Sony PXW-FS7 User manual

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Sony!PXW-FS7!Guide!
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Contents
Page 3 – Layout and Buttons (Left)
Page 4 – Layout back and lens
Page 5 – Layout and Buttons (Viewfinder, grip remote control and eye piece)
Page 6 – Attaching the Eye Piece
Page 7 – How to attach the grip remote control
Page 8 – Resetting the Camera
Formatting (initialising) the Cards
Initial Set Up
Record Format
Page 9 – Shooting Mode/Base Setting
Page 10 – Colour Space
Page 11 – Setting the Codec
Page 12 – Basic Audio
Page 14 – Custom Mode and hyper gammas
Page 15 – What hyper gammas look like
Page 16 – Which hyper gamma to use
Setting the white clip
Page 17 – Custom Mode Matrix Settings
Page 18 – What each matrix looks like
Page 19 – Multi Matrix
Page 20 – White Balance
Page 21 – Focus controls and aids
Page 22 – Exposure Tools
Page 24 - Histograms
Page 25 - Waveforms
Page 28 – Slow and Quick Motion
Page 29 – ND Filters
Page 30 - Gain
Page 31 – Gain to ISO conversion Chart
Shutter Speed
Page 32 – CineEI Mode
Monitoring and Viewing S-Log 2/3
Page 33 – Monitor Look up Table
Page 34 – High and Low Key Function
Page 35 – CineEI and Exposure Index

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Layout'and'Buttons'(Left)'
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Start!&!Stop!Record!
Audio!controls!
(Page!12)!
ND!Filter!
Rotate!to!engage!
(Page!29)!
Headphone!socket!
Button!to!open!QXD!
card!slots!
Slow!&!Quick!Motion!
(Page!28)!
Menu!and!selection!
On/Off!Switch!
Focus!Controls!
(Page!21)!
White!Balance!
(Page!20)!
Gain!Switch!

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Layout'and'Buttons'(Back)!!!
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Lens
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Battery!Release!
XLR!Inputs!
Remote!grip!input!
SDI!and!HDMI!outputs!
Focus!Ring!
(Page!21)!
Zoom!Ring!
Iris!Ring!
Manual!to!power!zoom.!
Optical!steady!shot!on!
and!off!
Powered!Zoom!

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Layout'and'Buttons'(Viewfinder,'grip'remote'control'and'eye'piece)!!
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Attaching'the'Eye'Piece'
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How'to'attach'and'adjust'the'grip'remote'control'
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Resetting the Camera
It is good practice to reset the camera when you get it so all the setting are correct.
Menu > System > All reset (Execute when prompt to)
Follow the on screen instructions.
Do look at setting the clock to the correct time
Formatting (initialising) the Cards
Make sure before you start filming that you format the cards so you do not have other people’s
footage.
Menu > Media > Format Media > A or B (Execute when prompt to)
Initial Set Up
Frame rate setting
Menu > System > Country > Pal
Record Format
This defaults to 1920 x 1080 50i , this is correct if you are shooting for TV broadcast. Anything else
change to 1920 x 1080 25p 50.
Menu > System > Rec Format > Video Format

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Shooting Mode
Custom Mode (Easiest)
• Conventional video camera operation, what you see is what is recorded (Page 13)
CineEI Mode (Advance)
• Film style shooting mode, flat, low contrast recording with a wide dynamic range. Contains
lots of information to then grade in post-production.
• CineEI is a more complex work flow and what you see in the viewfinder may not be what is
recorded. (Page 31 for more details)
To change the base settings
Menu > System > Base Settings > Custom or CineEI

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To set mode
Menu > Base Setting > Shooting Mode > Custom / CineEI (Execute when prompt to)
Colour Space
In custom mode this is greyed out. But in CineEI mode you have the following options.
S-Gamut/Slog2
S-Gamut3.Cine/Slog3
S-Gamut3/Slog3
S-Log 2 and 3 have the same dynamic and contrast range. The difference is with the colour space
where these capture the most colour.
S-Gamut3.Cine records a smaller colour range that S-Gamut/Slog2 and S-Gamut3/Slog but it is
still a larger range than rec709, that has a similar shape to rec709 that makes it a very natural
colour space that then makes it easier to grade in post production.

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Setting the Codec
All the codec that works with Avid so depending on what you are doing.
To select the codec
Menu > System > Codec > Select your codec (Execute when prompt to)
MPEG HD422
• MPEG 2
• HD Only (only records
1920 x 1080p/i or
1280 x 720p)
• Can be progressive
and Interlaced
• No Slow and Quick
(S&Q) Motion
• 1 min = 500mb
XAVC-I
• High Quality
• HD
• Smaller file sizes
• S&Q Motion
• 1 min = 1Gb
• If you have the space
this is what is
recommended to use.
XAVC – L
• Long G.O.P (Group of
Pictures) Codec. This
compresses every
frame individually
• More efficient with the
way it records frames
• If a frame doesn’t
change it doesn’t
record it.
• Needs more processing
power to edit
• Only requires ¼
storage space
• 1 min = 400mb
You get 2 x 32gb QXD cards with the camera there are no other cards available.
To record in S&Q motion go to page 28.

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Basic Audio
To control inputs 1 and 2 there are external controls on the opposite side to adjust levels. You
want to be filling around 80% of the metre
There is a mic on the body for ambient sound. The internal levels are only controlled in auto there
are no manual settings.
Menu > Audio > Audio Inputs > CH 3 > Internal Mic
XLR!Inputs!1!&!2!
Changing!the!input!from!
line,!Mic!&!Mic!+48v!
Phantom!power!!
Switching!each!
channel!from!
manual!to!automatic!
Adjustment!for!the!
audio!levels!

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Custom Mode
Conventional, simple and fast work flow. What you see is what you get with limited range of in-
camera picture adjustment.
Factory gamma setting are Rec709 (This is the standard for all TV’s and monitors, it is best to stay
on this setting). To change the gamma curve
Menu > Paint > Gamma > Gamma Category > STD (Standard Rec709) or HG
HG = Hyper gammas. To select a hyper gamma
Menu > Paint > Gamma > Gamma Category > Gamma Select
Ungraded
Broadcast TV
standards
HG1
325
0
G36
HG2
460
0
G30
Fine for any other
production and on
the internet
HG3
325
9
G40
HG4
460
9
G33
HG7
800
9
G40
HG8
800
9
G33
When recording using these hyper gammas we under expose leaving more room to capture a
wider dynamic range.
Recommended
exposure for middle
grey
The maximum
recording level of white
0 = 100% Peak White
9 = 109% Peak White
Dynamic range in %
relative to normal gamma

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What each gamma looks like

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Normal 709 gamma middle grey is exposed at 42%. These are lower to capture a greater dynamic
range to create room at the top and handles highlight roll off and over exposure. Do a small colour
correction to make the image pop.

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Which hyper gamma to use?
For a high contrast image look to use
HG2 4600G30 (This is suitable for TV broadcast)
HG4 4609G33
HG7 8009G40
HG8 8009G33
For medium contrast and low light images
HG1 3250G36 (This is suitable for TV broadcast)
HG3 3259G40
This is what is recommended to use
For TV broadcast
HG1 3250G36 for indoor scenes
HG2 4600G30 for exterior and bright scenes
For any production
HG3 3259G40 for indoor scenes
HG4 4609G33 for exterior and bright scenes
Setting the White Clip
To change the settings for the following hyper gammas
HG3 3259G40
HG4 4609G33
HG7 8009G40
HG8 8009G33
Menu > Paint > White Clip > Set White clip to level 109%.
For HG1 and HG2 keep the white clip setting to 100/105%

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Custom Mode Matrix Settings
A matrix is how what comes in to the camera is converted to what comes out, e.g. A studio matrix
might convert a signal from a camera to a composite or component output. The same could be aid
for camera sensor, the RGB information from a sensor might be converted to a log space or rec709.
The colour matrix controls the way the camera responds to colour.
Menu > Paint > Matrix > Pre-set Matrix
• Standard
• High Saturation (Boosts colours)
• FL Light (help to shoot under fluorescent lighting or lights with large amount of green)
• Cinema (desaturated look)
• F55 709Like (To match a F55 camera)

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What each matrix looks like

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Multi Matrix
This allows you to adjust individual colours in the camera.
Menu > Paint > Multi Matrix > Settings > On
Centre the colour in the middle of the frame and use colour detection. You can manually select
colours within the multi matrix under axis option where R = Red, Y = Yellow and B = Blue. You can
now adjust the Hue (tint) and saturation (intensity) within the multi matrix menu.

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White Balance
The white balance is very similar to most cameras, where you will set the switch to either A or B
then holding a white card in front of the camera in the lighting conditions you will be filming in. Then
press and hold the WB set button on the front by the lens and the screen will tell you when it has
finished.
Manually setting White Balance
Manually adjusting the white balance after you set the white balance and it still doesn’t look right.
Change the preset by going into
Menu > Paint > White > Preset White
Within the preset you will get a list of all the available preset whites and scrolling through them all
you will see changes, click enter to set the white you require.