Sony a6000 Video Settings for Beginners: A Simple Setup

The best Sony a6000 video settings for a beginner are Full HD at 24p or 60p, a shutter speed near double your frame rate, the lowest ISO the light allows, and autofocus set to one small area on your subject. Below, you will learn what each setting does in plain words, plus how to handle the a6000's limits on audio and heat.

What the Sony a6000 can record

Before you change anything, it helps to know what is inside the box. Think of this like reading the menu before you order.

Feature	What the a6000 offers
Top video size	1,920 x 1,080 (Full HD)
Frame rates at Full HD	60p, 60i and 24p in AVCHD
File formats	AVCHD and MP4, with XAVC S added in firmware v2.00
4K video	Not available
Highest ISO for video	12,800
Audio	Built-in stereo, levels not adjustable, no 3.5mm mic jack
Video helpers	Focus peaking, zebras, adjustable AF drive speed

Pick a frame rate

Frame rate is how many little pictures the camera takes every second. A flip book works the same way: more pages per second makes the movement look smoother.

The a6000 gives you 24p and 60p at Full HD, plus 60i. The "p" means progressive, so every frame is one whole picture. The "i" means interlaced, an older way of splitting each frame into two halves. As a beginner, you can skip 60i.

• 24p gives a calm, movie-like feel. It is a lovely choice for people talking, travel clips and family moments.
• 60p makes fast motion look smooth. Use it for kids running, pets, sports and anything quick.

Choose one frame rate for a whole project. Mixing them can make your edit look a little bumpy, and that is an easy mistake to learn from, not a disaster.

Pick a file format

The a6000 records Full HD in AVCHD, and lower resolutions in MP4. Imaging Resource's spec page lists XAVC S as a format added in firmware v2.00. If you do not see XAVC S in your menu, your camera may be on older firmware, and checking Sony's support site for an update is a good next step.

For most beginners, any Full HD option is a fine place to start. Pick one, film a short test clip, and make sure it opens on your computer before an important day.

Getting out of auto for video

The a6000 has a mode dial on top for automatic, semi-automatic and manual shooting, plus a second dial that changes shutter speed or aperture depending on the mode. There is a dedicated Movie Mode, and the red record button also starts video in any exposure mode.

The camera supports full PASM modes for video. PASM is four letters on the dial:

• P (Program): the camera picks shutter and aperture, and you can still adjust brightness.
• A (Aperture priority): you pick the aperture, the camera handles the rest.
• S (Shutter priority): you pick the shutter speed, the camera handles the rest.
• M (Manual): you pick everything.

Aperture priority with auto ISO is a gentle first step. In Imaging Resource's review, the tester filmed in aperture priority with auto ISO and found the footage looked excellent given the overcast conditions. Once you feel comfortable, move to Manual so the brightness does not shift in the middle of a clip.

Shutter speed for video

Shutter speed is like a door opening and closing. A door that stays open longer lets in more light, and anything moving leaves a soft smear. A door that snaps shut quickly freezes motion.

The a6000 lets you set shutter speed yourself in video. Here is a simple starting rule for video: set your shutter speed close to double your frame rate.

• At 24p, aim near 1/50.
• At 60p, aim near 1/125.

This adds a small, natural blur to moving things, the way your eyes see a waving hand. If you pick a much faster shutter, motion can look choppy, like a flip book with missing pages. That is a look you might use on purpose later for action scenes.

On a sunny day, a slow shutter can make your video too bright, even at your lowest ISO. A neutral density (ND) filter fixes this. It works like sunglasses for your lens, so you can keep the shutter where you want it.

Aperture and ISO

Aperture

Aperture is the pupil of your camera's eye. A wide opening (a small number like f/3.5) lets in lots of light and makes the background softer. A narrow opening (a bigger number like f/8) lets in less light and keeps more of the scene sharp.

The a6000 often comes bundled with the Sony 16-50mm power zoom lens. In Imaging Resource's video test, the reviewer could not hear any noise from the 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS lens, though loud playground sounds around them may have covered it.

ISO

ISO is like the volume knob on a quiet radio. Turning it up makes things louder, but you also hear more hiss. In pictures, that hiss is called noise.

The a6000 goes up to ISO 12,800 for video. Digital Camera World found the camera performs very well at low settings up to about ISO 400-800, with performance dropping off more at higher ISOs than its rivals. They also note that high ISO noise is not the a6000's strong point.

So your best move is to keep ISO low and bring in more light instead. Open a window, film near a lamp, or step into shade outside rather than a dark corner. If your footage looks grainy, that is a helpful clue that the scene needs more light, not that you did something wrong.

Focus settings for video

The a6000 uses a hybrid autofocus system with 179 phase-detection points and 25 contrast-detection points. Sony says the camera's Fast Hybrid AF gets a performance boost in movie recording too.

In video, you can choose the focus mode and the focus area. The focus area is the part of the picture where the camera hunts for something sharp. A wide area lets the camera choose. A small area lets you tell it exactly where to look.

• One person talking to the camera: use a small focus area placed on their face.
• Moving subjects: keep autofocus on and give it a clear subject to follow.
• Still scenes on a tripod: try manual focus, so the camera never wanders off.

The a6000 also lets you adjust the AF drive speed for video. A slower speed makes focus slide gently from one thing to another, which often looks smoother on screen.

Focus peaking and zebras

The a6000 offers focus peaking and zebras. Focus peaking draws a bright colored outline around whatever is sharp, like a highlighter on a page. Zebras paint stripes over parts that are so bright they may lose detail, like a warning sign.

Turn both on. Peaking makes manual focus much easier, and zebras help you catch a blown-out sky before you press record. Imaging Resource's reviewer pointed out that the point of focus can be hard to judge in clips shot at wide angles or narrow apertures, which is exactly where peaking helps.

White balance

White balance tells the camera what color "white" is in your light. Indoor bulbs are orange and shade is blue, and white balance cancels that out.

In Imaging Resource's tests under household incandescent bulbs, Auto white balance came out a bit warm and orange. The Manual setting was quite accurate, just slightly on the cool side.

For indoor video, try setting a custom white balance. Point the camera at a sheet of white paper in the same light as your subject and let the camera measure it. Then your color stays the same from clip to clip.

Audio on the a6000

Sound is where the a6000 asks for a little patience. Imaging Resource describes its audio features as basic: you can turn audio recording off, and you can add a wind-cut filter. Audio levels are not adjustable, and there is no standard 3.5mm jack for an external microphone.

The camera does support Sony's own hot-shoe stereo mic made for its Multi Interface Shoe. The other path is a separate audio recorder, with the sound lined up to your video in your editing app.

Simple ways to get cleaner sound:

• Move the camera closer to the person speaking.
• Turn on the wind-cut filter outdoors.
• Film in a quiet room with soft things around, like a couch or curtains.
• Record a short test clip and listen with headphones before the real take.

Watch for overheating on long clips

If you plan to film a long talk or a whole recital, know this limit. An Imaging Resource reader reported an overheat warning after as little as 22 minutes of recording at 60p AVCHD 28Mbps, in a room around 70°F. Imaging Resource's own sample shut down after a total of about 33 to 34 minutes of recording in similar conditions.

Once hot, the camera can take a while to cool, and resting it 10 minutes or more may only buy about 15 more minutes. The problem is much less severe at lower frame rates, bit rates or resolutions. For long events, choose 24p over 60p and give the camera breaks between clips when you can.

A simple starting setup

Here is one setup to try first. Change one thing at a time, so you can see what each setting does.

Setting	Starting point	Why
Exposure mode	A (aperture priority), then M later	Lets the camera help while you learn
Frame rate	24p for people, 60p for fast action	Matches the feel of the scene
Shutter speed (in M)	Near 1/50 at 24p, near 1/125 at 60p	Natural-looking motion
ISO	Auto in A mode, as low as possible in M	Less grainy noise
Focus	Autofocus, small area on your subject	Keeps the right thing sharp
Helpers	Focus peaking and zebras on	Shows focus and bright spots
White balance	Custom or Manual indoors	Steady, true color
Audio	Wind-cut on outdoors, camera close to speaker	Cleaner sound

For a broader look at menus and buttons, the guide to Sony camera settings for beginners covers the basics that carry across many Sony bodies.

When a newer camera makes sense

The a6000 still does a lot, but video is the area where newer cameras have moved ahead. Digital Camera World notes that constantly improving video has been the main driving force behind the later cameras in this series. They suggest that if video is your main goal, you will be far better off with the Sony ZV-E10 or the A6100, which they call much more modern video shooters.

Before you shop, squeeze everything you can out of the camera in your hands. Good light, steady framing and clear sound will lift your videos more than any upgrade. If you do move up later, the Sony ZV-E10 video settings guide walks through the same ideas on that camera.