PXW-X70 incandescent preset at DVinfo.net

Paul Anderegg · October 2nd, 2015, 02:32 AM

Seems that the X70 "halogen" preset is not 3200k, but in actuality, around 2900k. It matches well with car headlights and brighter indoor lighting, but CAMERA lighting or studio lighting, it will look too blue. My 3200k lights AWB at 3500k with the X70. For some dumb reason, they include an offset for the OUTDOOR setting, but nothing for the indoor setting. Lame Sony............

Paul

Jody Eldred · October 26th, 2015, 12:27 PM

I may be stating the obvious here, but I will anyway (for readers who may be newer to this)... That preset is generally referred to as "Tungsten" though Sony refers to it by the more consumer-y label "Indoor". Sony cameras (and I've owned and used about 15 different models including the F55) preset the Indoor or Tungsten color temperature to 3200º Kelvin. That's only a starting point for the operator. The camera doesn't know if you are shooting with professional tungsten lights or KinoFlos or Lightpanels that are balanced for 3200, or if there is mixed light from other sources (like a very warm lamp on an end table, or very blue coming from a window, or green from a consumer overhead fluorescent.) The camera has a color viewfinder that's pretty accurate and you need to rely on that to fine tune (IE manually white balance) the camera. Daylight and HMIs are generally 5600º, but when shooting outdoors in daylight you cannot rely on the color temperature being 5600. In shade under a tree it could be 8000. At sunset it could be 4000--or lower.

Camera presets are only technical guesses as to the most common color temperatures you'll likely be shooting in. You, the operator/DP have to learn how to control how the camera captures color and light by knowing how and when to make adjustments in its menu. I have used the X70 extensively in about every lighting situation you can imagine and have not found it lacking in ability to get the color looking darn close to how I want it to, requiring little if any grading in post. And, for what it's worth, I have found the presets very similar to all the other Sony cameras I've used over the past 40 years. I just did a 2-camera shoot with an F55 and X70, both in 4K on a soundstage with 3200 lighting, both on 3200 ("Indoor") preset and they looked dead on. (I did the post and grading as well.)

October 2nd, 2015, 02:32 AM	#1
Paul Anderegg Trustee Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Diego, Califonia Posts: 1,559	PXW-X70 incandescent preset Seems that the X70 "halogen" preset is not 3200k, but in actuality, around 2900k. It matches well with car headlights and brighter indoor lighting, but CAMERA lighting or studio lighting, it will look too blue. My 3200k lights AWB at 3500k with the X70. For some dumb reason, they include an offset for the OUTDOOR setting, but nothing for the indoor setting. Lame Sony............ Paul

October 26th, 2015, 12:27 PM	#2
Jody Eldred Mustang. Legend. Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 36	Re: PXW-X70 incandescent preset I may be stating the obvious here, but I will anyway (for readers who may be newer to this)... That preset is generally referred to as "Tungsten" though Sony refers to it by the more consumer-y label "Indoor". Sony cameras (and I've owned and used about 15 different models including the F55) preset the Indoor or Tungsten color temperature to 3200º Kelvin. That's only a starting point for the operator. The camera doesn't know if you are shooting with professional tungsten lights or KinoFlos or Lightpanels that are balanced for 3200, or if there is mixed light from other sources (like a very warm lamp on an end table, or very blue coming from a window, or green from a consumer overhead fluorescent.) The camera has a color viewfinder that's pretty accurate and you need to rely on that to fine tune (IE manually white balance) the camera. Daylight and HMIs are generally 5600º, but when shooting outdoors in daylight you cannot rely on the color temperature being 5600. In shade under a tree it could be 8000. At sunset it could be 4000--or lower. Camera presets are only technical guesses as to the most common color temperatures you'll likely be shooting in. You, the operator/DP have to learn how to control how the camera captures color and light by knowing how and when to make adjustments in its menu. I have used the X70 extensively in about every lighting situation you can imagine and have not found it lacking in ability to get the color looking darn close to how I want it to, requiring little if any grading in post. And, for what it's worth, I have found the presets very similar to all the other Sony cameras I've used over the past 40 years. I just did a 2-camera shoot with an F55 and X70, both in 4K on a soundstage with 3200 lighting, both on 3200 ("Indoor") preset and they looked dead on. (I did the post and grading as well.)