found using zebras is the best way to protect the highlights. If you set them at 100 IRE and you see them adjust your exposure a little until they are gone. 

 

The histogram works from left to right as opposed to a waveform.

You will know if you're clipping when a straight line on the right starts creeping up. same goes with crushing the blacks but on the left.I cant upload an image so >here is a link 

erik - damn, i somehow completely forgot it had zebras - have only had a few hours so far to shoot with mine! good call, thanks. and right, i know how to read a histogram i just find the A7S's lacking, especially in S-LOG. it's too tiny and imprecise to see if it's beginning to bunch up.

I've shot a fair amount of test footage, and ETTR by +1 always seems to give me the best images. I've never had an issue with getting a reading?

 

( I know it sounds silly, I'm coming from shooting on  5d mk3 and always used the histogram for exposure. I tried that approach with the A7s and everything I shot looked horrible. As soon as switched to ETTR +1, the a7s finally became the camera i wanted it to be.)

hmm.. is it even possible to use the ETTR +1 method without an external monitor with a histogram? the internal histogram is a joke, particularly in S-LOG2 where there isn't even a line to indicate clipping! seems like pretty poor implementation to me.. also seems tricky to me to get a spot on exposure in S-LOG without an external monitor. but if anyone has any tips or i'm overlooking anything, i would love to hear it!