Great to hear!

Thanks for the positive feedback - I will be back in the new year with many more.

Glad it was helpful!

Move the whole Sunny 16 rule to f/11 or f/8 if you are using a cropped sensor or just don't need depth of focus to extend to infinity or are using a lens wider than 35mm.

Glad you liked it!

SteadyShot (IBIS) is useful for low light shooting - but this street genre keeps the shutter speed high so steadyshot is not essential in this instance.

These settings are ideal when the ambient light is constant but you may need to look for an alternative if the weather is cloudy one minute and sunny the next.

Thanks Mark. So is the only thing I’m changing is the ISO depending on the light conditions in the range of 400 - 3200?

Glad it was helpful! - Please subscribe to the channel to support my work.

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Subscribed, its a pleasure

Watch my Memory Mastermind video tutorial and will be clear.

1) Watch my SteadyShot video tutorial. Sony would not add an option to switch it Off if it was always best left On. 2) The Fn key accessed the Fn menu where I had added Audio Signals. This allows me to enable and disable audio signals as required. For ongoing support check out my support channel at Patreon.com/markgaler - but it's best to join on or shortly after the 1st of the month.

Yes that's possible and I have a video tutorial called Total Recall on my channel to showcase the workflow.

As a beginner I would recommend using Program or Aperture Priority Mode for most subjects. The Sunny 16 Rule suits Street Photography on sunny days but would be too complex to implement quickly when you want to keep varying your aperture to manage depth of field and the ambient light is constantly changing.

Yes - the camera is being put into a basic manual camera that most cameras can achieve.

The Sunny 16 settings require that you have well defined shadows from your subjects. if the shadows have less well-defined edges you would raise the ISO to 800 and if the shadows disappear due to thin cloud cover you would be at 1600 ISO. If the clouds are grey you would be at ISO 3200. If you are still underexposing in these conditions it is worth double-checking the metadata to make sure everting conforms to the Sunny 16 rule. If you are still underexposing I would set the aperture at f/11. If you are still underexposing your camera or lens could possibly be at fault as the Sunny 16 rule is possibly more than a hundred years old. Also check you do not have a polarising filter on the lens.

I have a low light video and I can provided ongoing support via my Patreon support site - Patreon.com

The standard focal length for Street is 35mm. Moving to APS-C mode is an option not a prerequisite. If you are using a focal length longer than 35mm depth of field will decrease in full-frame mode, so your choice of focus distance will be a little more critical.

preshit ambade - Multi is the most reliable - in the 5% of instances where Multi gets it wrong (due to the presence of predominantly light or dark tones) the EVF and Monitor will display the mistake and this can be quickly rectified using Exposure Compensation as guided by the observed scene and also the live histogram. This is perhaps the primary advantage about using a Mirrorless camera - the what-You-see-is-what-You-get view. The most unreliable metering mode is spot and as we don’t all share the same skin tone you would then have to continually compensate for this fact.

That make sense. Thank you so much for your reply. Look forward to meet you some day. :)

You would have to factor in the transmission value of the filter which could be 2 EV or more.

You are right, the “AF w/shutter” setting is independent of your memory settings. If you want to use back-button focus, I find its best to leave “AF w/shutter” to “on”, and put the camera into manual focus mode. Then, define the “AF ON” button as a custom hold function button that overrides manual focus and puts the camera into AF-C or AF-S. This way, turning BBF on or off is achieved by setting the focus mode to manual or AF-C/AF-S, and the focus mode *is* recorded in your memory settings.

Most of these settings can be committed to the memory. There are some settings that can't such as the 'Sunny' setting on the Monitor.

Thanks for the reply Mark. That's cool as I normally have my monitor set to it's brightest setting anyway; if anything I'm more curious about whether or not you can commit a back button focus setup to memory or if you would have to physically go into the menu system to assign a custom button for use with BBF?

I cant remember if BBAF (Back Button AF) is a global setting affecting all memory modes or if its independent and can be turned on/off for each memory slot) but you could try to test it and see. I would think its memory dependent

That is mighty strange - presumably you are in Manual Shoot Mode and not Auto. If this is the case you should direct your question to Metabones. Not allowing Manual Focus would be an oversight I am sure Metabones would not have made.

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thank you! I'll try to go through the workflow you presented again. On a personal note: this is by far my favorite photography channel! Thank you for taking the time to share with us your insightful knowledge!

Eye-AF - it can be assigned to a Custom Button. Check out the Eye-AF movie on my channel.

Mark has another (a few) videos on his channel that cover the Eye-AF function in detail (I think for the a6000 but applies to all Sony mirrorless cameras). Check out the one on portrait photography or the other ones where he shoots with a female model some shots. Go back a few months/years to find it.

Robert Giguere - I started making movies with the first generation of Sony Alpha Mirrorless cameras so most of the movies in my channel feature the older models. The movies are less about the specific cameras and more about how to use menu items to gain control over your camera. I labelled the recent movies with the third generation cameras as the menu layout changed from the previous versions. Most movies can still be helpful for photographers using the older models - including this one.

This will actually wipe *everything* including the memory positions, be careful!

Paindoctor - The Focus Mode and Drive mode dials are indeed good to have on the A9. Adding them to the A7Rlll would have increased the price point but I am sure many photographers who are interested in the A7Rlll would have been happy to pay the extra. One of the disadvantages at having these functions controlled by hard dials is that the drive mode and focus mode can’t be registered to the memory recall options on the Mode dial. The workaround for A9 users is to register them to the Custom Shoot Settings and assign a Custom Button to recall them. This workaround, however, requires the custom button to be held down continuously to activate these settings.

Thank you Mark. That's a great point. I went to your website, MarkGaler.com and found a terrific opportunity to train with your guidance via Skype, so I can get some of these questions I have answered directly, which is much appreciated. I sent you an email with some of these issues, so hopefully we'll get to do a training session together shortly. Thank you for helping not only me, but the many Sony users, both new and well-seasoned. I must say that of all the places I have searched (high and low :-) for tutorials on these new and high tech cameras, your videos are probably the best, in my opinion. Talk to you soon Mark and again many thanks.

Paindoctor - In reference to your comment about back button AF, The options for Priority Set in AF-C does not disable the AF function from the shutter release. If set to Release the camera will take the image while the camera is focussing, even if the cameras has not yet achieved critical sharpness. When set to AF the camera will delay the shutter release until the camera has confirmed focus. Balanced emphasis’s is a compromise settings where the camera will wait a little longer while achieving focus but then prioritize Release. Some sports shooters will often notice they are missing the first frame or two in the sequence when set to Balanced Emphasis as the camera goes through this waiting period. Using the AF On button prior to release will ensure the full sequence is captured. Back Button AF users want to remove any AF operation from the release so focus is either on or off - depending whether the AF-On button is being depressed. The options for Priority Set in AF-C would be redundant if this option to use back-button AF was chosen.

OK, I get it (more than before, anyway). I am hoping to get some more in depth insight into how I can set up my two cameras (A9 and A7Riii) before going to the Venice workshop in 8 days, along with a few other agenda items I will email you when we set up the training session. Thanks again Mark.

Paindoctor I have answered you via email.

Roger Cuthbert - The distance scale appears on all the Alpha camera in manual focus mode but only when you move the focussing ring.

I have a full schedule but will get around to it eventually. Not all of my videos are public as I have reserved 25 hours plus of video content for my Patrons over at Patreon.com/markgaler

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Thanks for the response, if you have a public Photography class in Melb I am keen to attend. You speak from experience and are reserved with your comments.

It's not something I do but I am aware that it helps some photographers to set the Picture Style to black and white to help them 'see the light' as well as the subjects when shooting.

Yes

I don't reset the settings I have been using - I will either move to one of the other two custom memories or simply move back to my Aperture priority or Movie shooting modes using the Shooting Mode dial. All my basic settings can then be accessed via my Fn menu and/or Control Wheel. The Memories will override most, if not all, settings you dial in when you are not using the memories as they are saved settings. If you change a setting while in the memory they will not be saved.

Do you have any videos on event photography?

It is a popular request so maybe I should make one. Problems people encounter at these events is appropriate choice of flash and focus settings. I would typically use a wide aperture prime such as the FE 1.4/35 or 1.8/55 to ensure fast AF or use an f/8 aperture and set a manual focus distance (and let the depth of field cover any issues with focus - same as in this Street movie). I would also set a manual ISO setting such as 1600 or 3200 so the flash is not having to work too hard and increase the amount of ambient atmosphere in the location.

Patrons are advised to ask all question on the Patreon platform as I only get to answer a small proportion of the questions asked of me on KZfaq. I have had to disable KZfaq notifications otherwise my phone would ping constantly. I have CAMSET files available on Patreon for both the A7RV and A7RVA. I only register my PAL settings in the CAMSETs I provide, but have included tables of settings in the eBook so users can add an additional MR to their memory card (M1 to M4) or replace one of my MR settings. I have included a video link to modifying one of my memories in the video index. With the rapid AF I now tend to shoot a lot of my street photography with the aperture wide open rather than following the traditional sunny 16 rule.

thank you a lot for your time to answer !@@AlphaCreativeSkills

Cambridgeincolour.com

zoe20641 - megapixel count is lowered from 42.4 to 18 and equivalent focal length and aperture are magnified by a factor of 1.5 - that’s all.

Why not just crop afterwards?

zoe20641 The SEL18-105 lens is already a crop lens so shooting in full-frame is not an option.

Have you downloaded my free A6400 eBook?

Hi Mark. I certainly have, but the videos are unquestionably easier to follow when you're sitting with the camera. Been doing solid research for over a month so time to start using the camera properly outside. I will up the ISO and lower the shutter as required at night and see how it goes. Thanks so much and it's great to know you are listening.

The remote software that is part of the Imaging Edge may not like some other software on your computer- I believe it doesn’t like some cloud services. As a location shooter I rarely tether and the last time I had to I went through Capture One.

Focus between shots when capturing images for a time lapse movie is something that is not usually desired as it makes the resulting movie ‘shake’. This is possible, however, with an external intervalometer.

Many thanks Mark for your prompt reply. The goal of this interval shooting is not to make a movie, but to have a bunch of photos of people that may be at unpredictable distance from the “hidden” camera. BTW can you suggest the name of the intervalometer you are mentioning?

The idea of the Sunny 16 Rule (I didn't make this one up) is that you do not think about exposure, focus, depth of field or whether your shutter speed is fast enough to freeze the subject. The camera is set up for the weather. Thinking about your camera settings removes your focus from the subject and the photographer's ability to capture the decisive moment. If you would prefer to shoot at f/11 or f/8 in sunny weather just make an allowance on the ISO setting - your depth of field will be narrower so the distance or immediate foreground will be unsharp on a full frame camera. If you are shooting at f/4 you will have narrow depth of field and will have to track focus on your subject - this is OK if this is what you want but it is not the Sunny 16 Rule as now you will be thinking about focus and not the subject. When walking from sunshine and shooting subjects with clearly defined shadows into open shade this tutorial directs you to make allowances with the exposure. Narrow alleyways (not open shade) would have to be judged from experience, metering or by making one or two test images to assess the appropriate exposure.

That is correct

If you are photographing in sunlight you may as well just pick daylight- as a Raw shooter there is no loss in quality by just picking it in post.

@@AlphaCreativeSkills thanks

If the screen was dark and the weather was cloudy the ISO had not been raised enough. Use the histogram for a ball park guide to when the ISO is correct if you are inexperienced at judging exposure by weather.

For extended support and guidance (things that can not be answered in a few sentences because the topic being discussed is complex) I recommend heading over to my Patreon support group Patreon.com/markgaler

@@AlphaCreativeSkills I m patreon now, I am going to look how to ask questions :-)

Hi - thanks for joining Patreon - please use the Patreon Q&A forum for future questions - you will have received an email when you joined Patreon with a video link that will show you how to navigate the Patreon site.

You don’t need a model release for street photography - never have. Nobody has the right to privacy in a public space. You can’t use the images for advertising but you can use them for editorial and journalism. If you don’t like the high ISO because you are using a crop sensor use f/11 and double the shutter speed. I have been selling images for 40 years since I was taught the Sunny 16 rule at college.

Mark Galer's Alpha Creative Skills I’m using a D850, although I do use a D500 for those situations where it is advantageous. I seem to have stepped on your toes, which I don’t understand, but if I did, I apologize. I sell a lot of stock images, so I’ve become overly sensitive to noise. In fact, I’ve gotten so sensitive to it that I’m having a really hard time just shooting. If the image isn’t noise free, or nearly so, it’s gone. I need to try to allow a bit of compromise into my work. I’m binge watching your older videos right now and enjoying them very much. Thank you for your reply and your videos!

I sometimes use an 85mm wide open but this is a completely different approach to street than the one outlines in this video

That would indicate it is is not Sunny or something very dark is in front of the camera. If it's not sunny you have to raise the ISO.

There is nothing at infinity in the street (unless it is a very long street). To maximise the depth if field when using a wide angle lens and the aperture stopped down you use the hyperfocal distance which is most likely to be at 7 meters or closer. The hyperfocal distance will provide you with a much closer focusing distance that extends to infinity.

@@AlphaCreativeSkills thank you

On all cameras except the A9 the screen will momentarily black out. If you have All Info displaying for the Monitor you will also see the total number of frames available (top left-hand corner) drop by one shot. This Info is always displayed in the Finder (top-left)

Thanks Mark, Now, I've got it...

It is easier on some lenses compared to others - wish it was easy across the range.

zoe20641 - there is always a pause between pressing the shutter release and the camera taking a photo when using AF-S. this defeats the purpose of capturing the decisive moment. Accuracy of focus is also not important when using an aperture where the depth of field will cover any minor focussing errors.

OIt's to avoid having to do unnecessary exposure compensations when using Auto Exposure. If the level of ambient light is a consistent value there is no need for Auto Exposure. When using full manual mode, exposure is determined by the level of the ambient light and not the amount of light being reflected from the light and dark surfaces in the frame.

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Is ambient light, in my context, just the available natural light...that would be therefore on my subject, as opposed to, like you said, the light reflected from the light and dark surfaces making up the entire frame. So, the ISO of, say 100 would be a constant and better than an Auto? I'm pretty new. Thanks.

Yes - that’s what I am saying. I offer personal support and guidance + you can download an eBook for your camera from my Patreon.com/markgaler support channel

You can’t assign another button as a shutter release so you will need to get the camera repaired

@@AlphaCreativeSkills thanks

Carry a cheap memory card in your camera bag saving and loading M1-M4 settings. As soon as you have loaded a camera setting you can eject the memory card. In this manner you do not write to this memory card and there is no need to format the card.

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Ok, thank you. I knew it would force me to take notes ;O)

I have known the exposure for sunny weather since I was 11 years old. I don't need to use Auto Exposure to guess a setting that I already know, with the added task of using exposure compensation when the camera guesses incorrectly.

They can be used by most cameras as they rely on manual settings which most cameras have.

I have an APS-C playlist that includes many movies using the A6000. Its only since 2017, however, that I have been able to find the time to make extended coverage of setting up cameras for specific genres in greater detail.

Sony APS-C Cameras (A6K) kzfaq.info/sun/PLWC-IgKORdDErROJqPi4MZxPLuxZBoNkr

As most of the principles in this movie apply to ALL cameras you could adapt this to the A6000.

Many thanks for your very prompt reply.

These settings are weather dependent and don't have anything to do with choice of lens. If using a crop sensor you can use wider apertures. You can even use f/8 and f/11 and adjust the Iso and Shutter speed accordingly if the depth of field from using a wide angle lens is sufficient.

Most of the settings in this movie can be applied to the A6500 as it shares the same menu layout. I would, however, open the aperture to f/11 and halve the ISO values as crop sensors have more depth of field than full frame cameras.

Mark Galer's Alpha Creative Skills thanks for the rapid reply i appreciate it

So instead of f16 and ISO 400 on the Full Frame then use f11 and ISO 200 as the starting point that you showed on the table in the first part of the video, for APSC cams?

Use a wide aperture lens (typically a prime) and in the Live View Display menu switch the Setting Effect to OFF. You will not be able to shoot with smaller apertures if you want the ISO to stay reasonably low. I would even consider shooting wide open at f/1.8 or f/1.4.

@@AlphaCreativeSkills thank you. I'll give that a try.

dimka linux - I avoid using Auto ISO for street as I would then have to constantly worry about protecting highlight values that may occasionally clip.

Thanks for replying Mark. But when i try making photo with constant ISO f.e. 800 i found that i need adjust ISO very often because light condition is changes - for example i walk from street with very bright sun to the street with shadow from big building and ISO 800 produce a very underexposed photo. Is i make something wrong in this case? Thanks.

dimka linux - The Sunny 16 rule can be applied most easily if the ambient lighting is a constant. In street situations walking from sun to open shade an be a simple 2 or 3 stop exposure difference in most instances and can be something you get used to. The settings outlined in this movie are designed to reduce the amount of time adjusting exposure, but if this does not work in the location you find yourself in then moving to Auto ISO may be a better option.

Picture Profiles are applied to JPEGs and Movies only. You apply Profiles to Raw images in post.

Mark Galer's Alpha Creative Skills so no matter what pp it shows on camera, it'll always look the same when i open it in Lightroom? The picture will be flat?

Correct

It is perfectly reasonable to crop in post - but there are three advantages that some photographers may find when shooting in APS-C mode. 1. We tend the frame or compose what we can see - so compositions can be improved by shooting in APS-C mode if the need arises. 2. If shooting with Lock-On AF tracking the PDAF points cover the entire frame when shooting in APS-C Mode. 3.If the images you are shooting are only ever going to be viewed on a 4K screen then shooting in 18 Megapixels instead of 42.4 makes a lot more sense when you only need 8.3 megapixels to fill the 4K screen.

When I learnt photography (back in the analog days) we didn't have menus on the cameras, we used manual focus lenses and guessed the exposure from the ambient light conditions or a hand-held meter. We did however learn from the likes of Henri Cartier Bresson that the decisive moment was more important than what settings you were using. There was a street photographer in the USA called 'Weegee' who only ever used one camera setting and taped these settings down. His style of flash photography gave rise to a whole genre in film. Use an online a depth of field calculator to the confirm what is considered to be acceptable sharpness. This figure is a variable because viewing distance, image size and the visual acuity of the viewer has to be factored in.

I would switch to my Portrait settings which I outline in my eBooks and my Portrait settings video tutorials. My eBooks can be downloaded any becoming a premium Member of my Patreon support service: www.patreon.com/markgaler

Alright Mark. One thing though in both modes I find that the colour gets a bit dull ( on buildings etc) vis-a-vis the auto mode. This is in daylight ofcourse . Any suggestions?

It was an alternative option for people who don’t want to use Manual Focus

@@AlphaCreativeSkills Oh, cool - thanks for letting me know. Great videos, I'm just learning to use my A7ii, and have found them really helpful.

If you have set the Focus to Manual then the following two Priority Settings are ignored as AF has been disabled.

Ok so if shooting in say A mode what does AF priority do for you over balanced? I've been keeping mine in balanced, so does it improve AF speed or something if you are in AFC mode?

I would leave in Balanced Emphasis and use the alternative technique I outlined which uses back-button AF so the shutter fires immediately, i.e. the camera does not try to find focus first. If you don't want to use Back-Button AF then you would set the Priority to Release.