Today I received the Nauticam housing and port for my A6700. I opted for the 6“ acrylic port with the new 10-20/4 lens for lightweight and versatile gear as my wife will be the one who will use it. 
 

For the A7IV that I use myself I have a pretty good idea how to configure. 
 

As my wife likes to do more video than photos I wondered whether anyone already went through all the settings. 
 

 

nice to see that the A6700 combo does not only come at less than half the price of the other one but also less than half the weight. 

Settings for video: 

 

First questions: 

 

- NTSC or PAL? PAL restricts to 50/100p, NTSC 60/120p. 

I switch to NTSC

 

- Standard 60p? 120p is 1,6 crop

 

- Viewfinder/Monitor: I put it into monitor (manually) and switch between monitor and viewfinder on C1 (on the side, but at the Nauticam-housing next to the red „start filming“

 

White balance video: Anoyone experience with „auto underwater“? Better use of manually white balance lets say 6500 and correcting in post process?

 

Steady shot: „Active“ (only works with 60p, uses slightly cropped) or „standard“ and stabilize with catalyst browse?  

 

What should I assign to C2?

 

I‘ll surely come with further questions. Always: Should be usable by non-tech-freak. 

Since the flag above your profile suggests that you are in Europe, you may want to switch back to PAL.  As I understand it, NTSC is primarily used in the Americas, while most of the rest of the world uses PAL.

Is the PAL/NTSC thing still a thing? I thought that had gone the way of VHS with the switch to digital

I haven't heard much discussion of NTSC v PAL of late. Seems underwater videographers like at least 60p to gather enough detailed information and slow down fast moving action without degrading images. And I don't think I'd venture to 120p unless you really want to work with slow motion and don't mind that heinous crop.

 

Sony's autofocus is so good, there may not be much benefit in switching from the monitor to the viewfinder, which I would use if I was focusing manually. Plus, the viewfinder at 2.36 mil resolution isn't the greatest. I would keep the standard video on button and assign switching to a favorite menu item.

 

As primarily a stills shooter I tend to set white balance to AWB or daylight 5600k, but for video I will venture into setting manual white balance at depth, or AWB with a warming filter to 15m, and lights deeper than that.

 

I really like stabilization -- good stuff. Here is an unstabilized, unedited clip: A6000 in housing with 16-50 kit lens. AWB. This is Point Panic, a favorite south Oahu winter dive spot, with Diamond Head in the background. The camera was balanced on my knee.

Some info here on PAL vs NTSC mostly seems to revolve around flicker under mains powered artificial light: 

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/videography/comments/s6j8cb/pal_vs_ntsc_for_internet_videos/

 

As for WB as I understand things colour grading has limited scope to correct colour casts and works best if you are close, unless you are shooting RAW video.  In any case getting it right out of camera is probably a lot less work in processing and less likely to cause issues in the final clips. 

I guess I am showing my age...

So guys, let's shed some light on the PAL/NTSC issue i.e. 50Hz or 60Hz.

As far as playback devices are concerned (TVs, Computer displays, monitors) it is a matter of the past. All “modern” devices have for years been able to play content at 50 or 60 FPS and their cousins without any problem.

The problem that remains is the one @Chris Ross indicated: if you shoot with artificial light and have a frame rate that is not multiple of the mains frequency you could have serious problems with image flickering. The problem can also appear by filming a computer display or TV depending on the refresh rate at which it is working. In this case there are other ways to solve it. On the net and on YouTube you can find thousands of examples.

 

At this point you may be wondering: what do I give a damn if I am filming underwater? Probably nothing but:

• Maybe you will happen to edit your clips together with others shot on land at your vacation spot. Images shot in the evening maybe.
• Maybe you will happen to edit your clips together with other clips shot by other people or by you with another device (smartphone, action camera, drone, etc.).
• Maybe you find yourself doing more professional work (now you don't know yet) and you want your archive to be future-proof because you could sell the clips to someone else.

In short, in all cameras it is a matter of going to a menu item and selecting a simple option. It costs nothing to choose the one in your country or the one in which you are shooting. or, at least, be consistent with all your devices.

 

Ciaoooo

 

as a side note to your setting questions (which I am also interested in as I might be buying an a6700 in the future - but too much life to deal with at the moment), I've been looking into the a6700's AF video settings.
 

I recently spent a bit of time playing with one here in a store in Japan and it seems that it's not possible to lock AF tracking on a subject in video mode - or more precisely, the only way to do this is through the touch screen, which kills the option for underwater use.

In the a6700's stills mode you can lock tracking with a half-shutter press or with the touch screen, but for video it's touch screen only. This is a big letdown for me as I was planning to use focus tracking for shooting fast moving macro (black water / bonfire type stuff, basically locking onto a subject so the camera can work with me to keep it in focus), but apparently it's a no-go.

I was planning on assigning AF tracking lock to the backbutton focus button (C2? if I'm not mistaken), but nope - even more frustrating is that in default setting the video AF tracking works as long as you press the button, but unlocks on release...

Of course the standard AF is very good, but difficult to know how it will react in a busy setting like the ones we get on bonfire dives. I've played with tracking on the LX10, and it's certainly possible to lock onto a subject (on Lumix, the main issue is that the lens AF doesn't keep up, too slow to maintain focus - it tracks efficiently, but doesn't maintain focus).
 

Basically in the a67000's video mode it's either manual or AF-C, and video AF tracking lock is possible through the touch screen.

For AF questions, I would recommend watching this video as well:
 

Now this is a rather specific issue for a rather specific use, but still a letdown for manual control-freaks like myself 😁

If you ever look into it, do let me know if it's confirmed!

cheers
ben

Edited December 17, 2024Dec 17 by bghazzal

3 hours ago, bghazzal said:

as a side note to your setting questions (which I am also interested in as I might be buying an a6700 in the future - but too much life to deal with at the moment), I've been looking into the a6700's AF video settings.
 

I recently spent a bit of time playing with one here in a store in Japan and it seems that it's not possible to lock AF tracking on a subject in video mode - or more precisely, the only way to do this is through the touch screen, which kills the option for underwater use.

In the a6700's stills mode you can lock tracking with a half-shutter press or with the touch screen, but for video it's touch screen only. This is a big letdown for me as I was planning to use focus tracking for shooting fast moving macro (black water / bonfire type stuff, basically locking on to a subject so the camera could work with me to keep it in focus), but apparently it's a no-go.

I was planning on assigning AF tracking lock to the backbutton focus button (C2? if I'm not mistaken), but nope - even more frustrating is that in default setting the video AF tracking works as long as you press the button, but unlocks on release...

Of course the standard AF is very good, but difficult to know how it will react in a busy setting like the ones we get on bonfire dives. I've played with tracking on the LX10, and it's certainly possible to lock onto a subject (on Lumix, the main issue is that the lens AF doesn't keep up, too slow to maintain focus - it tracks efficiently, but doesn't maintain focus).
 

Basically in the a67000's video mode it's either manual or AF-C, and video AF tracking lock is possible through the touch screen.

For AF questions, I would recommend watching this video as well:
 

Now this is a rather specific issue for a rather specific use, but still a letdown for manual control-freaks like myself 😁

If you ever look into it, do let me know if it's confirmed!

cheers
ben

 

I was planning on getting an A6700 for its video capabilities! That's disappointing to know that you can't lock AF tracking in video. Thanks Ben.

Thanks so much, guys! 
Currently work is rather busy, but hopefully next weekend I can dive into all the details. 
 

Especially the locking issue is interesting, I‘ll let you know. 

On 12/17/2024 at 1:43 AM, bghazzal said:

In the a6700's stills mode you can lock tracking with a half-shutter press or with the touch screen, but for video it's touch screen only. This is a big letdown for me as I was planning to use focus tracking for shooting fast moving macro (black water / bonfire type stuff, basically locking on to a subject so the camera could work with me to keep it in focus), but apparently it's a no-go.

Hi Ben,

 

I went into it because that was interesting for me.

In fact, in video mode locking the AF-C field is done via touchscreen. But at least for me the issue seems not not be an issue...

Usually I have the A6700 in stills-mode, AF-C, tracking field fixed middle. AF is superfast. Hitting on the "Video start" button usually starts with the focus distance from before. While taking video I am anyway not able to use joystick or similar to chose the subject. If focus is critical and difficult, I'd switch to manual focus. And you can select the stickyness of AF-tracking from 1 to 6...

 

Or did I not get your point?

30 minutes ago, fruehaufsteher2 said:

Hi Ben,

 

I went into it because that was interesting for me.

In fact, in video mode locking the AF-C field is done via touchscreen. But at least for me the issue seems not not be an issue...

Usually I have the A6700 in stills-mode, AF-C, tracking field fixed middle. AF is superfast. Hitting on the "Video start" button usually starts with the focus distance from before. While taking video I am anyway not able to use joystick or similar to chose the subject. If focus is critical and difficult, I'd switch to manual focus. And you can select the stickyness of AF-tracking from 1 to 6...

 

Or did I not get your point?

 

A classic case of "The devil is hidden in the details"

 

At this point I fear the same limitations (for uw use) will apply to other Sony camera bodies. 99,9% of Sony AF reviews out there refer to the photography section.

 

1 hour ago, fruehaufsteher2 said:

Hi Ben,

 

I went into it because that was interesting for me.

In fact, in video mode locking the AF-C field is done via touchscreen. But at least for me the issue seems not not be an issue...

Usually I have the A6700 in stills-mode, AF-C, tracking field fixed middle. AF is superfast. Hitting on the "Video start" button usually starts with the focus distance from before. While taking video I am anyway not able to use joystick or similar to chose the subject. If focus is critical and difficult, I'd switch to manual focus. And you can select the stickyness of AF-tracking from 1 to 6...

 

Or did I not get your point?

Thanks for confirming, it's what I feared - I saw the stickiness and AF speed settings which are great, but not being able to manually lock AF tracking point for underwater video is an issue.
 

I shoot video in MF, which is fine for wide angle or standard macro, but becomes a problem for blackwater / bonfire type macro video.
The main issue is that the subjects are quite small, which means magnification and a small depth of field.
This isn't a problem for standard, ground based macro, but in blackwater the subjects are also moving fast, and the shots handheld.
They move in and out all the time, which is why most blackwater video you'll see are super slow-motion extensions of tiny in-focus clips.
 

Based on my tests, I think is something else to explore, a combination of operator following ("manual tracking") and a fast AF tracking, which would allow for longer in-focus sequences.

I've managed to get shots in MF (at 30fps) by following as much as possible (using focus peaking, which on the a6700 is also available in AF, great), but since I'm shooting handheld in the water column at high magnification, there is no way to refocus manually in time using backbutton focus or a focus knob -action is just too fast and induces camera shake or loss of the animal.
 

This is why and where I would need a fast AF, to work with me to track the subject along a shallow focal plane - I would lock the AF on the subject, and physically follow as much as possible to keep in focus - the AF would complement this by making small adjustements to keep the subject in focus.

All this is certainly possible with this camera - however, I would definitely need to be able to lock focus on the suject to be tracked.
Bonfire type scenarios are chaotic, with lots of moving subjects - think of a lightbulb with swarming insects on a summer night - I don't think the AF will be able to stay locked onto one subject in such conditions.
 

With AF tracking lock, however it would work - unfortunately, as you have just confirmed, tracking lock is done through the touch screen only in video mode (stills has half-shutter or touch screen for AF tracking lock).

All this means there is no way for me to lock AF onto a subject to be tracked underwater in video mode, which was the plan...

It's a shame because this possible on Lumix cameras which have a much weaker AF and, I believe on Canon cameras as well.

Unfortunately, touch screen based functionalities are a curse for underwater applications...

Edited December 19, 2024Dec 19 by bghazzal

5 minutes ago, bghazzal said:

It's a shame because this possible on Lumix cameras which have a much weaker AF and, I believe on Canon cameras as well.

Unfortunately, touch screen based functionalities are a curse for underwater applications...

 

One should have the patience to study the manuals of Sony cameras dedicated to video: FX3 and its APSC sibling FX30 to see if these restrictions apply to them as well 📜

I can confirm my A7C2 also has this limitation. Disappointing. 

Oh I found a workaround.

 

In the menu --> Video Custom Key/Dial Set --> you can set a button to Tracking On.

 

Quick test seems to work well with a center AF focus area. 

 

Hope that helps you @bghazzal

 

EDIT: Tracking on toggle works even better, you don't have to hold onto the button and it stays on the subject.

Edited December 19, 2024Dec 19 by shokwaav

8 minutes ago, shokwaav said:

Oh I found a workaround.

 

In the menu --> Video Custom Key/Dial Set --> you can set a button to Tracking On.

 

Quick test seems to work well with a center AF focus area. 

 

Hope that helps you @bghazzal

Wow, thank - yes that would be fantastic - does it also lock the tracking on a subject, so that pressing the button sets the target the autofocus is to follow (like you can do with the touch screen, and also, for stills, with a half-shutter press?)

When I played with the camera in the store, I found that pressing the button assigned to back-button focus in video mode (the name escapes me) enabled focus tracking on a subject, but only as long as the button was depressed.

Is it possible to lock a target for video with assigning a button to Tracking on?
Thanks!

(this here is a painful example of an old Lumix AF tracking the subject it is locked onto but totally failing to maintain focus)
 

Edited December 19, 2024Dec 19 by bghazzal

 

 

@bghazzal hope this explains everything. Toggle seems much more convenient.

 

I think the first sentence where it mentions setting "wide as focus area" is a bit of a misnomer, it only seems to track the subject at the location of the focus box. 

Edited December 19, 2024Dec 19 by shokwaav

39 minutes ago, Davide DB said:

 

One should have the patience to study the manuals of Sony cameras dedicated to video: FX3 and its APSC sibling FX30 to see if these restrictions apply to them as well 📜

 

Unfortunately it's the same for the FX30 - tracking lock only via touch screen.... 😥

3 minutes ago, bghazzal said:

 

Unfortunately it's the same for the FX30 - tracking lock only via touch screen.... 😥

 

No no the third option (Tracking On by custom key) is the one which works!

1 minute ago, shokwaav said:

 

 

@bghazzal hope this explains everything.

Thanks but it's still unclear - the "tracking on toggle" seems the closest, but it's not quite clear.

 

Basically can you do this in video mode:

 

- press a button once (not hold down as described) to lock tracking onto a subject

 

I know this is possible with the touch screen for stills and video, and also with half-shutter press for stills.
But can a button be assigned to this - not to turn on tracking but to manually lock onto the tracking target?

 

Can you lock the tracking AF with a single button press  onto your finger, and the camera keeps tracking it as move your finger around?

thanks

3 minutes ago, bghazzal said:

Thanks but it's still unclear - the "tracking on toggle" seems the closest, but it's not quite clear.

 

Basically can you do this in video mode:

 

- press a button once (not hold down as described) to lock tracking onto a subject

 

I know this is possible with the touch screen for stills and video, and also with half-shutter press for stills.
But can a button be assigned to this - not to turn on tracking but to manually lock onto the tracking target?

 

Can you lock the tracking AF with a single button press  onto your finger, and the camera keeps tracking it as move your finger around?

thanks

 

Yes that's what I'm doing in the youtube video. 

 

EDIT: of course you'd have to check if this option is available on the A6700, this is the A7C2.

Edited December 19, 2024Dec 19 by shokwaav

Just now, shokwaav said:

 

Yes that's what I'm doing in the youtube video. 

Great, thanks!
So basically you set the tracking point on the corner with a single button press (no need to hold it down), and you can cancel (unlock) with the same button, right?

 

Phew, this is a relief - it's such an obvious application I was really afraid they had killed it by setting it to touch screen only!

Just now, bghazzal said:

Great, thanks!
So basically you set the tracking point on the corner with a single button press (no need to hold it down), and you can cancel (unlock) with the same button, right?

 

Phew, this is a relief - it's such an obvious application I was really afraid they had killed it by setting it to touch screen only!

 

Yea, put your subject in the centre of the focus box (which can be on the side of the screen if you set a custom focus point), single button press the tracking on toggle button, and it will start tracking. You can cancel with the same button or the center button in the dial.