Frame Rate: Selects the shooting frame rate. choose between tiles or a tiled front page when accessing the MENU or a linear tab style menu layout. AVCHD: Records HD movies in the AVCHD format. This is used for synchronization of video in post production. The Fn (Function) button is a very useful button that you will be using a lot to make quick changes to the most important camera settings such as ISO, White Balance, Drive and Focus modes, etc. Touch Shutter: When you shoot using the monitor, the camera automatically focuses on the point you touch and shoots a still image. RAW images recorded with this camera have a resolution of 14 bits per pixel. You can bookmark this page and simply refer back to it or continue reading whenever you feel like it. The Sony A6400 is an APS-C mirrorless camera, slotting in below the Alpha A6500 in the range, and replacing the Alpha A6300. Shifting Black Level in the minus direction emphasizes the black color in the image, while changing the level in the plus direction weakens the black color. In such cases, you can adjust the amount of detail processing on the noise particles by using the [Crispening] function. Using an external flash is helpful when shooting weddings and dimly-lit subject matter, You can use your main flash to light the subject, and your external flash to light the background. Bulb is the mode used to shoot a trailing picture of a subject’s’ movement with a long exposure time. Disadvantages: in general heavier and more expensive. I have it set to 5 minutes, a good balance between usability and battery life. The camera is likely to latch on to a subject before you have identified which subject you would like to track. And if you put it against your body, the camera will indefinitely try to acquire focus. You can change the display quality from standard to high at the expense of shorter battery life. I usually leave Minimum ISO at 100, while setting Maximum ISO to 3200 – anything above ISO 3200 is too noisy for my taste. Standard: For shooting various scenes with rich gradation and beautiful colors. The A6400 is the latest in a long line of Sony A6000-series cameras. Notice of Limited Warranty Updates for Sony Electronics Inc. and Sony of Canada Ltd. End of support notification for products using the Windows XP operating system. I don’t care for or use these, but if you are planning to transfer images to your smartphone from the camera, this is where you would do it all from. Think light trails from cars, or fireworks. Select an image and expand a portion of that picture. Turn the digital zoom functionality on or off. I have not tried this (as my iPhone does not have NFC), but it looks a lot easier to use. When Right/Left Eye Select is set to Auto, you can temporarily switch the eye to be detected by pressing the custom key to which you have assigned the Switch Right/Left Eye function. Selects what will happen when you connect your Sony A6400 to your PC or MAC. If you accidentally perform the pairing operation on the smartphone setting screen in step 1, cancel the pairing and then perform the pairing operation by following Steps 2 through 7 using the camera and the application PlayMemories Mobile.). Wide means your picture will cover a larger area. TC Run: Sets the count up format for the time code. Shoots night scene portraits using the flash. Sets whether the grid line is displayed or not. Do you want to take a single picture when you press the shutter button or multiple images? If you are not planning to do that, it might be best to keep “Airplane Mode: On” to save battery life. Setting Effect ON (default setting and Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, Sweep Panorama, Movie or Scene Selection): Displays Live View in conditions close to what your picture will look like as a result of applying all your settings. This balance variation may cause the black color in the subject to appear different when cameras are switched. Pop up the flash manually before shooting. Sets whether to focus with higher priority on faces registered using Face Registration when Face Priority in AF]is set to On. You can edit these different styles and save your own creative style if you want. The basic contrast and coloring are defined by the combination of Gamma (gamma curve) and Color Mode (color characteristics) settings. The grid line will help you to adjust the composition of images. Partial Color: Creates an image which retains a specific color, but converts others to black and white. When in Superior Auto, the Sony A6400 takes multiple images and combines them into one (jpeg only). Flash Comp: 0.0 White Balance: AWB (Auto White Balance) Creative Style: Standard. The go-to mode if you can’t shoot fast-moving subjects, by manually adjusting the shutter speed. This shortens the time lag between shutter releases. Press the MOVIE (movie) button to start recording. UB Time Rec: Sets whether or not to record the time as a user bit. Select whether you want the camera to rotate images automatically when you rotate the camera or not. I have an issue with focusing. Disadvantage: ISO range is fixed to 50-6400 (you can’t change the range). As you probably know, you can change the angle of the monitor and shoot images while watching the monitor. I find this very annoying, so I turned it off. It comes as a kit with the small and weightless do-everything 18-13… As explained in our aperture priority mode article, Spencer and I usually choose Apertuire Priority over other camera modes, since it gives us control over lens aperture and the camera does the rest of the exposure calculation work, which works really well in most cameras, including the Sony A6400. Wonderful book. This function enables the camera to give priority to faster shutter speeds with the disadvantage that you’ll go to higher ISO numbers more quickly. Peaking Level is a manual focusing aid which works when you have your Sony A6400 set to MF or DMF. Selects whether to focus automatically when you press the shutter button halfway down. Again, we will go over the custom button configuration further down below. Use the standard file naming system or a customizable one. Watch the Video The Gear Recently I picked up the Sony a6400 … PC Remote: Uses “Remote Camera Control” to control this product from the computer, including such functions as shooting and storing images on the computer. You can follow him on Instagram and Facebook. Allows you to shoot with preset settings according to the scene. This setting is selected when some grading work will be performed after recording. If set to Off, you won’t be able to engage the shutter when there is no SD card in the slot. These are only available when quality is set to Jpeg (Not in RAW). High Contrast Mono. Recommended Camera Menu Settings for Landscape Photography, Recommended Camera Settings for Portrait Photography. So my settings slant toward that usage. Shoots a moving subject at a fast shutter speed so that the subject looks as if it is standing still. AF w/ shutter: On – if you want to use the rear focus button and focus and recompose, set it to Off and use the button on the AF/MF dial on the back of the camera, as explained earlier. Yes the Sony A6400 has an electronic front curtain shutter! Fixes the exposure when you press the shutter button halfway down. Make a new folder for quickly organizing events and locations. This way, the button is used purely for back-button focusing and can also be used to focus and recompose (although you don’t really need to do that anymore thanks to such superb focus point coverage). You can recall the settings using just the mode dial. To use the location information linking function of the Sony A6400, you need the PlayMemories Mobile application on your smartphone and transfer an image to your smartphone to test the connection, Confirm that the Bluetooth function of your smartphone is activated. Useful for checking details and focus. If you change the setting to Focus Point Link you will also need to set the metering Mode and the AF Area to Spot. Similar to its predecessor, the A6400 has many menu options, but there are some things that you can only control through external controls. I'd get the body-only at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield. This configuration starts AF once the EVF sensor has detected your eye near the viewfinder. Would you mind giving me some thoughts about differences between GX-9 and A6400? For details on how to set each method, refer to the instruction manual of the flash or the Wireless Radio Commander. Allows you to change the settings for the color, gradation, etc. It works just like connecting to any other access point with your phone or tablet. You can choose between 1 or 4 times magnification to check focus. Sets the initial magnification scale for  the Focus Magnifier functionality in the movie shooting mode. All you have to do is access the camera menu, as shown in the camera menu below, save your settings in one of the memory banks and you will be good to go. 60fps/50fps: Displays the subject at a normal frame rate on the viewfinder. Unlock: The front or rear dials are not locked, even if you press and hold the Fn (Function) button. Control Wheel (Center Button/Down Button/Left Button/Right Button). It is now possible to limit the choice of focus areas you have to cycle through to find the one you are looking for. Comp  – desired setting (Auto or Off). Pop Color: Creates a vivid look by emphasizing color tones. When you record audio movies with loud volumes, set Audio Rec Level to a lower sound level. I keep returning again and again to check on various settings along my “learning curve”. You can choose 3:2 (which uses the full sensor surface), 16:9 (crop but a more broad view) or 1:1 for Instagram. Superior Auto is similar to iAuto, as it also detects scenes automatically, except it uses more complex processing. TC Format: Sets the recording method for the time code. Auto: Establishes a Mass Storage or MTP connection automatically, depending on the computer or other USB devices to be connected. If the movie file size reaches approx. Continuously plays back images shot using interval shooting. The aperture is automatically adjusted to obtain proper exposure. Doing so enables you to record more realistic audio. Extract in the MENU system. You can operate this product and shoot images using the SHUTTER button, 2 SEC button (2-second delay shutter), and START/STOP button (or Movie button (RMT-DSLR2 only)) on the Wireless Remote Commander RMT-DSLR1 (sold separately) and RMT-DSLR2 (sold separately). Contrast: The higher the value selected, the more the difference of light and shadow is accentuated, and the bigger the effect on the image. Sets the direction of rotation for the front dial, rear dial, or control wheel when changing the aperture value or shutter speed. (only available when quality is set to Jpeg). The flash button (the one with flash icon) is a physical button that opens up the pop-up flash. This mode is suitable for shooting the subject while avoiding overexposure. It is always useful to try some of these, and can be a real boost for your creativity, as you will notice that you make different images in say black-and-white as opposed to colour. There are two extra buttons beneath the multi-functional navigation dial – Playback and C2 / Trash. You should do this as quickly as possible, just to get it out of the way. : Creates a high-contrast image in black and white. How good this will look relies heavily on the lens you’re using. The camera will start shooting after three seconds. MOVIE Button: Always – will record movie any time without going into Movie Mode. You can check your captured image on the screen directly after shooting. A panorama picture (only available in jpeg) is a composite of several images stitched together. Set to Auto, which adapts to the lighting circumstances or manually changes to your preferred setting. AF Point Only: If you switch to portrait mode, the A9 will automatically move the AF point in use up to align with your subject. Normal: Sets the AF drive speed to normal. Single Bracket: Shoots a specified number of images, one by one, each with a different degree of brightness. This works in conjunction with the Focus Magnifier found on this page too You might remember that you can select the area to magnify there when using manual focus (MF). These scenes are the same ones which can be selected individually in SCENE mode. See this as a more advanced iAuto mode, as you’ll be able to change all other settings through the touch screen (Focus area, creative style, exposure compensation,…); tip: lower the automatic ISO range to 100-1600 for better image quality (ISO-Auto range in MENU SYSTEM). If you register faces in advance, the product can detect the registered face as a priority when [Face Detection] is set to [On (Regist. I don’t make any adjustments here. Sets whether to save still images stored in both the camera and the computer during PC Remote shooting. Leven between -7 and +7. Similar to its predecessor, the A6400 is definitely “right-heavy” on the back, with almost all buttons located to the right of the camera LCD. Tip: if autofocus doesn’t seem to be working, check the lens barrel to see if the AF/MF slider is set to AF. Program Auto / Program Auto: Allows you to shoot with the exposure adjusted automatically (both the shutter speed and the aperture value). You could also set your camera to aperture priority, ISO 100 and the camera will set exposure time by itself. Because this affects all colors, it is difficult to make specific adjustments exactly as intended. PL provides various digital photography news, reviews, articles, tips, tutorials and guides to photographers of all levels, By Nasim Mansurov 6 CommentsLast Updated On August 2, 2019. When it is set to High, you can continue shooting even when the temperature of the camera gets hotter than normal. Movies with S-Log gamma are assumed to be processed after shooting in order to make use of the wide dynamic range. Standard: Shoots with standard auto white balance. Does not adjust the exposure when you press the shutter button halfway down. Focus Area: Flexible Spot: M. This mode works great for selective focusing. Display; HDMI Settings: TC Output (movie) HDMI Settings: REC Control (movie) HDMI Settings: CTRL FOR HDMI; USB Connection; USB LUN Setting; USB Power Supply; PC Remote Settings: Still Img. The temporary left/right selection is cancelled when you perform the following operations, etc. With this function, you can switch the focus area quickly according to the situation. If you have any questions or need extra information on any subject covered here, feel free to write something in the comments section below. Cine4: Stronger contrast than [Cine3] in darker image areas. Live view shows your images as they’ll appear out of the camera, with effects of the exposure compensation, white balance, Creative Style, or Picture Effect on the screen. This function prevents unintentional changes to the white balance during continuous shooting or when shooting with the shutter button pressed halfway down. In this step-by-step, you’ll learn all the hardware, and software settings, you need to convert your Sony a6400 into a Webcam. Allows you to shoot indoor shots without using the flash and reduces subject blur. When it is lit, the subject is in Focus and focus is locked. This function is useful when you want to move the focusing frame from one end to the other quickly. Bracket: Shoots images while holding the shutter button down, each with different degrees of brightness. touching the monitor. Setting folders by date will make organizing your images easier. (On or Off). Choose whether you want the image browser to display 12 (larger) or 30 (smaller) images per page. Windows 7 or Windows 8 computers are connected in MTP, and their unique functions are enabled for use. ISO: Set this one to “ISO Auto”, so that the camera chooses ISO automatically for you. When ISO Auto is used, the ISO value automatically changes to achieve the appropriate exposure using the aperture value and shutter speed you have set. Tutorials. Dial/Wheel Ev Comp: Wheel – since the lens aperture is controlled with the top dial, I like to use the rear dial for exposure compensation. I just bought one. 1) Camera Mode Dial and C1 / C2. MF Assist: On – a great feature that automatically zooms in when you move the focus ring in manual focus mode. Jim. Sets where in the world where you are using your camera. Sets whether to display the audio level on the screen. A new S&Q mode is Sony speak for Slow and Quick Motion, which is … Sets time intervals to automatically switch to power save mode when you are not performing operations to prevent wearing down the battery pack. Specify Printing is a feature that allows images to be marked for printing later. I believe that the best way to learn all the features and functions is to have a good look at the menu system and gradually try to understand how everything works. 30p or 25p 100M: (Records movies in 3840×2160). You’ll definitely notice a difference when you step up to a APS-C camera from a micro four thirds sensor. Large, medium or small is selectable (when you set Quality to jpeg). Cine2: Similar results to [Cine1] but optimized for editing with up to 100% video signal (equivalent to HG4600G30), Cine3: Stronger contrast between dark and light image areas and greater emphasis on black gradation changes (compared to [Cine1] and [Cine2]). (DPOF stands for Digital Print Order Format). Excessive detail when shooting shiny leaves, for instance, may result in the leaves looking as if they are made of plastic. This setting is easier to use than [S-Gamut3], because it limits the color space to a more practical range than that of [S-Gamut3]. You can start or stop recording movies by pressing the shutter button, which is bigger and easier to press than the Movie button. The introduction of the Sony A6400 (See on Amazon / Adorama) brought the promise of a major autofocus innovation: real time tracking.All modern interchangeable lens cameras have the ability to autofocus continuously, adjusting the depth of the focus as the subject moves to and from the camera. When ISO Auto is used, the ISO value automatically changes to achieve the appropriate exposure using the aperture value and shutter speed you have set. You cannot create movies from the still images on the camera. Lock: Locks the front and rear dials when you press and hold the Fn button. Sepia: For shooting images in sepia monotone. Press the bottom side of the control wheel to select the shutter speed or aperture value, then turn the control wheel to select a value. Disadvantage: ISO range is (like in iAuto) fixed and only useable for jpeg shooting. Sets whether or not to display the face detection frame when [Face Priority in AF] is set to [On]. When a confirmation message appears, select Enter. DMF: The Sony A6400 focuses on your subject and allows you to fine-tune your focus area further using the manual focus ring on the lens. The new firmware v2.0 can be downloaded over at Sony’s website for both Windows and MacOS operating systems. Shoots night scenes with less noise and blur without using a tripod. Aber. Standard: Sets the AF sensitivity to normal. Keep in mind that the above settings work for me and they might not necessarily suit your needs. Select the functionality of the touch screen. It is not recorded into the resulting image. Drive Mode (single shooting, continuous shooting Lo-Mid-Hi), Self-timer and Self-timer cont (multiple images with the self-timer) can be changed by using the Fn button. By checking this box I consent to the use of my information, as detailed in the Privacy Policy. MENU -Red camera icon – page 2 – Lens Comp –. The rear side of the Sony A6400 is a lot more functional compared to others, thanks to a number of different navigation and function buttons. radio-signal flash shooting that uses wireless communication. Although the Memory Recall (labeled as “1” and “2” on the dial) mode is targeted at more advanced photographers who want to store settings for different situations, I would encourage every A6400 owner to explore this mode, since it can be very useful when changing from one shooting scenario to another. Drive Mode (single shooting, continuous shooting Lo-Mid-Hi), Self-timer and Self-timer cont (multiple images with the self-timer) can be changed by using the Fn button. This is a great feature, but what about the options you don’t want in this menu? Live View is always displayed with the appropriate brightness even in Manual Exposure mode. Choose whether to have folder names in standard form (DSC) or create a new one by date. Touch Focus: You can select a subject on which to focus using touch operations in the still image and movie recording modes. Using Sony’s ‘Imaging Edge’ edit application these still images can be used to create a Time Lapse movie. The camera can focus on human eyes as long as you are pressing the key. In the Custom Key menu I have assigned the AEL button to cycle between the 6 remaining AF area. Or turn the screen off and only use the EVF? MENU – purple camera icon – page 7 – Live View Display – desired setting. Older devices that are not able to connect to the Sony A6400 might work when set to single. On the second page of options you will see that there is an option for Silent Shooting which will save the wear and tear on your camera when shooting thousands of images. Manually set the Monitor brightness (recommended leave to zero) or change to a brighter setting for Sunny Weather. The keys that can be assigned functions are different for Custom Key Shoot. Rear Sync: Capturing an image involves two shutter actions: one when the capture starts and on when it stops. You can select this here, as well as self-timer functions and bracketing. What do you think about it? There are techniques nowadays to print larger, but this information might be interesting to some. MENU -Red camera icon – page 2 – Lens Comp – Distortion Comp – desired setting (Auto or Off). Center: Focusses on whatever is centered in your images. Select [OK] when a message is displayed on the monitor of the camera. So take your ILCE-A6400, press the Menu button and follow along. But don’t worry, there is a way to set the center button of the rear rotary dial (the one below the “Fn” button), so that when you press the button, you will be able to easily move the focus points. Under these conditions, the maximum value of video output is 94%. Congratulations on your purchase of the Sony A6500. If you’re using this camera mainly for pics of friends and family, this is an excellent feature, as it will soften and smooth skin tones make you and your beloved ones look their best. Leave as is at 3:2, you can always crop your pictures later when you shoot RAW. The Sony A6400 allows you to select whether you would like to apply various lens compensations (shading, chromatic aberration, distortion) even when shooting in RAW. Rich-tone Mono. This mode is useful when recording movies in which the subject is moving quickly. Both shutter speed and the aperture value can be changed in this mode, also during movie recording. You can change the setting and playback speed for slow-motion/quick-motion shooting with S&Q Settings later. By default, this button is set to nothing on the A6400, but I changed mine to serve as “ISO AUTO Min. When focussing manually or in DMF mode, you can set the Sony A6400 to magnify a part of the screen so you can check focus. Read more about Nasim here. Set it to large for optimal quality, if SD card space is an issue, you can set it to Small. (Like when using an adapter with vintage lenses). There are two choices: Sets whether or not to activate the Movie button. It comes in several kit versions at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield. Vivid: The saturation and contrast are heightened for shooting striking images of colorful scenes and subjects such as flowers, spring greenery, blue sky, or ocean views. The higher the value selected, the more the contours are accentuated, and the lower the value selected, the more the contours are softened. If [Right Eye] or [Left Eye] is selected, only the selected eye is detected. Sets whether the focus area should be displayed all the time or should disappear automatically shortly after focus is achieved. However, in certain circumstances (when you know what you are going to capture) it is better to select the appropriate scene yourself, as it takes the guessing work out of the equation. Sony a6400 Eye AF is fast… AF! Set it to standard, having to scan an even broader area when making panoramas will take some experience with the Sony A6400 to do efficiently. (Only when [NTSC/PAL Selector] is set to NTSC.). I’ve never used it personally, but some people might find this setting interesting as it can prolong battery life. Leave it ON as there is no way of duplicating this process in post production, except to take a black frame of the same length in the same atmospheric conditions. Square Grid: Square grids make it easier to confirm the horizontal level of your composition. Improves compatibility with external devices by limiting the functions of the USB connection. This means that if you place the AF point in the top right-hand corner it won’t move to the top left or bottom right-hand corners when the camera is turned. Sony A6400 touch set up. Yeah that’s pretty f’ing fast. This stands for Dynamic range optimise and analyses the contrast of your scene in real-time. Really Right Stuff Tripods. Press the MOVIE button to start recording and again to stop recording. There’s just one slot. Why does this happen if ISO, shutter and aperture are all the exact same…? Saturation: The higher the value selected, the more vivid the color. Rear Sync is a creative technique, if you’d like to know more about this type of photography, I’d suggest doing a Google search on ‘Rear Sync Flash Photography.’. Rule of 3rds Grid: Place main subjects close to one of the grid lines that divide the image into thirds for a well-balanced composition. Slow: Sets the AF drive speed to slow. The shutter speed automatically slows when recording in dark locations. You can either set the white balance to Auto, where the camera tries to guess what the neutral grey value is, or use one of the preset white balance settings for different lighting conditions or customize the white balance according to your preference or using a grey card. Compensates for the distortion of the screen, caused by particular lens characteristics. Focus on what is important for your shooting style firstly is my advice. If you set this function to On, the correct exposure will not be set or the image brightness will be uneven. This function is useful when recording active scenes such as sports. Leave ON. Hi Jim, you could switch to full manual, set the iso to 100 and set your desired aperture. For instance, if Focus Area is set to Flexible Spot and you want the camera to focus on an eye outside of the focusing frame, you can apply the Eye AF function by pressing the custom key to which Eye AF has been assigned, without changing Focus Area. However, this is an optical illusion. Set to Optical zoom only (using the optical zoom capabilities of your lens. Ambience: Prioritizes the color tone of the light source. MENU – Camera Settings 1 – Face Registration – New Registration. Display the subject’s movements more smoothly by adjusting the frame rate of the viewfinder during still image shooting. To perform radio-signal flash shooting, use a compatible flash or the Wireless Radio Commander (sold separately). The go-to mode if you can’t shoot fast-moving subjects, by manually adjusting the shutter speed. You can extend battery life by providing a power supply over USB. Program (P) mode automatically adjusts exposure and aperture according to your desired setting. This becomes the standard range that can be received by a general household TV. You’ll need to select your SD card first using the ‘select Rec. (not available for RAW captures) this feature Shoots three images with different exposures and then overlays the bright area of the underexposed image and the dark area of the overexposed image to create a picture with an extended range from highlight to shadow.