Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

HDR-FX1000 / HVR-Z5 (2008). HVR-Z7 / HVR-S270 (2007). HDR-FX7 / HVR-V1 (2006). HDR-FX1 / HVR-Z1 (2004).
lee
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Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by lee »

Hi everyone

My shutter speed, iris/gain stay or unchange when I switch to EXPOSURE mode.

I moved the switch at the back to manual, f stop, gain and shutter speed shown LCD has letter A next to them which I believe that the camera is in auto mode and I can also change gain and shutter speed in this mode. When I pressed the EPOSURE/IRIS button letter E appears next to f number and Gain (exposure mode) but f stop, gain and shutter speed some how remain unchanged, it stay the same as it was in auto mode. As I understood the shutter speed should be fixed to 60 in exposure mode and I can only change iris/gain with exposure/iris dial. I have already assigned this dial to EXPOSURE/IRIS in menu setting.

What have I done wrong here and how could I get out of this setting ?

Any advice would be grateful.

Thank you
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Stephan
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by Stephan »

Hi, welcome!

That's the purpose of the EXPOSURE button: to lock your exposure exactly as is, and then with the front dial you can shift exposure to brighter or darker. I use it a lot, but just for that: I wait until auto exposure is about right, then lock it as is so that I can reframe the shot at will while keeping a consistent exposure throughout the shot.

I don't have my cam with me (currently on travel), but as I understand you wish to override shutter speed when in EXPOSURE mode, I seem to recall you need to do it beforehand. While in auto mode (letter A next to all numbers), depress the shutter speed button and use the backside dial to adjust it as desired. The other parameters (iris, gain) will adjust in consequence. Then switch to EXPOSURE mode.
lee
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by lee »

Thank you for prompt reply and welcoming me to this forum.
I thought I’ve done something wrong that make these values unchanged.
I have read your Tutorial for the past 3 weeks and i like the idea to use auto mode to get exposure approximately right then lock it with Exposure/iris button, but sometime the shutter speed is too high which I have to set it first (plus using ND filter) while in auto mode like you mentioned. What I need to do now is to cap the iris value at about 9 or 12dB, I already set iris limit to 5.6.
I also bought Steve Mullen’s hand book as suggested and enjoy reading /playing with this camera.
I think that there is more to learn or setting in a Nikon D300 than the Sony FX7 camcorder which is not so bad when read the Tutorial/handbook. I like using manual mode as I got used to my old F3 SLR.
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Doughie
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by Doughie »

lee wrote:Thank you for prompt reply and welcoming me to this forum.
May i add my welcome to you too Lee.
lee wrote:I like using manual mode as I got used to my old F3 SLR.
Aha the F3 was *the* top-end SLR as used by almost every Pro when i started learning about photography etc a long time ago. A legendary camera for sure.
If you have questions on D300 i may be able to help - i have D90 and its very similar functionally.

The other Moderator, acgold7, has an FX7 and is very experienced with that model.
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by acgold7 »

Lee, welcome to the forum.

The FX7 is a great machine -- I still have two of them and love them dearly, although I have largely moved to tapeless models.

I have some questions about your posts and would like to try to clear up some confusion I think I'm seeing -- or I am misunderstanding what is written.

First, the Iris/Exposure switch is only to tell the cam what it is you which to adjust by turning the little wheel below it, either the iris alone (in which case the other parameters will adjust themselves to compensate if you are in Auto mode) or the overall exposure (in which case they won't). In no case does this lock anything.

To lock the exposure parameters (Iris, gain, shutter) you use the Auto Lock switch. In the top position all parameters are locked on Auto. In the middle position all are still on Auto but are free to go into manual if you choose -- you put them into manual by touching the Shutter Speed, Gain and White Balance buttons and by switching the Exposure/Iris switch to Iris. When the right parameter is highlighted then you adjust by using the wheel on the back or on the front side. You can tell if these settings are in manual mode, as Stephen says, by the fact that the little A next to the numbers in your VF or LCD are gone. If you are not seeing all the data in your LCD of VF you can turn it on in the settings.

You cannot independently adjust shutter shutter speed while in Auto mode. You must be in Manual. If you touch the Shutter speed button in Auto Mode you'll get an INVALID message in the LCD.

More importantly, you would never, ever want to do this anyway. It will cause a very noticeable and unpleasant change in your shots that cannot be rectified in post. Shutter speed is absolutely the last variable that should ever be changed, and then only for specific artistic reasons, because it changes the flow and motion of all your action. That's the reason the firmware changes it it in the cam only after all other parameters have changed as much as possible. For the most natural motion always leave your Shutter locked on 50 (60 in the States).

If you are concerned with your exposure changing during the shot -- not really an issue most of the time but some people are concerned about it, especially during pans -- then let Auto set your exposure before you begin your shot, then lock it into Manual, then press Record. Do this every time.

Lastly, I think you mean you are going to cap your gain to 9 or 12 dB, not your iris. I recommend this. Use AGC LIMIT to do this. Your choices are really only 6 or 12 dB. (Your other choices are 0, which is none, or 18, which is the same as no limit.) One of the few flaws on the FX7 is its low-light performance and its tendency to gain up unnecessarily, introducing a lot of noise.
Adam
lee
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by lee »

Thank you acgold7

I know after I moved the switch from Auto lock to middle, I can change iris, gain or shutter speed when letter A shown next to those values. I thought if I press exposure/iris button while still in this position the shutter speed should automatically change to 50 or 60 but it didn’t, so I have to change it to 50 while in Auto mode then press the exposure/iris button, leaving me just the iris/gain to deal with then lock my setting by moving the switch to Hold position.

As for Gain value, I have not yet look into it, thank you for your info on that.
Yes, you are correct i mistakenly said iris instead of gian.
I got my FX7 about 2 yrs ago but never have time to use it properly. I like the Expanded Focus in black and white mode, the image is much better to see (sharpness) when in manual focus.



English is my second language so please be patience with my question.

Many thanks
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Stephan
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by Stephan »

acgold7 wrote:First, the Iris/Exposure switch is only to tell the cam what it is you which to adjust by turning the little wheel below it, either the iris alone (in which case the other parameters will adjust themselves to compensate if you are in Auto mode) or the overall exposure (in which case they won't). In no case does this lock anything.

To lock the exposure parameters (Iris, gain, shutter) you use the Auto Lock switch.
Hey Adam, I don't follow you here. That's strange - it seems we've had very different ways of using that cam. I've never used the auto/manual/hold switch, actually I can't recall what position it was - probably Auto. What I do know is, I can override shutter speed while in Auto, and then as I switch to Exposure mode, all 3 parameters really are locked (without touching the 3-way switch) provided I don't touch that wheel.

And why I do this, it's not about panning, it's about zooming and taking cut-aways. This way I can insert cut-aways and close-ups that look consistent and don't require shot-matching / color correction in post. It was a main concern with my HC3 and critically required, but true enough not so often a concern with the FX7 which doesn't overexpose as much.
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by acgold7 »

lee wrote:I know after I moved the switch from Auto lock to middle, I can change iris, gain or shutter speed when letter A shown next to those values.
You can only change those values when the letter A is NOT shown next to them.
Stephan wrote: I can override shutter speed while in Auto, and then as I switch to Exposure mode, all 3 parameters really are locked (without touching the 3-way switch) provided I don't touch that wheel.
Interesting. Not on my cam. You can't do a thing in Auto mode with either the E/I button or the SS button. You get an error message. In the middle position, sure, you can do anything you want. But in the upper, Auto Lock position? Nothing. Curious.

Edit: Okay, I've just done what I should have done in the beginning and actually read the manual again, and I am totally wrong, or at least confused, about what the Exposure/Iris button does. The manual makes it sound like It has nothing at all to do with actual exposure when in Exposure mode, only screen brightness. At least that's how page 32 of the FX7E manual makes it sound. Guys, take a careful read of the many sentences that refer only to the display screen in exposure mode and tell me what you think.

So I now understand your issue. When in Exposure mode, the shutter speed remains fixed no matter what you do. The dial controls iris until you are wide open and then it moves the gain. The Gain and Shutter buttons are inactive. It may in fact control actual exposure but the manual sure makes it sound like it only controls the display.

In Iris mode you may control all these variables independently and they won't move in response to the others unless you tell them to if you've switched each out of Auto mode.

Page 32 explains this thoroughly. This is probably what you both were saying earlier and I misunderstood. Apologies.

By the way, you can assign AE SHIFT to this dial as well, which may be the most useful application of all.
Adam
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Stephan
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by Stephan »

Indeed, I believe I've been using the center switch position. And in the manual, display / screen brightness refers to exposure (awkward) with no relation to the cam's LCD.
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Re: Need help in Exposure mode for Sony FX7

Post by acgold7 »

Okay, then it is awkward. But in thinking about it, if you assign AE SHIFT to this dial, that is what I thought EXPOSURE actually did: make your picture darker or lighter overall when in AUTO mode. Pretty useful.

One reason I was a little ignorant about the details of this is I've never had it out of IRIS mode in all the years I've had the cam.

Glad we cleared this up and I hoped we helped Lee a little.
Adam
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