Now that the Sony RX100 IV has the correct time and date set
and a charged battery inserted along with a memory card, I’ll discuss the steps
for basic picture taking. For now, I won’t discuss details about various
options and why you might choose one over another. I’ll just describe a
reasonable set of steps that will get your camera into action and will save a
usable image or video to your memory card.
Introduction to Main Controls
Before
I discuss options for setting up the camera using the menu system and controls,
I will introduce the main physical features of the camera. I won’t discuss all
of the controls here; I will cover them in more detail later. As I
mention each item for the first time, I will describe its position and
function; you may want to refer back to these images for a reminder about each
control.
Top of Camera
On
top of the camera are some of the most important controls and other features,
as shown in Figure 2-1.
 |
| Figure 2-1 - Controls on Top of Camera |
The
Mode dial selects a shooting mode for stills or video. For basic shooting
without having to make other settings, turn the dial so the AUTO icon is next
to the white marker; this sets the camera to its most automatic mode. The
large, black shutter button is used to take pictures. Press it halfway to
evaluate focus and exposure; press it all the way to take a picture. The zoom
lever, surrounding the shutter button, is used to zoom the lens between its
telephoto and wide-angle settings. The lever also is used to change the views
of images in playback mode.
The
power button turns the camera on and off. An orange light in the center of the
button glows when the battery is being charged in the camera. A green light
appears when the camera is powered on. The flash is normally stored inside the
top of the camera; if you want it to be available for use, you have to pop it
up using the flash pop-up switch behind the power button. The built-in
electronic viewfinder (EVF) is stored inside the camera’s top at the far left
side until you pop it up using the Finder switch on the camera’s left side. The
2 small microphone openings are where the camera records sound for movies.
Back of Camera
Figure
2-2 shows the controls on the camera’s back.
 |
| Figure 2-2 - Controls on Back of Camera |
The
Movie button starts or stops a video recording. The Menu button calls up the
menu screens with settings for shooting and other values, such as control
button functions, audio features, and others. In shooting mode, the Function
(Fn) button calls up a menu of camera settings for easy access. In playback
mode, it activates the Send to Smartphone command, if the command is available.
The Playback button puts the camera into playback mode so you can view recorded
images, and it also can turn the camera on. The Custom/Delete button, marked
with a C, can be programmed to call up any one of numerous functions. By
default, in shooting mode it calls up help screens with information about menu
options. In playback mode, it serves as the Delete button for erasing images.
The
Control wheel is a dial for setting values such as aperture and shutter speed
and for navigating through menus. In addition, each of its 4 edges acts as a
button when you press it in, for controlling items including flash mode,
exposure compensation, continuous shooting, and the display screen. The Center
button is used to confirm selections and for other operations. The LCD
screen—which displays the live view along with the camera’s settings and plays
back recorded images—tilts up or down to allow you to hold the camera in a high
or low position to view a scene from unusual angles. It also can rotate 180
degrees forward to let you take a self-portrait. The small eye sensor to the
right of the viewfinder senses the presence of your head nearby and activates
the viewfinder, if automatic switching between viewfinder and LCD is in effect.
Front of Camera
Figure
2-3 shows the items on the camera’s front.
 |
| Figure 2-3 - Items on Front of Camera |
The
AF Illuminator/Self-timer Lamp signals operation of the self-timer and provides
illumination so the camera can use its autofocus system in dark areas. The
Control ring, around the lens, can adjust items such as aperture, shutter
speed, manual focus, and others, depending on the shooting mode and menu
options in effect. The lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length range of 24mm to
70mm and an aperture range of f/1.8 to f/11.0. (The actual focal length range of the lens is 8.8mm to
25.7mm; the “35mm equivalent” range is commonly used to state the focal length
in a way that can easily be compared to lenses of other cameras.)
Right Side of Camera
On the right side of the
camera are 2 small flaps, marked Multi and HDMI. Under those flaps are 2 ports,
as shown in Figure 2-4.
 |
| Figure 2-4. Right Side of Camera - Ports |
The
Multi port or terminal is where you connect the micro USB cable that is
supplied with the camera to charge the battery, to power the camera, to connect
the camera to a computer to manage images, or to connect to a printer to print
images directly from the camera. You also can connect a Sony wired remote
control to this port, as discussed later. If you download the Remote
Camera Control program from Sony’s website, as mentioned in my previous post, you can
connect the camera to your computer through this port and control the camera
using that Sony software. The HDMI port is for connecting the camera to an HDTV
to view images and videos. You can also use this port to output a “clean” video
signal to a video recorder as discussed later, or to a monitor so
you can view the shooting information from the camera in shooting mode.
Left Side of Camera
The
left side of the camera, shown in Figure 2-5, has 2 items of interest.
 |
|
Figure 2-5. Items on Left Side of Camera
|
The
first is the Finder switch, which you press down to release the electronic
viewfinder so it will pop up. You then have to pull the viewfinder eyepiece out
of its housing so you can see the live view through the camera’s lens. When you
are finished with the viewfinder, press the eyepiece back into the housing. You
can then press the viewfinder down into the camera’s body. When you do this,
the camera will turn off or stay powered on, depending on the setting of the
menu option called Function for VF Close, the bottom item on screen 2 of the
Setup menu.
The
other item of interest on the left side of the RX100 IV is the NFC (near field
communication) area, where you touch the camera against a smartphone or tablet
with NFC capability to establish a Wi-Fi connection automatically. I will
discuss this feature later.
Bottom of Camera
Finally,
as shown in Figure 2-6, on the bottom of the camera are the tripod socket, the
battery/memory card compartment, and the speaker that produces sound for
videos.
 |
|
Figure 2-6. Items on Bottom of Camera
|
There
also is one other item that can’t be seen unless the battery compartment is
open—the access lamp, located at the outside edge of the compartment, as shown
in Figure 2-7.
 |
|
Figure 2-7. Access Lamp Inside Camera
|
That
red lamp lights up when the camera is writing data to the memory card. When the
camera has taken a long series of continuous shots, the lamp may stay
illuminated for several seconds. During that time, do not remove the battery or
the memory card.
Steps for Taking Pictures in Auto Mode
Now I’ll discuss how to use these
controls to take pictures and videos. Here’s a list of steps to take if you
want to set the camera to one of its most automatic modes and let it make
(almost) all decisions for you. This is a good approach if you need to grab a
quick shot without fiddling with too many settings.
1.
Press the power button on top of the camera. The LCD screen will illuminate to
show that the camera has turned on.
2.
Turn the Mode dial so the AUTO icon is next to the white indicator line, as
shown in Figure 2-8.
 |
|
Figure 2-8.
Mode Dial Auto
|
This
sets the camera to the Auto shooting mode. If you see the help screen that
describes the mode (called the Mode Dial Guide), as seen in Figure 2-9,
press the Center button to dismiss it. (You can dispense with that help screen
altogether using the Mode Dial Guide option on screen 2 of the Setup menu, as
discussed in another post.)
 |
| Figure 2-9 - Mode Dial Guide |
3. When you first select
Auto mode, if the Mode Dial Guide is turned on, the camera will display the
screen shown in Figure 2-10, letting you choose either Intelligent Auto mode
(green camera icon) or Superior Auto mode (tan camera icon). For now, leave the
green icon highlighted, and press the Center button to dismiss that screen.
 |
|
Figure 2-10. Screen to Select Auto Mode
Setting
|
4.
Press the Menu button to activate the menu system. As I discussed in my previous post,
navigate through the menu screens by pressing the Right and Left buttons. You
can tell which menu screen is active by looking at the small orange line
(cursor) beneath the numbers. When a given screen is selected, navigate up and
down through the options on that screen by pressing the Up and Down buttons or
by turning the Control wheel right or left. When the orange selection bar is on
the option you want, press the Center button to select that item. Then,
pressing the Up and Down buttons or turning the Control wheel, highlight the
value you want to set for that option, and press the Center button to confirm
it. You can then continue making menu settings; when you are finished with the
menu system, press the Menu button to go back to the live view, so you can take
pictures.
5. Using the procedure described
in Step 4, make the settings shown in Table 2-1 using the menu system.
Table 2-1. Suggested Settings for
Intelligent Auto Mode Still Images
|
|
Image Size
|
L: 20M
|
Aspect Ratio
|
3:2
|
Quality
|
Extra Fine
|
Image Size (Dual Rec.)
|
L:17M
|
Quality (Dual Rec.)
|
Extra Fine
|
File Format
|
MP4
|
Record Setting
|
1920 x 1080 60p 28M
|
Dual Video REC
|
Off (not available)
|
HFR Settings
|
Default or As Needed
|
Drive Mode
|
Single shooting
|
Flash Mode
|
Autoflash
|
Red Eye Reduction
|
Off
|
Focus Mode
|
Single-shot AF
|
AF Illuminator
|
Auto
|
Center Lock-on AF
|
Off
|
Smile/Face Detection
|
Off
|
Auto Dual Rec
|
Off (not available)
|
Soft Skin Effect
|
Off
|
Auto Object Framing
|
Off
|
Auto Mode
|
Intelligent Auto
|
SteadyShot (Stills)
|
On
|
SteadyShot (Movies)
|
Standard
|
Color Space
|
sRGB
|
Auto Slow Shutter
|
On
|
Audio Recording
|
On
|
Micref Level
|
Normal
|
Wind Noise Reduction
|
Off
|
Memory
|
No setting needed
|
6. If you don’t want to
go through the steps to make all of these settings, don’t worry; you are likely
to get good images even if you don’t adjust most of these settings at this
point. Several of the settings apply only to video recording, but I have listed
settings for them anyway, in case a video opportunity arises and you need to
press the red button to make a recording. I have omitted some settings that are
not available for adjustment in this shooting mode.
7. Press the Menu button
again to make the menu disappear, if it hasn’t done so already.
8. If you are shooting in
dark conditions, press the flash pop-up switch, located on top of the camera
behind the power button, to the right. Then press the Right button on the
Control wheel, marked with a lightning bolt. A vertical menu will appear at the
left side of the screen, as shown in Figure 2-11.
9. Make sure Autoflash is
highlighted with the orange selection block. If it is not, press the direction
buttons or turn the Control wheel to highlight it, so the Flash Mode is set to
Autoflash. Press the Center button to dismiss this menu.
 |
| Figure 2-11. Flash Mode Menu in Auto Mode |
10. Using a procedure
like that in Steps 8 and 9, press the Left button, marked with a timer dial and
an icon for a stack of images, and make sure the top option, showing a single
rectangular frame, is selected, as shown in Figure 2-12. This sets the camera
to take single shots, rather than continuous bursts.
 |
| Figure 2-12. Drive Mode Single Shot Highlighted |
11. Aim the camera and
compose the picture. Locate the zoom lever and push it to the left, toward the
letter “W” on the camera, for a wider-angle shot, or to the right, toward the
letter “T,” to get a telephoto, zoomed-in shot.
12. Once the picture
looks good, gently press the shutter button halfway and pause there. You should
hear a beep and see one or more green focus brackets on the LCD indicating
sharp focus. You also can look for a green disc in the extreme lower left
corner of the screen. If that green disc lights up steadily, the image is in
focus; if it flashes, the camera was unable to focus. In that case, you can
re-aim and see if the autofocus system does better from a different distance or
angle.
13. After you have made
sure the focus is sharp, push the shutter button all the way to take the
picture.
Variations from Fully
Automatic
Although
the RX100 IV takes care of the basic settings for you when it’s set to
Intelligent Auto mode, the camera lets you make a number of adjustments to
fine-tune the shooting process when it’s in this automatic mode or the Superior
Auto shooting mode. (The Superior Auto mode is very similar to the Intelligent
Auto mode. You can choose that mode when the mode dial is first turned to the
AUTO setting, if the Mode Dial Guide menu option is on, or by using the Auto
Mode option on screen 7 of the Shooting menu.)
Photo Creativity Feature
The
Photo Creativity feature, available only in the Intelligent Auto and Superior
Auto modes, is a simple way to make adjustments to the appearance of still
images and videos. I can understand why Sony presents these adjustments in this
way, making them easy to use and giving them non-technical names such as
“Background Defocus” and “Brightness,” rather than “aperture control” and
“exposure compensation.” However, it is somewhat confusing (to me, at least)
that these same adjustments are made using different controls in the other,
less-automatic shooting modes.
In
any event, for now I will discuss how to make these adjustments in the
Intelligent Auto and Superior Auto modes. In my next post, I will discuss all of
the shooting modes, and in my later posts I will discuss how to make similar
settings in the more advanced shooting modes. For example, I will discuss
aperture control in my next post in connection with Aperture Priority mode, and I
will discuss exposure compensation in a later post, in connection with the button
that controls that function (the Down button, in the bottom position on the
Control wheel).
With
that introduction, here are details about how to make various settings in the 2
most automatic shooting modes using the Photo Creativity feature.
First,
it’s important to note that the Photo Creativity feature is not available if
the Quality option on the Shooting menu is set to Raw or Raw & JPEG.
So make sure that Quality is set to Extra Fine or Fine. (If you try to use
Photo Creativity with Raw in effect, you will get an error message.) To use the
Photo Creativity feature, press the Down button on the Control wheel—the button
marked with the plus and minus icon and the camera icon with 3 plus signs at
its right side, as shown in Figure 2-2. When you press that button, you will
see some new icons and virtual controls appear on the display, as shown in
Figure 2-13.
 |
|
Figure 2-13.
Photo Creativity Screen Display
|
At
the bottom of the screen are 5 blocks, each with an icon for a setting. When
the blocks first appear, each of the 4 blocks at the left should show the word
AUTO, and the block at the far right, with an icon of an artist’s palette and
brush, should say OFF. Use the Right and Left buttons to move through these 5
blocks; each one will be highlighted in orange when it is selected. You can
keep pressing the Right or Left button to wrap around to the other side of the
group of icons if you want. For example, when the artist’s palette is
highlighted, you can press the Right button one more time to move directly to
the block at the far left of the screen.
When
one of the blocks is highlighted in orange, you can change the value for that
setting by turning the Control wheel or by pressing the Up or Down button to
move an indicator disc or icon along a curved scale at the right side of the
display. The display will change as appropriate to show the effect of your
adjustment. For example, if you move the Color slider to the top of the curved
scale, the image will appear more reddish, or “warm.”
With
the first 4 blocks, as you turn the wheel, a disc will move along a scale at
the right of the screen. The disc will be green at first, but it will turn
orange once the setting is changed. Also, the appearance of the icon for that
block will change to show how the setting is changing, as seen in
Figure 2-14.
 |
| Figure 2-14. Brightness Icon Changed |
When
a block is first selected, a label for its setting will appear briefly on the
screen and then disappear. The settings that are controlled by the 5 blocks are
as follows, from left to right:
Background
Defocus. This first
setting is designed to leave the foreground sharp while the background is
blurry. This effect, sometimes called “bokeh,” can help separate the main
subject from a background that might be distracting or unpleasant.
In
technical terms, the camera’s aperture (its opening to let in light) is opened
up wider, which causes the depth of field to be shallower, allowing the
background to go out of focus. When the disc is at the bottom of the scale, the
aperture is opened as much as possible, resulting in a blurrier background; as
the disc nears the top of the scale, the background should become sharper as
the aperture narrows and depth of field increases. I will talk about this
effect again in my next post, in the discussion of the Aperture Priority shooting
mode. Figure 2-15 is an example of an image with a defocused background.
 |
|
Figure 2-15.
Image with Blurred Background
|
Brightness. The indicator disc starts in the middle of the scale. As you
turn the Control wheel to move the disc higher, the image gets brighter; as it
moves lower, the image darkens. In technical terms, this setting controls
exposure compensation, which can be used in situations when the normal exposure
calculated by the camera would not be ideal. For example, if a dark-colored
object, such as an antique lantern, is photographed against a white background,
the camera’s automatic exposure control is likely to underexpose the dark
object, because the camera takes into account the broad expanse of white tones
in the image and decreases the exposure level. With the Brightness control, you
can increase the brightness level so the subject will appear properly exposed,
as shown in Figure 2-16.
 |
| Figure 2-16. Image with Brightness Adjusted |
Color. This third setting from the left lets you
adjust the white balance of images, though Sony uses the term “Color” to
simplify things. As I will discuss in the next post, the white balance setting
adjusts the camera’s processing of colors according to the color temperature of
the light source. For example, light from incandescent bulbs has a lower color
temperature than light from a bright blue sky. The lower color temperatures are
considered “warmer,” with a reddish or yellowish cast, and the higher ones
yield colors that are considered “cooler,” with a more bluish appearance. (In
this case, “warm” and “cool” have to do with the appearance, rather than the
actual temperature, of the subjects.)
With
this setting, again, the normal value is in the center of the curved scale. To
make the colors of the scene appear cooler, or more bluish, turn the Control
wheel to the left to move the indicator disc toward the bottom of the scale;
reverse that process to make the colors warmer, or more reddish. Figure 2-17
shows the Color setting adjusted to the bluish side.
 |
| Figure 2-17. Color Control Adjusted to Bluish Side |
This
adjustment does not change the actual white balance setting, which is fixed at
Auto White Balance (AWB) for the automatic shooting modes; it merely tweaks the
setting toward the warm or cool end of the scale. In some other shooting modes,
as discussed in Chapter 4, you can make more precise adjustments to the
camera’s white balance through the White Balance menu option.
Vividness. The fourth setting from the left lets you
adjust the intensity, or saturation, of colors in your images.
Again, the standard
setting is in the middle of the scale; move the disc upward for more
intense colors and downward for softer, less-saturated colors. In the more
advanced shooting modes, you can adjust saturation in finer detail, along with
contrast and sharpness, using the Creative Style menu option, as discussed in
Chapter 4. Figure 2-18 shows Vividness set to its maximum.
 |
Figure 2-18.
Display Showing Vividness at Maximum
|
Picture
Effect. The final
option at the right, marked with an artist’s palette, gives you access to the
following settings: Toy Camera, Pop Color, Posterization Color, Posterization
B/W, Retro Photo, Soft High-key, Partial Color: Red, Partial Color: Green,
Partial Color: Blue, Partial Color: Yellow, and High Contrast Monochrome. These
settings can produce dramatic effects, as indicated by their labels. The same
settings are available through the Picture Effect item on the Shooting menu in
advanced shooting modes, though there are some settings available through that
menu item that cannot be made from the Photo Creativity system, such as
different varieties of the Toy Camera setting. I will discuss those settings
and provide examples in Chapter 4.
You
can combine more than one Photo Creativity setting to achieve various effects.
For example, if you activate the Partial Color effect using the rightmost block
at the bottom of the screen, you can then move the highlight to the Color or
Vividness block and change the tint or intensity of the color that you selected
for the Partial Color effect. Or, you can decrease the exposure of the image
and also decrease the intensity of the colors by using the Brightness and
Vividness controls together.
When
you have moved a setting’s control to the position you want, leave it there and
take the picture with the control still on the screen. (Or, as noted above, you
can go to another setting and adjust it as well before taking the picture.)
Don’t press the Menu button, because doing that will cancel the setting you
just made.
To
reset a setting to its original value, highlight its block and press the
Custom/Delete (C) button. For the first 4 blocks, this action will reset the
indicator to its default value (bottom of the scale for Background Defocus;
middle of the scale for the other 3). For the Picture Effect setting, this
action will turn the selected effect off, leaving no effect active. To reset
all 5 blocks at once, turn the Mode dial to another shooting mode (such as
Scene or Program), then back to AUTO, and press the Down button to return to
Photo Creativity. To exit from the Photo Creativity screen, press the Menu
button.
Photo
Creativity is a useful feature, and it is convenient to select one or more of
its options while the camera is in Intelligent Auto or Superior Auto mode, so
you don’t have to invest too much effort into figuring out what settings to
use. However, if you want to exercise more control over the settings, you can
use one of the more advanced shooting modes with menu options and controls that
let you make more precise adjustments.
Flash
The
RX100 IV has a convenient built-in flash unit, which you may want to use
on a regular basis. In Chapter 4 I’ll provide details about the Flash Mode and
Flash Compensation settings, as well as the prevention of “red-eye” effects. In
Appendix A, I’ll discuss using external flash units, even though the
camera has no flash shoe.
It’s
important to remember that the flash unit cannot pop up on its own, even if the
flash mode is set to Fill-flash, which requires the flash to fire. You have to
use the flash pop-up switch on top of the camera to release the flash before it
can fire.
For
this discussion, I’m assuming the camera is set to Intelligent Auto mode. In
some other situations, including some of the Scene mode settings, the Flash
menu will not appear; you will see an error message if you press the Right
button.
In
Intelligent Auto mode, with the flash unit popped up, press the Right button
once to call up the Flash Mode menu, then press the Up and Down buttons or turn
the Control wheel to select a flash mode from that list. Press the Center
button to confirm the selection. (You also can summon the Flash Mode menu from
the Shooting menu: Flash Mode is the third item down on the third screen of the
Shooting menu. See Chapter 4 for a discussion of all items on those menu
screens.)
The
vertical menu at the left of the screen, shown in Figure 2-11, has icons
for the 5 flash modes—a lightning bolt with the “no” sign crossing it out, for
Flash Off; a lightning bolt with the word “Auto,” for Autoflash; a lightning
bolt alone, for Fill-flash (meaning the flash will always fire); a lightning
bolt with the word “Slow,” for Slow Sync; and a lightning bolt with the word
“Rear,” for Rear Sync. When the camera is in Intelligent Auto mode, the last 2
choices will be dimmed; if you highlight one of them and press the Center
button, the camera will display a message saying you cannot make that selection
in this shooting mode.
I
discussed earlier how to choose Autoflash. If you choose Fill-flash instead,
you will see the lightning bolt icon on the screen at all times when the flash
is popped up and the detailed display screen is selected. With this setting,
the flash will fire regardless of whether the camera’s exposure system believes
flash is needed. You can use this setting when you are certain you want the
flash to fire, such as in a dimly lighted room. This setting also can be of use
in outdoor settings, such as when the sun is shining and you want to reduce the
shadows on your subject’s face. I will provide an illustration of the use of
Fill-flash in Chapter 4.
When
the camera is set for certain types of shooting, such as using the self-timer
with multiple shots, the flash is forced off and cannot be used. If you turn on
the flash with burst shooting, the use of flash will drastically limit the
shooting speed. Instead of firing a rapid burst, the camera will take multiple
images at a very slow rate because the flash needs to recycle between shots. In
some cases, such as with the Night Scene setting of Scene mode, you cannot even
get the Flash Mode menu to appear; if you press the Flash button, the camera
will display a message saying the flash is not available in that shooting mode,
as shown in Figure 2-19.
If
you set the Mode dial to P, for Program mode, and then press the Flash button
to select a flash mode, you will see the same 5 options for Flash Mode on the
menu, but this time the Flash Off and Autoflash options will be dimmed because
those selections are not available in that shooting mode.
In
summary, when using Intelligent Auto (or Superior Auto) mode, if you don’t want
the flash to fire because you are in a museum or similar location, you can
select the Flash Off mode. You also can just leave the flash stored inside the
camera, so it cannot pop up and fire.
If
you want to let the camera decide whether to fire the flash, you can select
Autoflash mode. To make sure that the flash will fire no matter what, you can
select Fill-flash mode. In Chapter 4, I’ll explain the other flash options,
Slow Sync and Rear Sync, and I’ll discuss some other flash-related topics. For
now, you have the basic information you need to select a flash mode when the
camera is set to the Intelligent Auto or Superior Auto shooting mode.
Drive Mode: Self-Timer and Continuous Shooting
The
Drive Mode menu option includes more adjustments you can make when using
Intelligent Auto mode. If you press the Control wheel’s Left button, which is
marked with a timer dial and an icon that looks like a stack of images, the
camera will display a vertical menu for Drive Mode, as shown in Figure 2-20.
 |
| Figure 2-20. Drive Mode Menu |
Navigate
through these options by pressing the Up and Down buttons or by turning the
Control wheel.
I
will discuss the Drive Mode menu options more fully in Chapter 4. For now,
you should be aware of a few of the choices. (I will skip over some others.) If
you select the top option, represented by a single rectangular frame, the
camera is set for single shooting mode; when you press the shutter button, a single
image is captured. With the second and third options, whose icons look like
stacks of images, the camera is set for continuous shooting and takes a rapid
burst of images while you hold down the shutter button.
If
you choose the fourth option, whose icon is a timer dial with a number beside
it, the camera uses the self-timer. Use the Left and Right buttons to choose 2,
5, or 10 seconds for the timer delay. After the timer has been set, press
the shutter button. The shutter will be released after the specified number of
seconds. The 10-second or 5-second delay is useful when you need to place the
camera on a tripod and join a group photo; the 2-second delay is useful to make
sure the camera is not jiggled by the action of pressing the shutter button. The
2-second setting helps greatly when you are taking a picture for which focusing
is critical, such as an extreme closeup. I will discuss the use of the
self-timer and other Drive Mode options in more detail in Chapter 4.
The
Drive Mode options also can be reached as the top item on screen 3 of the
Shooting menu.
There
are other settings that can be made when the camera is set to Intelligent Auto
or Superior Auto mode, including Image Size, Aspect Ratio, Quality, Focus Mode,
Face Detection, and others. I included suggested settings for those items in
Table 2-1 earlier in this chapter, and I will discuss the details of those
settings in Chapter 4.
Overview of Movie Recording
Now I’ll
discuss recording a short movie sequence with the RX100 IV. With the camera turned
on, turn the Mode dial to select Auto mode. There is a special Movie mode
setting marked by the movie-film icon on the Mode dial, but you don’t have to
use that mode for shooting movies; I’ll discuss the use of that option and
provide more details about movie-recording options in Chapter 8.
Press
the Menu button to get access to the menu system, and press the Right or Left
button, if necessary, enough times to move the orange cursor under the number 2
while the camera icon for the Shooting menu is highlighted, as shown in Figure
2-21.
With
the RX100 IV, the major movie-related menu items are located on the Shooting
menu; there is no separate Movie menu.
On
the top line of this Shooting menu screen, highlight File Format and press the
Center button to go to the submenu with 4 choices for the format of movie
recording. For now, be sure the fourth option, MP4, is highlighted; that format
provides high quality for your videos without requiring a special memory card and
is easy to edit or upload using a computer. (As discussed in Chapter 1, if you
select XAVC S 4K or XAVC S HD for the movie format, you have to use a 64 GB
SDXC card with a speed of Class 10 or greater.) The AVCHD setting provides
excellent quality but can be challenging to edit and work with using a
computer.
For
the rest of the settings, I will provide a table like the one included earlier
in this chapter for shooting still images. The settings shown in Table 2-2 are
standard ones for shooting high-quality movies.
Table 2-2. Suggested Shooting Menu
Settings for Movies in Intelligent Auto Mode
|
|
File Format
|
MP4
|
Record Setting
|
1920 x 1080 60p 28M
|
Dual Video REC
|
Off (not available)
|
Focus Mode
|
Single-shot AF
|
Auto Dual Rec
|
Off (not available)
|
SteadyShot (Movies)
|
Standard
|
Auto Slow Shutter
|
On
|
Audio Recording
|
On
|
Micref Level
|
Normal
|
Wind Noise Reduction
|
Off
|
There
are other Shooting menu settings for still images that affect movie recording;
I will discuss that topic in Chapter 8. If you are going to be shooting a scene
that includes people’s faces, you may want to go to the Smile/Face Detection
line on Screen 6 of the Shooting menu and set the Face Detection item to On.
You can leave the other items set as they were for shooting still images, as
listed in Table 2-1 for still shooting.
Now
you have made all of the basic settings for recording a movie. Aim the camera
at your subject, and when you are ready to start recording, press and release
the red Movie button at the upper right corner of the camera’s back. (If you
see an error message, go to screen 5 of the Custom menu, marked by a gear icon,
and set the Movie Button option to Always.)
The
screen will display a red REC icon in the lower left corner of the display,
next to a counter showing the elapsed time in the recording, as shown in Figure
2-22.
 |
Figure 2-22.
Display for Movie Recording in Auto Mode
|
Hold
the camera as steady as possible (or use a tripod), and pan (move the camera
side to side) slowly if you need to. The camera will shoot until it reaches a
recording limit, or until you press the Movie button again to stop the
recording. (The maximum time for continuous recording of any one scene is about
29 minutes with most recording formats.) Don’t be too concerned about the level
of the sound that is being recorded, because you do not have much control over
the audio volume while recording using the built-in microphone. I will discuss
options for audio recording in Chapter 8.
The
camera will automatically adjust exposure as lighting conditions change. You
can zoom the lens in and out as needed, but you should do so sparingly if at
all, to avoid distracting the audience and to avoid putting the sounds of
zooming the lens on the sound track. When you are finished, press the Movie
button again, and the recording will end.
Those
are the basics for recording video with the RX100 IV. I’ll discuss movie
options further in Chapter 8.
Viewing Pictures
Before
I talk about more advanced settings for taking still pictures and movies,
as well as other topics, I will discuss the basics of viewing your images in
the camera.
Reviewing While in Shooting Mode
When
you take a still picture, it will show up on the LCD screen for a short time,
if you have the Custom menu’s Auto Review option set to turn on this function. I’ll
discuss details of that setting in Chapter 7. By default, a new image stays on
the screen for 2 seconds. If you prefer, you can set that display to last for 5
or 10 seconds, or to be off altogether.
Reviewing Images in Playback Mode
To
review images taken previously, enter playback mode by pressing the Playback
button, to the lower left of the Control wheel. To view all still images and
movies for a particular date, go to screen 1 of the Playback menu (marked with
a triangle icon), set the View Mode option to Date View, and press the Center
button on the selected date. If you prefer, you can set View Mode to show only
stills, only MP4 movies, only AVCHD movies, or only XAVC S movies (either 4K or
HD).
Once
you choose a viewing option, you can scroll through images and movies by
pressing the Left and Right buttons or by turning the Control wheel. Hold down
the Left or Right button to move quickly through the items. You can enlarge the
view of a still image by moving the zoom lever on top of the camera toward the
T position, and you can scroll around in the enlarged image using the 4
direction buttons. When you first press the zoom lever to the right, the camera
centers the enlarged image on the autofocus point, if there is one. If
not, it zooms on the center of the image. Press the zoom lever repeatedly in
the other direction, toward the wide-angle setting, to return the image to
normal size. You can immediately return an image to normal size by pressing the
Center button or the Menu button.
When
viewing an image at normal size, press the zoom lever once to the left to see
an index screen with either 9 or 25 thumbnail images, depending on a Playback
menu option. Another press of the lever to the left brings up either a calendar
screen for selecting images or videos by date, or a screen for selecting a
folder, depending on the View Mode option in effect. I’ll discuss other
playback options in Chapter 6.
Playing Movies
To
play movies in the camera, move through your files by the
methods described above until you find the movie you want to play. You
should see a triangular playback icon inside a circle, as shown in Figure 2-23.
Press
the Center button to start the movie playing. Then, as seen in Figure 2-24, you
will see prompts at the bottom of the screen showing the controls you can use,
including the Center button to pause. (You may have to press the Display button
to show the icons.)
You
also can press the Down button to bring up a more detailed set of controls on
the screen, as shown in Figure 2-25.
 |
Figure 2-25.
More Detailed Movie Playback Controls
|
To
change the volume, pause the movie and press the Down button to bring up the
detailed controls; then navigate to the speaker icon, next to last at the right
of those controls. Press the Center button to select volume, then use the
Control wheel or the Right and Left buttons to adjust the volume. You also can
adjust the volume before a movie starts playing, by pressing the Down button to
bring up the volume control. To exit from playing the movie, press the Playback
button. (I’ll discuss other movie playback options in Chapter 8.)
If
you want to play your movies on a computer or edit them with video-editing
software, you can use the PlayMemories Home software that is provided through
the Sony web site. You also can use any program that can deal with AVCHD and
MP4 video files, such as Adobe Premiere Elements, Adobe Premiere Pro,
Final Cut Express, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, or Windows Movie Maker, depending on
what type of computer you are using.
Movies
recorded by the RX100 IV using the newest formats, XAVC S 4K and XAVC S HD, are
saved as files with the .mp4 extension, and, in my experience, can be imported
and edited with standard software that uses those files, such as iMovie for the
Mac and Movie Maker for Windows-based computers. However, those files can be
quite large, so you may need a computer with a large and fast storage drive and
a powerful processor to edit those files efficiently.
Click here to order the complete Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV photographer's guide!
No comments:
Post a Comment