Enhanced Underwater Performance of Sony A9 Mark III Camera

Enhanced Underwater Performance of Sony A9 Mark III Camera

The Sony a9 III is this year's top pick in camera technology, equipped with a groundbreaking global shutter. It revolutionizes underwater photography, particularly for those using underwater strobes. With the global shutter, flash photos can be taken at any shutter speed, a significant advantage for underwater photographers.

This camera is built with a layout similar to the Sony A7R V, making it quite familiar for Sony shooters. However, the a9 III is not a flagship model, but one of Sony's premium offerings, jam-packed with settings and customizations.

For underwater photography with strobes, there are a couple of tips to keep in mind:

1. Live View Display Settings: If your screen goes black when shooting with strobes, check your live view display settings. Go to Menu > Shooting Menu > 10 "Shooting Display" > Live View Display Set. Turn this setting "off" for photos with strobes and "on" for photos without strobes or for above-water shots.

Now, let's dive into the specifics of using the Sony a9 III underwater with its dials, buttons, and joysticks.

Sony A9 III Dials, Buttons, and Joysticks

The Sony a9 III shares a similar button and dial layout with other recent Sony cameras, optimizing customizability with C1-C4 buttons that can be assigned to execute various functions. To customize these buttons:

1. Menu
2. Scroll to the yellow setup menu
3. 3 "operation customization"
4. Select camera or movie "custom key/dial set"
5. Choose the button you wish to customize
6. Select the correct custom setting in the menu (hitting the delete button gives you a description of the function)

The Sony a9 III has two back dials and one front dial on the top, along with a dial on the d-pad. Assign shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to the top back dials, using the front dial for ISO or the right button on the d-pad. Do remember to check if the dial on the camera's right side isn't locked before putting it in the housing.

Assigning Functions to Your Dials

1. Menu > Setup Menu > 4 "dial customize" > camera/movie custom key/dial set
2. Select a highlighted dial
3. Find the exposure setting you wish to control in the menu (e.g., ISO, shutter speed, aperture)

Mode Dial/Movie-Photo Toggle Switch

The Sony a9 III has a move and photo mode toggle switch below the mode dial, making it easy to switch between taking photos, videos, and S&Q video. The mode dial above the toggle switch is used to switch between manual mode, automatic modes, shutter priority, aperture priority, and memory recall settings. To set your memory recall settings:

1. Menu button
2. Go to your "shooting" menu
3. 4 "shooting mode"
4. "camera set memory"
5. Select 1, 2, or 3

If you're in manual mode on the mode dial, you can switch between manual mode in photo mode and video mode simply by using the toggle switch.

Considerations for Underwater Housings

The Joystick and AF Point Selection

Selecting your autofocus point with the Sony a9 III can be a bit tricky underwater if your housing doesn't have joystick compatibility. If you need joystick compatibility underwater, consider reaching out to us to find the right housing. If your housing lacks joystick compatibility, there are a few workarounds to move your autofocus points underwater:

1. Use AF tracking (push the AF-on button or half-press the shutter button when the AF box is over the desired focus area). Then, move the camera and let the camera track the subject.
2. For video mode, use the "wide" AF area mode, but keep in mind it may not be accurate in macro situations or low-light conditions. Opt for center AF area mode and let the camera lock onto your subject with the subject in the middle. Customize the joystick button to toggle between autofocus mode and manual focus mode for more control.
3. To move your AF points using dials (as suggested by our friends at Sea & Sea):

Customizing Your Sony A9 III Settings

The Sony a9 III offers great customizability, even featuring four custom buttons (C1-C4) dedicated to your favorite custom settings. To customize these buttons:

1. Menu
2. Go to the yellow "setup" menu
3. Panel 3
4. Select "customize key settings"
5. Choose photo or video mode for customizing settings

Here's our recommended customization for the rear buttons:

Rear1

1. Drive - Set burst shooting
2. AF On
3. Movie Shooting - Record button, don't change it
4. APS-C S35/Full Frame - Crop to super 35 mode with a push of the button, if you are shooting at resolutions smaller than 4K
5. Focus Mode

Rear2

1. AF/MF Selector Toggle - Switch between AF mode and MF for smooth transition between auto and manual focus
2. Not Set - Keep your center button available for other functions
3. Drive Mode
4. ISO
5. Focus Magnifier - Zoom in on the focus area of the subject for fine-tuning focus

For the top and dial/wheel buttons:

1. Finder.Monitor Sel - Switch between the EVF and LCD in your housing
2. Focus Area Lens

The Fn (Function) Menu

The Fn button, located on the back of the camera, opens the Function menu, showcasing the most important settings you can quickly change in an intense shooting situation. Customize your Fn menu to access the most frequently changed settings:

1. Drive Mode - Set your burst shooting mode
2. Flash Timing Setting - Adjust the flash timing when the amount of light is insufficient during high-speed sync shooting
3. Focus Mode - AF-C mode is more efficient than AF-S mode for continuous autofocus (provided your housing is compatible with the joystick)
4. Live View Display - Enable or disable live view display (turn it off for shooting with strobes)
5. Focus Area - Tracking: Expand Spot is a good choice as AF tracking is quite accurate
6. White Balance - Won't affect the image if you're shooting RAW
7. Face/Eye Subject - Animal eye AF tracking may work on fish, but the Canon EOS R5 or Nikon Z8 are better options
8. Steady Shot - Keep it on
9. ISO - Set to base ISO (ISO 250) to preserve image quality
10. Prioritize Recording Media - Choose your card slot
11. Metering Mode - Use spot metering if you're using strobes
12. Silent Mode - Useful for topside shooting

In Video Mode

Here's our recommended customization for video mode:

1. Audio Rec Level - Adjust your audio levels
2. Peaking Display - Enables fine-tuning manual focus
3. ISO - Adjust ISO for proper exposure
4. Focus Mode - AF continuous or manual focus, depending on your preference
5. Focus Area - Wide AF area mode or expand spot if your housing is compatible with the joystick
6. White Balance - Read on to learn how to set custom white balance
7. Picture Profile - Choose Log profiles like S-Log2, S-Log3, Cine profiles, HLG, and more
8. Steady Shot - Set to Active if you're not using a tripod or a calm shooting environment. Use Standard if you have a tripod or a very calm environment
9. Prioritize Rec. Media - Choose your media card slot
10. Zebra Display - Enable or disable zebra stripes
11. Metering mode - Use spot standard with video light and multi-segment if the ambient lighting conditions are good
12. Exposure Mode - Shift between manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and program mode in video mode

Strobe Considerations

It's essential to know that the Sony A9 III will limit your sync speed to 1/500 sec if you attach a TTL hotshoe or TTL flash trigger to the camera, even when you're on "manual" mode. To unlock the camera's full potential with the global shutter, shoot your strobes in manual power with a manual flash trigger/hotshoe connected to your camera and adjust the shutter timing accordingly.

Key Menu Settings

After setting up your Fn menu, the main menu becomes a repository for everything you might need to do with the A9 III. Here are a few top menu settings for underwater photography:

Panel 1 Shooting (Red)

1. Image Quality - Set Image quality (RAW) and File Format (XAVC HS 4K) for shooting 60p video in 10-bit 4:2:2 color space.
2. Format
3. Shooting mode - Set your memory recall function here.
4. Drive Mode - Set this in the function menu (Continuous Low is recommended with strobes).
5. Image stabilization - steady shot adjust - changes stabilization based on focal length of lens.
6. Shooting Display - Live View Display (off with strobes)

Panel 2 Exposure/Color (pink)

Flash Mode - Fill flash.Flash Timing Setting - Adjust for higher shutter speeds when using strobes (accessible only with a manual hot shoe/flash trigger connected to your camera).

Panel 3 Focus (purple)

1. AF/MF - AF illuminator (off), AF with Shutter (on), Pre-AF (off)
2. Leave these settings in default
3. Face/Eye AF - Subject recognition in AF (on), Recognition target (animal or animal/bird; recognition sensitivity - 5 (high))
4. Peaking - Peaking display (on), Peaking Level (mid), Peaking Color (red)

Panel 6 Setup (yellow) 3/4 - Customization (See above)

1. Finder/Monitor - Choose finder/monitor (monitor (manual) for LCD and VF (Manual) for viewfinder)
2. Display Option - Autoreview (2 sec)

Top Underwater Video Settings

Selecting Your Frame Rate and Resolution

The Sony A9 III is an outstanding 4K video camera, and filming at 4K resolution is recommended for the best video quality. Capture 4K up to 60 frames per second to improve video quality as footage is oversampled from 6K for most underwater shooting. For extra stabilization and slow-motion effects, you can choose 120 frames per second.

To set your resolution, go to the menu > shooting menu > 1 "image quality" > File Format. Set your frame rate by going to the menu > shooting menu > Image Quality > Movie Settings > Rec Frame Rate.

After setting your frame rate, choose your bit depth and bit rate. Select 10-bit 4:2:2 for the Log profiles to achieve the most accurate color gamut. If you are using the standard picture profile, settle for 8-bit 4:2:0, which offers sufficient data for standard editing. To set your recording settings go to the menu > shooting menu > Image Quality > Movie Settings > Record Settings.

Selecting Your Codec

The file format, or codec, you choose determines the level of compression and bit rates you'll be able to shoot at. An uncompressed codec takes up more space on your hard drive but makes post-processing easier. Here are the three 4k codecs available when shooting 4K.

1. XAVC HS 4K - The most compressed codec, which may result in longer post-processing times. It uses an H.265 compression standard that some graphics cards may have trouble handling.
2. XAVC S 4K - Sony's standard file type, which should suit a wide range of needs. It uses an H.264 compression standard that should be manageable with standard editing software and graphics cards.
3. XAVC S-I 4K - The least compressed file type available. It will be easier to playback but creates large file sizes. It boasts a bit rate of 600M 10bit 4:2:2, a significant amount of data!

Setting a Manual White Balance

To set a manual white balance on your camera, select the white balance setting in your Fn menu, scroll down to custom 1, click the right button on the d-pad to highlight "set", click the center button, line up the square with a neutral area in the image or a white slate, and hit the center button to lock it in. You will need to do this every few feet of depth you go up or down in the water column.

Recommended Picture Profiles

1. Standard (No Picture Profile) - A good choice if you want minimal post-processing.
2. S-Log2 - Offers the most detail in Log profiles with the least risk for introducing noise. It requires a minimum ISO of 800 and is best used in well-lit situations. Adjust exposure by overexposing the scene rather than underexposing.
3. S-Log3 - Provides more detail in the shadows than S-Log2 but can be more difficult to work with, introducing more noise as well. A minimum ISO of 800 is required, and it's best to be in well-lit environments for optimal results.
4. HLG3 - An excellent Log profile balance between quality and ease of use.
5. Cine2 - A good intermediate between a Log profile and standard profile. Recommended if you want some post-processing but not a lot.

Summary Table of Key Settings

| Setting | Recommended Value | Notes ||--------------------|-------------------------|--------------------------------------------|| Mode | Manual or Aperture Priority (f/8 macro, f/2.8–4 wide) | For best depth of field or light gathering || Shutter Speed | 1/200–1/250 sec | Sync speed limit, balances ambient light || ISO | 100–400 | Higher for low strobe power || White Balance | Auto (with strobes) or custom/manual (no strobes) | Avoid preset modes that cause color shift || Focus | Spot/center-weighted | Macro mode for close-ups || Strobe Distance | Within 3-4 feet | Minimizes backscatter and improves color |

Armed with this knowledge, you're now ready to tap the full potential of the Sony a9 III for underwater photography with strobes, capturing vivid, well-exposed images with accurate color rendition. Get ready for an incredible underwater adventure!

1. The Sony a9 III is a top-tier camera in terms of technology, particularly beneficial for underwater photography using underwater strobes due to its global shutter feature.
2. The a9 III shares a similar button and dial layout with the Sony A7R V, offering customizability with C1-C4 buttons.
3. When shooting underwater with strobes, make sure to check the live view display settings to prevent screen blackout.
4. To customize the C1-C4 buttons on the Sony a9 III, navigate to Menu > Setup Menu > 4 "operation customization" > select camera or movie "custom key/dial set".
5. Assign shutter speed, aperture, and ISO to the top back dials, using the front dial for ISO or the right button on the d-pad. Remember to check if the dial on the right side isn't locked before putting it in the housing.
6. Customize functions for your dials by going to Menu > Setup Menu > 4 "dial customize" > camera/movie custom key/dial set.
7. The Sony a9 III's mode dial has a move and photo mode toggle switch, making it easy to switch between photo, video, and S&Q video modes.
8. Set your memory recall settings by going to Menu button > "shooting" menu > "camera set memory".
9. For optimal underwater performance, consider checking out the joystick compatibility of your housing or contacting a guide for help in finding the right housing, as selecting the autofocus point with the joystick can be challenging underwater.

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