Settings A6700

[bghazzal]

8 minutes ago, shokwaav said:

 

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.  

Great, that's exactly it. So all you need to do is get your subject in the center of the focus box and press once to lock onto it and start tracking, hurray 🍾🥳

I'm looking into the a6700 manual to see if it also has tracking on toggle

EDIT - it seems there is also  tracking off on toggle - so I imagine there is a tracking on as well - that's a relief, thanks a lot for clearing that up!!!

Edited December 19, 2024 by bghazzal

[fruehaufsteher2]

3 hours ago, shokwaav said:

 

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.  

Maybe that works with the A6700 too. I‘ll have a look tomorrow. 

[bghazzal]

@Scuba_Si after reading in your intro post that you shoot with an FX3 and since organize a lot of bonfire/blackwater dives, I was wondering if you had any feedback on recent Sony video AF, especially for tracking small critters in the water column, as there's very little video-focused info.
Based on user manuals, the FX3's video AF should be quite similar to the a6700's I'm guessing.

 

cheers

ben

[Scuba_Si]

I haven’t used the FX3 extensively on blackwater, I don’t recall the settings but I put the options somewhere in the middle - then tweak during the dive using the tracking toggle where needed. However you’re going to lose the subject all the time on the 90mm, which has the fastest focus.

 

The general principle is to get as close as you can, so I’d probably try and butcher something together with the 50mm macro and a small dome. Then you’re focussing on a virtual image and I believe would get a little more DOF / less focus hunting.

 

I have the 50mm macro and I’m hoping to print a focus gear for it to try out after the European diveshow season is over. 

 

I’ve tried the 90mm and I didn’t get along with it as the camera / housing relatively is small compared to the port. So it felt a little unbalanced. I’ve just spent several thousands on a whole bunch of floats for the camera room so we can try and get people’s cameras balanced properly, which is key for BW video.

The next problem is the 90mm is such a tight viewing angle - Phil at Reef Photo suggested the 28-60mm lens with the WWL-1B to me when I brought this up at DEMA, which I’ll probably get at some point. This might well be video specific advice as we like more negative space in the composition.
 

The FX3 is such a great camera, I really enjoy using it, especially with the EMWL. I’m hoping to get a monitor for it soon as all my ‘big’ cameras use SDI rather than HDMI. I have the Kraken 5” on my R5C which is really good even when side by side with the mega expensive ones from RED and SmallHD. Since I hit 40 I need a monitor on everything 😂
 

 

[bghazzal]

11 hours ago, Scuba_Si said:

I haven’t used the FX3 extensively on blackwater, I don’t recall the settings but I put the options somewhere in the middle - then tweak during the dive using the tracking toggle where needed. However you’re going to lose the subject all the time on the 90mm, which has the fastest focus.

 

The general principle is to get as close as you can, so I’d probably try and butcher something together with the 50mm macro and a small dome. Then you’re focussing on a virtual image and I believe would get a little more DOF / less focus hunting.

 

I have the 50mm macro and I’m hoping to print a focus gear for it to try out after the European diveshow season is over. 

 

I’ve tried the 90mm and I didn’t get along with it as the camera / housing relatively is small compared to the port. So it felt a little unbalanced. I’ve just spent several thousands on a whole bunch of floats for the camera room so we can try and get people’s cameras balanced properly, which is key for BW video.

The next problem is the 90mm is such a tight viewing angle - Phil at Reef Photo suggested the 28-60mm lens with the WWL-1B to me when I brought this up at DEMA, which I’ll probably get at some point. This might well be video specific advice as we like more negative space in the composition.
 

The FX3 is such a great camera, I really enjoy using it, especially with the EMWL. I’m hoping to get a monitor for it soon as all my ‘big’ cameras use SDI rather than HDMI. I have the Kraken 5” on my R5C which is really good even when side by side with the mega expensive ones from RED and SmallHD. Since I hit 40 I need a monitor on everything 😂
 

 

 
Thanks Simon, this is very interesting - yes, the 90mm seems like it would be really tricky, despite having the fastest, video optimised AF of all the macro range, being a GM lens. On APS-C like the FX30 or a6700 it will be just too tight I think.

For bw I was initially looking at the Zeiss Touit 50mm but alas, it's not optimised for video, which Zeiss considers unsupported "specialist applications" (so much for insects...).
I'd also considered the Nikon 60 with adapter, but it's a no-go for video AF.
And the Sony 50mm or 30mm macro are both supposed to very slow, unfortunately. Let me know how it goes with the 50mm and FX3 AF.

For the time being, if i do manage to make the change to Sony (life is heavily in the way having just moved from Indonesia to Japan/Okinawa...), on APS-C I'm planning to try using the new Sony 16-50 kit lens (E PZ 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 OSS II ).
It's certainly not great but has supposedly been revamped for improved video support, including high frame rates, and stabilised, so could be interesting, combined with a smallish diopter on a flip.

The 28-60mm lens with the WWL-1B sounds like an interesting solution!

And it's great to know tracking toggle works for this - my main reason for moving to Sony is tracking AF (I usually shoot video in MF, but bonfire experiences in MF at 30fps have definitely sold me on AF to help follow critter movement 😅)

Apparently the FX3, it's little sister the FX3 and the a6700 (along with most recent alpha cams) have a similar tracking AF, and an assignable toggle-on/off, which is a life saver!

cheers

 

Edited December 28, 2024 by bghazzal

[Scuba_Si]

If I didn’t have the luxury of all the space to keep my camera equipment in Indonesia, and had to reduce it down to one camera - it would be the Canon R5c in Nauticam. Great Stills,  Great 8K, Af similar to Sony. Nauticam housing supports a battery power bank so it lasts all day even shooting 8K Raw. Eventually someone will make an external battery for the mirrorless systems, but until then this is the best option in my opinion. 

[BrightSea]

On 12/14/2024 at 6:01 AM, fruehaufsteher2 said:

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. 

Will follow to see how you like your 6700, contemplating putting mine in a housing... 

[fruehaufsteher2]

4 hours ago, BrightSea said:

Will follow to see how you like your 6700, contemplating putting mine in a housing... 

Heading for 🇩🇲 on Jan 10th looking for Sperm whales. I will keep you updated. 

[BrightSea]

Just now, fruehaufsteher2 said:

Heading for 🇩🇲 on Jan 10th looking for Sperm whales. I will keep you updated. 

Wow, fabulous.. for you.  I currently shooting Canon R5 in Nauticam, the set up is big, bigger than any of my previous camera/nauticam setups, almost to the point of regret.  Not sure if budget will allow for 2.

[fruehaufsteher2]

Still not been below the surface of one or the other oceans. But in preparation the Sigma 18-50mm F2.8 DC DN | C came to my mind as a APSC-lens with internal focusing, very short minimal focus distance and acceptable sharpness. For the guys who understand German (or are able to use a translator): https://www.digitalkamera.de/Zubehör-Test/Sigma_18-50_mm_F2_8_DC_DN_Contemporary_im_Test/14331.aspx

 

I'd exspect this lens behind the WWL-1B could deliver a Converted FOV 130-54.

 

Currently I'll start with the wide angle 10-20 and dome but this could be an even better option for fisheye look.

[kallebumba]

If i understand corrrect that lens changes its length while zooming from 75mm to 88mm

 

Quote

Mit einem Gewicht von etwa 290 Gramm auf 75 Millimeter Länge und einem Durchmesser von 65 Millimetern ist das Zoom weder schwer noch besonders groß. In Kombination mit der Alpha 6700 macht es eine ziemlich gute Figur, auch wenn sich das Objektiv voll herausgezoomt auf etwa 88 Millimeter verlängert.

 

Quote

Weighing around 290 grams, 75 millimeters long and 65 millimeters in diameter, the zoom is neither heavy nor particularly large. In combination with the Alpha 6700 it looks pretty good, even when the lens is fully zoomed out to around 88 millimeters.

 

So won't that result in some vingnetting?

[dentrock]

I bought (and sold) this lens for UW with my A6400. Yes it has short MFD at 18, but very long MFD at 50. I had hoped to use it with my Nauticam 140 dome, but it wouldn't focus towards the 50 end. A larger dome is needed, say 180, which I didn't have.

Plus with the Nauticam system you have to make your own zoom gear to use with an adapter, and once you do that, you have to remove port and lens before you can remove the body from the housing.

All in all a pia. OK for land, but nowhere near as good (for land) as the Sony 16-55 G.

[fruehaufsteher2]

4 hours ago, dentrock said:

All in all a pia. OK for land, but nowhere near as good (for land) as the Sony 16-55 G.

Thanks for saving me money!

[dentrock]

Or you could use it at a fixed focal length i.e. 18mm (=28mm FF equiv) behind most domes dome. It's sharp enough!

[Craine]

I recently picked up the Sigma 10-18mm 2.8 and a Zen 170DP to use with my a6700. It is a replacement for my Rokinon 12mm f/2. The Sigma is a much sharper lens than the Rokinon, and while I don’t have a zoom gear, I’m used to a single FL when shooting wide angle anyway, so I just need to play with it in the pool to get everything dialed in. It also has a much shorter MFD (4.6”/11.6cm versus 7.48”/19cm) and a much larger max magnification at MFD (1:4/0.25x versus 1:11.11/0.09x). 

 

Once I get it in the water I will report back on the combo, though that probably won’t be until Feb for some dives out of Riviera Beach/Jupiter. Before then I have to stay local which means macro only given conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.