I just got this camcorder yesterday and might sound stupid with my questions , so bear with me. I have already finished reading the manual.

1. Difference between gain and ISO ?
2. Why they are both assigned to the same switch ? Is there a way I can have dedicated switch for both gain and ISO ?
3. What is the recommeded ISO for this camcorder while shooting indoor events ? I mean, this sensor ain't big like my 5DMK3 , so it should not be able to handle the noise reduction at greater ISO, I guess ? Wat you recommend ?
4. How do we choose a point to focus ? Right now, there is no point or marker showing , so that I can select a part of viewfinder which I want to be in focus, as I mostly shoot shallow DOF foot ages.


More questions later.

1. Difference between gain and ISO ?

Gain = digital video term for electronically amplifying the image to make it brighter.

ISO = digital photo term for electronically amplifying the image to make it brighter.

2. Why they are both assigned to the same switch?

Because those two terms mean the same thing. Basically the dual terminology is a result of the technology convergence between videography and photography.

Okay, so both are same . Someone coming from photography background like me will let it stay on ISO and use it, as I understand it.

Well, another question, I dont see a way to change the ISO in increments like shutter speed ?

Why is that ?

IT only gives 200, 400, 800 ISO .

You can assign any iso value to the switches on the side of the camera, this you have to do through the menu on the lcd screen. The only limitation is that you can max assign 3 iso values. This is the way most professional camera's work but I find it for a large sensor camera quite limiting because you have much more useful iso settings.

Now I have my iso assigned as 200, 800 and 1600 but if I have a scene that would benefit better from 400 iso I have to go through the menu each time, with my 550d that's just a matter of pressing a button and scroll through the iso for quick selection, I can only hope Sony will make a firmware available that will allow to scroll through the iso values like you can with the shutter by using the small menu scroll wheel on the side of the camera.

Anyone know of a way you could suggest such a change to Sony?

About recommended iso at darker events, I found out that noise levels are about the same as on my 550d, so it's not as clean as I had hoped for; for me it means 1600 iso is about as high as I go and 3200 iso if I have no other choice, 3200 iso I would fix with neatvideo.

Right and its a headache for someone who uses 5D Mark III as his workhorse.

Al right, someone please answer the 4th question.

please answer the 4th question

Yes sir, right away :)

Is spot focus not working for you? Or do you want to have the 4 or 8 times magnifier magnifying a certain part of the screen?

Yes sir, right away :)

Is spot focus not working for you? Or do you want to have the 4 or 8 times magnifier magnifying a certain part of the screen?

I tried the spot focus, but it doesnt tell me, which point it ticks in. Very awakward way to focus . IT simply blinks the word, SPOT FOCUS.

Isnt there a way to enable grid lines on the LCD ?

And is there a way to see the focus points as red dots or something ?

Also, I did not find, where I can select the recording mode. I wanted to do a slow motion test with a 60fps , but couldnt find the option.

And Im from India, so should I always shoot in PAL , not NTSC ?

When it's blinking the word "spot focus" the camera is performing the focus change to the area you touched on the lcd screen.
Grid lines are possible, go to menu, display set and marker
There are no red dots for focus points, you can use spot focus, the 4 or 8 times magnifyer and peaking so plenty of options to help you focus.
To change the recording mode go to the menu, rec/out set, rec set.
Not 100% sure but India should be Pal, maybe this chart gives some help about pal/ntsc countries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PAL-NTSC-SECAM.svg

There is a dedicated MARKER button on EA50OH . Clicking on that, it simply shows a white cross lines in the center and not as grids.

Like I said; Grid lines are possible, go to menu, display set and marker

There you can choose different types of markers.

Thanks a lot Noa.
I will try as soon as I reach home in few hours. Will post back then.

this sensor ain't big like my 5DMK3 , so it should not be able to handle the noise reduction at greater ISO, I guess ?

Another thing about sensor size and noise reduction, I don't think that a larger sensor automatically means less noise, the 5DII is also a large sensor camera yet the mark III has a much cleaner image at very high gains. I don't know much about the tech stuff behind it but to me it looks manufacturers are deliberately crippling certain lower end models to protect sales from more expensive versions.

Like Canon does with the new 6D, it's also a new full frame camera but has a smaller sensor then the 5DIII and it does have the same clean high gain but suffers from moire and aliasing while the 5DIII doesn't.
Same for Sony, they have the fs100 that doesn't display moire and aliasing like the ea50 does and it also has much cleaner high gain. It's said that the fs100 has a sensor designed for video while the ea50 has a sensor designed for photo and adapted for video. But the 5DIII should have a sensor designed for photo as well as it is a stills camera, so why can that one have moire and aliasing free image and a very high noise free gain.

To me it looks like this is done on purpose to protect sales on higher end models. You get what you pay for applies on 3000-4000 euro camera's as well.

Hi Noa

He might be talking about focus peaking ...I even use it in auto so I can check if the auto has slipped up and then i can switch manual and correct it.

Soumendra? Try focus peaking..you can have white, red or yellow and also 3 levels as well...high seems a bit heavy and the white is hard to see in bright light.

Push the first assignable button and focus peaking will come on..you can set colours and levels in the menu... I suggest red and medium level.

Yeah India will have PAL cameras so the camera should automatically be supplied as a default to the region. You can of coursr shoot 60i or 30/60P if you really want to but default for Europe and that includes India/Asia and Australia will be 50i, 25P and 50P (both have 24P)

Chris

Question 5 - Did your camera come with an instruction manual?

Steve

Now, now... I would prefer that we please not go down the "RTFM" route, which seems to spoil other forum sites... thanks in advance!

OK, your right, I get it. I will play nice.

Steve

Thanks Chris

We always try to be civil and helpful ... being the only really decent forum online we do value DVInfo immensely. Everywhere else the EA-50 hadly gets a mention and here we have a core of wildly enthusiastic people giving and receiving critical information. It's my first visit in the morning (and half a dozen times a day too!!)

It's tough to just read the manual..what I like to do is use the PDF version and have it up on the computer and physically have the camera in your lap so you can actually try each section out that interests you and apply it to the camera.

On average manuals are not that well written (the worst were my HMC80's) The Sony manual is actually quite good but you remember how things work much better if you read and apply then and there...well for me anyway.

Sometimes we are impatient and want results fast!!

Chris

Hi all,
not a 50 owner but the RTFM quote got me going for a while- I thought WTF does that mean? but then I got it! ( a bit slow after a couple or five of red wine!) and you are so right CH. There are some unbelievably pompous sites around. I am a Tiffen steadicam owner and the tiffen site is so elitist I will never post there!

Regarding manuals- I always send the PDF to my local printer and get it bound with any hard copy supplied- my 160A manual came to $30 NZ which is a real bargain to have in the jolly ol' camera case on location.. when you think it is about a third of the cost of a decent SDHC card, for me it is a no brainer.
Cheers!
Rod

Hi Rod

I gave the EA-50 some cutaway footage on Saturday as a trial shoot (learn't a lot since then!!!) and I wanted to play back the clips to see what went wrong and guess what? I never checked that part of the manual and yes, it was on my computer and I was 300kms South..!! Logic tells you to switch the mode to playback, right? Sony don't have a playback mode ..just video/photo ...After I got home I found to view the thumbnails you need to press the "Visual Index " button... could have used a manual then!

Hmmm maybe a hard copy IS a good idea !!

Chris

Hmmm maybe a hard copy IS a good idea !!

Does the camera come with only an electronic copy of the manual?

Hi Eric

Not at all...it comes with a very useful pocket sized manual which could easily be kept with your gear BUT did I put it with my gear?? Nope!! Panasonic have this annoying feature of giving you a two part manual ..Part A is hard copy which tells you stuff a monkey could understand ..ie: push the start button to record but absolutely no settings etc etc ..The part B is on a CD which isn't much use in the field.

The Sony manual is actually a lot more "understandable" than others too !!

Chris

what I like to do is use the PDF version and have it up on the computer and physically have the camera in your lap

I do this as well but these days, my variation is PDF on the iPad...