A.J.R. wrote:
I posted this a few years back but it might be of interest to you.
Hope this might be of some interest to anyone setting up a Sony A6300. With a few exceptions the set up will also apply to the A6000. These are, of course personal preferences for the type of photographic work I do, mainly candid/street, landscape, a few portraits (mainly of Grandchildren), a few shots of an active Border Collie and very occasionally copying artwork. Most photographs are taken in Aperture or Shutter priority mode. Rarely do I use Manual. The lens on my A6300 for 95% of the time is the Sony Zeiss 16 – 70mm f4, but I also have the 50mm f1.8, and the 55 – 210mm f4.5 – 6.3 (all Sony APS-C, E mount lenses). Most of my photographs I aim to print. Personal work usually to A3. I never use the built in flash or the camera for video.
The menu index name/number is given after each setting (with the equivalent A6000 bracketed if different from the A6300). The notes give some thoughts on the reasons for my choices.
Quality - set to Raw & jpeg. Camera 1.
Can sort and print jpegs quickly, but if I wish to get more out of a shot can (and most times do) use the RAW file.
Exposure Compensation – -0.3. Camera 4 (3)
As I use RAW, exposure can be changed slightly at the conversion stage without loss of quality. The reduction of exposure at the taking stage, by one third of a stop can help reduce potentially burnt out highlights.
Auto Review – Off. Custom 2 (1)
Easy to miss the next shot during the time it takes for the image just taken to appear and disappear from the screen.
Audio signals – Off Set up 1
Don’t want the bleeps to bring attention when taking the photograph.
AF Illuminator – Off. Camera 3
This sends out a beam of light to aid focus in poor lighting conditions, again bringing attention to the fact that photographs are being taken. Unless photographing black cats in coal cellars the camera seems to do a pretty good job without resorting to the Illuminator.
Monitor Brightness - +1. Set up 1
I use the camera mostly at eye level but when using the screen (usually for its tilting facility), this helps a little on a bright day.
ISO Auto – 100 to 6400. Camera 4
6400 ISO might seem rather high but the camera handles noise quite well and the atmosphere of photographs taken in poor lighting conditions is sometimes not adversely affected by some noise (as with grain in the days of film).
ISO Auto Min SS – 1/125 Camera 4 (Not available on the A6000)
1/125 sec. is OK for my 16 to 70mm and 50mm lenses, but care must be taken when using the 55 to 210mm.
Custom Key settings
C1 Silent shooting (not available on A6000)
I would have liked to have Silent shooting turned on all the time but under certain artificial lighting conditions striping can occur on the image so I have set it to this custom key to have the choice, on or off.
I have a RMT-DSLR Wireless remote so I would also like to keep the Remote Control menu function on all the time but this runs the battery down. Unfortunately the camera will not allow this option to be assigned to a Custom Key or the Function Menu, so have to resort to the main (147 item) menu.
C2 Monitor Brightness
The Monitor Brightness can be turned up even more than my preferred +1 setting (above) to a Sunny Weather setting. Not good for evaluating the tonal range but at least I can get a better idea of the composition.
AEL Eye AF
Eye Auto Focus can only be used when assigned to a custom button as this must be held down whilst the shutter release is pressed. The AEL button has been chosen because the thumb natural rests around that area when taking a photograph.
Function Menu
Upper 1 Drive Mode (This is the default setting)
Upper 2 Focus Mode
Upper 3 Focus Area
I have grouped these three together as they are sometimes changed at the same time. For most things I do they are set on default, i.e. Drive mode – Single Shooting, Focus Mode – Automatic AF and Focus Area – Wide. If, when occasionally I photograph a fast moving subject they are changed to Continuous Shooting and Continuous AF respectively and the Focus Area usually left on Wide but occasionally set on Flexible Spot.
All the rest of the settings are left on default. I have found it impossible to find a list of default settings for the A6300 or A6000. If you want to set your camera to default go to Set up – 7, (6 for A6000) ‘Setting Reset’ then ‘Initialize’. ‘Camera Settings Reset’ will only reset the Camera Menu. Having chosen Initialize you will however be back to factory condition and have to reset time and date.
Most of my personal settings have little or no relationship to the quality of the image, as the camera does an excellent job sorting out exposure, white balance etc. and using RAW gives room for adjustment with little or no loss of quality.
I would be very interested to know how your settings on the A6300/6000 differ from mine and why you prefer them.
I posted this a few years back but it might be of ... (
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