| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| File Format |
JPEG |
or RAW/JPEG |
| JPEG Quality |
Extra fine |
jpeg compression, not sensor resolution |
| JPEG Image Size |
L: 24M |
|
| Aspect Ratio |
3:2 |
3:2 = 6000x4000; 16:9 = 6000x3375; 1:1 = 4000x4000 |
| Panorama |
Size → Wide |
|
| Panorama |
Direction → Right |
select in panorama mode directly with wheel |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Long Exposure NR |
Off |
Long Exposure Noise Reduction, when "on" kicks in with exposure above 1 second |
| High ISO NR |
Normal |
High ISO Noise Reduction |
| Color Space |
sRGB |
|
| Lens Comp. → Shading Comp. |
Auto |
|
| Lens Comp. → Chromatic Aberratio... |
Auto |
|
| Lens Comp. → Distortion Comp. |
Off |
|
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Auto Mode |
Superior Auto |
only for “Auto” mode |
| Scene Selection |
selected Scene mode |
only for Scene mode, choose scene with Dial Wheel |
| S. Auto Img. Extract. |
– |
only Superior Auto mode |
| Drive Mode |
Single Shooting |
use with Dial Wheel's left button |
| Bracket Settings |
|
submenu |
| Interval Shoot Func. |
|
submenu |
Bracket Settings
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Selftimer during Brkt |
Off |
switch on when needed |
| Bracket order |
0 → – → + |
order of pics in bracket mode: normal, dark, light |
Interval Shoot Func.
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Interval Shooting |
Off/On |
de/activate Interval Shooting |
| Shooting Start Time |
1sec |
|
| Shooting Interval |
1sec |
|
| Number of Shots |
1000 |
|
| AE Tracking Sensitivity |
Mid |
how easy should auto exposure kick in when lighting changes during shooting |
| Silent Shooting |
On |
|
| Interval Priority |
Off |
if exposure time is longer than interval, choose longer exposure time (=Off) or cut exposure time in order to stick to the interval (=On) |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Memory Recall (1 and 2) |
|
only MR mode, load settings from memory slot, switch to MR mode to select a setting without the menu |
| Memory (1 and 2) |
|
save current settings to memory slot |
| Reg. Custom Shoot Set |
|
Register Custom Shooting Settings, store settings in registers that can be assigned to a button in the button menu, like memory slots with a single click |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Focus Mode |
Single Shot |
use as needed |
| Priority Set in AF-S |
Balanced Emphasis |
when auto focus is used and object is not in focus, take a picture or not? balanced: try to focus and take the picture. |
| Priority Set in AF-C |
Balanced Emphasis |
when auto focus is used and object is not in focus, take a picture or not? balanced: try to focus and take the picture. |
| Focus Area |
Expand Flexible Spot |
Focus on spot but expand spot a little |
| Focus Area Limit |
Default |
Show only selected modes, keep all |
| Switch V/H AF Area |
Off |
Move focus area when switching between vertical and horizontal orientation? |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| AF Illuminator |
Off |
no auto focus light in (mostly) dark areas |
| Face/Eye AF Set. |
|
submenu |
| AF w/ shutter |
On |
half press shutter button for auto focus |
| Pre-AF |
Off |
auto focus before pressing shutter button |
| Eye-Start AF |
Off |
auto focus when bringing the camera to your eye, only for A-mount lenses (adapter needed) |
| AF Area Registration |
Off |
register a default auto focus area |
Face/Eye AF Settings
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Face Priority in AF |
On |
identify faces and focus on them |
| Subject Detection |
Human |
in Zoos use "animal" |
| Right/Left Eye Select |
Auto |
only for humans |
| Face Detect. Frame Disp. |
On |
display frame around faces |
| Animal Eye Display |
On |
display frame around animal eyes |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Del. Registr. AF Area |
— |
delete AF Area Registration from menu before |
| AF Area Auto Clear |
Off |
remove focus frames after auto focusing |
| Disp. cont. AF area |
On |
show focus frames in continuous modes |
| Circ. of Focus Point |
Does Not Circulate |
only for movable focus frames which I don't use |
| AF Micro Adj |
Off |
calibrate A-mount lenses (adapter needed) |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Exposure Comp |
0.0 |
use right dial wheel for this, same setting |
| ISO Setting |
|
submenu |
| Metering Mode |
Spot |
exposure metering |
| Face Priority in Multi… |
On |
in Multi Metering, adapt exposure to detected faces |
| Spot Metering Point |
Center |
|
| Exposure Step |
0.3EV |
intervals for selection of exposure and shutter speed |
ISO Setting
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| ISO |
ISO AUTO |
select this and restrict the range once to 100-3200 |
| ISO Range Limit |
100-102400 |
limit displayed ISO when selecting ISO |
| ISO AUTO Min. SS |
Standard |
Auto Minimum Shutter Speed in bad lighting, only for A and P mode |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| AEL w/ shutter |
Auto |
how to lock exposure for half pressed shutter button, "Auto" locks in single shot focus and manual focus |
| Exposure Std. Adjust |
|
submenu, fine tune exposure for metering modes, avoid! |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Flash Mode |
Fill-flash |
use flash in any case, if flash is used |
| Flash Comp. |
±0.0 |
adjust flash brightness |
| Exp.comp.set |
Ambient&flash |
Exposure compensation setting, when using exposure compensation, adjust exposure (Ambient) and flash |
| Wireless Flash |
Off |
use with Sony flashes |
| Red Eye Reduction |
Off |
No pre-flashes. |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| White Balance |
Auto |
Set if needed, then, use rear dial |
| Priority Set in AWB |
Standard |
Adjust balance of Auto White Balance to warm (Ambient), cold (White) or not at all (Standard) |
| DRO / Auto HDR |
D-Range Optimizer: Auto |
Dynamic Range Optimizer, Auto High Dynamic Range, compute level of optimization automatically, no Auto HDR |
| Creative Style |
Vivid |
use rear dial |
| Picture Effect |
Off |
play with modes if needed, not used much |
| Picture Profile |
Off |
rather technical settings for movie modes, mystery |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Soft Skin Effect |
Off |
soften skin if Face/Eye Priority is on and a human face is detected |
| Shutter AWB Lock |
Shut. Halfway Down |
Lock white balance like focus when pressing the shutter and in continuous mode |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Focus Magnifier |
|
Zoom while focusing. Set a button, e. g. “C1” to do this. |
| Focus Magnif. Time |
No Limit |
|
| Initial Focus Mag. |
x1.0 |
|
| AF in Focus Mag. |
On |
Autofocus works in magnifier mode. |
| MF Assist |
On |
Automatically zoom in when you move the focus ring in manual focus mode. Does not work in movie mode, set Focus magnifier to a button to use it. |
| Peaking Setting |
|
submenu, works only in MF mode. |
Peaking Setting
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Display |
On |
|
| Level |
Mid |
|
| Color |
Red |
|
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Face Registration |
|
Don't register people’s faces |
| Regist. Faces Priority |
Off |
|
| Smile Shutter |
Off |
Shoot when someony smiles. |
| Auto Object Framing |
Off |
Crop after shoot. |
| Self-portrait/ -timer |
On |
Turn display forward to setup a 3 second timer with countdown. |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Movie Exposure Mode |
Program Auto |
Only available in Movie Mode selected with movie icon on dial. |
| S&Q Exposure Mode |
Program Auto |
Only available in S&Q (slow & quick) movie mode selected on dial. |
| File Format |
XAVC S 4K |
|
| Record Setting |
25p 60M |
Quality/Frame rate |
| S&Q Settings |
|
submenu, only available in S&Q (slow & quick) movie mode selected on dial. |
| Proxy Recording |
Off |
Record additional smaller video file when recording in XAVC S 4K/HD. |
S&Q Settings
Setup slow motion or speed up movies.
No sound will be recorded here.
Slow motion: Record Setting < Frame rate
Normal: Record Setting = Frame rate
Speed up: Record Setting > Frame rate
e. g. Frame rate / Record setting = 100 / 25 = 4 = 4 times slow motion
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Record Setting |
25p |
Quality |
| Frame Rate |
100 fps |
Frame rate |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| AF Drive Speed |
Normal |
Autofocus speed when recording movies. |
| AF Tracking Sens |
Standard |
Sensitivity for tracking objects. |
| Auto Slow Shut. |
On |
Slower shutter speed in the dark. Only in Auto ISO. |
| Initial Focus Mag. |
x1.0 |
|
| Audio Recording |
On |
Record audio? |
| Audio Rec Level |
26 |
manual audio level only in movie mode with dial. Auto level otherwise. |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Audio Level Display |
On |
Show audio level? |
| Wind Noise Reduct. |
Off |
Electronic filter. |
| Marker Display |
Off |
Special movie markers, see Marker Settings |
| Marker Settings |
|
submenu |
| Movie w/ shutter |
Off |
Start movie only with movie button, even in movie modes. |
Marker Settings
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Center |
Off |
|
| Aspect |
Off |
|
| Safety Zone |
Off |
|
| Guideframe |
Off |
|
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Silent Shooting |
Off |
On if silence is needed, churches, museums. Only in PASM modes. Some functions don't work (e. g. flash) in silent mode. |
| e-Front Curtain Shut. |
On |
Reduces time between shutter operations. |
| Release w/o Lens |
Disable |
Enable with lenses without contacts, e. g. telescopes, old lenses. |
| Release w/o Card |
Disable |
|
| SteadyShot |
On |
Only with OSS lenses, not a function of the body. Turn off with tripod. |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Zoom |
|
Disabled with Optical zoom only |
| Zoom Setting |
Optical zoom only |
No additional electronic zoom. |
| Zoom Ring Rotate |
|
Reverse direction of zoom rng, only with power zoom (PZ) lenses. |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| DISP Button — Monitor |
|
submenu, which display contents to cycle through on monitor when pressing DISP. |
| DISP Button — Finder |
|
submenu, which display contents to cycle through in finder when pressing DISP. |
| FINDER/MONITOR |
Auto |
Automatically switch between finder and monitor. |
| Finder Frame Rate |
Standard |
|
| Zebra Setting |
|
submenu |
| Grid Line |
Rule of 3rds Grid |
Several options, including Off. |
| Exposure Set. Guide |
On |
Show slider for aperture and shutter speed in PASM modes when changing a value. |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Graphic Display |
Off |
Too much information. |
| Display All Info |
On |
Too much information. |
| No Disp Info |
Off |
Not needed. |
| Histogram |
Off |
Don't know how to use. |
| Level |
On |
Nice but seldom needed, level is more useful in finder. |
| For viewfinder |
Off |
Don't know how to use. |
| Monitor Off |
On |
Saving power. |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Graphic Display |
Off |
Too much information. |
| Display All Info |
Off |
Too much information. |
| No Disp Info |
On |
Uncluttered, main info is still visible on top and bottom. |
| Histogram |
Off |
Don't know how to use. |
| Level |
On |
Nice, main info is still visible on top and bottom. |
Zebra Setting
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Zebra Display |
Off |
Display zebra stripes for wrong exposure. |
| Zebra Level |
70 |
Whatever |
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Live View Display |
Setting Effect ON |
Show effects of aperture, shutter speed, ... live in monitor/finder. |
| Auto Review |
Off |
Display photo after shoot automatically. |
Assign functions to custom keys.
First three options assign functions to buttons in still image mode, movie mode and playback mode.
Not every button can be assigned for the different modes.
Every assignment page has several subpages that are shown in one table.
The buttons are shown graphically in the menu setting.
Custom Key Still Images
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Rear 1 AF/MF Button |
AF/MF Ctrl Toggle |
When pressing the button, switch between auto focus and manual focus. Keep function that is printed on the camera. |
| Rear 1 AEL Button |
AEL hold |
When pressing and hold the button, keep exposure settings for next shoot. Use when setting exposure in a part of the image that is not used for focus. Keep function that is printed on the camera. |
| Rear 1 Custom Button 2 C2 |
Silent Shooting |
|
| Rear 2 Center Button |
Focus Magnifier |
|
| Rear 2 Left Button |
Drive Mode |
Keep function that is printed on the camera. |
| Rear 2 Right Button |
ISO |
Keep function that is printed on the camera. |
| Rear 2 Down Button |
Exposure Comp. |
Keep function that is printed on the camera. |
| Top Custom Button 1 C1 |
Picture Effect |
|
| Focus Hold Button |
Focus Hold |
Only for lenses with own focus hold button. |
| My Dial Settings |
Default |
Configure control wheeel and control dial. |
| Dial/Wheel Setup |
TvAv |
Which dial changes shutter speed (rear dial) and aperture (top dial). |
Custom Key Movies
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Rear 1 AF/MF Button |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Rear 1 AEL Button |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Rear 1 Custom Button 2 C2 |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Rear 2 Center Button |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Rear 2 Left Button |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Rear 2 Right Button |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Rear 2 Down Button |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Top Custom Button 1 C1 |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Focus Hold Button |
Follow custom still images |
|
Custom Key Playback
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Rear Fn Button |
Image Index |
Change function that is printed on the camera, as I do not send pictures to my smartphone. |
| Top Custom Button 1 C1 |
Follow custom still images |
|
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Av/Tv Rotate |
Normal |
Change direction of rotation of dials. |
| Dial/Wheel Ev Comp |
Dial |
Where to change exposure compensation. |
| Func. of Touch Operation |
– |
Only if touch operation is on, which is not. |
| MOVIE Button |
Always |
Record movie in any mode with movie button. |
| Dial / Wheel Lock |
Unlock |
No use for me, if set to "Lock" you have to press the function button for several seconds to lock the wheels. |
| Audio signals |
Off |
Silent camera rulez. |
Network 1 and 2
I do not use the camera in a network or wireless setting, therefore had no need to change or use any function here.
Playback 1 to 3
Playback menu 1 calls special playback functions, I haven't used them yet.
Same for playback menu 2 and 3 except for two settings in playback menu 3:
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Display as Group |
On |
Display Interval shots as group rather than single images. Open group with center button. |
| Display Rotation |
Off |
Personal preference. |
Setup
Setup 1
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Monitor Brightness |
Manual |
Left at factory settings. |
| Viewfinder Brightness |
Auto |
Left at factory settings. |
| Finder Color Temp. |
0 |
Left at factory settings. |
| Gamma Disp. Assist |
Off |
Only relevant for special Picture Profiles (that I don't use). |
| Volume Settings |
7 |
Plaxback volume. |
| Tile Menu |
Off |
Graphical menu, not my bag. |
Setup 2
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Mode Dial Guide |
Off |
Detailed guide when changing shooting modes. |
| Delete confirm |
"Cancel first" |
Avoid accidental deletions. I don't delete many pictures in camera anyways. |
| Display Quality |
Standard |
Conserve battery live. |
| Pwr Save Start Time |
1 Min |
Time to auto sleep. |
| Auto Pwr OFF Temp. |
Standard |
Never occured so far. |
| NTSC/PAL Selector |
|
No. |
Setup 3
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Cleaning Mode |
|
Perform sensor cleaning. never used |
| Touch Operation |
Off |
Avoid nose operation. |
| Touch Panel/Pad |
Touch Panel+Pad |
|
| Touch Pad Settings |
|
submenu, never used |
| Demo Mode |
Off |
|
| TC/UB Settings |
|
Time Code, User Bit, submenu, never used |
Touch Pad Settings
Never touched these (sorry for the pun).
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Operation in Vertical Orientation |
Off |
|
| Touch Position Mode |
Relative Position |
|
| Operation Area |
Right 1/2 |
|
Setup 4
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| IR Remote Ctrl |
Off |
|
| HDMI Settings |
|
submenu |
| 4K Output Sel. |
– |
Only relevant if connected to 4K external video recorder. |
| USB Connection |
Mass Storage |
Connected to computer, be a mass storage device. |
| USB LUN Setting |
Multi |
Logical Unit Number, leave as is. |
| USB Power Supply |
On |
Charge when connected to a computer. |
HDMI Settings
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| HDMI Resolution |
Auto |
Playback resolution on HDTV. |
| HDMI Info. Display |
On |
On HDTV show same screen as on camera. |
| TC Output |
Off |
Time Code – if you use TC/UB you know what to do, I don't. |
| REC Control |
– |
Control external recorder with camera. |
| CTRL FOR HDMI |
Off |
Control camera with TV remote if connected. |
Setup 5
PC Remote Settings
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Still Img. Save Dest. |
PC Only |
Only relevant for tethered shooting – never done this. |
| RAW+J PC Save Img |
– |
Only relevant for tethered shooting – never done this. |
Date/Time Setup
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Daylight Savings |
On |
|
| Date/Time |
|
Setup date and time. |
| Date Format |
D-M-Y |
|
Copyright Info
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Write Copyright Info |
Off |
Not used so far. |
| Set Photographer |
|
|
| Set Copyright |
|
|
| Disp. Copyright Info |
|
Show current copyright info. |
Setup 6
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| File Number |
Series |
Continue file number even with new memory card. |
| Set File Name |
DSC |
Only three characters available. |
| Select REC Folder |
|
Change output folder. |
| New Folder |
|
Create other output folder. |
| Folder Name |
Date Form |
Create folder for every date. |
| Recover Image DB |
|
Used once after manually deleting a photo, destroying the image index, long story short: could retrieve images, had to format the card afterwards. |
Setup 7
| Setting |
Value |
Remark |
| Display Media Info. |
|
Show info about memory card. |
| Version |
|
Show firmware version. |
| Setting reset |
|
Reset settings: Camera Reset – reset settings that affect image and video shooting; Initialize – reset all and unregister many values. |
Setup own menu with menu items for fast access.
My menu:
- Silent Shooting
- Interval Shoot Func.
- Date/Time Setup
- Format