White Balance and other settings???????

[Steven Digges]

First the question I already know the answer to, please confirm. I can not find a way to assign a manual white balance when the camera is in auto mode?

Also, because I am not familiar with Sony camcorder standards I find I have to be careful and not run it like a Sony pro cam. For example; just because you flip the silver switch to white balance "A" or "B" it does not mean it is active. You have to push the White Balance button again to activate that setting. If A or B is not displayed on the LCD you are still in auto white balance mode even in manual camera mode.

To summarize:

In auto camera mode there is no way to manually set white balance?

In manual mode, no white balance icon AT ALL on the LCD screen means it is in auto white balance mode?

It is obvious you need to push the White balance button to get an LCD confirmation of the mode your in.

It is not necessarily a bad system because it is up to the user to confirm EVERYTHIG on the LCD screen. Even then, no info means auto? It does seem to be a bit much jumping between menu settings and buttons but I like all of the control it offers in the end. Except, I do like to run a manual WB sometimes even when I am in auto exposure.

I did figure out how to fine tune the values when in manual, without going back to the menu. That is nice.

Please help me figure out if I have this correct. WB is normally such a simple, basic, and essential function I feel ridiculous asking about it. This is a new user interface for me.

Steve

[Noa Put]

I think you can't change the white balance in automode but you can set the camera in manual mode and press the shutter and gain button on the side of the camera to toggle between auto and manual mode, you see a "A" appear just before the shutter and iso and a WB preset symbol appears when in manual or dissapears when in auto.

On my xh-a1 I had the WB preset on the switch on the side of the camera set to indoor and there was a switch on top of the camera that could let you change this easily to outdoor, only with the ea50 you need to do this through the menu. Now I have just set the preset to outdoor and I made a manual indoor whitebalance and set that to "a", so if I don't have the time to do manual whitebalance I at least can quickly switch from an indoor to an outdoor preset and that still leaves me with the "b" preset to do a separate manual WB. If I have a mixture of light and prefer the camera to handle the WB I just press the WB button and let it do it's own thing.

[Ron Evans]

On my NX5U the indications are A if the parameter is in auto and just the value set if in manual. So if you set the main switch in manual but do not set other parameter switches the camera will still be in full auto but ready to set any of the parameters to manual and all the values on the LCD will have A next to them. Pressing any of the parameter switches will set that parameter to manual at its set point. If the iris is pressed it will stay at the setting that auto has used at that point, gain will go to the switch setting used as set in the menu for the particular switch position as will shutter speed and WB. I assume the EA50 is no different as this has been Sony way since the days of VHS. Remember that if just one of the parameters is left in auto the camera is in control of exposure using that one parameter left in auto !!!!! I use this feature on my NX5U to set shutter speed, gain, WB and sometimes leave iris in auto but with AE shift or spotlight on that I set to one of the programmable buttons. It is easy to get out to manual with the iris button as this will keep the iris setting used by the auto and then can be manually adjusted. I have gain limit set too in the menu so that I have an escape to auto gain with a limit just by touching the gain set button. I think there is a menu setting to always display camera data likely required to get these indications all the time. (found Page 96 in the manual.)

Still can't decide to get the EA50 or go for another small Sony like the NX30.

Ron Evans

EDIT: So to set WB but leave everything in auto. Set the camera to manual, set WB as needed but leave all the other parameters with A next to them on the LCD. Camera should be in auto with set WB.

[Noa Put]

Still can't decide to get the EA50 or go for another small Sony like the NX30.

Those are actually 2 totally different camera's for different purposes. If I would need a camera that is very good at auto anything, has good low light performance, a good wideangle, a decent enough zoom and professional audio connectors then I"d get the nx30, the EA50 however requires much more attention and is actually a camera that should to be used in manual mode, you can let the automode take over but I would only trust it in good light and with a large dof.

The nex ea50 is more like a DSLR in a semi shouldermount package, if you have worked with dslr's before you know they are much more difficult to operate and to get good results out you need to take more time to get it right and that allready starts with choosing the right lens for the job or for a certain shot.

You can get a certain look with it that you can't with the nx30 which can give the impression that a more professional camera has been used, the nx30, like my cx730 still has that distinguished video look which can handle most of my productions but for certain productions I need shallower dof as this is a look some clients want. I know that shallow dof is often overused but there not is one professional production, like a commercial or film that has not got any shallow dof shots included.

The ea50 you should use with extra lenzes because if you don't you are better off with a regular fixed lens camera. The large sensor has one main purpose and that is to provide you with a shallower dof should you need it and to give you a almost unlimited choice in lenzes ranging from fisheye to large tele, that should be one of the reasons why you should buy this camera. The included powerzoom lens from Sony is just a bonus they gave us for easier operation and to have a allround lens that still has some flaws but it's not the most important part of the camera.

[Steven Digges]

Thank for the information guys. This user interface is brand new to me but the features and functions are not. I am going through the book one piece at a time as time permits. I am finding it will take more time and experiences with the camera than I thought before it becomes an extension of my hands and brain. Your, put the the camera master Manual/Auto switch in manual to get white balance and then turn on auto iris to get an auto effect is exactly what I'm talking about. You have to be smarter than the camera......I will get there....

I do probably 85% of all work in manual mode but as soon as possible I want learn every function and nuance of the camera. That will not happen over night and I am currently time challenged. I bought this camera to utilize my arsenal of Canon glass and I have not even ordered the Metabones adapter yet.

My son is the DSLR guy in this family, not me. So guess where my Canon glass is and where it will soon be coming back to :) Ha Ha

Canon "L" series lenses

17 - 28mm F2.8
28-70mm F2.8
70- 200mm F2.8
35-350mm F4/F5.6
2x doubler

I think that will cover me well. Since it is all "L" series it holds a perfect 2.8 all the way through the zoom range. The 35-350mm is my old work horse from my sports photography days. It is a pretty rare lens and tack sharp all the way trough. Now you know why I am the owner of a new EA50.

Steve

[Noa Put]

That's a very nice set of lenzes indeed :)

[Ron Evans]

Yes Noa I understand that EA50 is different than the NX5U I have and all the little Sony's I also have and that in a way was the attraction but I have no other lenses so would be an expensive proposition when something like the NX30 would solve my problem for my wife's use and better than the SR11 she now uses. Since everything I do is theatre I have no real requirements for shallow DOF etc the projects are all very clearly event with as real a look as possible. The NX5U does most of what I want but I would like some newer sensors that have less video noise AVCHD 2.0 for 60P and touch focus would complete the picture for me. The initial attraction was that the EA50 has most of these features I want !!!

Ron Evans

[Noa Put]

I have invited myself to test my ea50 at an interview on a well lit stage this Friday, this is being covered by a videoclub and I know the chairman well so asked him if I could join the group. I"ll be bringing along my cx730 as well to get some comparison footage. I"m not allowed to share this publicly but will give you a direct link with a password so you can check.

Using the ea50 for dance performances (I do a few every year) has crossed my mind but need to see if it matches up with my cx730, I do have doubts whether this is a suitable camera to record this, the powerzoom might be too slow and the lens doesn't hold focus once locked and when you zoom out, This is what I noticed on the coalmine video I did as I often had to refocus when doing full zoom and then a wide shot. But this Friday I will see how the autofocus works and if the manual focus is an issue once locked and if you zoom in/out. Another issue is that the stock lens seems to ramp as quickly as my cx730 does when you zoom in, also something that is not good for theater shoots depending on the distance to the stage.

If I would be doing mainly theater and needed a extra not too expensive camera I think I would not get the ea50, but most likely a nx30 or a panasonic ag ac90.

[Ron Evans]

I have come to the same conclusion and only really thought of the EA50 as it would give me another type of camera for me to use compared to the NX5U. I have looked at the AG AC90 but it does not have spot focus only face detection which means being in automatic and thus not good for the theatre as light changes will make it go out of focus. Face detection needs to be in full auto since it exposes for the face and even needs WB in auto for skin tone. Been there, that is why we use manual exposure and spot focus. I think it will be the NX30 I will get as I have all the batteries to share etc and know how to get the most out of Sony stuff. I can likely get a NX30 and a VG30 for about the same cost as an EA50 as an alternate.

The EA50 stock lens must be like the small Sony's in that it really doesn't hold focus going in or out from its set focus point not noticeable so much coming wide but always noticeable if one zooms in. We reset the small Sony's going in or out with spot focus. My wife leaves the spot focus screen up all the time and touches for refocus every time she zooms in or out. This needs enough light of course which is where the spot focus approach wins over face detection as one can just wait to refocus until there is enough light. In contrast the NX5U holds its focus throughout the zoom range.

Ron Evans