Sony 6400 seafrog - extremaly poor quality after switch from Canon? Please help!

[Cavetecdiver]

Hi,
I was using Canon 80d in the past with tokina 10-17 and was very happy with low light performance. Pics were amazing. I switched to Sony a6400 and expected similar performance but it turns out noise and colours are unbearable. My gopro4 better handles low light. Is it normal or I had smth wrong with camera? Maybe some settings?
I tried for now with pancake 20mm and wanted to switch to tokina but now after first tests I am so disappointed that I consider selling it out;(
Furthermore I experience terrible reflections from seafrog port. Has anyone had such issue? Its a bit weird ne er had anything like that before.
I use auto settings the same as I did with Canon and performance for now is not even 1/10 comparable ;(
I attached sample pic from low ligh condition where my old Canon would record darkness and lights instead of green noisy blurred image;(

Please help I feel desperate as I really wanted to convince myself for sony;(

 

[Cavetecdiver]

More pics

 

[Zef]

I see blurry images but I dont see aborrent pixels (noise).

-Z

 

[hilljo88]

"Auto settings" are clearly not working for you. I would find some YouTube video tutorials on how to set up this camera. Also, check what focus mode you are using and try to figure out why you can't get sharp focus. If you can get a sharp image on land out side of the housing, then make sure the housing port is clear and try some shots again.

I haven't shot the 6400, but folks get great images from this camera, as well as most other models from any of the major manufacturers. Stick with it and try to learn what all the setting options can do for you.

 

[Barmaglot]

This looks super weird. That last shot seems like something reflecting off your port. What is the rest of your setup (port, lights, strobes, etc) and what settings are you using on the camera? I've been shooting an A6300 for a few years now, and I'm at a loss how to replicate your results.

 

[Cavetecdiver]

This looks super weird. That last shot seems like something reflecting off your port. What is the rest of your setup (port, lights, strobes, etc) and what settings are you using on the camera? I've been shooting an A6300 for a few years now, and I'm at a loss how to replicate your results.

Do you think it might be smth wrong with camera at all? Ie. With frame? I bought used..
On land results are ok but also not stunning. I was shooting 4 years with Canon and never achieved such bad results in any conditions.

Setting on these shots are full auto with 2 chineese video lights on long arms. This reflection is even on land with seafrog port on sunlight
That is extremaly blizzare

 

[Cavetecdiver]

Do you think it might be smth wrong with camera at all? Ie. With frame? I bought used..
On land results are ok but also not stunning. I was shooting 4 years with Canon and never achieved such bad results in any conditions.

Setting on these shots are full auto with 2 chineese video lights on long arms. This reflection is even on land with seafrog port on sunlight
That is extremaly blizzare

As set was only 3 times in water and I had some issues with moisture (dry air helped) could it be that frame has some water on it and perform badly?

 

[Cavetecdiver]

Also, check what focus mode you are using and try to figure out why you can't get sharp focus. If you can get a sharp image on land out side of the housing, then make sure the housing port is clear and try some shots again.

It's 20mm still pankake lens. Could it be the reason it cannot get focus underwater at all?

 

[mi000ke]

I also switched from a Canon (old S110 point and shoot) to the Sony a6400 and the 16-50 kit lens with the seafrog housing and 4" dome port and shooting only ambient light - no strobes. I had tremendous focus problems, and was advised to add diopters to the lens as it needs to close-focus on the dome not on the subject. This solved the focus problem. I am not having any noise issues (well, no more than normal) so you might want think about using manual settings to let in enough light. Also, worth looking into shooting in raw format (ARW is Sony's version for alpha cameras). This gives you a lot more leeway in post processing to fix exposure and white balance issues.

 

[Barmaglot]

I had tremendous focus problems, and was advised to add diopters to the lens as it needs to close-focus on the dome not on the subject.

This is quite odd. I have tested the 16-50 with SeaFrogs 4", 6" and 8" dome and the only situation in which it had trouble focusing was the 4" dome at focal lengths longer than 30mm.