Learn How To…
Operate the Camera
1 – ON/OFF (Power) switch/Shutter button – Press button halfway to achieve focus; press all the the way down to take a photograph.
2 – Menu button – Press to access main camera menu to adjust settings.
3 – Mode dial – Depress button and turn dial to switch between Photography, Video, and S&Q (Slow & Quick) modes.
4 – Record button – Press to start recording video; press button again to stop recording.
5 – Playback button – Press to review your photographs or videos.
6 – Control wheel – After pressing the Playback button (5), turn wheel to review your photographs or videos.
Switch Modes (Photo, Video, S&Q)
To change between photography, video, and S&Q (slow & quick) modes, use the Mode Dial on top of the camera.
Depress the button on the back of the dial to turn the dial to your desired setting.
Adjust Key Settings
Aperture
Aperture controls how much light your lens gathers. A wider (more open) aperture will result in a brighter image. Aperture also controls depth-of-field, which determines how much of your image will be in focus.
The lower the aperture’s number (F1.8, F4, F5.6), the wider the aperture, which means the lower the number, the more light reaches the lens. The higher the number (F8, F11, F22), the narrower the aperture, which means less light, and a darker image overall.
There are two places to set your aperture:
Shutter Speed
In photography, shutter speed controls the amount of time the shutter is open at the moment the photograph is taken. Similarly, in video, it controls the amount of time each frame is exposed to light.
The faster your shutter speed, the less light reaches the sensor, resulting in a darker image. The slower your shutter speed, the more light can reach the sensor, resulting in a brighter image. Shutter speed also controls the amount of motion blur you see in your photographs or videos. A fast shutter speed “freezes” motion, whereas a slower speed increases the amount of time of the exposure, and therefore the amount of motion blur.
Shutter speed is measured in fractions of a second. The larger the number in the denominator, the faster the shutter speed. Therefore, a shutter speed of 1/500 of a second would be much faster than one that is 1/5 of a second.
For video, your shutter speed should be set to double your frame rate. So for 24 fps, the standard frame rate for achieving cinematic motion blur, set your shutter speed to 1/50.
How to set your shutter speed:
ISO
ISO is another setting that controls the brightness of your image. The higher the ISO number, the more “digital light” you are adding to the image. As the ISO number increases, the amount of digital grain (or noise) also increases. To adjust the ISO of your images, turn the Control Wheel on the back of the camera:
Set Up & Use a Microphone
While the Sony A7IV has an internal microphone, the quality is insufficient for most applications. You should always plan to record audio with an external microphone. We recommend one of the following options:
Camera-Mounted Shotgun
Use the camera’s hot shoe mount to attach an external microphone, like the Sennheiser 400 or Deity Duo.
Camera-Mounted Wireless
Attach a receiver to the camera’s hot shoe mount, and place a receiver on your interview subject (s).
Dedicated Audio Recorder
Record audio independently with a Zoom F3 or MixPre3, and sync the audio with the camera’s scratch audio.
Keep the following additional tips in mind:
- For camera-mounted microphones, ensure your microphone is plugged into your camera, has power (fresh batteries?), and is turned on.
- Set your audio levels in the camera (aim for dialogue to hit between around -10 and -15 db). Avoid turning up levels too high in the camera; if the microphone itself has a gain adjustment, start there.
- Monitor your recording with headphones to ensure the audio is coming through clearly and without any problems.
- Do a test recording and play it back!
Upload Your Files
There are two options for uploading your photographs and video files.
1 – Eject Memory Card – Open the side door on the right-hand side of the camera (when viewed from the back). The card can be ejected and placed in the SD card reader slot on one of the Studio Macs in ODY’s Digital Scholarship Common Area. Be sure to safely eject your memory card before removing it.
2 – Plug in using USB-C port – Open the side door on the left-hand side of the camera (when viewed from the back). Connect the charging cable (USB-C end) to the USB-C slot on the camera, and the USB end to your computer, or to one of the iMacs in the Digital Scholarship Common Area.
Switch the camera to the On position. When the camera and the computer are connected, a menu should appear on the camera’s screen. To import photos or videos, select Image Transfer (MSC). This will put the camera into transfer mode.
Note that video files can be found in the PRIVATE > M4ROOT > CLIP folder.
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