Sony Sony RX100 Mark IV Video Exposure Problems

Jason Dunn

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Jason Dunn
Hi there! First time poster, but in searching for this issue I can't find anyone else here posting on it.

I've had my Sony RX100 Mark IV for a few months now, and generally love it. But when I use it for video in full auto mode, I see exposure issues with almost every shot. I can only describe it has the camera pushing the exposure up, and in almost every case I'm not moving the camera much and there are no light sources coming into play that should force the camera to re-do the exposure. Below is a YouTube video of mine that shows the issue:

(this is a very subtle example compared to some of the other times I've seen it go crazy)

Any ideas? Coming from the Nikon world, I'm struggling a bit with the menu system on the RX100 - it's quite complex, which is why I'm opting to shoot in full auto for videos. If there's a better way to shoot, please let me know. :)
 
You've probably already checked this, but the first thing that occurs to me is: do have you the metering set to "Spot" ?

Well now...:2thumbs: I think you nailed it! I'd wrongfully assumed that since there were no buttons to control metering that in full auto it wasn't something that could be changed. I see now that if I go into the menu system it was in fact set to spot metering vs. matrix (or whatever Sony calls the full-scene metering). That would explain it, because as soon as I moved the camera even slightly it would re-expose for the new location. #facepalm I really should have known better! Thank you!

I'm convinced I'd spend more time exploring the menus on the RX100 if I wasn't always worried about draining the battery - this this is like a Ferrari that gets 5 MPG...I'm always wondering how long it will last.
 
Glad we got that one sorted out quickly and easily...!

Regarding battery life - I have the Mk1 which is reasonable on battery life... perhaps the Mk4 is hungrier on power? However, I also have two spare batteries, and this negates any such problem. They are so small that carrying them is just no trouble. The Sony ones are fairly expensive, but I can recommend a (UK) supplier of cheaper, good-quality non-OEM batteries if you wish.
 
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Battery life on my RX100 Mk1 is pretty good, but I guess if you're exploring the menus you're probably at home or somewhere you can easily charge up the camera so that shouldn't really restrict you.

I have one spare battery, and I don't think I've ever needed more than that in a single day.

If you haven't already done so, I recommend reading through the full manual online while you have the camera in your hands. Most of it makes sense, but sometimes it helps to play with the camera to see what they're getting at.

-R
 
Battery life on the Mark IV is pretty terrible if you're shooting 4K video - it uses so much power the camera overheats if you try to shoot back to back 5 minute videos. If you're doing 1080p videos or just shooting pictures, it's not too bad...but I usually shoot 4K videos with it.

I appreciate all the advice!
 
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