A7III-A7RIII Custom-Settings and Support Firmware 3

& R
Custom Setup Support

Firmware 3.00
FREE
by
eBook
Mark Galer
Sony Ambassador
Community Support
YouTube
YouTube Paid Membership
Facebook
Flickr
website
www.markgaler.com
Contents
Meet the Author Camera Controls Masterclass Movies
Why customise your camera? Finder & Monitor eBooks
Learning Support Multi-interface shoe Useful Sony Accessories
Did I make the right choice? Control Wheel & Custom Buttons What’s in Mark’s Bag
• Key Features Saved Settings Mark’s Custom Settings
• Full Frame Advantage Portraiture
• Sensor Design
Supporting Website
Action
• Sensor Stabilization Landscape Link Index
• Card Slot & Battery Street
• DMF
Focus Mode & Focus Area
• Multi-Selector
• Eye-AF in Continuous Autofocus (AF-C) Making Movies
• 4K Movies Captured using the Full Frame Interval Shooting
• Large Buffer for Shooting Action Other Notable Features
• Fast Reliable Autofocus in Continuous AF
Mirrorless Advantages Donation Page

MARK GALER is a photographer, educator and
published author (30 books for Focal Press). He has a
commercial background in editorial photography and was
also a Digital Imaging Ambassador for Adobe for a period
of 14 years. He was a Program Director and Senior
Lecturer in Photography at RMIT University in Melbourne
and has circumnavigated the globe on a motorcycle.
Mark is using his wealth of experience as both a

photographer and educator to support the Sony Alpha
Community and was appointed a Sony Global imaging
Ambassador in 2016.
Mark owned the original Alpha 100 and currently owns an

A7RIII, A9 and A6500.
Mark Galer
Sony Global Imaging Ambassador 4-Minute Profile Movie
Back to Contents Page

Why customise your A7III or A7RIII camera?
The Sony A7III and A7RIII are technically
advanced cameras that are highly customisable
to meet the demanding needs of a broad range
of creative photographers. This guide has been
designed to provide you with ideas and
suggestions to help you customise your own
camera to help maximise your creative potential.
After extensive shooting with the Sony A7 and

A9 cameras I have now settled on the custom
settings that enable me to work quickly and
intuitively in all shooting situations.
Note > The settings outlined in this guide are

suggestions only and are not intended as
definitive settings that will suit all photographers.

Learning Support
This eBook would be more than a 1,000 pages
long if I mapped out all of the camera setups
and technicalities of working with these
Mirrorless marvels. For this reason I have built
in numerous links to allow you to navigate to
my Alpha Creative Skills YouTube channel
and/or website to learn more on a particular
topic I have raised in this eBook. All this
support is provided for FREE.
If you would like to become a Paid YouTube

Member you can join my live monthly Q&A
talks and ask questions in the member only
forums. In this way I can become your
personal Sony Alpha Consultant for just a few
dollars per month.
Membership

Note > This movie is targeted
to you if you previously owned
a Canon camera. It is a way of
bringing you up to speed with
your new Alpha camera to
help in the migration process.
Play Now
www.youtube.com/c/AlphaCreativeSkills
A7RIII & A7III Playlist
Note > This book is supported

by a comprehensive Playlist of
movies specifically created for
the A7III and A7RIII cameras.
Play Now
www.youtube.com/c/AlphaCreativeSkills YouTube Paid Membership

Did I make the right choice?

Key Features
I consider these 10 features to be the ones that have
made the A7III and A7RIII cameras so successful for
Sony. Competing cameras are often lucky to have
half of these features.
1. Backlit Illuminated Full-Frame Sensor

2. Stabilized Sensor
3. Dual Card Slot
4. Extended Battery Life 10/10
5. Direct Manual Focus (DMF)
6. Multi-selector/Joystick
7. Eye AF in Continuous AF (AF-C) The A7III and A7RIII cameras have a number
of features that are both incredibly useful, but
8. 4K Movies captured using the Full Frame
also serve to set them apart from competing
9. Large Buffer for Shooting Sports cameras. The following pages will outline
10. Fast reliable AF in Continuous AF some of these key features.

dpreview.com is the most popular independent reviewer
and voted the A7RIII as the product of the year in 2017
and the A7III as the product of the year in 2018.
dpreview.com awarded the A7III its top prize for 2018

Full-Frame Advantage
Sony’s Full-Frame Mirrorless cameras were
launched in 2013 and big jumps in performance
have been achieved with each subsequent model.
The body has been redesigned for each
subsequent model release - first to accomodate
Sensor Stabilization and then again to accomodate
the larger Z-series battery and dual card slots.
The main advantages in performance have been to

the Autofocus and 4K movie capability. In the
following slides, however, we will look at the
performance advantages that photographers enjoy
for having chosen a camera with a Full-Frame
sensor rather than an APS-C or Micro Four-Thirds
sensor (often referred to as crop sensors).

Full Frame Versus Crop Sensor
www.camerasize.com
The Full Frame Sony A7III and A7RIII cameras are no bigger than many Micro Four-Thirds cameras,
but the differences in sensor size is significant and this directly leads to superior Image Quality (IQ)
of these cameras in terms of dynamic range and high ISO performance.
Full Frame
Figure/Ground
Separation
The size of the sensor in
a Full Frame camera
(when compared to crop
sensor formats) enables
the photographer to
separate the subject
from the background
more easily using
differential focussing or
FE 85 F/1.4 GM ‘shallow depth-of-field’.
Beautiful Bokeh
FE 100 F/2.8 STF GM

FE 85 F/1.4 GM
FE 85 F/1.8
A great lens that is
recommended for
photographers on a
tight budget
Sensor Design
Sony uses back-illuminated sensors (BIS) in the
A7III and A7RIII cameras. This modern sensor
design has added significant improvements to both
Image Quality and speed of data traffic to the CPU
or Bionz X processor.

Full Frame BIS
Conventional structure Back-illuminated structure
Gapless OCL Gapless OCL
Aluminum wiring layer Photodiode substrate
Copper wiring layer

Light receiving
surface Photodiode substrate
The advanced sensor design in the

A7III and A7RIII cameras leads to
significant advantages in terms of
image quality when compared to
cameras using conventional sensors.
A broad dynamic range enables the
camera to record rich detail in bright
Full Frame BIS Dynamic Range

highlights and dark shadows without
having to bracket exposures.
The quality of the recorded shadows
can be made lighter in camera
(when shooting JPEGs) by using a
feature called DRO (Dynamic Range
Optimizer) or in Post Production by
Full Frame BIS Dynamic Range

raising the Shadows slider when
shooting in the Raw file format.
ISO 5,000
High ISO Performance

+ 80 Masking (Sharpening)
+15 Luminance Noise Reduction
Post-Production
Full Frame BIS High ISO Performance

+ 80 Local Noise Reduction
Protect the in-focus detail,
Red Mask indicates where local

Noise Reduction has been applied.
Full Frame BIS High ISO Performance

ISO 8000
Unprocessed Raw file

Avoid underexposure
Processed Raw file
Apply Noise Reduction primarily
to the out-of-focus areas and
mask any sharpening
Sensor Stabilization
Sony calls its Sensor Stabilization ‘SteadyShot’. It is
also referred to as ‘In-Body Image Stabilization’ (IBIS).
This 5-Axis Stabilization of the sensor is vastly
superior to using 2-axis stabilized lenses without any
In-Body Image-Stabilization. When using a stabilized
lens the camera will use a hybrid approach to image
stabilization which can offer advantages when using
longer telephoto focal lengths. If stabilization is
switched off on the lens, it will also be disabled on the
camera. It is recommended to switch stabilisation off
when the camera is mounted on a tripod for long
exposures and when the photographer is following
rapid and erratic motion.

5-Axis Stabilization of the
sensor is vastly superior to
using 2-axis stabilized
lenses without any In-Body
Image-Stabilization (IBIS).
25mm @ f/11:1/5 second
Sony’s IBIS or ‘SteadyShot Inside’

allows the photographer (with
care) to shoot hand-held using
very slow shutter speeds.
1/5 second @ f/11 (16mm)
You can select these slower apertures
in Manual Exposure Mode or Aperture
Priority and set the ISO Auto Min SS
setting to ‘Slower’.
FE 16-35 F/2.8 GM
1/5 second at f/11
Card Slot & Battery
The two cards may look the same, but it is worth
noting that Slot 1 is the lower of the two slots and is
also the fastest (by a long shot). You can set up how
you would like to manage the images and movies
being saved to these two slots by going to ‘Rec.
Media Settings’ in ‘Setup6’ (the Toolbox icon in the
Menus). If you choose ‘Simult.’ (simultaneous) instead
of ‘Standard’ you will effectively be working to the
limitations of the slower slot. As I often shoot Sports I
have mine set to ‘Slot 1 > Standard > Auto Switch
Media On’. A wedding photographer who needs
insurance against a card failure will choose Simult.

Z-series battery
NPFZ100
Batteries can be charged
in the camera but Sony’s
BC-QZ1 battery charger
means that you can
charge two batteries at
the same time (one in the
camera and the second in
the charger).
Dual SD Card Slots

Lower Slot is UHS-II (SDXC-II)*
*recommended if you shoot action sports

DMF
Focus Mode
DMF
Manual Focus Override + Magnified Live View

Override Focus to Here
DMF If Camera Focuses Here
Focus Assist + DMF

Recall Custom hold 1
Note > Consdider trying Animal Eye AF before resorting to DMF

If Eye-AF isn’t being your
friend, DMF is your next
best friend when you are
working at close range with
a wide aperture prime lens.
Play Now
https://www.youtube.com/c/AlphaCreativeSkills
Alternatively use AF-S or AF-C
and move a Flexible Spot AF
area to the desired focus point
using the Multi-selector.
The Multi-Selector has a
number of functions other
than moving the Focus
Point - discover what they
are in this movie
Play Now
Eye-AF
Eye-AF in Continuous AF
for when your subject won’t stay still

Eye-AF
Evolved Eye-AF in AF-C.
Accessed via a Firmware
Upgrade in April 2019. A
custom button will no longer
have to be held down to
activate Eye-AF in AF-C.
Animal
Eye-AF
Animal Eye-AF
Introduced with version
3.00 Firmware upgrade
in April 2019

Full Frame 4K Movie Capture
This is a still image taken from a full-frame
4K movie at high ISO. If you intend to take
stills from movies you may want to use a
9 Full Frame 4K Movie Capture

faster frame rate such as 50 or 60fps and
increase the shutter speed to 1/100 second.
Full Frame 4K Movie Capture
This is a still image taken from a full-frame
movie (not Super 35). The shallow depth of
field achieved from using a wide aperture
may require the use of an ND filter when
the ambient light is bright and the shutter
speed is slow (1/100 sec or less).
Large Buffer for Raw Images
The camera ‘buffer’ stores recently captured
images before writing them to the memory
card. A large buffer enables the camera to
shoot at high frame rates for extended periods
of time. The cowboy is dismounting from the
horse after he has successfully stayed on for 8
seconds. The camera was able to carry on
taking photos at 8 frames per second for an
additional 3 seconds to capture this image.
Fast & Reliable Continuous AF
Sony currently
makes the most
reliable Continuous
AF tracking of any
Mirrorless camera

Mirrorless Advantages
Mirrorless cameras have
significant operating differences
when compared to DSLR
cameras. Understanding these
differences will help you avoid
some pitfalls that are commonly
encountered by photographers
who do not adjust their workflows
after leaving their DSLRs.

Shutter
The Sensor provides a live

view to the Finder &
Monitor. A mechanical
shutter is only used to time
the duration of the
Live View Display exposure, except when
‘silent shooting’ is enabled.
Sensor
A DSLR uses a mirror to
provide an optical view to
the Finder. This view,
however, may be
significantly different to the
one the sensor sees.

EVF ‘Live View’ Advantages
Live View provides a WYSIWYG view*

*Live depth-of-field and exposure preview
In the vast majority of instances a live view from the
sensor is an advantage over using the optical
viewfinder of a DSLR - there is, however, a couple of
reasons we don’t want to preview the scene through
Live View: Depth of Field
a small aperture we have selected, e.g., f/11 or f/16.

Focus Here
Magnify View
Check Focus Here
This movie demonstrates how to find
the hyperlocal distance without using a
calculator when on location.

Many photographers put
their camera on a tripod
without any reason to. In this
movie I outline the perfect
settings for people who have
a love/hate relationship with
tripods :-)
Play Now
Live View: Exposure

If you are ready to come out of
AUTO the, P, A, S and M
settings on the Shoot Mode Dial
will enable you to gain a greater
degree of control over your
creative photography
PASM
P: Program
A: Aperture Priority
S: Shutter Priority
M: Manual with Auto ISO
Exposure Compensation
This allows you to ‘fine tune’ the Auto Exposure

Live Histogram
The Live Histogram in the Finder and on the

Monitor will alert you to overexposed tones
Live Histogram
These overexposed tones may not be able to

be recovered in Post Production editing. These
tones are referred to as being ‘Clipped’.
Light meters want to make things look ‘Average’, even when they are not
Overexposed Exposure Compensated
Exposure compensation is required to render a black swan black

Scene with Dominant Dark Tones
Over exposure
WYSIWYG
Exposure
Compensation
WYSIWYG
whatyouseeiswhatyouget
Exposure
Compensation
…if it doesn’t look right in the Finder then, odds on, it isn’t right
Scene with Dominant Dark Tones

Scene with Dominant Light Tones
Shadows Lightened Further in Post

The GOAL of…
Exposure Compensation
The goal of adjusting the
Absolute Black
Absolute White
exposure, before you take an
image, is to put the brightest
highlights and darkest
shadows between the goal
posts of absolute black and
absolute white (clipping). If
you don’t, you will lose detail
in the highlights or shadows.

Expose for the Highlights
Process for the Shadows
Live Exposure
Press the Display button until
you see the Histogram on the
monitor or in the Finder.

Exposure Review
When reviewing your images
you can press the Display
button a number of times until
you see the histogram view.

Live View Display
You may need to switch this
to OFF when working with
off-camera non-Sony flash
in a darkened studio or
when the ambient light is
very low. Learn More here:
https://youtu.be/tPKjkbk09us

Live View Display ON
Ambient Exposure -2.0
Flash Exposure +1.0
Flash Compensation required
because of light toned subject
Sony HVL-F45RM
Wireless Radio Flash
Sony FA-WRC1M
Wireless Radio Commander
Note > This movie was made
using an A7RII but the
principles are the same for all
Sony Alpha E-Mount
cameras. Live View Display
is currently found on page 7
of the Camera Settings2 tab
Play Now
Note > There are a handful
of lenses in Sony’s E-Mount
lens lineup where the camera
does not momentarily open
the aperture wider to assist
focus in AF-S. Learn how to
overcome this if you own one
of these lenses.
Play Now
Camera Controls
This is an overview of the main dials and
buttons - where we get to take creative
control of the camera. If you have no interest
in these you may as well just leave the
camera in Auto - but given you have
downloaded this eBook I am guessing you
are a control freak and won’t be dictated to
by a lump of metal, silicon and glass. If the
pages all seems a bit mundane and obvious
I would invite you to click on the multi-
selector movie - I bet there are a few things
about this joystick you didn’t know about :-)

Navigating Menus
To customise the settings of the

camera press the ‘Menu’ button (1) and
navigate the menus using the ‘Control
Wheel’ (2) or Multi-selector (3). Press
the ‘Center button’ (4) to select an
1
option and press the Menu button to
cancel or move back to the main menu.
3
The camera can be customised by

using the first two tabs and the last tab 2
of the Menus. These are: 4
Camera Settings1
Camera Settings2
Setup
Front Dial
White
Balance
…until you override it for something else
Rear Dial
Diopter Adjustment Dial

Movie button Multi-selector
Movies can also be started Move the focus point or
using the shutter release navigate menus - press to
button if the option is confirm a selection
selected in the Main menu.
If you are fussy about the Control wheel
quality of your movies you
will need to set up the Movie Scroll through menu items or
settings in the Menus (see move focus area
the Making Movies section).
Center button
Select menu items to modify
or confirm commands

… because there are
more things at play
than meets the eye!
Play Now
AEL button
Auto Exposure Lock - this is also a
Custom button and most people I
know have set it to do something
else, e.g., Eye-AF or Recall Custom
hold. Note that the button also serves
AF button to Zoom out in Review mode.
AF-ON Button can be setup for
Back-Button AF if ‘AF with Shutter’
is disabled in the Menu. Note that Fn Button
the button also serves to Zoom in Function button to access Fn or
when you are reviewing an image. ‘Quick’ menu. At least half of the
items in the Fn menu probably
don’t need to be there, but that is
Playback button OK - we can change them.
Review captured images/movies
C4 / Delete button
It is only a trash/delete button in
Playback mode so don’t get
paranoid about pressing it OK.
Fn Key
Access and modify your 12 most used
Function (Fn) Menu camera settings for quick control - these
can be customised by going to Page 8 of
the Camera Settings2 tab. You will
probably notice that mine looks nothing
like yours! Drive Mode and ISO are
usually in the Fn menu by default, but as
we can also access these via the left and
right buttons on the Control Wheel there
is no problem with replacing them with
something more useful.
Function (Fn) Menu
Fn Menu Upper1 Upper2 Upper3 Upper4 Upper5 Upper6
Upper Silent Shooting Live View Display Subject Detection Face/Eye Priority in AF Metering Mode Audio Signals
Lower Lower1 Lower2 Lower3 Lower4 Lower5 Lower6

APS-C Shoot: Manual Center Lock-on AF Touch Operation SteadyShot Prioritize Rec. Media Shoot Mode
Live Google Spreadsheet Link

I have been known to change my mind, so if I do
this is where you will get to hear about it first as
this is a live spreadsheet.

Fn Menu
This is an alternative view of the Fn
menu that can be accessed by
pressing the Display button, just
below it, several times (before you
press the Fn key).
After pressing the Fn key you can

navigate to anything you want to
change using the Multi-selector.
You don’t have to press the Center
button or Multi-selector in to select
the setting - you can simply start
turning the front and rear dials to
make changes to that setting.
Navigate Fn Menu
In the standard view of the Fn
menu you can access and modify
your 12 most used camera
Function (Fn) Menu settings for quick control by
navigating to the Fn item using
the Multi-selector. When the item
is highlighted you do NOT need
to press to select.
Fn Heads-Up Display As viewed in EVF (Finder)
Front Dial Front Dial
This adjustment is called ISO Auto

Minimum Shutter Speed - As I shoot in
Aperture Priority most of the time I tend to
adjust this setting every time I encounter
a new subject.
Use the Front Dial
to navigate the
main options on
the Fn menu you
have navigated to
Rear Dial Rear Dial
Note > Not all options above the line

have sub-options below the line.
Rear Dial
Navigation
Use the Rear Dial to navigate
any sub-menu options.
ISO Auto Min SS

ISO Auto Minimum Shutter
Speed cannot be switched
Off. Standard is the default
position. Modified settings
only take effect if you have
selected ISO Auto and you
are using Aperture Priority or
Program modes.
Vertical Menus
When a Fn option is selected
with a press of the Multi-selector,
Sub-menu (rear dial)
or a Custom Key, the main
menus will run vertically rather
than horizontally and the
submenus can still be accessed
using the Rear dial.
Finder & Monitor
The finder is often referred to as the EVF or
Electronic ViewFinder. It is advisable to
spend some time setting these up just the
way you like them. Brightness may appear to
be the only option at first glance (page 1 of
the Setup1 menu) but the Creative Styles
(Contrast, Saturation and Sharpness) can
also be adjusted. The DRO setting (Dynamic
Range Optimizer) also has an impact on the
image presented in the Finder and on the
Monitor. These modification have zero effect
on Raw images being captured.

Electronic
ViewFinder / EVF Eye Sensor (keep clean - otherwise
Monitor may be disabled)
Monitor
If the Monitor is tilted the
view will not switch to the
Finder. The monitor’s
brightness can be set to
‘Sunny Weather’ when the
ambient light is very bright
Monitor
The Monitor can be used
as a Touch Screen to select
and move focus. These
settings are accessed via
the Setup3 menu.
Multi-interface Shoe
This may sound like a fancy word for what
most people call a ‘Hot-shoe’ but Sony’s
Multi-interface shoe does more than just
trigger a flash. I think I can count 21 little pins
at the leading edge of the shoe - this is all
about communicating with a range of
compatible devices.
Sony flashes cannot compete on price with

the Chinese brands (did I really need to tell
your that) but the one thing that can be said
for their flashes is they work - you will not find
forums full of questions about HSS, banding,
sync failures and misfires.

Multi Interface Shoe
The latest Sony Flashes end with the

letters ‘RM’ - these can communicate
with Sony’s commander without needing
to purchase a separate receiver.
Sony FA-WRC1M Sony HVL-F45RM

Wireless Radio Commander Wireless Radio Flash
Multi Interface Shoe
This is the Microphone you will see me ECM-W1M

wearing when I am recording many of
my movies for my YouTube channel Wireless Microphone
Control Wheel &
Custom Buttons
Before the arrival of the Multi-selector on the
MK III cameras, it was the Control Wheel and
the Dials that were our main form of
interaction with the camera. Old habits,
however, are often hard to break so if you
have upgraded from a previous Sony Alpha
model you may need to start using the Multi-
selector when you are navigating through the
menus. It is faster to use, compared to the
Control Wheel, and can be used while your
eye is at the Finder.

Level Display
Pressing the Display button
repeatedly cycles through
different levels of information
(including the Histogram and
the Level (shown here).
Display
You can decide what
display options are
displayed by going to
the DISP Button in the
Main Menu
Display
Check or uncheck the
options you want to see
or not see when you press
the Display button
ISO
Adjust Parameters • Auto
• 100-32,000
(if required)
Note > Upper limit of Auto ISO

can be modified if required.
ISO Auto Min. SS
This controls the minimum
Adjust Parameters shutter speed the camera
(if required) will use - but only so long
as the camera can achieve
an appropriate exposure.
The camera will ignore this
setting if there is a risk of
over or under-exposure.
I have often described this as

my favourite custom setting -
I use it so often I have set the
C1 key to access it.
Using Aperture Priority in

combination with ISO Auto
Min SS will prioritize
exposure and if the ambient
light is extreme the shutter
speed will be adjusted to
ensure appropriate exposure.
Play Now
Drive Mode
• Lo
• Mid
Lo, Mid, Hi & Hi+ • Hi (recommended for live-view panning)
• Hi+ (fastest frames per second)
Drive • Self-Timer Options
• Bracket Options
NOTE > Avoid Hi+ if you need
live view ‘real-time’ panning
Saved Settings
Create a memory for
groups of your favourite
Camera Settings
The ability to recall a group of saved camera
settings means a photographer can quickly
switch from shooting landscape with one
group of settings to shooting action with a
completely different group of settings with just
one turn of the shoot mode dial.

Memory Recall
Note > The A7III has two Memory Recall options while the
A7RIII has three and also a lock button in the center of the dial.
Registering a Memory
When the camera is setup
up with a group of settings
you can save these by going
to Memory on the third page
of the Camera Setup1 menu
Memory Settings
Portrait Action Landscape
Single Head & Shoulder Freeze / Pan with Blur Wide-Angle : Hand-Held
Movie Link https://youtu.be/zPpelMC75lw https://youtu.be/ZNloKXpUOWA https://youtu.be/cdP2YcSBbL8
File Type RAW Compressed RAW Compressed RAW Uncompressed

Shoot Mode Aperture Priority Aperture Priority Aperture Priority
Aperture (Starting) f/4 (or wider) f/4 to freeze or f/8 to blur b/ground (panning) f/11
ISO AUTO AUTO AUTO
ISO Auto Min SS Fast 1/2000 to freeze or 1/250 to blur b/ground Slower
Shutter Speed N/A N/A N/A
Drive Mode Single Shooting Continuous Shooting Hi Single Shooting
Focus Mode Continuous AF Continuous AF DMF
Focus Area Expand Flexible Spot Wide Expand Flexible Spot
Focal Length 85mm 100-400mm 16-35
Face Detect ON ON N/A
MF Assist ON N/A ON
Metering Mode Multi Multi Multi
SteadyShot ON OFF or Mode II ON
White Balance AUTO (or set to lighting) AUTO (or set to lighting) AUTO
You are not limited to
just 2 or 3 memory
settings - you can save 4
more to a memory card!
Play Now
A7III and A7RIII
See why I chose the
settings that I did…
Play Now
Portrait Memory Settings
Shoot Mode Aperture Priority
Aperture (Starting) f/4 (or wider)
ISO AUTO
ISO Auto Min SS Fast
Shutter Speed N/A
Drive Mode Single Shooting
Focus Mode Continuous AF (AF-C)
Focus Area Zone or Expand Flexible Spot
Lens Choice 55-135 mm
Face Priority in AF ON
MF Assist ON
Metering Mode Multi + Face Priority in Multi Metering On
White Balance AUTO (or set to lighting)
Note: For Multiple Subjects or Group Shots start by stopping

the aperture down to f/8 and zooming out to a focal length of
between 24-50 mm.
Sony A7RIII + FE 55 F/1.8
Drummer Boy by Mark Galer
Sony A7III with Batis 2.8/135
1/640 sec at f/2.8, ISO 320
Teagan by Mark Galer
Sony A7RIII and FE 1.8/135mm GM
1/160 second at f/1.8, ISO 1000
See why I chose the
settings that I did…
Play Now
To reliably shoot subjects that move
it is important to consider the
following basic settings:
Focus Mode: Continuous AF (AF-C)

Shutter Speed: Fast to freeze or
slower to create movement blur (this
requires accurate panning of the
camera to keep the subject relatively
sharp). For sports consider using a
shutter speed of 1/1000 second or
faster if the subject is moving
towards the camera.
See Focus Mode & Focus Area for more info
1066 by Mark Galer

Sony A7III with FE 100-400 GM
1/1000 second at f/5.6, ISO 100
SteadyShot On or Off?
Switch SteadyShot OFF in the

camera, if not available on the
lens, when panning the camera
Action Memory Settings
Aperture (Starting) f/4 to freeze or f/8 to blur b/ground (panning)
ISO AUTO
ISO Auto Min SS 1/2000 to freeze or 1/250 to blur b/ground
Shutter Speed N/A
Drive Mode Continuous Shooting: Hi (Not Hi+)
Focus Mode Continuous AF (AF-C)
start with Wide
Focus Area Lock-on AF: Zone or Expand Flexible Spot
if the target subject is amongst other obstacles
Pre AF OFF
Priority Set in AF-C Release (for maximum frames per second)
Lens Choice One with an aperture of F/4.5 or wider
ON (for single subjects)
Face/Eye Priority in AF OFF (for multiple subjects or when
people will appear behind primary subject)
Sony A7RIII with FE 100-400 GM

1/2000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 800
Choose a fast shutter speed to ‘freeze’
Barking Owl by Mark Galer action coming towards the camera.
Sony A7RIII with FE 400 F2.8 GM
1/2000 sec at f/2.8, ISO 2500 See Focus Mode & Focus Area for more info

Choose a slower shutter speed to
create movement blur behind your
subject when panning the camera
1/320 second at f/8, ISO 100
Note > Do not use apertures smaller than f/8 (A7RIII) or f/11 (A7III) when using PDAF to track focus
Sony A7III 1/4000 second at f/2.8, ISO 500
Triathlon by Mark Galer
Sony A7III with Batis 2.8/135mm
1/4000 sec at f/2.8, ISO 160 Back to Contents Page
Australian MotoGP by Mark Galer
Sony A7RIII with FE 400 F/2.8 GM + 1.4 TC
If you wanted to see what the future
had in store for the MK IV models of
your favourite A7 camera, then you
probably need to look no further
than the sensor design of the A9.
The shape of things to come!
Welcome to the α9 Time Machine

Read all about why I voted this the best Imaging Technology from 2017

Takaaki Nakagami by Mark Galer
Sony A9 with FE 400 F/2.8 GM
1/500 second at f/6.3, ISO 100

If you love Graduated
filters and ND filters then
these settings are the
ones you’ll probably be
wanting to take a look at.
Play Now
Landscape (hand-held) Settings
File Type RAW
Aperture (Starting) f/11
ISO AUTO
ISO Auto Min SS Slower
Shutter Speed N/A
Focus Mode DMF
Focus Area Expand Flexible Spot
Lens Choice 16-35 mm for wide coverage
Face Detect N/A
MF Assist ON
Metering Mode Multi
White Balance AUTO
SteadyShot ON

Sony A7RIII + Batis 2/25mm
1/30 second at f/11, ISO 100 Hand-Held Settings
1/5 Second Hand-Held

1/5 Second Hand-Held
Landscape (tripod) Settings
File Type RAW
ISO 100
ISO Auto Min SS N/A
Shutter Speed N/A
Focus Mode Manual
Focus Area N/A
Lens Choice 16-35 mm for wide coverage
Face Detect N/A
MF Assist ON
Metering Mode Multi
White Balance AUTO
SteadyShot OFF

St. Kilda Pier by Mark Galer
Sony A7RIII with FE 12-24 F/4 GM
Tripod Settings
30 seconds at f/11, ISO 100
NiSi S5 Filter kit with 150mm Filters

Grand Tetons by Mark Galer
Sony A7RIII with FE 24-105 F4 G
NiSi V5 Filter kit with 100mm Filters
The Spirit Returns by Mark Galer
Sony A7RIII with FE 100-400 GM
With ‘Street Photography’ I use
manual camera settings that
enable me to capture decisive
moments without having to worry
about focus or exposure. These
relate back to the ‘Sunny 16’ rule
that, in turn, ensures correct
exposure so long as the sun is
shining (my preferred ambient
conditions for Street).
STREET 134 Back to Contents Page

Street Memory Settings
Shoot Mode Manual
ISO 400 (sunny) 1600 (cloudy)
ISO Auto Min SS N/A
Shutter Speed 1/400 second
Focus Mode Manual
Focus Area N/A
Focal Length Approximately 24 mm
Face Detect N/A
MF Assist N/A
Metering Mode Expose for the Weather
White Balance Daylight
Back to Contents Page 135

If the exposure on a Sunny
day is the same in Paris as
it is in Melbourne, then why
are we metering to find the
correct Aperture, Shutter
Speed and ISO? Take a
look at this ‘Sunny 16' way
of making photos. P. S. I
didn’t invent it. I learnt it
when I was 16!
Play Now
Focus Mode & Focus Area
If you like taking photographs of subjects that

don’t stay still, these Focus skills are the
essential tools for success. When somebody
asks me what the best Focus Area is I know
they need help - because the answer is that it
depends on the subject and the background
and the presence of obstacles that may
momentarily obscure your subject. Once you
know why the camera chooses the subject it
chooses, then it not longer appears to be
rocket science. You can master this skill - I
have confidence in you :-)

Focus Mode
Typically found in the Fn menu
• AF-C* : For Moving subjects
Function (Fn) Menu • AF-A : Automatic AF
• AF-S : For Static subjects
• DMF: Direct Manual Focus
• Manual Focus
*Note > AF-C (Continuous AF) is

referred to as ‘AI servo’ by Canon

DMF (Direct Manual Focus) is a powerful
Focus feature on Mirrorless cameras (as
outlined in the ‘Key Features’ section). To use
DMF you must first half-press press the
shutter release of press the AF-ON button and
then turn the focus ring on the lens. If You
have switched Focus Assist on in the Menus
(page 13 of the first Camera Setup tab) the
view will be magnified to help you achieve
critical focus. Push Focus using DMF to Here
If Lens Focuses Here (Wide or Zone AF Area)
Manual Focus
FE 100-400 GM
or DMF at closest focusing distance

MF Assist
Consider turning on MF
Assist & Focus peaking when

working in Manual Focus or Direct
Manual Focus (DMF). DMF is a
very powerful tool on Mirrorless
cameras for fine-tuning focus
after it has first locked on to your
subject in Autofocus.

Macro
DMF
DMF is especially useful
focus mode for Macro work
Custom Key
As Focus Mode does not have
a dedicated Custom Key you
can assign one in the Custom
Operation1 > Custom Key
menu. I would recommend
assigning it to C3 or C4 if you
need to switch Modes quickly.

Focus Area
Choosing AF-C and an appropriate Focus Area are

critical for success when subjects are moving.
The C2 Button is often used to gain fast access to
the Focus Area as it is one of the most frequently
changed settings for many photographers.
Quick Change
Change settings quickly
using the Front and rear
Front dial dials. Top row adjustments
Rear dial via Front Dial and bottom
row adjustments via the
Rear Dial. The current ‘For
Viewfinder’ view was
accessed by pressing the
Display button on the
Control Wheel repeatedly.

Vertical Menus
When a Fn option is selected
with a press of the Multi-
selector, or a Custom Key,
the main menus will run
vertically rather than
horizontally and the
Sub-menu (rear dial)
submenus can still be
accessed using the Rear dial.
If the Lock-on AF options are

grayed out you need to
switch from the AF-S to AF-C
Focus Mode.

Focus Area
Auto Selection AF* = Wide
*’Auto Selection’ is terminology
Front dial used by Canon to refer to the
camera picking an appropriate AF
point - most Canon, users,
however, choose a small cluster of
AF points to improve the reliability
of maintaining accurate focus. This
is not the case with Sony’s AF
systems - do not be afraid to
choose Wide as your AF Area.
Wide Prioritizes Center & Close
Marc Marques MotoGP World Champion Back to Contents Page

The A7III has 693 Phase Detect
Autofocus points covering 93% of
the surface area of the sensor -
unlike some cameras Sony Alpha’s
have incredibly reliable AF when the
Focus Area is set to Wide. There is
no need to use a smaller Focus Area
unless the need arises.
Watch the Focus Area movie to learn

how to choose the most appropriate
Focus Area for your subject.

Priority
Face Priority and Eye-AF will override all Focus Areas.
A Flexible Spot can, however, be used in conjunction
with Eye-AF. When multiple faces appear in the frame,
Eye AF will choose the eye in the face that is nearer
the spot AF point).
Beware of using Face/
Eye Priority in AF
switched to ON with a
Zone or Wide AF Area
and multiple subjects.
Eye-AF or Face Priority
can cause the focus to
jump to a nearby face
when the face of your
primary subject is
momentarily obscured.
Turn Face/Eye Priority to
OFF to ensure the subject
in the centre of the AF
Area remains the priority
at all times.
Face/Eye Prty in AF
To ensure you have quick
access to enable and disable
the Face/Eye Priority it is
recommended that you assign
both the Face/Eye Priority and
Subject Detection options to
the Fn menu.

Face/Eye Prty in AF
The Subject Detection allows
you to quickly switch between
Animal and Human subjects.
Highlight the Subject Detection
option in the Fn menu using
the Multi-Selector tool (joystick)
and then use the Front Dial to
switch subjects.

Animal Eye/AF & fast-moving subjects
I have found that Animal Eye-AF activates

intermittently, depending on the animal
and the ambient lighting. Although not
perfect, it is good not to have to rely solely
on putting a flexible spot on the eye of a
moving target. I am sure this feature will
become more reliable over time. If your
subject is moving rapidly towards the
camera at close range I would
recommend stopping down to f/8 as
Animal Eye-AF focus can occasionally be
a little behind the eyes (tested using the
A7RIII camera).
If you like action and you
click on one movie link in
this eBook - make it this
one. In fact, watch it twice!
Play Now
Focus Point Link
When using Spot Metering
rather than Multi (Evaluative
Metering) you can link the
metering point to the Spot AF
point. This can present a useful
workflow for photographers at
concerts. It is perhaps the only
time I don’t use Multi Metering or
Manual Exposure.

I wont lie - this movie is
not short. But it is
everything you wanted to
know about focus - and
then a little bit more. One
of my best rated movies
on YouTube!
Play Now
Making Movies
If you just press the red recording button
on the back of the camera you will start
capturing movies in Program Mode (P). It
is worth going into the menus and setting
up the Mode, Format and Record Settings
if you value the quality of your movies

Movie Mode
Exposure mode when capturing
movies can be set in the Main menu.
I prefer to set the Shoot Mode dial to
the Movie icon and then you can
adjust the shooting mode in the Fn
menu (bottom right). I also use the
Shutter release to Start and Stop the
movie recording (activated in the
Movie3 menu).
Note > Shutter Speed is seen as the

priority when shooting movies so
shoot in Manual Mode or Shutter
Priority. The 180-degree Shutter
Rule states that whatever the frame
rate is, the shutter speed should be
double, e.g., choose a shutter speed
of 1/50 second if filming at 25
frames per second or 1/60 second if
shooting at 30 frames per second.

File Format
Use the XAVC S movie codec
for the highest quality movie
recording. XAVC S prefers SD-
XC cards to SD-HC. 4K is great
but I wouldn’t use it for shooting
extended clips - the camera will
get hot, the files will be huge
and you lose some features that
are available to you when
shooting in HD.
XAVC S Movie Files are saved

as MP4 files to the CLIP folder
found in the ‘PRIVATE >
M4ROOT’ directory.

Record Settings
Use the settings with the highest
‘M-number’ (2nd number) for the
highest quality movie recording,
e.g.100M
Note > Due to differences in

regional ‘Power Frequencies’ you
will notice I shoot in Australia
using 25 and 50p while in the
USA you will have options for 24,
30 and 60p.

Recommended
AutoFocus Settings
I recommend setting the Focus Mode
to ‘Continuous AF’ (AF-C) and the
Focus Area to ‘Wide’. I then
recommend turning the Touch
Operation to On. When touching a
subject on the Monitor it will result in
changing the focus from Wide and
AF-C to Spot Focus (disabling the
AF-C) and locking the focus on your
stationary subject. Pressing the
Center button or the cancel icon will
revert to AF-C and the Wide Focus
Area. The Lock-on AF Areas are not
available when shooting movies. To
track a moving subject across the
frame (without moving the focus
area) switch Center Lock-on AF to
ON. Add this option to the Fn menu
or program a custom key for quick
access to this feature.

This isn’t everything you
need to know about
recording pro quality
movies but it will set you
on the right path :-)
Play Now
Picture Profiles Blog Post
Personally I wouldn’t even

dream about using a
Picture profile when
shooting movies until you
have read this blog post.
www.markgaler.com/using-picture-profiles-sony-alpha-cameras
Interval Shooting
The ‘Interval Shooting Function’ allows us
to capture the still images required to
create TimeLapse Movies using post
production software.
Movies are typically captured between 24

and 60 frames per second.
If we increase the interval between each
frame captured, but play the movie back at
normal speed, we will accelerate time or
cause time to lapse.
Example > if we capture one frame per

second for 4 minutes, and then play the
movie back at 24 frames per second, four
minutes of ‘normal’ time will be
compressed into just 10 seconds…people
will move as fast as cars and clouds will
race across the sky.

Interval Shooting
The A7II and A7RII were the last
A7 series cameras that used the
‘PlayMemories Apps’. These Apps
could be purchased from Sony to
add specialised functions to the
camera. One of the most useful of
these was the TimeLapse App.
Sony have added this functionality
(via the version 3.00 firmware
upgrade) and is now called the
'Interval Shooting Function’.

Interval Shooting
The Interval Shooting Function is
a built-in ‘Intervalometer’ that can
be setup up to take images at a
regular intervals. Using Sony’s
‘Imaging Edge’ edit application
these still images can be used to
create a Time Lapse movie. On
the second page of options you
will see that there is an option for
Silent Shooting which will save the
wear and tear on your camera
when shooting thousands of
images. If you would prefer the
camera to make a movie so that
you don’t have to process the files
you can use the S&Q feature.
Tips for image capture
1. Format your card and charge your battery
2. Set the capture Aspect Ratio to 16:9
3. Choose 1/50 Second Shutter Speed or longer
4. Use an aperture wider than f/8*
5. Capture in Raw when the dynamic range is high
6. Ensure the camera and tripod are free from vibration
*Reduces the visibility of any dust that may be on your sensor.

Why is Raw the preferred Quality setting?
1. Increased Dynamic Range (less likely to clip highlights).
2. Increased flexibility for post-processing.
Before Processing After Processing

Choosing a Shutter Speed
Most movies you see in the cinemas are captured at 24 frames per second.
The shutter speed most often used is 1/50 second. This shutter speed captures
a 50% slice of ‘real time’.
Fast action results in a small amount of motion blur. The 50% slice & blur
ensures action flows smoothly. Action can appear ‘choppy’ with fast shutter
speeds …as there is no blur and less ‘real time’ is sampled.
Choosing a Shutter Speed
With time-lapse we can choose either
1/50 second to capture motion blur or
choose a shutter speed that captures
50% of the interval to ensure a smoothly
flowing movie, e.g., 1 second exposures
when the interval is 2 seconds.
Choosing long shutter speeds may

require the use of a Neutral Density (ND)
filter (sunglasses for your lens).
Choosing an Exposure Mode
Mode 1
Fully Manual
For scenes where the level of light is constant
Set Focus, White Balance, Exposure & ISO to
Manual.
Mode 2
Aperture Priority & Auto White Balance
For scenes where the level of light is changing,
e.g., for sunset and sunrise set only the Focus
setting to Manual.
Possible issues with using Auto exposure
Sudden changes in exposure or white balance settings can lead to a
visible ‘flicker’ in the final movie. Changing the ‘AE Tracking Sensitivity’
to ‘Low’ may help reduce sudden changes in exposure.
Aperture Priority - Frame 74 Aperture Priority - Frame 75

Sony’s Imaging Edge
Free Software Program
can create a 4K movie from the
still images captured in-camera
using the Interval Shooting
Feature. It is also possible in
Photoshop. For advanced users
the program LR/Timelapse is
recommended

Playback
As well as the Interval Time Func.
settings we also have new menu
items to choose how we would like
to review the stills we have
captured ‘in-camera’ before the
movie is made in the post-post-
processing software.
Note: If you would like the camera

to create a time lapse movie you
can use the S&Q feature.
Other Notable Features
When is Manual Exposure Mode not
Manual? Why have I relegated Exposure
Metering to ‘Other Notables’? Why would
you want to switch SteadyShot off when
you just upgraded to camera that has it?
What is all the fuss about the first curtain
shutter - will you join the ‘I must turn it off
for better bokeh’ club or will you just leave
it on - the way Sony thought was best for
you? Can you solve the mystery of the
disappearing Bulb setting? The answers
to all of these questions await you in the
pages that follow.

When manual is still auto?
This is not a custom setting but is a feature that can easily be overlooked
if you are new to professional Sony cameras.
Manual Mode on the A7III and A7RIII can

be used in conjunction with Auto ISO.
This means that the optimum shutter

speed and aperture is set by the
photographer and the ISO is adjusted
automatically by the camera, so that an
average auto-exposure is achieved. Use
the Exposure compensation dial to
increase or decrease the exposure. I
prefer to use ISO Auto Min SS in
conjunction with Aperture Priority in
preference to Manual with Auto ISO.

If you understand how the Light
meter works in your camera,
you will also learn when to use
Exposure Compensation for the
times it does not choose an
appropriate exposure. You need
a very good reason to change
the default Metering mode from
Multi to one of the other options.
www.youtube.com/c/AlphaCreativeSkills Play Now

SteadyShot
5-Axis Image Stabilization.
Switch SteadyShot OFF when
camera is mounted on a tripod.
This menu item may be grayed
out if there is a SteadyShot
switch on the lens. Switching
SteadyShot off on the lens will
switch it off in the camera.

Silent Shooting
Silent Shooting is
enabled from Menu
Drive > Camera Settings 2

e-Front Curtain Shut.
This may need to be turned to Off
when working with non-Sony
lenses at wide apertures and very
high shutter speeds. You may
hear some photographers telling
you to switch it off. Unless you
encounter a problem with uneven
exposure (when using a non-Sony
lens with a very fast shutter
speed) or banding (when using
flash) you are recommended to
leave it on.

The e-front Curtain shutter
reduces the lag between
pressing the shutter and the
camera taking an image. It
results in a quieter shutter
sound and removes the risk of
vibration ruining your slow
shutter speed images. It does,
however, change the look of the
bokeh and can cause issues
with adapted lenses. Find out
more by watching the movie.

Bulb
Bulb is selected when
the shutter speed passes
30 seconds
It can only be selected

if the Drive Mode is set
to Single Shooting and
Silent Shooting is OFF

Play Now
Mode
Masterclass Movies
Hungry for more? Well, join the
Masterclass series — designed for
photographers with serious stamina for
extra learning. I have cherry-picked four
of my presentations for you to watch. Just
get comfortable I have been known to talk
for a while on subjects I am passionate
about :-)

In this presentation I take a look at the
technological developments that have had an
impact on my own 38-year career in
photography. From Tri-X and Kodachrome
film, and the advent of the first DSLR
camera, right through to the Full-Frame
Backlit-Illuminated Stacked CMOS Sensors I
use today. I suggest that, although the
photographic eye is important, the gear does
make a difference to what and how I make
my images.
In this 72-minute movie I explore the

equipment I have chosen and the additional
travel items I pack when I travel light with my
mirrorless cameras. Although it focusses on
Sony equipment it would be suitable for
anyone thinking of moving from a DSLR to a
lighter and more compact camera kit. The
movie also explores some of my basic
camera settings and some advice on
shooting styles when traveling.

In this one-hour seminar style movie I introduce
you to the tips and techniques for capturing
powerful portraits on location. I take an editorial
approach to creating portraits of family, friends
and complete strangers that I have only just met.
I explain the camera settings I use, and also how
I frame my images. I complete the presentation
by taking a look at some simple lighting on
location techniques.
In this 90-minute presentation for Adobe at the

Make-it conference in Sydney I outline my
complete workflow from capture to output. It
includes Colour Management, optimising
software and hardware for speed, creating a new
‘Custom Default’ for Lightroom, optimising and
automating import workflows, incorporating a
‘Mirrored RAID’ drive into my imaging workflows
+ incorporating Develop presets and Smart
workflows in Adobe CC imaging products.

eBooks
If you have enjoyed this eBook and would
like to download additional eBooks just
head over to my website and take a look
at what is on offer.

Browse Now
Useful Sony Accessories
I don’t leave home without any of these
products. You may be able to find
cheaper non-Sony items but I would be
wary of batteries and cards - unless you
know they are the genuine article. In fact
even if they are branded as being Sony I
would still advise buying from a reputable
dealer that is not selling look-alike clones.

Some accessories for your A7III or A7RIII
camera that you may like to consider is a
spare battery or two (NP-FZ100) and a
dedicated battery charger. Batteries can be
charged in the camera but Sony’s BC-QZ1 is
recommended.
As the megapixel count of both cameras is

generous it is worth considering moving up
to a larger class 10 SD XC card (95 MB/s)
for Slot 2 and a fast SD XC II card for Slot 1.
For photographers working with the camera

on a tripod, Sony’s RM-VPR1 remote release
is a perfect companion.
For photographers with larger hands or
working with heavier lenses Sony’s Grip
Extension (GPX 1EM) may be the perfect
solution to improve ergonomics.
193
Get a Grip
For those who would like a bigger grip
extension
Grip Extension
A7III, A7RIII, A9
GPX1EM

If I had the time to record
this again I would stress that
Sony isn’t the only company
that make attachments to
make the grip more
comfortable for larger hands
- and yes I am aware that
Chinese companies can
make everything cheaper.
The main reason I made this
movie was to show that it
takes just 3 seconds to clear
this grip out of the way when
changing the battery.

Lens Adapters
Sony’s LA-EA4 and LA-EA3 lens
adapters will allow you to mount any
Sony A-Mount lens onto your E-Mount
camera. This effectively expands the
range of lenses that you can use with
your camera.If the A-Mount lens has a
focus motor in the lens choose the LA-
EA3 adapter for optimum AF
performance.
Lens adapters for other makes of lenses
are also available to use with the E-
Mount cameras such as Metabones and
Sigma’s MC-11 adapter.

What’s in Mark’s Bag
What gear goes in the bag, and which
bag gets chosen, can often change
depending on the trip. Most of the world’s
airlines, however, are becoming more
stringent in regard to the carry-on weight
allowance carried by passengers. 7Kgs
(approximately 15.5lbs) is the standard
allowance and some airlines allow an
additional handbag/laptop bag so long as
it fits under the seat in front. The following
examples demonstrate the amount of
gear, and what type of gear, I tend to
select for extended photographic trip.

The ‘Two-Bag’ solution for
traveling light
Bag 2: Travel Essentials
Bag 1: Camera Gear*

*Tripod is Packed in ‘Checked Luggage’
A7RIII
Primes
inc. battery & cards 674 g
Sony FE 24 F1.4 GM 445 g
Sony FE 35 F2.8 ZA 120 g
Sony FE 55 F1.8 ZA 281 g
Sony FE 85 F1.8 371 g
Subtotal: 1.9 KG
Accessories + Bag 2000 g
Sirui T-025X Tripod 876 g
iPad Pro + Keyboard 740 g
Total: 5.5 KG
Zooms
A7RIII 674 g
inc. battery & cards
Sony FE 12-24 G 630 g

Sony FE 24-105 G 738 g
Sony FE 100-400 GM 1646 g
Sony FE 85 F1.8 prime 371 g
Subtotal: 4.1 KG
Accessories + Bag 2000 g
Manfrotto Evo Tripod 300 g
+ iPad Pro & Keyboard 740 g
Total: 7 KG
Lens Recommendations
The advantage of purchasing an ILC (Interchangeable Lens
Camera) over a fixed-lens camera is you can optimise
performance and extend the creative possibilities by attaching
specialist lenses. Sony’s decision to work with one mount (E-
Mount) for both their APS-C and Full Frame Mirrorless cameras
means that you have an extensive range of lenses to choose
from. In most instances I recommend using Full Frame (FE)
lenses over APS-C (E) lenses unless you are recording movies in
Super 35 mode or are happy to capture 18 megapixel images
when using an A7RIII camera.
Mark’s Recommendations (Movie)
My favourite E-Mount lenses are:
• FE 12-24 F/4 G (Ultra Wide-Angle Zoom)
• FE 16-35 F/2.8 GM (Wide-Angle Zoom)
• FE 24-105 F/4 G (Standard Zoom)
• FE 70-200 F/4 G (Telephoto Zoom)
• FE 100-400 GM (Telephoto Zoom) + 1.4x Teleconverter
• FE 24 F/1.4 GM (Wide-Angle Prime)

• FE 35 F/2.8 ZA (Wide-Angle Prime)
• FE 55 F/1.8 ZA (Standard Prime)
• FE 85 F/1.8 (Short Telephoto Prime)
• FE 100 F/2.8 STF GM (Smooth Trans Focus lens)
• FE 135 F/1.8 GM (Telephoto Prime)
Sony A7RIII with FE 12-24 F/4 GM
Bulb Mode
NiSi S5 Filter kit with 150mm Filters
FE 12-24 F/4 G
FE 16-35 F/2.8 GM
Grand Tetons by Mark Galer
Sony A7RIII with FE 24-105mm F4 G
1/50 sec at f/16, ISO 100
My ‘table-top' tripods spend more time on the ground.

FE 24-105 F4 G
Grand Tetons
FE 24-105 F4 G Sony A7RIII with FE 24-105 F4 G
FE 70-200 F/4 G
FE 70-200 F/4 G
FE 100-400 GM
FE 100-400 GM
FE 24 F/1.4 GM
FE 35 F/2.8 ZA
FE 55 F/1.8 ZA
FE 85 F/1.8
A great lens that is
recommended for
photographers on a
tight budget
FE 85 F/1.4 GM
FE 100 F/2.8 STF GM
SONY JAPAN
FE 135 F/1.8 GM
www.MarkGaler.com
Carbon Fibre Tripod and Monopod
[Pro]Master 525C Gaffa

Tape Jobi Strap
Charger
HVL-F45RM
FE
16-35 GM LaCie
External Rain Filter Pouch
Drive Cover
Peak
Design
Straps
ND Filter
ND 64 &
SensorKlear II
FE Charger ND 200
85 f/1.8 Lead
Sony
Body
A9
+ Lens
Caps
Grip
Extension Lens Caps
Remote Release
Battery
Sony A7RIII
1.4 x Tele
Rocket
Converter
Blower
FE 100-400 GM
Peak Design
FE 24-105 G
Capture (clip)
Manfrotto & Allen Keys
Evo www.MarkGaler.com
www.MarkGaler.com
www.MarkGaler.com
International Driving Licence
+ Passport + Medical Insurance Liquids in Travel Case
Gaffa Water Bottle

Tape
SD Card Reader
Batteries & Travel Case
USB Plugs
iPad Pro Camera

512 GB with keyboard USB Charger Battery
& Leads Travel Twin
Adapter Adapter
Ear
Plugs
Pen for Immigration Cards Beanie Down Jacket
Mosquito
Repellant
64 GB
SD Cards
Spare Glasses
1 2 3 4 Cleaning Cloth
Fingerless
Gloves
5 6 7 8 Noise Cancelling Headphones

& Flight Adapter
Sleep Mask
Card Wallet & Small Items Compact Umbrella
1 Spare Multiport Covers 2 Band Aids 3 Spare Eye Cover 4 64 GB USB-3 5 Kwells & Immodium 6 Panadol 7 Glasses Strap 8 Calotherm Cloth
RX100
www.MarkGaler.com
A laptop bag must be
small enough to fit under
the seat in front of you
when travelling on a plane
Brixton Ona

www.MarkGaler.com
You may have noticed that I am
using an iPad Pro rather than a
laptop computer to help save on
weight (nearly a 1KG or 2 pounds
saving). If you want o read how I
use a Lightroom CC workflow
when I am travelling then you can
read about it here.
Brixton Ona

www.MarkGaler.com
What’s in Mark’s Bag - full equipment overview
Brixton Ona

www.MarkGaler.com
Mark’s Custom Settings
These Settings are intended as Starting Settings only. They
should NOT be seen as prescriptive settings that are locked down
- other photographers may use different settings to achieve the
same outcome. Click on the Movie link (below each title on the
following slide) to see why I have chosen my settings. My Starting
Settings will most likely be changed after I have started shooting -
this may be influenced by changing lighting or creative decisions.
Shutter Priority is a viable alternative to shooting Sports/Action but

I choose to shoot in Aperture Priority with ISO Auto Minimum
Shutter Speed as this prioritises exposure over shutter priority that
can occasionally lead to underexposure in low ambient light and
overexposure when trying to capture movement but behind your
subject. It also ensures that the smallest pastures that prevent
focus tracking are not selected inadvertently.
Note that the Landscape settings change if the camera is on a

tripod (auto ISO becomes a fixed ISO value). Uncompressed RAW
is only really necessary for Landscape shooting but
Uncompressed files can have lossless compression when
imported as DNG files in Lightroom. Setting a fixed White Balance
setting is only really critical for JPEGs and Movies but some
photographers may prefer to set this in-camera rather than in post.
Memory Settings
Movie Link https://youtu.be/zPpelMC75lw https://youtu.be/ZNloKXpUOWA https://youtu.be/cdP2YcSBbL8
File Type RAW Compressed RAW Compressed RAW Uncompressed

Shoot Mode Aperture Priority Aperture Priority Aperture Priority
Aperture (Starting) f/4 (or wider) f/4 to freeze or f/8 to blur b/ground (panning) f/11
ISO AUTO AUTO AUTO
ISO Auto Min SS Fast 1/2000 to freeze or 1/250 to blur b/ground Slower
Shutter Speed N/A N/A N/A
Drive Mode Single Shooting Continuous Shooting Hi Single Shooting
Focus Mode Continuous AF Continuous AF DMF
Focus Area Expand Flexible Spot Wide Expand Flexible Spot
Focal Length 85mm 100-400mm 16-35
Face Detect ON ON N/A
MF Assist ON N/A ON
Metering Mode Multi Multi Multi
SteadyShot ON OFF or Mode II ON
White Balance AUTO (or set to lighting) AUTO (or set to lighting) AUTO
Custom Buttons
C1 ISO Auto Min. SS ISO Auto Min. SS ISO Auto Min. SS

C2 Focus Area Focus Area Focus Area
C3 Focus Magnifier Focus Magnifier Focus Magnifier
C4 Focus Mode Focus Mode Focus Mode
Down Button White Balance White Balance White Balance
AEL Button Recall Custom Hold 1 Recall Custom Hold 2 Recall Custom Hold 3
AF-On Button AF-On AF-On AF-On
Focus Hold Button Eye AF Eye AF Eye AF
Multi-Slc Center Btn Focus Standard Focus Standard Focus Standard
Center Button Eye AF Eye AF Eye AF

M1, M2 and M3 Memory Settings
Landscape Street Movie
Wide Angle with Tripod ‘Sunny 16’ hand-held
Movie Link https://youtu.be/JQkS5fcXv6g https://youtu.be/XVcoGkYkfAw https://youtu.be/4NfqnTxpTOY
File Type RAW Uncompressed RAW Uncompressed XAVC S 4K - 25P100M

Shoot Mode Manual Manual Shutter Priority (or Manual)
Aperture (Starting) f/11 f/16 N/A
ISO 100 400 AUTO
ISO Auto Min SS N/A N/A N/A
Shutter Speed N/A 1/400sec 1/50 Second
Drive Mode Self-timer: 2 Sec Single Shooting N/A
Focus Mode Manual Manual Continuous AF
Focus Area N/A N/A Wide
Focal Length 12-24mm 35mm N/A
Face Detect N/A N/A ON
MF Assist OFF N/A ON
Metering Mode Expose to the right Expose for the weather Multi
SteadyShot OFF ON ON
White Balance AUTO Daylight Daylight (or set to lighting)
Reg Cust Shoot Set
Recall Custom Hold 1 Recall Custom Hold 2 Recall Custom Hold 3
Shoot Mode uncheck Shutter Priority Aperture Priority

Aperture uncheck uncheck
f/8
Shutter Speed uncheck 1/250sec 1/250sec
Drive Mode uncheck Single Shooting Single Shooting
Exposure Comp. uncheck uncheck uncheck
ISO uncheck uncheck

Auto
Metering Mode uncheck uncheck uncheck
Focus Mode DMF Single-shot AF Continuous AF

Focus Area Wide Expand Flexible Spot Wide
AF On On On On
Function (Fn) Menu
Fn Menu Upper1 Upper2 Upper3 Upper4 Upper5 Upper6
Upper Silent Shooting Live View Display Subject Detection Face/Eye Priority in AF Metering Mode Audio Signals
Lower Lower1 Lower2 Lower3 Lower4 Lower5 Lower6

APS-C Shoot: Manual Center Lock-on AF Touch Operation SteadyShot Prioritize Rec. Media Shoot Mode
Live Google Spreadsheet Link

I have been known to change my mind, so if I do
this is where you will get to hear about it first as
this is a live spreadsheet.

Did you ever wonder if you made
the right choice in choosing your
A7III or A7RIII camera?
Watch me NOW

Supporting website
This eBook only scratches the surface of what
is available on www.markgaler.com.
You will find the website a rich resource for
Photoshop actions, Photoshop Tutorials with
links to download the Raw images used in the
tutorials, Lightroom Tutorials, Lightroom
Presets, additional eBooks, an active blog,
equipment reviews and news about my
speaking engagements for Sony and the I am unable to answer all questions on
occasional photo adventure/workshop/tour that social media and do NOT answer
I run in conjunction with World Photo questions via email and Messenger
Adventures. Everything except the Photo Tours
are free ;-). If you find the learning resources
valuable I would value your support to help
cover my web-hosting costs and the creation
of ongoing learning resources to support the
Sony Alpha Community. Thank you.
Mark Galer
Donation Link

Individual Q & A Support
Due to the volume of requests I receive for support I
am unfortunately not able to answer all questions on
social media and cannot answer questions via email
and Facebook Messenger. If, however, you would like
to become a Paid YouTube Member you can join my
live monthly Q&A talks and ask questions in the
member only forums. Answering members questions is
one of my main priorities. In this way I can become
your personal Sony Alpha Consultant for just a few
dollars per month.
Mark Galer
Membership

www.markgaler.com
Learning

Reviews
Use the Categories feature
to Filter for Reviews

Announcements
Use the Categories feature to
Filter for Announcements

Flickr Albums of Ultra HD Images
35 Support Movies Link Index
Action Settings Lenses (Mark’s recommendations)

AF Area Registration Live View Display
APS-C/Super 35 Lock Operation Parts
Back-button AF Memory
Bulb Metering Modes
Center Lock-on AF Movie Settings
Colour Management (Color Science) Multi-Selector
Commander (Radio Flash) Picture Profiles
DMF Pixel Shift Multi Shooting
e-Front Curtain Shutter Portrait Settings
Eye-AF Power Save
Focus Area Setting Effect
Focus Peaking Slow Focus in Low Light
Flash - Sony HVL Radio RM Sports Settings
Fn Menu Street Settings
ISO Auto Min. SS Switch V/H AF Area
Landscape Settings (Tripod) White Balance
Landscape Settings (Hand-Held)

Community Support
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Mirrorless Advantages Donation Page

Mark is using his wealth of experience as both a

Mark owned the original Alpha 100 and currently owns an

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After extensive shooting with the Sony A7 and

Note > The settings outlined in this guide are

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If you would like to become a Paid YouTube

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Note > This book is supported

www.youtube.com/c/AlphaCreativeSkills YouTube Paid Membership

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1. Backlit Illuminated Full-Frame Sensor

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dpreview.com awarded the A7III its top prize for 2018

The main advantages in performance have been to

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FE 100 F/2.8 STF GM

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Gapless OCL Gapless OCL

Aluminum wiring layer Photodiode substrate

Copper wiring layer

The advanced sensor design in the

Full Frame BIS Dynamic Range

Full Frame BIS Dynamic Range

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Full Frame BIS High ISO Performance

Red Mask indicates where local

Full Frame BIS High ISO Performance

Unprocessed Raw file

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Sony’s IBIS or ‘SteadyShot Inside’

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Dual SD Card Slots

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DMF If Camera Focuses Here

Focus Assist + DMF

Note > Consdider trying Animal Eye AF before resorting to DMF

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9 Full Frame 4K Movie Capture

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The Sensor provides a live

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Live View provides a WYSIWYG view*

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YouTube Paid Membership

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M: Manual with Auto ISO

This allows you to ‘fine tune’ the Auto Exposure

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The Live Histogram in the Finder and on the

These overexposed tones may not be able to

Overexposed Exposure Compensated

Exposure compensation is required to render a black swan black

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