FX6 Setup (per an email I sent to another DIT ages ago)

Hello [insert name of DIT]

Thanks for taking good care of [insert name of DP]

For the FX6, set it to:

S-Log3 / S-Gamut3.Cine

Resolution: 4K

Codec: XAVC-I (as in india)

You’re definitely going to want to poke around it and familiarize yourself.

I normally have my user “3” button set to be the dual ISO swap. The bases are 800 and 12,800.

So if you’re at 10,000 ISO, you’re better off (cleaner) at 12,800.

I say “normally” i set the buttons that way because the cameras get rented out a lot and people change the settings here and

there. If they did, just go back to the functions menu button and set it to the ISO toggle (i forget what they actually call it in the

menu)

The NDs: a tiny but confusiong but:

You’ll want to set the slider to “variable”.

Use the +/- ND button to engage and disengage between CLEAR and ON

Once the ND is ON (in), it will be set to whatever the variable was last set to.

Use the smooth roller button to roll up and down for ND adjustments.

As you’re first rolling it around, you may not see much of a change, but it’s changing. It’ll get darker with more scrolls, and it

moves in what feels like.. 1/8th stops, and moves gradually.

You’ll see a little fraction number at the bottom of the screen that indicates the ND at 1/4 all the way down to 1/128. I don’t

know what that means in terms of f/stops or 3, 6, 9, etc. So when anyone asks, just let them know that Sony is still using ENG

measurements. I’m sure there’s a way to find out how many stops each fractional number is.

Ignore the silver physical toggle switches on the bottom for white balance and ISO. Those are remnants from the ENG days, and

whoever implemented them into this camera should go to camera-jail.

I use the ISO button to toggle ISO and the white balance button to scroll through the kelvin count.

When all else fails, you can always click-in the menu button and move around between the different settings on the screen (like

an Alexa FN+1 control).

People will ask you the following:

No, here is no remote start/stop yet. You or the operator needs to hit the record button

No, the on-screen data can’t be moved around (the clip name is inconveniently covering part of the frame, and Scripty needs it)

No, there are no roll #s, it is just a straight clip count upwards (remnant of the A7), so when you reload, the slate roll increases,

the script notes indicate the roll change, and you create a roll folder (e.g. C004), but there’s no actual roll in the camera. So for

example, Roll C001 might be CLIPS C001-C024, and Roll C002 will be C025-C089.

Again, you’ll want like.. 10 minutes with that camera before you shoot, but as long as you’re at XAVC-I and 4K FF and your white

balance hasn’t gone to hell, the rest is just tinkering with the NDs and ISOs.

I usually set the ISO and F-stop and then just use that variable ND to get to the desired exposure. It’s pretty nifty.

When people get frustrated, remind them it’s a consumer camera with amazing low light capabilities and is very light weight. It’s

not a professional camera.

Feel free to text me if you have anymore questions. I’m 19 hours ahead of you, or 5-hours back, the next day.

Sincerely

-Arthur To