Sony Camera DSC-RX100 III
Introduction
The Sony Camera DSC-RX100 III has hundreds settings and options. But in the daily use I am most often satisfied with the convenient automatic mode. Only sometimes I need more advanced focusing techniques that are available in the program mode. This is the content of this article.
Controls
Front site with the control ring
Back site with the dial wheel
Intelligent Auto Mode - Fully Automatic
- Dial the top button to the position "green i":
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Point to the object and press the shutter button on the top half way. You will see green markers on the screen that indicate the focused area. If you are satisfied with the focus press the shutter fully down and you take the picture. If you are not satisfied with the focus release the shutter and half press it again until you get a good focus. Then press the shutter fully down and you take the picture.
If the camera does not focus as you intend you need to focus manually as described below.
- To use the flash press the Right Button on the Dial Wheel and specify "Auto". You need also to release the lamp by shifting the small switch on the top with a flash sign.
- To set the timer press the Left Button on the Dial Wheel and select the interval on the screen (2 or 10 seconds). Press the shutter and wait for the timer to finish. The timer remains selected so you need to unselect it: Press the Left Button on the Dial Wheel and select Single Shooting.
Focusing in Intelligent Auto Mode
- Press the "Fn" button on the back side.
- Select "Focus Mode" by pressing the dial on the back side. Then press the Center Button in the Dial Wheel to get into the "Focus Mode".
- You can select one of the focus modes:
- AF-S: Single-shot Auto Focus. This is the default as described above.
- DMF: Direct Manual Focus. Not very useful.
- MF: Manual Focus. Rotate the Control Ring around the lenses. The image gets enlarged and you can focus the displayed image. You can move the focused area by pressing on the dial on the back. When the focus is achieved press half-way the shutter. You get the normal display of the scene. Press the shutter completely to take the picture with the specified focus. To leave the focusing screen press the shutter half-way and release it.
- More focusing options are available in the advanced modes (see below).
Enhancements in Intelligent Auto Mode
You can adapt the settings that are chosen by the camera. Press the Down Button on the Dial Wheel and you get the following screen:
- Move between the options using the Left and Right Button on the Dial Wheel.
- Use the Up and Down Bottom or rotate the Dial Wheel to change the value.
- The selected value remains in effect as long as the screen with the options is shown. When you leave the screen by pressing MENU the settings are restored to the default AUTO values.
- Reset an individual value to AUTO by pressing the C-Button.
Effects:
- Defocus Background (Bokeh effect): this changes the aperture. The most defocused value corresponds to the aperture F1.8 the most Crisp value to F11. The aperture is changed in 17 steps: 1.8 - 2.0 - 2.2 - 2.5 - 2.8 - 3.2 - 3.5 - 4.0 - 4.5 - 5.0 - 5.6 - 6.3 - 7.1 - 8.0 - 8.0 - 10.0 - 11.0. The other exposure parameters (time, ISO) are also changed - likely to keep the exposure constant.
- Brightness: this changes the exposure from dark to bright by increasing the exposure time, decreasing the F-value (opening the aperture) and increasing the ISO value.
- Color: makes the color warmer or colder. Not useful.
- Vividness: makes the vividness softer or more vivid. Not useful.
- Picture effect: art effects. Not useful.
Focusing in Program Mode
The Program Mode allows more control over the exposure parameters and focusing. I will concentrate on the focusing.
- Turn the Mode dial to "P" which stands for the Program Mode.
- Press the Fn-Button and select the Focus Area.
- Focus Area = Center: the black rectange in the display center shows the focused area. Press the shutter halfway down. The focusing rectangle in the display center changes the color to green as soon as the center is focused. Also a green point appears in the bottom left corner. The image is focused and you can press the shutter completely down.
- Focus Area = Flexible Spot. Point to this option and chose one of the sizes S (small), M (medium), L (large) of the Spot using the Dial Wheel buttons. A rectangle appears on the screen that designates the focus area. Move this rectangle using the Dial Wheel buttons to position that you want to focus. Press the shutter halfway and wait for the completed focusing as described above. Then press completely to take the picture.
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