This is another one from Social Media and it the same question gets asked a lot. The short answer is…………
NO.
Even with Sony’s earlier S-Log3 cameras you didn’t need to ALWAYS over expose. When shooting a very bright well lit scene you could get great results without shooting extra bright. But the previous generations of Sony cameras (FS5/FS7/F5/F55 etc) were much more noisy than the current cameras. So, to get a reasonably noise free image it was normal to expose a bit brighter than the base Sony recommendation, my own preference was to shoot between 1 and 1.5 stops brighter than the Sony recommended levels (click here for the F5/F55, here for the FS7 and here for the FS5).
The latest cameras (FX30, FX3, FX6, FX9 etc) are not nearly as noisy, so for most shots you don’t need to expose extra bright, just expose well (by this I mean exposing correctly for the scene being shot). This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t expose brighter or darker if you understand how to use a brighter/darker exposure to shift your overall range up and down, perhaps exposing brighter when you want more shadow information and les noise at the expense of some highlight range or exposing darker when you must have more highlight information but can live with a bit more noise and less shadow range.
What I would say is that exposure consistency is very important. If you constantly expose to the right so every shot is near to clipping then your exposure becomes driven by the highlights in the shot rather than the all important mid range where faces, skin tones, plants and foliage etc live. As the gap between highlights and the mids varies greatly exposure based on highlights tends to result in footage where the mid range is up and down and all over the place from shot to shot and this makes grading more challenging as every shot needs a unique grade. Base the exposure on the mid range and shot to shot you will be more consistent and grading will be easier.
This is where the CineEI function really comes into its own as by choosing the most appropriate EI for the type of scene you are shooting and the level of noise you are comfortable with and basing the exposure off the image via the built in LUT will help with consistency (you could even use a light meter set to the ISO that matches the EI setting). Lower EI for scenes where you need more shadow range or less noise, higher EI for scenes where you must have a greater highlight range. And there is no -“One Fits All” setting, it depends on what you are shooting. This is the real skill, using the most appropriate exposure for the scene you are shooting (see here for CineEI with the FX6 and with the FX9)
So how do you get that skill? Experiment for yourself. No one was born knowing exactly how to expose Log, it is a skill learnt through practice and experimentation, making mistakes and learning from them. In addition different people and different clients will be happy with different noise levels. There is no right or wrong amount of noise. Footage with no noise often looks very sterile and lifeless, but that might be what is needed for a corporate shoot. A small to medium amount of noise can look great if you want a more film like look. A large amount of noise might give a grungy look for a music video. Grading also plays a part here as how much contrast you push into the grade alters the way the noise looks and how pleasing or objectionable it might be.
All anyone on here can do is provide some guidance, but really you need to determine what works for you, so go out and shoot at different EI’s or ISO’s, different brightness levels, slate each shot so you know what you did. Then grade it, look at it on a decent sized monitor and pick the exposure that works for you and the kinds of things you shoot – but then also remember different scenes may need a different approach.
Switching base ISO mid recording in Cine-EI is causing some metadata issues in Resolve and perhaps other applications, so I strongly recommend you do not switch the base ISO mid shot.
DaVinci Resolve now reads the metadata from footage shot by the FX6 and FX9 in the Cine-EI mode to automatically add the correct exposure offset. So, shoot at 800 ISO base with the EI set to 200 and Resolve will add a -2 stop offset to the footage so that it looks the same as it did when you shot. Shoot at 800 ISO base and 3200 EI and again the correct +2 stop offset is applied.
However if you shoot at 800 base ISO, perhaps with 800 EI and then half way through the shot change the base ISO to high and 12,800 ISO, perhaps with 12,800 EI Resolve gets a bit confused. It will use the new base ISO but the original EI and as a result from the point where you switch base ISO the footage will look extremely under exposed.
So, if you must change the base ISO, it is better to stop recording, switch base and start recording again.
If you have just updated your FX6 firmware and are now finding that there is an exclamation mark ! next to the LUT or base look name what this is telling you is that the LUT cannot be saved using the new Embedded LUT feature.
In previous firmware versions the camera used to save LUT’s internally using a format that would not be compatible with most edit or grading applications when saved in the cameras metadata as an embedded LUT. So, old LUTs loaded in previous firmware versions will show a ! before the LUT name. The LUT should still work, you just won’t be able to save it as an embedded LUT.
The only way to resolve this is to delete the LUT from the camera and then reload it from the original source. LUTs for the FX6 should be 33x cube LUTs.
Announced earlier in the year, Sony has now released their version 4 update for the FX6. This is a very nice upgrade for the camera adding several very useful features, some of which have been available on the FX30 and FX3 for some time.
I recommend you do this update, there is no need to go via version 3 if you are still on version 2, you can go direct to version 4.
Place the downloaded BODYDATA.DAT file on an SD card that you previously formatted in the camera. Do NOT put the file inside any other folder on the SD card then put the card in the lower of the cameras 2 SD card slots and from the full menu go to Maintenance/Version/Version Up. Like many of Sony’s camera firmware updates the camera will appear to stop functioning and the LCD screen will go blank during the update process, the only clue that it is actually progressing will be the flashing red LED next to the upper SD card slot. The update doesn’t take long, around 5 mins, but whatever you do don’t panic when you see the LCD go blank. Just wait for the update to complete at which point the camera will restart.
Benefits and Improvements
Adds support for Movie file names in the Camera ID + Reel# format
Adds a function that displays De-squeeze (2.0x, 1.3x) in the viewfinder and HDMI output
Adds support for Flexible ISO and Cine EI Quick in shooting mode:
Allows you to record S-Log3 content with exposure settings by adjusting the ISO sensitivity
Allows you to record at a base ISO setting the same as Cine EI, with the base ISO adjusted automatically in conjunction with EI value
When the shooting mode is set to Flexible ISO, Cine EI, or Cine EI Quick, adds support for recording a 3D LUT file to the same memory card with the base look used during shooting as the shooting data, at the same time
FLEXIBLE ISO
Flexible ISO allows you to shoot using S-Log3 while monitoring via a LUT, but it is NOT a CineEI or Exposure Index mode. In this mode when you raise the ISO above the base ISO of 800 or 12800 you actually add digital gain to the S-Log3 recordings, making them brighter (and noisier). The camera isn’t becoming more sensitive, this is just a gain increase (alternately you can add gain in post and the result is broadly similar). DO be aware that there can be a loss of dynamic range whenever you are shooting above the cameras base ISO. This will normally be a decrease in the highlight range. But, I would imagine that most people that are using this mode will be doing so because they don’t have enough light for 800 ISO. So, a loss of highlight range is perhaps unlikely to be an issue. As with CineEI you can monitor via a LUT and when exposing via the s709 LUT you should use the same levels as when shooting using CineEI (middle grey 44%, white card/white paper 78%, pale skin tones 60-65%).
CINE EI QUICK
This is the CineEI mode I use the most. It works the same as normal CineEI except in this mode the camera will automatically raise the base ISO to the high base ISO to 12800 ISO as you go above 2500 EI and then lower the base ISO back down to 800 ISO as you drop the EI below 3200 EI. I find this helps avoid ending up at a very high EI or very low EI (relative to the base ISO) by mistake and makes it quicker to work in changing light conditions.Â
EMBEDDED LUT
Enabling Embedded LUT (Full Menu/CineEI/Flex ISO Set/Embedded LUT File) allows the camera to save the LUT that you are using within the metadata on the SD card. This helps keep the footage and the LUT together in the same place which can assist post production ensure the correct LUT is used. Of course – when you do your back ups you need to make sure you copy the entire contents of the card (which is best practice anyway).
For some reason many people now believe that the only way you can shoot with S-Log3 is by “over exposing” and very often by as much as almost 2 stops (1.7 stops is often quoted).
When Sony introduced the original A7S, the FS5, F5, F55 and FS7 shooting S-Log3 with these cameras was a little tricky because the sensors were quite noisy when used at the relatively high base ISO’s of these cameras. When exposed according to Sony’s recommendation of 41% for middle grey and 61% for a white card the end result would be fairly noisy unless you added a good amount of post production noise reduction. As a result of this I typically recommended exposing these particular cameras between 1 and 2 stops brighter than the base level. If using the F5 or FS7 I would normally use 800EI which would lead to an exposure +1.3 stops brighter than base. This worked well with these cameras to help control the noise, but did mean a 1.3 stop loss of highlight range. In other examples I used to recommend exposing a white card at white at 70% which would equate to an exposure a touch over 1 stop brighter than the base level.
With the introduction of the original Venice camera and then the FX9 we got a new generation of much lower noise sensors with dual base ISO’s. It soon became clear to me that these new cameras didn’t normally need to be exposed more brightly than the Sony recommended levels when using their low base ISO’s and even at their high base ISO’s you can typically get perfectly acceptable results without shooting brighter, although sometimes a small amount of over exposure or a touch of noise reduction in pots might be beneficial. No longer needing to expose more brightly brought with it a useful increase in the usable highlight range, something the earlier cameras could struggle with.
Then the A7S3, FX6 and FX3 came along and again at the lower of their base ISO’s I don’t feel it is necessary to shoot extra bright. However at the 12,800 high base ISO there is a fair bit more noise. So I will typically shoot between 1 and 2 stops brighter at the high base ISO to help deal with the extra noise. On the FX6 and FX3 this normally means using between 6400 and 3200 EI depending on the scene being shot.
Even though I and many others no longer advocate the use of extra bright exposures at the lower base ISO’s with these newer cameras it really does surprise me how many people believe it is still necessary to shoot up to 2 stops over. It’s really important to understand that shooting S-Log3 up to 2 stops over isn’t normal. It was just a way to get around the noise in the previous cameras and in most cases it is not necessary with the newer cameras.Â
Not having to shoot brighter means that you can now use the Viewfinder Display Gamma Assist function in the A7S3, A1 or the FX9 (for those times you can’t use a LUT) to judge your exposure with confidence that if it looks right, it most likely will be right. It also means that there is no longer any need to worry about offset LUT’s or trying to correct exposure in post before applying a LUT.
Of course, you can still expose brighter if you wish. Exposing brighter may still be beneficial in scenes with very large shadow areas or if you will be doing a lot of effects work. Or perhaps simply want an ultra low noise end result. But you shouldn’t be terrified of image noise. A little bit of noise is after all perfectly normal.
And one last thing: I don’t like the use of the term “over exposing” to describe shooting a bit brighter to help eliminate noise. If you have deliberately chosen to use a low EI value to obtain a brighter exposure or have decided to expose 1 stop brighter because you feel this will get you the end result you desire this is not (in my opinion) “over exposure”. Over exposure generally means an exposure that is too bright, perhaps a mistake. But when you deliberately shoot a bit brighter because this gets you to where you want to be this isn’t a mistake and it isn’t excessive, it is in fact the correct exposure choice.
Bright Tangerine are a UK manufacturer of very high quality camera accessories such as matte boxes, base plates etc. They are based not far from me and I have know them for many years. They also happen to be a sponsor of this site. They may not be a company that some of you have come across before as traditionally their products have been aimed at high end users of cameras such as Venice as well as the Arri and Red digital cinema cameras. But they are now producing some very nice products for lower cost cameras such as the Sony FX6.
Starting at the top of the camera we have a very nice top plate with an optional center section. The center section as well as the sides sections of the cheese plate are all Nato rail compatible and you can attach a Nato rail handle should you wish to use a different handle to the sony one. Like the majority of Bright Tangerine products the 1/4″ and 3/8″ holes are fitted with stainless steel inserts and are surrounded by holes to the Arri anti-rotate standard.Â
Optional top center nato rail section for the FX6Bright Tangerine top cheese plate for the FX6.
Moving to the side of the camera there is the option to attach a side plate to the top plate. This side plate provides plenty of mounting space for things like radio mics or timecode boxes. It is mounted sufficiently far from the side of the camera body that the SDi and HDMI connectors are still easily accessible but not so far out that it gets in the way with the handgrip.Â
Bright Tangerine side cheese plate for the FX6
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Viewfinder attachment and bracket.
Bright Tangerine make a very nice viewfinder bracket that replaces the Sony one as well as a support system for the LCD screen that eliminates the sagging issues that typically occurs if you want to add a loupe or magnifier to the LCD screen. The LCD bracket uses a clever folding nato rail design that makes it easy to move the mounting point forwards and backwards as well as up and down.Â
Bright Tangerine AXL Viewfinder bracket for the FX6AXL viewfinder bracket showing how it folds making it highly adjustable.
As well as attaching to the Sony handle the mount has an extra support piece that goes down to the Bright Tangerine top cheese plate. This extra support piece not on helps to support the LCD bracket but it also helps to stabilise the Sony handle.
An additional support bracket goes between the AXL and the Bright Tangerine top cheese plate.
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Viewfinder support System.
The viewfinder support system includes a frame that the LCD attaches to that has a fluid damped tilt mechanism. An easy to grip orange knob is used to adjust the tilt tension of the viewfinder.
The Bright Tangerine support system for the FX6 LCD.
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When supported by this bracket it is very easy to use an additional viewfinder magnifier or loupe. One of the nice features of the Bright Tangerine FX6 viewfinder support is that it still allows the LCD to be folded flat against the side of the camera when it is not in use.
Left Field Base Plate.
Moving to the bottom of the camera and we have the Bright Tangerine Left Field base plate system. This is quite different to most other base plates. It doesn’t use a VCT plate and as a result it doesn’t suffer from the almost inevitable slight play and wobble that comes with most VCT based systems (perhaps the only exception to this is the Chrosziel QuickLok plate). Instead of using a VCT plate it mates with a standard sized Arri dovetail plate or with Bright Tangerines own light weight dovetail plates.
Bright Tangerine Left Field Base Plate
The Left Field has a very secure clamping system that uses a single lever to clamp and release the plate from the dovetail quickly and easily. When releasing there is an initial lock catch that is released to open the latch and at that point the base can be slid along a normal dovetail plate but won’t lift off or fall off it. To fully release there is a second push button at the base of the release lever that allows the clamp to be completely released and then the camera just lifts off the dovetail.
Left Field release catch.
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Once you have used it a couple of times you can release the camera in one single motion by pressing the release button as you open the catch. But it can’t accidentally come undone. To attach the camera to a dovetail you simply slot it on to the far side of the dovetail, and then close the catch, it’s very quick and very easy. The Left Field system creates a very low profile, very stable mounting platform for you camera. Being low profile, when using a tripod it keeps the cameras center of gravity lower allowing you to use less counterbalance and keeps the lens closer to the tilt pivot point.
If you want to add a shoulder pad, one of Bright Tangerines very clever Kasbah pads can be attached to the back of the plate via a quick release bracket. The Kasbah pad is constructed out of a special material that allows the internal structure to be varied to allow for differing levels of firmness across the pad. This makes it very comfortable while offering very stable shoulder support.
BUTÂ when the Kasbah pad is mounted to the rear of the very low profile Left Field it won’t then go on to a normal dovetail as the pad gets in the way. So, you have 2 options. One is to only mount the shoulder pad under the Left Field as and when you need it. The top of the Kasbah pad has a small Arri dovetail so it is very quick to attach to the Left Field. The other option is to use a small riser that raises the Left Field and shoulder pad clear of the dovetail.
Left Field base plate with Kasbah shoulder pad and riser on a full size Arri style dovetail.
One of the great things about the Left Field system is that should you ever change camera all you need to replace is a small mounting adapter that inserts into the top of the Left Field base plate. These means the same Left Field can be used with many cameras, protecting your investment.
A replaceable insert allows the Left Field to be used with a wide range of different cameras.
I really like the bright Tangerine products. They are a little bit different, quirky perhaps. But it’s only by thinking outside of the box that we get new products that really do work. So, if you are looking for a cheese plate, base plate or LCD support system for your FX6 do at least take a looks at their offerings.
I have updated my guide to the FX6’s CineEI mode to ensure it is up to date and compatible with any changes introduced in the Version 3 firmware update. The revised and updated guide includes new graphics that I hope will make the CineEI mode easier to understand for those completely new to shooting S-Log3 and the Sony FX6. Â
If you are struggling to get to grips with CineEI in the guide I take a step by step approach to using S-Log3 on it’s own without any LUT’s or EI offsets, then introducing the s709 LUT at the base EI and then show how you use different EI levels to offset you exposure. There are suggested exposure levels for both white and grey cards as well as skin tones.
Have you ever struggled to get a decent white balance from a white or grey card with the Sony FX6, FX9 or in fact many other cameras (this method works equally well for the FS7, FS5, F5 and F55 etc)? Well here is a very simple trick that can really help, especially for those situations where the camera is a long way from the scene and a white card is too small in the frame for an accurate reading.
All you need to do is to cut a square hole in a piece of black card or plastic. Then when you want to take your white balance simply hold the mask in front of the lens so that it masks out the background of the shot leaving just your white card visible. It’s really simple, really easy and it really works!Â
It’s Black Friday, so here is my Black Friday offer – a new free LUT.
Solitude is a new free LUT for any Sony camera that shoots using S-Log3 and SGamut3.cine. This is the second in a series of 3 free LUTs that I am releasing between now and Christmas. The first was Elixir which gives a rich film like look. Solitude is closely related to Elixir but gives a cooler more metalic look. I believe it is suitable for gritty drama or anything needing a cooler less warm look. To see my free LUT collection and to download any of my free LUTs including both Elixir and Solitude follow this link – https://www.xdcam-user.com/picture-settings-and-luts/alisters-free-luts/
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