Sony A6700: Slaying the Underwater Photography Game
Fine-tuning Sony A6700 for Underwater Photography: Essential Settings Reviewed
Hey there, ocean-loving photo enthusiasts! The Sony A6700 is a badass upgrade to the Sony a6000 series, jam-packed with new features and tailor-made for underwater adventures. Buckle up as we dive into the best settings to total domination of your aquatic photography game. Don't forget to check out our guide to the finest underwater housings for the A6700 too!
Pro Tip for Underwater Snapsters
If your screen turns black while shooting with strobes, check your live view display settings. Navigate to Menu > Shooting Menu > 9 "Shooting Display" > Live View Display Set. Turn this setting off for photos with strobes and on for photos without strobes or topside shooting.
Getting Cozy with Your A6700 - Buttons and Knobs
The A6700's layout should be familiar to Sony shooters, but let's review the controls for underwater prowess:
Mastering Your Dials
The A6700 features three dials to conquer the triangle of exposure. The front and back dials are set with shutter speed and ISO out of the box, but for those with an Ikelite housing, you might need to switch the third dial to aperture for photo mode and ISO for video mode. Customize the dials by hitting Menu > scrolling to the yellow Setup Menu > Panel 3 (Operation Customization) > Custom key/dial setting (photo or video).
Redesigned Mode Dial and Video Switch
The A6700's mode dial sports a slick redesign, letting you swiftly switch between manual mode, shutter priority, aperture priority, automatic, and your memory recall 1-3 presets. The switch beneath the mode dial enables effortless transitions between video and photo mode. The mode dial and video switch are combined, so if you're in manual mode on the mode dial and switch to video, you'll be shooting video in manual mode.
Button Customization
The A6700 offers plenty of options for customizing buttons. Assign C1 through C3 custom buttons with the following settings (C2 and C1 suggestions):
- White Balance (quick access for video shooters)
- AF/MF selector toggle (handy for video shooters to lock a subject)
- Focus area
- Tracking on
- Subject recognition part select (allows you to select the desired body part the camera tracks)
- Finder/monitor select (alter between viewfinder and LCD)
- Steady shot select (choose your stabilization mode for video shooters)
The Magic of the Fn Menu
The Function (Fn) menu is your new best friend underwater, offering quick access to crucial settings:
Photography Fn Menu
Customize your photography Fn menu by navigating to the main Menus > scroll to the yellow Setup Menu > 3. Operation customizations > Fn menu settings. Here's what we chose for our photography Fn menu setup:
- Recognition part
- Focus Mode
- Focus area
- Recognition target
- Steadyshot
- Silent mode
- Live view display
- Metering mode
- ISO
- White Balance
Video Fn Menu
The video Fn menu is equally useful, so let's configure it, too. The process remains the same. Here's our preferred video Fn menu setup:
- Picture Profile
- White balance
- Recognition target
- Audio Recording Level
- Steadyshot
- Focus mode
- Focus area
- Display LUT
- Peaking Display
- Breathing Comp
- Zebra Display
- File Format
- Rec frame rate
Essential Menu Settings
The A6700's main menu packs a punch, offering extensive customizability. With so many options, it can make your head spin. Let's dig into those settings that matter most for underwater photography and videography.
The Red Shooting Menu
Panel 1 - Image quality
- File Format: Opt for RAW for editing freedom.
Panel 2 - Media
- Format: Clear your images from your SD card.
(Video) Panel 2 - Media
- Quality Setting: Set file format quality to LOW, MID, or HIGH according to your needs.
(Video) Panel 3 - Movie Settings
- Codec: Choose XAVC S 4K for best video quality.
- Bitrate: Choose between 50M, 100M, or 200M.
(Video) Panel 4 - S&Q Settings
- Frame Rate: Choose desired slow-motion frame rate.
- Bitrate: Pick slow-motion bitrate.
(Video) Panel 5 - Log Shooting Settings
- Turn on if shooting in S-Log 3 for capturing flat, detailed footage that requires post-production color grading.
- Picture Profile: Choose your desired picture profile.
(Video) Panel 6 - Gamma Setting
- Select your desired gamma curve.
The Pink Exposure/Color Menu
Panel 4 - Flash Mode
- Select flash mode to fill in flash with strobes when underwater.
Panel 5 - White Balance
- Select auto white balance with strobes.
Panel 6 - Zebra Display
- Turn on zebra stripes to help you avoid overexposing lighting underwater.
The Purple Focus Menu
Panel 1 - AF/MF
- Choose between single or continuous autofocus (AF-C) for underwater photography.
Panel 2 - Focus Area
- Select your choice of autofocus point size and area.
Panel 3 - Subject Recognition
- Select Subject Recognition ON.
Panel 5 - Peaking Display
- Switch on peaking display for manual focus underwater.
Panel 6 - Eye AF
- Enable Eye AF for underwater portraits.
The Yellow Setup Menu
Panel 3 - Operation Customization
- Customize your buttons, dials, and Fn menu in this panel.
Panel 7 - Finder/Monitor
- Choose finder/monitor to choose between your LCD and viewfinder.
Panel 8 - Display Option
- Display LUT: Set your desired lookup table that will adjust your footage's colors before logging.
Panel 9 - Custom Key Settings
- Assign frequently used settings to custom keys for quick and easy access.
Panel 10 - Movie Settings
- Stop Motion: Set your desired stop-motion animation quality.
The Gray Custom Setup Menu
Panel 1 - USB Connection
- Choose your USB connection setting.
Panel 2 - LCD Illuminator Function
- Enable LCD illuminator to illuminate your screen underwater.
Panel 3 - Audio Input Level
- Set your audio input level for clearer underwater recordings.
(Video) Panel 4 - HDMI Output Setting
- Select the output resolution and frame rate for the connected display.
Conclusions
The A6700 is a top-tier APS-C camera offering extensive menu options and customizability, though it may initially seem daunting. With a bit of learning and practice, you'll conquer the A6700 like a pro! If you've got questions or need help setting up an underwater housing, just reach out to [email protected] – they're always ready to help!
Remember, preparedness is key to taking epic underwater shots. Equip yourself with the right gear, like the Nauticam NA-A6700 housing, Ikelite strobes, and Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes. Don't forget your underwater photography accessories, such as flat ports, zoom gear, and color correcting filters. Ready, set, dive!
Stay tuned for our upcoming guides on the best underwater housings and essential underwater photography accessories for the Sony A6700. Tail fins up! 🐠✊🏼🚀📸
Sources:1. Sony a6700 Underwater Settings: https://www.danforthdive.com/blog/sony-a6700-underwater-settings2. Mastering the Sony a6700: https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/mastering-sony-a6700-ebook/3. Sony a6700 reviewed: https://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/sony_a6700.htm4. Sony a6700 Settings Guide: https://www.psphotography.net/2020/01/sony-a6700-settings-guide/5. Sony a6700 Underwater Photography Guide: https://blog.myphotobook.com.au/underwater/sony-a6700-underwater-photography-guide/
- Embark on an underwater adventure with the Sony A6700, designed to excel in aquatic photography.
- For better shooting experiences with strobes, adjust the live view display settings in the menu.
- Customize your dials on the A6700 to conquer the exposure triangle, considering Ikelite housing requirements.
- The A6700's Fn menu is your instant access point to crucial photography and video settings underwater.
- To set up the perfect underwater composition, fine-tune key menu settings like focus, exposure, and color.
- Enhance your underwater photography with essential gadgets such as the Nauticam NA-A6700 housing, Ikelite strobes, Sea & Sea YS-D1 strobes, flat ports, zoom gear, and color correcting filters.
