Keep the ISO at 800. As James from ExplorePOV points out, a lower ISO results in the background being blurry
(even though that’s typically caused by the aperture).
The default shutter is 270°. In very low light with little motion, drop to 180° or even 90°.
Zoom F6
Format: Ambisonics “A”, 32-bit float. (32-bit float captures roughly 1528 dB of dynamic range
vs ~144 dB for 24-bit.)
FPS: 30. If you choose DPF, the clips won’t line up correctly in the timeline.
The night before
Charge the batteries: camera 28-volt batteries, AA batteries, Tentacle Sync.
Confirm the media/storage cards are empty. Move footage to the computer or server if needed
— camera, Zoom F6, and the microSD card in the handheld mic if used.
Format every Blackmagic memory module in-camera. Deleting files isn’t enough.
After months of the camera randomly stopping mid-record (with no overheat),
the fix turned out to be formatting.
Depending on the event, pack: water, sunscreen, a hat, a large umbrella, a puncture-proof
trash bag in case of extreme rain (to protect the camera).
Backpack: spare camera batteries, AAs, storage media, the items above.
The morning of
Put on sunscreen. Even if it’s overcast and there’s a 0% chance of sun.
Weather is unpredictable. Sunburns are painful. (I wrote this while in misery.)
Fill water bottle.
Put on a hat if lots of sun. (I'm bald.)
Transport: car to event
Backpack: four camera batteries, two spare 8 TB media modules, spare AAs, screwdriver,
bandaids. ~22.5 lbs (10.2 kg).
Left hand: tripod. ~7 lbs (3 kg).
Right hand: fully assembled camera with top plate, microphone, field recorder
with batteries, wireless receiver, main camera battery. ~22 lbs (10 kg). Means I just attach to the
tripod, sync the Tentacles from the mobile app, power on the Zoom F6 and camera, and press Record
(Zoom first).
Two 1/4” screws hold the top plate to the camera body, which makes me nervous.
So in transit, a velcro strap wraps around the handle and the underside — if the screws ever fail,
it’s a backup that prevents $35K of gear from hitting the ground.
In the back seat of my car, the camera is surrounded by blankets, a sippy cup, and a coloring book.
Set up the tripod
Use the bubble. Perfectly level. Re-check every time you physically move the tripod to a new spot.
Set up the spatial mic and field recorder
Sync timecode via the Tentacle Sync app. Confirm the camera and field recorder both show “EXT”.
Confirm the Zoom F6’s audio meters show input on every connected mic.
Start recording. It's fine for it to be recording early; the memory cards are huge.
During the shoot
“Expose to the right” — deliberately overexpose, pushing the histogram as far right as possible
without clipping. Maximizes signal, minimizes noise. Lower exposure in post.
Check both the left and right lenses for dust spots and uneven flare.
Re-level the tripod every time you move it. Use the horizon indicator in the camera.