Sony A6300 Camera Discussion

violetwolf

Member
I'm starting this thread as a repository for information on the Sony A6300 Camera for aerial use. Let's keep discussion to the camera and accessories to purchase to make it useful as an aerial option.

Please let's try to keep it on topic and not stray into "which camera is better" etc. There are other threads for that. This should be an "owners" thread (and those considering purchasing one).
 

violetwolf

Member
I'm loving my a6300. I've only had it for a week but used it on one tripod shoot as a B cam and slayed the 5D's used for A cams lol. Had it out on a photo walk yesterday and loved shooting stills with itvas well.

I haven't used it for aerial yet as I don't have an AV out for it yet. If anyone finds a good AV out device please post a link :)
 

violetwolf

Member
And oschefer replied:

Dito on that question.... it was going be my next question... how to get a video feed out and back to the ground. the wifi app might has some range to mess with but the lag in the image (camera to tablet/phone) is too much.

I would caution against using WiFi around multirotors in general as there has been evidence of it interfering with GPS reception.

There ARE some existing solutions for the A6000 cameras that convert the HDMI out to AV but having contacted a couple of sellers they are saying they don't have one for the a6300 (yet). It's just a matter of time. The a6300 will output 1080p at the HDMI port while recording 4K internally so that's all good.

There is a fellow who has posted 4K aerial footage on another forum. I will paste his video below.. Back in 5 mins.. here it is:
 
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violetwolf

Member

As you can see the footage is pretty danged good. This is the text from the video poster on Vimeo:


Testing the Sony A6300 in Super35 4K UHD mode on DJI Matrice 100. Original footage recorded with 25 fps, interpreted as 30 fps (so you may recognize 20% increase in playback speed). I recommend to download the original uploaded version in order to play on a 4K UHD device.

ome wannabe" tech-gurus" say, the A6300 suffers from strong moiré as it has no 4K optimised low pass filter. I can not confirm this as long as you use the Super35mm 4K mode which downscales the 4K from approx. 6K.

I also read complaints about overheating issues and short battery life from people, which mean this prohibts "Pro" use. Well, let me tell you that not every "Pro" use needs recording times significantly longer than 20 Minutes per take or hours of battery life. The A6300 has priority for lightweight and compactness and if you need longer recording time, use an external power supply on the USB port. It will also keep the camera cooler as the internal battery will not add heat.

For more information on aerial applications, please visit www.KopterKraft.com.

One of us should approach them and ask them what they are using.. I'm just running to work so I may tackle that tomorrow
 
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oschefer

Member
Thanks for setting up the new thread. Good point about the wifi - I had wondered about interference.

Great video above. I posted a comment asking about the video out.

I actually bought an A6300 the other day. I went in to the store 100% sure I was getting a GH4 but the guy in the store talked me into the A6300 and pointed out they had a 15 day return policy so if I didn't like it I could swap it to a GH4 during that time. So far I am very impressed with it but have only done some stills in dimly lit rooms and a little video of a sports game. My main concerns are about the overheat and rolling shutter issue I read about. Seems like all are going to show some amount of rolling shutter (except for the global shutter ones). However they make it sound like the A6300 has more rolling shutter than normal. I am planning to mount it in an Infinity MR gimbal and the multirotor is a Tarot 960.

PS - I am by no means a pro with a camera so have much to learn about photography.
 

violetwolf

Member
Here's a couple of casual photos I took with it the other day while walking the dog. I didn't expect o be using this as a stills camera but was pleasantly surprised. Lens was Sony 18-200mm No post-processing at all, straight off the camera.
 

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oschefer

Member
@violetwolf - The response to my question on vimeo about the av out was
"
The drone uses Lightbridge technology that has an HDMI input which works with the HDMI live output delivered by the A6300. On the Matrice 100 you need additionally the N1 video encoder.

For other platforms something like this may help:
de.aliexpress.com/item/Universal-FPV-HDMI-to-AV-Converter-with-Mini-HDMI-Micro-HDMI-Interface-for-GH3-4-5D/32563071484.html
de.aliexpress.com/item/FPV-Universal-RCD3016-Mini-HDMI-to-AV-Converter-Set-Compatible-with-GH3-GH4-BMPCC-5D-NEX/32395018328.html

You will need an adapter cable that has the right orientation on the side which plugs into the camera."
 

Hexacrafter

Manufacturer
Oschefer,
A HDMI converter is used ONLY if you are intending to down convert the HD signal to SD for a non-HD video downlink. i.e. a 5.8 video system.
Lightbridge, Connex & Paralink all use a straight in HDMI HD signal for the HD downlink.
With the new growing need for a direct HD HDMI out on the ground (live news, DP preference for HD) most I know have gone HD on the video downlink.
Very interested on users comparisons of the A6300 vs. GH4...
Maybe the A6300 will provide lower cost option for DP's not struck on GH4 or RED.
It took a long time to sell most on Gh4.....
I wonder if many will jump on board with the A6300??
 

violetwolf

Member
I predict the A6300 will become the most popular aerial camera, once folks see the advantages. The a6000 was the most popular camera ever made, so Sony has a market there. Hexa, I am aware of the HDMI down-links but for many of us the multi-thousand dollar investment is not warranted. I could buy more cameras or a phantom for the cost.

I already have a machine that is fully laid out with AV down-link equipment and ground station with multiple monitors etc. It would be more investment than I would like to switch at this point.

Although for people just building a new rig right now, and that can afford it, I agree that it may be the way to go. My use is personal projects, site inspections, and real estate etc. so no need to interface with a film crew. I may switch in the future myself, but would want a system i can use with my existing TX/RX multi-operator system. (not DJI then lol) More in next post.
 
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violetwolf

Member
@violetwolf - The response to my question on vimeo about the av out was
"
The drone uses Lightbridge technology that has an HDMI input which works with the HDMI live output delivered by the A6300. On the Matrice 100 you need additionally the N1 video encoder.

For other platforms something like this may help:
de.aliexpress.com/item/Universal-FPV-HDMI-to-AV-Converter-with-Mini-HDMI-Micro-HDMI-Interface-for-GH3-4-5D/32563071484.html
de.aliexpress.com/item/FPV-Universal-RCD3016-Mini-HDMI-to-AV-Converter-Set-Compatible-with-GH3-GH4-BMPCC-5D-NEX/32395018328.html

You will need an adapter cable that has the right orientation on the side which plugs into the camera."

Thank you Oschefer, I got the same reply when contacting Helge directly through his site. The problem I have found with all the Universal HDMI - AV converters available is the the Cabling or circuit board interfere with the hdmi door on the a6300. Sony decided to move it and flip the orientation which has left us in a bind. I will post images to show what I mean:

View attachment 27893 View attachment 27891 View attachment 27892
 

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violetwolf

Member
I Found this image of the naked pcb in the AV converter that Helge recommended. It shows there is indeed a plug on the pcb for hdmi input but sadly it is not a female hdmi plug... The search continues.
View attachment 27894
 

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oschefer

Member
Oschefer,
A HDMI converter is used ONLY if you are intending to down convert the HD signal to SD for a non-HD video downlink. i.e. a 5.8 video system.
Lightbridge, Connex & Paralink all use a straight in HDMI HD signal for the HD downlink.
With the new growing need for a direct HD HDMI out on the ground (live news, DP preference for HD) most I know have gone HD on the video downlink.
Very interested on users comparisons of the A6300 vs. GH4...
Maybe the A6300 will provide lower cost option for DP's not struck on GH4 or RED.
It took a long time to sell most on Gh4.....
I wonder if many will jump on board with the A6300??

Thanks, like violetwolf I am just looking to get a feed back so I know what I am aimed at. The full HD would be better but too expensive for now. I'll be relying on the auto focus and tracking keep a good image. I am hoping to be able to control the shutter/start stop and zoom using a camRemote I got from vp-systems. I still need to find the cable from the camremote to the A6300 still for the RC control part. Although I am still strongly considering swapping to the GH4.
 


Hi, this is Helge from KopterKraft.com, the guy who made the video mentioned here by violetwolf.

Regarding GH4 vs. A6300: The A6300 is the better 4K camera in my opinion. The only downside is the limit to 24p/25p when you want to use the 4K Super35 mode which delivers amazing quality.

Together with the 16mm pancake, the camera (inccluding battery) weighs only 470g.

The orientation of the HDMI-connecter in conjunction with the position of the protecting door indeed is a problem for most accessories like AV-converters. DJI provides a micro HDMI to micro HDMI cable for connecting a GoPro with the Lightbridge (spare Part10). Its only 15 cm but the connector has the right orientation. On the other end you can connect an adapter from micro HDMI (female) to whatever you need. Not the perfect solution as it requires two cables and one adapter but at the moment it seems to be the only option.

Hope this helps.
 


violetwolf

Member
Hi, this is Helge from KopterKraft.com, the guy who made the video mentioned here by violetwolf.

Regarding GH4 vs. A6300: The A6300 is the better 4K camera in my opinion. The only downside is the limit to 24p/25p when you want to use the 4K Super35 mode which delivers amazing quality.

Together with the 16mm pancake, the camera (inccluding battery) weighs only 470g.

The orientation of the HDMI-connecter in conjunction with the position of the protecting door indeed is a problem for most accessories like AV-converters. DJI provides a micro HDMI to micro HDMI cable for connecting a GoPro with the Lightbridge (spare Part10). Its only 15 cm but the connector has the right orientation. On the other end you can connect an adapter from micro HDMI (female) to whatever you need. Not the perfect solution as it requires two cables and one adapter but at the moment it seems to be the only option.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for coming over Helge it is great to see you here. Please stick around this is a great forum with level-headed people unlike some others ;)

I agree with you 100% about Sony vs GH4 Helge. I find the video from the Gh4 is pretty ugly. A postage stamp sized sensor, with in-camera sharpening that is horrible. I've waited two years for a better option. The Sony is it. (and now I'm breaking my own thread rule about comparisons lol)
 

violetwolf

Member
THE SONY "MULTIPORT"

On another related topic we have the Sony "Multiport" which is the port right above the HDMI port on the A6300. Sony introduced the Multiport Protocol a little while back and it is standardized across the line of cameras that uses it. (so cables for say the a6000 will work). You can trigger the camera functions through this port like shutter and focus.

Here is a link to fellow's blog post who has dissected the pin-out on the multiport for us in case anyone is interested in creating custom cables for it: (Note there is an official Sony Pin-Out list for the port at the bottom of the post, in German, that indicates there is possibly an AV out on pin 13.. Further investigation required here as this may be an elegant solution.)
http://peterwedege.blogspot.ca/2016/01/analyzing-sonys-new-multiport-protocol.html

There is a cable listed here that shows Multiport to AV but we will need to investigate this more:
http://www.jjc.cc/index.php/Product/product_info/id/844

I also came accross this small company that has a bunch of ready-made aerial related multiport cables:
http://mobilexcopter.com/shop.htm#!/Wires-&-Connectors/c/3342130/offset=54&sort=nameAsc
There are several pages of custom cables there so poke around.

Gotta run out the door, but will continue this investigation (Anything you guys find should be posted too)

Honestly a company that creates a nice plug and play solution box with hdmi ports on it would clean up. I'm sure there are some in the works as we speak. Lets keep adding ideas and links as this will be a valuable resource for other buyers.

UPDATE: A very exhaustive search of the web last night turned up nothing. I did find one reference that said composite video is not supported on the A6300 so I am fairly confident that is correct.
 
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Has anyone seen a documentation how to access the live view from the camera through USB like RCCDroid or Capture One? The officially documented remote camera API is useless on the drone as it needs a WiFi connection.
 

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