Sony PXW-FS7 Quick Reference Guide
Quick Reference Guide
PXW-FS7
PXW-FS7M2
sony.net/pro/PXW-FS7
sony.net/pro/PXW-FS7M2
This guide has been optimised for
mobile viewing and is fully interactive
Contents
A. Introduction to this guide
B. Saving the camera setup
C. Choosing the right operating mode
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
E. Advanced picture settings for Custom Mode
F. Detailed guide to the Cine EI Mode
G. Slow motion, time-lapse and picture cache
H. Audio recording
I. Recording, media and troubleshooting
Index
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A. Introduction to this guide
A1. Introduction
This guide does not replace the user manual. It is intended
to be used in conjunction with the user manual and it is
recommended that you read both this guide and the user
manual to get the very best from the camera.
Where you see text in bold it indicates a menu setting,
button or switch setting. For example:
(MENU: System – Base Setting – Shooting Mode)
Indicates: refer to the camera menu, System page, Base
Setting page, Shooting mode sub page.
Where there are multiple menu choices a suggested or
recommended setting will be given as an initial starting
point to get you going. These settings should give good
results in the majority of cases.
Status Button: The STATUS button on the camera body
allows you to view several pages of information about
the way the camera is set up. This can be very useful
for checking settings, audio levels and setup, media
remaining and camera configuration. Press STATUS to
enable the status display pages and then use the scroll
wheel to step through the information screens. Pressing
STATUS again will turn the status pages o.
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B. Saving the camera setup
B1. All files All files are a great way of quickly changing
shooting modes and saving your favorite settings. Once
you have the camera setup in a way you are happy
with I recommend saving those settings as an All File.
See the section on all files for more information.
All Files: All Files can be used to save a snapshot of
the way the camera is set up or to load a specific set of
camera settings.
An all file saves almost every available user setting,
including things like frame rate, shooting mode, paint
settings, viewfinder and MLUT settings. All files are very
useful for quickly switching between modes of operation
or for sharing settings across multiple cameras. Each all fie
can be given a unique alpha-numeric name that describes
the settings being saved. You can save up to 99 all files on
an SD card.
To save an all file you will need to insert an SD card (SD
card or SDHC card) into the SD card slot. You do not need
a large capacity SD card. The files are very small. An 8GB
card would be large enough for most peoples needs.
To save an All File first you must set the name for the
All File you wish to save.
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B. Saving the camera setup
(MENU: File – All File – File ID)
Set the file name and select Done when finished.
Then save the file:
(MENU: File – All File – Save SD Card)
Choose an empty “No File” location to save the file in an
unused location or overwrite a previously saved all file
with the new file.
To recall an All File:
(MENU: File – All File – Load SD Card)
Choose the desired All File from the list and press
SEL/SET to load. The camera may reboot during the
loading process.
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C. Choosing the right operating mode
C1. Understanding the dierent operating modes
Custom Mode and Cine El Mode: The PXW-FS7 has two
distinctly dierent operating modes which are called
“Custom” and “Cine EI”. The camera will create high quality
images at all available frame rates and resolutions in both
modes.
In Custom Mode the PXW-FS7 behaves much like any
other conventional video camera where the picture you
see in the viewfinder is the picture recorded to the XQD
cards and this is the image the end viewer will see.
This is the image as seen in the viewfinder and this is the image
recorded when shooting in custom mode.
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C. Choosing the right operating mode
In the Cine EI mode the camera operates using optimized
settings that allow it to capture the widest possible
dynamic range and color range. This wide range image
will look flat and washed out if viewed directly. But it
contains a huge amount of picture information that can
be manipulated and adjusted on a computer in post
production to achieve the desired final look. To make
shooting this way easier the camera incorporates a system
of MLUT’s (Monitor Look Up Tables) that allow the operator
to see in the viewfinder or on a monitor an approximation
of how the footage being shot will look after it has been
adjusted in post production.
This is the picture that is
recorded in the Cine EI mode.
And this is how the
image may look after post
production grading.
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C. Choosing the right operating mode
C1.1 More information on custom mode
In this mode you have the ability to change many of the
cameras image quality settings including gamma (contrast
and brightness range), the matrix (color) and sharpness if
you wish to alter the look of the recorded images. In most
cases in this mode the dynamic range (scene brightness
range) that can be captured is limited by the need to
create an on screen image with natural looking contrast
and colors that will not need any further adjustment. To
achieve this the camera must produce a signal range
that is directly compatible with the display device that
the pictures will be viewed on. For HD TV this standard is
called “Rec-709”.
Having to stay within the limitations of conventional TV
and monitor displays does impose some limitations on
the amount of adjustment available within the camera
and on the dynamic range that can be captured while still
producing a realistic looking image. But by staying within
this range very often it is not necessary to adjust the
images in post production.
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C. Choosing the right operating mode
Custom mode would normally be used for projects that
have little or no time for post production grading or
adjustment. Where a fast turn-around is important or a
simple, straight forward workflow is desired. Although
the image quality in custom mode can be very high, it
is normally possible for experienced users to get better
quality images and greater post production flexibility by
using the Cine EI mode.
C1.2 More information on Cine El Mode
The Cine EI mode is quite dierent to custom mode and
the way a conventional video camera works. In the Cine EI
mode the camera is setup to capture the greatest possible
brightness and color range. A range that will often exceed
what can be shown correctly on a conventional TV or
monitor. These extended range images are then taken in
to post production where they will be adjusted or “graded”
to create the desired look for the finished production.
As a result of the greatly extended capture range the
images captured will typically look very flat and lack
contrast and color if viewed on a conventional monitor.
This can sometimes make exposure assessment dicult.
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C. Choosing the right operating mode
To help with exposure and to help gauge what the
material will look like after grading the camera can apply
a Monitor Look Up Table (MLUT or LUT) to the viewfinder
or monitor outputs. The MLUT converts the image from
the flat looking S-Log2/3 range to a conventional viewing
range. Dierent MLUT’s can be used to give dierent
monitoring ranges and dierent looks. You can even load
user created MLUT’s in to the camera. The MLUT isn’t
normally recorded. It is just added to the viewfinder or
monitor output as a tool to help estimate what the final
pictures will look like.
In order to maximize the cameras dynamic range in Cine
EI the recording ISO of the camera is locked to it’s native
ISO of 2000. To help cope with dicult or challenging
lighting situations the camera can be “rated” at a higher or
lower equivalent ISO by changing the cameras Exposure
Index or EI. This changes the brightness of the MLUT or
LUT rather than the actual recording ISO. For a detailed
explanation of this please see the Using Cine EI chapter.
In the Cine EI mode the auto exposure functions such as
auto iris, auto shutter speed and automatic gain (AGC) are
disabled, so exposure must be set and adjusted manually.
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D. Preparing the camera and shooting
Section Index
1. Preparing to shoot
2. The shutter and shutter speed
3. Setting the gain or ISO
4. White Balance in Custom Mode
5. White Balance in Cine EI mode
6. Exposure, Waveform and Histogram
7. Aperture/Iris control
8. The ND filter System
9. Focus and Focus Aids
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D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D1. Preparing to shoot
After switching the camera on you may see a message
saying “Execute APR”. This is not an error or malfunction.
The APR function minimizes the appearance of bright or
dark sensor pixels and minimizes sensor noise.
Cover/cap the lens and press SEL/SET to execute the
APR function.
If you do not perform APR you will be reminded to
perform APR the next time the camera is turned on.
You should perform APR regularly to maintain the best
possible image quality.
Choose the appropriate frame rate, frame size and
recording codec for your production.
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D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D1.1 Start by setting the country area. The country area
setting determines which frame rates are available.
Choose PAL Area to enable 50i/50p/25p, choose NTSC
Area for 60i/60p/30p//23.98p/24p.
D1.2 Next choose the recording codec.
(MENU: System – Codec - Select).
The options available will depend on the whether you
have the extension unit installed on the camera or not.
Recommendation: Use the XAVC-I codec. This codec
oers the greatest frame rate flexibility combined with
excellent image quality for HD, UHD and 4K. XAVC-L may
be considered for situations where you do not have
enough media for XAVC-I. MPEG HD 422 may be needed
when only legacy edit systems are available.
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D. Preparing the camera and shooting
MPEG HD 422: HD only, the same as the XDCAM 422
codec, 8 bit, 422 at 50Mb/s. Good for news, quick turnaround, small file size. Not best for heavy post production
work or grading, Not recommended for use with S-Log2/3.
XAVC-I: HD/UHD/4K DCI. XAVC-I is always 10 bit 422.
XAVC-I is normally the easiest version of XAVC to edit,
requiring the least processing power. XAVC-I is the best
choice for working with S-Log2/3.
XAVC-L: HD/UHD XAVC-L is a long GOP codec oering
similar image quality to XAVC-I but with a smaller
file size. In HD it is 10bit 422. In UHD it is 8bit 422 (not
recommended for S-Log2/3).
In HD there 3 bit rate choices of 50, 35 and 25Mbps.
50Mbps oers image quality comparable to XAVC-I.
35Mbps is comparable to MPEG2 HD 422 50Mbps.
25Mbps is suitable for corporate or other professional non
broadcast applications.
XAVC-L requires more processing power in post
production than XAVC-I, so a high performance
computer is recommended.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
ProRes (with XDCA-FS7 only): HD only. ProRes is a widely
adapted codec originally developed by Apple for use in
post production but now finding use as an acquisition
codec. ProRes 422 HQ oers slightly higher quality than
ProRes 422.
Raw (with XDCA-FS7 only): High quality external
recording option that allow the recording of raw sensor
data on a compatible external recorder.
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D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D1.3 Now select the frame size/recording format and
frame rate. The (MENU: System – Rec Format – Video
Format) page is where you set the frame size and frame
rate that will be the cameras base rate. The options
available will depend on the country area and codec
choice.
1920x1080 = HD, 3840x2160 = UHD (the standard frame
size for consumer 4K television), 4096x2160 = 4K DCI (the
standard for 4K digital cinema).
If you have chosen XAVC-L as well as frame size and frame
rate you will also have a choice of dierent data rates for
the 1920x1080 modes. These are 25, 30 and 50 Mb/s.
50Mb/s is the highest quality and recommended for
broadcast productions.
Choose the operating mode.
Recommendation: Use Custom mode unless you
understand the Cine EI operating mode.
Choose between Custom Mode or Cine EI Mode:
(MENU: System – Base Settings – Shooting Mode).
The camera should now be ready to start shooting.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D2. Shutter Speed or Shutter Angle
It is recommended that to avoid issues with flicker from
some types of light fixtures that the shutter speed is
set to a multiple of the local mains electricity frequency.
Please check the mains frequency of the country you are
shooting in to determine the most appropriate shutter
speed. In a 50Hz country 1/50 or 1/100 is recommended.
In a 60Hz country 1/60 or 1/120 is recommended.
D2.1 The shutter speed or shutter angle eects how
motion is portrayed in the recordings. A very fast shutter
will freeze rapid movements in each frame of the
recording making them crisper but possibly adding judder
or jitter. Too slow a shutter speed will result in blurred
motion and handheld camera wobble can result in soft
looking pictures. In addition a fast shutter speed reduces
the amount of captured by the sensor.
The camera can display the shutter time period as either
fractions of a second (shutter speed) or in degrees. In
either case the operation of the shutter is identical, there
is no dierence in the quality of the images captured.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
Shutter speed is the easiest to understand and is similar
to how the shutter period would be expressed in a stills
camera. With Shutter Speed the shutter timing remains
fixed at the speed set even if you change the recording
frame rate (unless the shooting frame rate is increased
beyond the set shutter speed, in which case the shutter
speed will become set to the slowest possible speed for
the shooting rate chosen).
The Shutter Angle setting mimics the way the shutter
period of a movie film camera would be expressed. The
shutter in a film camera is a spinning circular disc, part
of which is cut away to allow light to fall on the film. The
most commonly used shutter angle is 180 degrees, which
is half of the 360 degrees of a full circle. So a 180 degree
shutter on a film camera would allow light to fall on the
film for half of the shutters rotation period. In a video
camera this means that the sensor will capture light for
half of the recording frame rate. For example, if shooting
at 24fps a 180 degree shutter will be open for half of 1/24
which is 1/48th of a second. With shutter angle, if you
change the recording frame rate the shutter speed will
also change as it will always be the same fraction of the
recording rate.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D2.2 To change the shutter period indication
between Speed and Degrees go to
(MENU: Camera – Shutter – Mode).
To change the shutter speed: Press the Shutter button
on the side of the camera body and use the scroll wheel
to choose your desired shutter speed or angle. Then press
the sel/set button to set the shutter speed. Do not press
the shutter button again you wish to set the shutter speed
control to automatic.
Suggested settings are 180 degrees or for 50Hz countries
1/50 and for 60Hz countries 1/60.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D3. Setting the Gain or ISO (Custom Mode)
The signal that comes from the cameras sensor can be
made brighter by adding additional amplification by
increasing the gain of the cameras image processors.
This may be useful when shooting in low light situations.
However it should be noted that when you increase the
camera’s gain, as well as making the desirable image
brighter you will also increase the noise seen in the image.
Because of this it is normally desirable to use the lowest
possible amount of gain for the best results.
The gain setting of the camera can be displayed as “gain”
in dB or as the equivalent ISO rating of the camera.
D3.1 dB gain is easy to understand. 0dB is no added gain
and the optimum setting for the best possible image
quality. Every time you increase the gain by 6dB you are
making the picture twice as bright (equivalent of opening
the lens aperture by 1 stop). But adding 6dB of gain also
increases the noise in the image by a factor of 2. Adding
+6dB gain makes the picture twice as bright but 2 time
noisier, adding +12dB will mean a picture 4 times brighter
than 0dB but also 4 times noisier and so on.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
ISO can be a little more confusing. ISO is used to
determine the correct exposure for a camera when using
an external light meter. As dierent gamma curves require
slightly dierent exposure levels the optimum ISO (native
sensitivity) will vary depending on the gamma curve used.
STD Gamma curves = 800 ISO = 0dB
Hypergamma HG1, HG2, HG3, HG4 = 800 ISO = 0dB
Hypergamma HG7, HG8 = 1600 ISO = 0dB
S-Log2 and S-Log3 = 2000 ISO = 0dB
If you double the ISO, for example going from 800 ISO to
1600 ISO this is the same as adding 6dB of gain. So if you
are using STD gamma and the camera is set to 1600 ISO
that is the same as STD gamma at +6dB gain.
I recommend that to avoid confusion when in custom
mode you should use dB gain rather than ISO.
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D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D3.2 To select the use of gain or ISO
(MENU: Camera – ISO/Gain/EI – Mode).
Manual gain control is then done via the gain switch on
the side of the camera body the gain or ISO level assigned
to each of the 3 switch positions can be set in:
(MENU: Camera – ISO/Gain/EI – ISO/Gain<L>) etc.
To enable/disable automatic gain control press the
Gain button on the camera body.
If using the Cine EI mode please see the section on
“Exposure Index”.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D4. White Balance (Custom Mode)
Setting the white balance correctly ensures that white
objects in the scene appear white and that the overall
color response of the camera is true to life. There are
several ways of setting the white balance.
Pressing the white balance button on the camera will
toggle between automatic white balance (ATW) and
the white balance function selected by the white
balance switch.
ATW: The camera can determine the correct white balance
automatically by continuously analyzing the scene being
shot and adjusting the white balance while you shoot.
This function is called ATW – Auto Tracing White Balance.
Generally this works well but under some situations you
may occasionally see a shift in colors while shooting.
With the white balance switch you can chose between
PRESET white balance and MEMORY A and MEMORY B
white balance.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D4.1 Preset
The white balance can be fixed to a set value. When the
white balance switch is set to PRESET the preset value
is used. To change the preset value go (MENU: Paint –
Preset White) and select the desired color temperature.
D4.2 Memory Mode A and B
There are two memories in the camera that will remember
the white value for a white target. To set the white balance
correctly aim the camera at a white target such as a piece
of white paper that is under the same lighting as the rest
of the scene. Expose correctly and then press the WB SET
button on the front of the camera. This will store the white
balance in the memory selected by the switch.
D5. White Balance (Cine El Mode)
When shooting using the Cine EI mode a white balance
preset is selected using the white balance switch. Only 3
possible settings can be chosen, (Preset) 3200K, (A) 4300K,
(B) 5500K. Choose the option closest to the scene you are
shooting. Preset white balance is used to preserve the
full dynamic range of the camera, fine tuning of the white
balance would be done in post production as part of the
normal grading process.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D6. Exposure, Zebras, Waveform and Histogram
Exposure is controlled through a combination of shutter
speed, gain/ISO, iris aperture and ND filter. The camera
includes a number of tools for measuring exposure.
D6.1 Zebras
Zebras are commonly used to measure the brightness of
either skin tones or highlights. Zebra 1 is designed to be
used for skin tones. (MENU: VF – Zebra). For STD gammas
the default level of 70% works well in most cases, a small
amount of zebras appearing across a face. However for
the Hypergammas the zebra level should be reduced to
60% for good results.
Zebra1 at 70% on skin tones with STD gamma (note how darker faces
may not always show zebras at 70%).
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
In (MENU: VF – Zebra - Select) you can choose whether to
show zebra 1, zebra 2 or both in the viewfinder. The zebras
can be turned on and o via the push button on the side
of the viewfinder or with (MENU: VF – Zebra – Setting).
In Cine EI when a MLUT is enabled for the Viewfinder the
zebras measure the exposure levels of the MLUT as seen
on the viewfinders LCD screen, not the S-Log2 or S-Log3
recording level.
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
D6.2 Waveform Vectorscope and Histogram
These are selected via (MENU: VF – Video Signal Monitor).
Waveform: The waveform display measures the
brightness of the recorded image and displays the
brightness levels on a vertical scale that goes from 0%
or black at the lower dotted line at the bottom to 109%
(clipping point) at the top. There are additional dotted
reference lines at 25, 50 75 and 100%. The left side of the
waveform meter represents the left side of the image
being recorded while the right side of the waveform meter
is the right side of the image.
The Waveform Monitor and the levels indicated
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Section Index
D. Preparing the camera and shooting
Vector: This is a vectorscope which is used to measure the
color levels and color hue of what is being shot. In most
cases it is not necessary to use the vectorscope.
Histogram: The histogram displays the exposure
brightness on a horizontal scale where black is at the
left and 109% (clipping point) is on the right. The vertical
height of the indicated level represents the amount of the
image that is exposed at that brightness.
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