Sony FX30 - Exposure Tips & Tricks

Owned by Austin Russell
Last updated: Sept 03, 2024
2 min read

When filming in S-LOG 3 on the Sony FX30, you must overexpose your vision by 1.3 to 1.7 stops to achieve a correct exposure. Whist this sounds daunting, there are several processes in place on both the camera and the optional Shinobi 5 monitor that provide assistance in getting this.

Exposing with the Sony FX30

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Exposing with the Sony FX30 is rather easy thanks to a built in light meter. On the bottom of the shooting screen, you will see a M.M icon, along with a number to the right. This number ranges from -2.0 to +2.0 and refers to your exposure. As mentioned above, 1.3 to 1.7 is the sweet spot for exposing S-LOG 3 vision. This is achieved by modifying your exposure (ND Filter, ISO, Shutter and/or Iris for example) to the two ideal values. If your M.M is flashing either -2.0 or +2.0, that is the camera telling you that the camera is more than 2 stops over-exposed or more than 2 stops underexposed.

image-20240730-021742.png

Exposing with the Sony FX30 is rather easy thanks to a built in light meter. On the bottom of the shooting screen, you will see a M.M icon, along with a number to the right. This number ranges from -2.0 to +2.0 and refers to your exposure. As mentioned above, 1.3 to 1.7 is the sweet spot for exposing S-LOG 3 vision. This is achieved by modifying your exposure (ND Filter, ISO, Shutter and/or Iris for example) to the two ideal values. If your M.M is flashing either -2.0 or +2.0, that is the camera telling you that the camera is more than 2 stops over-exposed or more than 2 stops underexposed.

 

Exposing with the Shinobi 5 Monitor

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Another way to get good exposure is by utilising LUT’s or Look Up Tables on the Shinobi monitor. Look Up Tables are guide colour grades that you can place over the vision on the Shinobi Monitor to assist with seeing how your footage will look once it has been graded in post production. This solution allows you to keep the FX30 viewfinder in its true “S-LOG” form whilst having a seperate monitor as a guide on how your exposure is sitting with a graded image. It is still recommended to utilise the above M.M Sony FX30 mode along with the LUT to guarantee a technically well exposed shot.

image-20240730-021826.png

 

Another way to get good exposure is by utilising LUT’s or Look Up Tables on the Shinobi monitor. Look Up Tables are guide colour grades that you can place over the vision on the Shinobi Monitor to assist with seeing how your footage will look once it has been graded in post production. This solution allows you to keep the FX30 viewfinder in its true “S-LOG” form whilst having a seperate monitor as a guide on how your exposure is sitting with a graded image. It is still recommended to utilise the above M.M Sony FX30 mode along with the LUT to guarantee a technically well exposed shot.

 

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To Enable a LUT for filming with the Sony FX30, head to the Atomos Shinobi Monitor, press the bottom left settings icon and select the LUT tab. There should be at least 1 or 2 LUTS available. If no LUT’s are available, please speak to the team at the MCASI Store. Once you have selected a LUT, head to the MONITOR tab and select the LUT option. This will enable a LUT on the Shinobi monitor. To clarify, the vision on your FX30’s viewfinder will remain in LOG, this is what your vision will look like when viewed on a computer screen. The LUT is just a guide to give a visual suggestion of what your shot will look like with a colour grade.