How I Setup My Sony FX3 & A7Siii | Best Settings, Codecs, and Accessories

Summary

This detailed review of the Sony FX3 highlights its versatility and ease of use for both personal and professional filmmaking. The reviewer covers features like customizable video settings, impressive battery life, and a range of accessories, including lenses, filters, and audio gear. Emphasizing the camera's compact size and powerful performance, the reviewer shares insights into shooting techniques, rig setups, and workflow optimizations. Despite the lack of internal ND filters, the user finds practical solutions with external filters and appreciates the camera’s ability to deliver high-quality results in various shooting environments.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Sony FX3 is a versatile, compact, and powerful camera suitable for various filmmaking projects.
• 😀 The camera's tally lights are helpful, but the recording display box on the screen can be distracting, so it’s recommended to turn it off.
• 😀 The screen brightness can be adjusted for different conditions, like sunny weather, to improve visibility when shooting outdoors.
• 😀 The camera's small size allows for a minimal, lightweight setup that’s easy to carry, making it great for travel and fieldwork.
• 😀 The Sony FX3 offers a convenient video-focused layout, with easy access to important settings like white balance, peaking, and zebras.
• 😀 The focus magnification button is highly useful for manual focus, allowing the user to check focus quickly with small lenses.
• 😀 Pairing the Sony FX3 with high-quality lenses like the Sigma 24-70 and vintage primes offers excellent image quality without adding significant weight.
• 😀 Using Pro Grade V90 SD cards ensures smooth shooting without the risk of running out of space, and a Pelican case provides extra protection for the cards.
• 😀 The camera's compact design makes it easy to rig with accessories like the Peak Design slide strap and capture clip for portability while hiking.
• 😀 Despite the lack of internal ND filters, the reviewer finds Nissi IR ND filters to be a perfect solution for maintaining image quality without vignetting or color shift.
• 😀 The camera is primarily used in three different rig setups: a minimal rig for YouTube, a client rig for professional shoots, and a hybrid rig for most personal work, with each setup offering different benefits for convenience and portability.

Q & A

What are some of the key features of the Sony FX3 that the creator finds helpful?

The Sony FX3 offers several key features that enhance its usability, such as a fan for cooling, multiple tally lights, customizable video settings like white balance, peaking, and zebras, and a focus magnification button that is particularly useful for manual focus shots. The camera's compact size, additional record buttons, and top handle also contribute to its versatility and comfort during use.

How does the creator address the issue of screen visibility in bright light?

The creator uses the 'sunny weather' screen brightness setting to counteract the difficulty of seeing the screen in bright light. This setting helps improve visibility without a noticeable battery impact, which is particularly useful when shooting outdoors during the day.

Why does the creator prefer to turn off the recording display box on the screen?

The recording display box, which surrounds the entire screen, crops the image and reduces the visibility of the content. Since the camera's LCD screen is already small, turning off this feature allows the creator to see more of the image without any unnecessary visual clutter.

What lens does the creator most often pair with the Sony FX3 and why?

The creator frequently pairs the Sony FX3 with a Sigma 24-70 lens, which is praised for its versatility. The creator also enjoys using a set of small, vintage contact-size primes (28mm, 50mm, 85mm), which are compact and work well with the FX3's small form factor, producing high-quality images.

What is the benefit of using the ProGrade V90 SD cards with the FX3?

The ProGrade V90 SD cards provide ample storage and fast data transfer rates, which are especially useful for high-frame-rate shooting, although the creator rarely shoots in 120fps. The 256GB cards offer extra headroom, ensuring that the creator has enough storage during shoots without the risk of running out of space.

What is the purpose of the Pelican SD card case?

The Pelican SD card case is used to safely store SD cards when not in use, protecting the footage from potential damage or data loss. The creator emphasizes the importance of extra security for the cards, especially when working with valuable footage during a shoot.

How does the creator balance portability with functionality in their gear setup?

The creator achieves a balance between portability and functionality by using a minimal gear setup for casual shooting and a more robust client rig for professional shoots. For portability, the creator uses a lightweight system with the Peak Design camera strap and capture clip, while for client shoots, they use a more extensive rig with a top handle, high-quality microphone, and an external monitor.

Why does the creator prefer to use the Sony FX3 without a full cage?

The creator prefers to use the Sony FX3 without a full cage for a more minimal and lightweight setup. The addition of Peak Design anchors and the Slide Strap allows for easy portability, reducing the overall weight while maintaining enough functionality for everyday shoots.

What are the advantages of the Condor Blue handle extension for the FX3?

The Condor Blue handle extension provides an extra inch of grip on the FX3's top handle, making it more comfortable to hold, especially during extended shoots. This extension improves the usability of the top handle, which is essential for the creator since they often use the camera’s built-in XLR inputs for audio.

How does the creator address the lack of internal ND filters on the Sony FX3?

The creator compensates for the lack of internal ND filters by using high-quality Nissi IR ND filters. These filters, which come in 3-stop and 6-stop versions, provide no color shift or vignetting, offering a solution that is almost as effective as internal ND filters while keeping the camera's size and cost down.