Sony NEX-5 Video Focusing, WB

[DiverDun]

I am considering to buy the NEX-5 with the Nauticam housing and I have 2 concerns about the video:

1. Imagine-Resource comments that the "AF area is overly broad, camera is prone to picking up background or extraneous objects more contrasty than the subject"
Sony Alpha NEX-5 Digital Camera Video - Full Review - The Imaging Resource!

I currently use a Canon SD870 and am use to having an infinite FOV and am worried that the camera will not focus on the desired subject. When diving, the subject is often small. Does anyone have any experience using the video while diving who can comment if it is a problem? Can the focus are be adjusted easily if the camera picks the wrong subject?

2. I use a gray card to calibrate the white balance before every set of stills and videos and it works incredibly well on the SD870. I have configured one button to calibrate the WB therefore it is a one button operation on the SD870 and I have a gray card on a flexible arm for this purpose. My concern is to know if it is cumbersome to set the WB on the NEX-5. Can anyone comment on how difficult it is to set the manual white balance on a NEX-5?

Thanks

 

[ramasule]

I am still out of town so I cannot get back to you with the AF area problem.

But you can set the WB to be a custom button, and this works really well.
So no its not difficult.

Also alot of people complain about the menu, its really not that bad once you play with the camera for 10 mins, is it great no, but its not the end of things like some people make it out to be.

Sony NEX Firmware Update

theres a quick google search

...

Where is our sony subforum ?

 

[supersand]

I am considering to buy the NEX-5 with the Nauticam housing and I have 2 concerns about the video:

1. Imagine-Resource comments that the "AF area is overly broad, camera is prone to picking up background or extraneous objects more contrasty than the subject"
Sony Alpha NEX-5 Digital Camera Video - Full Review - The Imaging Resource!

I currently use a Canon SD870 and am use to having an infinite FOV and am worried that the camera will not focus on the desired subject. When diving, the subject is often small. Does anyone have any experience using the video while diving who can comment if it is a problem? Can the focus are be adjusted easily if the camera picks the wrong subject?

2. I use a gray card to calibrate the white balance before every set of stills and videos and it works incredibly well on the SD870. I have configured one button to calibrate the WB therefore it is a one button operation on the SD870 and I have a gray card on a flexible arm for this purpose. My concern is to know if it is cumbersome to set the WB on the NEX-5. Can anyone comment on how difficult it is to set the manual white balance on a NEX-5?

Thanks

Hi I'll try to answer, but there may others who are more knowledgeable, who can chime in.

1. I find the camera's auto-focus to be doing a pretty good job, but it occasionally has to hunt for focus if the video isn't of a stationary item (see it change focus on the underwater bird in the video). Normally during video it automatically focuses but if its not focusing on the right subject you can force it to refocus by pushing shutter button while recording.

One thing of note is that the video field of view has a 1.8x crop factor vs the normal 1.5x for stills. For example if the 16mm lens with the fisheye converter (0.62 magnification) for stills would be 15mm (35mm equivalent) vs 18mm for video. This isn't all bad though as this part of the frame that is cropped out is generally not as sharp and its still pretty wide.

2. With the version 3 firmware update you have the option to set up one of the buttons (soft key B) to specifically access the white balance menu. Once in the menu you will need to select manual white balance with the thumb wheel (if not already selected) and then take a picture of the card. So there's a few more steps vs a single button set up but its not too tricky. The video below was shot using the camera's auto white balance setting.

Hope the info helps.

I'm a rookie videographer, but here's a short video I shot in December with the camera and the Nauticam housing.

[vimeo]18036886[/vimeo]

 

[DiverDun]

Thanks very much for the quick responses.

Do you always use the 16mm lens with the fish eye converter or do you use the 18-55 mm lens sometimes as well?

Is it advisable to use the fish eye converter?

I was planning on buying the 16mm and 18-55 mm lens but I assume I will have to buy the appropriate ports for the housing as well.

What port(s) did you get for the Nauticam?

Thanks

 

[supersand]

Thanks very much for the quick responses.

Do you always use the 16mm lens with the fish eye converter or do you use the 18-55 mm lens sometimes as well?

Is it advisable to use the fish eye converter?

I was planning on buying the 16mm and 18-55 mm lens but I assume I will have to buy the appropriate ports for the housing as well.

What port(s) did you get for the Nauticam?

Thanks

I have the dome port but haven't tried it with just the 16mm lens (no converter) but I don't think it will work to well, I could be wrong. If you want to use just the 16mm lens alone, Nauticam sells a flat port for just the 16mm lens (no converter) that's pretty low profile. If you want to use the dome port I believe you'll need either the fisheye converter or the wide angle converter. I haven't tried the wide angle converter in the dome port yet (I've just been using the fisheye converter so far) but I remember reading somewhere that it will work, but you may want to ask first.

The flat port with the 18-55mm lens seems sharper across the frame (probably no surprise) when compared to the fisheye converter in the dome port.

-Erik