Additional options are available from the Sony a6000’s Application, Playback, and Setup menus, which allow you to run mini-programs on your camera; view, print, and protect images; and adjust important camera settings, such as monitor brightness or audio volume.
While the basic functions of the Application menu are covered here, you’ll need to absorb Chapter 11, which details using the a6000’s wireless capabilities, to take full advantage of the camera’s app features. As the Application menu hints, the a6000 is Wi-Fi compatible and can run apps downloaded from the Sony Entertainment app store. In fact, quite a few menu items are relevant to the Wi-Fi feature; they’re available only after you have connected the a6000 to a Wi-Fi network.
Unlike many cameras with a Wi-Fi feature, the a6000 can do more than simply transfer photos to a compatible smart device or computer. Connect it to the Internet (as discussed in the Setup menu items under the Network heading) and you can use its simple built-in browser to access the Sony PlayMemories Camera Apps page and download any that are of interest to you.
Set up an account with the Sony Entertainment Network website using your computer or tablet. In North America, you can find that website at http://www.sony.net/pmca. There you fill out an online form and set a password, and download/install a browser add-on. Once you’ve created an account, you can connect your a6000 to your computer with the included USB cable and download apps directly from your computer through the browser plug-in. You can also access a hefty list of maintenance and upgrade information relevant to your camera.
Figure 4.1 The Application menu.
Or, you can establish Wi-Fi communication between your camera and your home network using the Wireless menu, as described in Chapter 11, and download apps over your network to the camera without the need for a direct connection to your computer. After the Wi-Fi connection has been made, scroll to the Application menu (see Figure 4.1) where you’ll see two choices: Application List and Introduction.
Options: N/A
Default: N/A
Select Application List and a screen similar to Figure 4.2 appears. It displays any apps you have installed, plus two management entries: PlayMemories Camera Apps and Application Management.
Options: Service Introduction, Service Availability
Default: N/A
Introduction provides two sections. Service Introduction shows you where to find the Sony Entertainment website and mentions that it’s not available in a few countries; my camera shows www.sony.net/pmca as the shortcut to it. Service Availability provides details as to countries where Sony can supply apps.
Figure 4.2 The Application List.
Options: N/A
Default: N/A
After you have established Wi-Fi communication and opened an account with the Sony Entertainment Network website, scroll to PlayMemories Camera Apps and press the center button. A screen will appear indicating the camera is searching for an access point (your wireless network). When that’s found the screen will display as shown in Figure 4.3. You can press the left/right buttons to move between the applications list at right, and the menu icons at left:
Figure 4.3 PlayMemories Camera Apps.
Select an app that’s already installed and press the center button to activate it. Or, scroll to an app you want to install, such as Picture Effect+ (which is free of charge) and press the center button. On the next screen, scroll to Install and press the center button; this takes you to a screen where you enter your e-mail address to start the sign-in process (for the Sony app site). Scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your password in the field that appears, again using the on-screen keyboard that appears after you press the center button. (This is the password you created with the Sony online app store.) Basically you follow the on-screen process which is quite intuitive although it is tedious to use the on-screen keyboard without a touch-screen LCD.
Scroll to Done and press the center button again. On the following screens agree to everything (if you do want to proceed) and the camera will begin downloading the app. Afterwards you’ll see a screen indicating that the installation was successful. Scroll down to Use the Installed App, and it will appear. Picture Effect+ (for example) is similar to what you’d see if you had accessed the camera’s conventional Picture Effect item, but there are some entirely new options that you can choose. Scroll among the options and a Help Guide will provide a brief summary of the one you scrolled to.
Options: Sort, Manage and Remove, Display Account Information
Default: N/A
This section can be used after you have installed apps; it allows you to sort the apps, manage and remove apps, and to display your account information. (See Figure 4.4.) The latter also provides instructions on how to delete your account; the Initialize > Factory Reset item will do so, in addition to re-setting all camera functions to the factory defaults.
Figure 4.4 Application Management.
This menu controls functions for deleting, protecting, displaying, and printing images. You can bring it up on your screen more quickly by pressing the Playback button first, then the MENU button, which causes the Playback icon to be highlighted on the main menu screen. The first set of items that are visible on the screen when you activate the Playback menu are shown in Figure 4.5.
Options: Multiple Img, All in Movie or Still Folder, by AVCHD, or by Date
Default: Multiple Img.
Sometimes we take pictures or video clips that we know should never see the light of day. Maybe you were looking into the lens and accidentally tripped the shutter. Perhaps you really goofed up your settings. You want to erase that photo now, before it does permanent damage to your reputation as a good photographer. Unless you have turned Auto Review off through the Setup menu, you can delete a photo immediately after you take it by pressing the Trash key (Delete button). Also, you can use that method to delete any individual image that’s being displayed on the screen in playback mode.
However, sometimes you need to wait for an idle moment to erase all pictures that are obviously not “keepers.” This menu item makes it easy to remove selected photos or video clips (Multiple Images), or to erase all the photos or video clips taken, sorted by your currently active view mode (such as folder, or date). (Change the type of view using the View Mode option, described next.) Note that there is no delete method that will remove images tagged as Protected (as described below in the section on “Protect”). Instead, you’ll need to format the card, as described below.
Figure 4.5 Playback 1 menu.
To remove one or more images (or movie files), select the Delete menu item, and use the up/down direction buttons or the control wheel to choose the Multiple Images option. Press the center button, and the most recent image using your currently active view will be displayed on the LCD.
Scroll left/right through your images and press the center button when you reach the image you want to tag for deletion; a checkmark then appears beside it and an orange checkmark appears in the bottom-left corner of the screen. You can press the DISP button to see more information about a particular image.
The number of images marked for deletion is incremented in the indicator at the lower-left corner of the LCD, next to a trash can icon. When you’re satisfied (or have expressed your dissatisfaction with the really bad images), press the MENU button, and you will be asked if you’re sure you want to proceed. To confirm your decision, press the center button. The images (or video clips) you had tagged will now be deleted. If you want to delete everything on the memory card, it’s quicker to do so by using the Format item in the Setup menu, as discussed later in this chapter.
Options: Date View, Folder View (Still), Folder View (MP4), AVCHD View
Default: Folder View (Still)
Adjusts the way the a6000 displays image/movie files, which is useful for reviewing only certain types of files, or for deleting only particular types, as described above. You can elect to display files by Date View, Folder View (still photos only), Folder View (MP4 clips only), or AVCHD View (just AVCHD movies).
Options: 12, 30
Default: 12
You can view an index screen of your images on the camera’s LCD by pressing the down direction button (Index button) while in playback mode. By default, that screen shows up to 12 thumbnails of photos or movies; you can change that value to 30 using this menu item. Remember to use the View Mode menu item first, to identify the folder (stills, MP4 or AVCHD) that the index display should access; by default, it will show thumbnails of still photos but you might want to view thumbnails of your movie clips instead.
As I noted in Chapter 1, if you have captured both still photos and movie clips, the a6000 will show both in playback mode’s index view. The screen is split into two panes. Stills are shown in the upper pane, and movies in the lower. The pane containing the last type of image/movie captured will be highlighted. To move between panes, just press the up/down button. Press the left directional button to move to a selection bar that allows you to choose calendar view.
Options: Manual, Off
You can use this function to determine whether a vertical image is rotated automatically during picture review. The options are somewhat confusingly named, as the Off setting actually means that vertical images are automatically rotated:
Figure 4.6 Vertical images can be displayed in their normal orientation (top), or rotated to fill more of the screen (bottom).
Options: Repeat, Interval: 1 second, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds
Default: 3 seconds
Use this menu option when you want to display all the still images on your memory card in a continuous show. You can display still images in a continuous series, with each one displayed for the amount of time that you set. Choose the Repeat option to make the show repeat in a continuous loop. After making your settings, press the center button and the slide show will begin. You can scroll left or right to go back to a previous image or go forward to the next image immediately, but that will stop the slide show. The show cannot be paused, but you can exit by pressing the MENU button.
Options: None
When you select this menu item, you are immediately presented with a new screen showing the current or most recently reviewed image along with an indication that the center button can be used to rotate the image. (This feature does not work with movies.) Scroll left/right to reach the image you want to rotate. Successive presses of the center button will now rotate the image 90 degrees at a time. The camera will remember whatever rotation setting you apply here. You can use this function to rotate an image that was taken with the camera held vertically, when you have set Display Rotation to Manual. Press the MENU button to exit.
Options: None
Default: N/A
This is the first entry on the second page of the Playback menu (see Figure 4.7). Whenever you are playing back still images (not movies), you can use this menu entry to magnify the image. Use the control wheel to zoom in and out, and you can scroll around inside the enlarged image using the four direction buttons. Press MENU or the shutter button to exit.
Options: None
Default: N/A
This menu choice sends JPEG images in 4K format to a compatible 4K television connected using an HDMI cable. It does not work with non 4K HDTV equipment. If you send a RAW image, it will be displayed in HD quality, rather than 4K resolution.
Figure 4.7 The second page of the Playback menu.
Options: Multiple Images, All with Current View Mode (Date View, Folder View (Still), Folder View MP4, AVCHD View), Cancel All (in Current View Mode)
Default: None
You might want to protect certain images or movie clips on your memory card from accidental erasure, either by you or by others who may use your camera from time to time. This menu item enables you to tag one or more images or movies for protection so a delete command will not delete it. (Formatting a memory card deletes everything, including protected content.) This menu item also enables you to cancel the protection from all tagged photos or movies.
To use this feature, make sure to specify whether you want to do so for stills or movies; use the View Mode item in the Playback menu to designate the desired view mode, as described earlier. (The Protect options available will vary depending on which view mode you are using.) Then, access the Protect menu item, choose Multiple Images, and press the center button. An image (or thumbnail of a movie) will appear; scroll among the photos or videos to reach the photo you want to tag for protection; press the center button to tag it, with an orange checkmark appearing to the left of each protected image. (If it’s already tagged, pressing the button will remove the tag, eliminating the protection you had previously provided.)
After you have marked all the items you want to protect, press the MENU button to confirm your choice. A screen will appear asking you to confirm that you want to protect the marked images; press the center button to do so. Later, if you want, you can go back and select the Cancel All Images/Folder/Date option (depending on your view mode) to unprotect all of the tagged photos or movies.
Options: Multiple Images, Cancel All, Print Setting
Default: N/A
Most digital cameras are compatible with the DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) protocol, which enables you to tag JPEG images on the memory card (but not RAW files or movies) for printing with a DPOF compliant printer; you can also specify whether you want the date imprinted as well. Afterwards, you can transport your memory card to a retailer’s digital photo lab or do-it-yourself kiosk, or use your own DPOF-compatible printer to print out the tagged images in the quantities you’ve specified.
Choose multiple images using the view mode filters described earlier to select to view either by Date or by Folder. Press the center button to mark an image for printing, and the MENU button to confirm when you’re finished. The Print Setting entry lets you choose to superimpose the date onto the print. The date will be added during printing by the output device, which controls its location on the final print. The images to be printed will be designated by the orange checkmark at the left of the image and a total number will be listed near a printer symbol at the bottom left.
Use the lengthy Setup menu to adjust infrequently changed settings, such as language, date/time, and power-saving options. The first five items in the Setup menu are shown in Figure 4.8.
Figure 4.8 The Setup menu.
Options: Manual, Sunny Weather
Default: Manual
When you access this menu item, two controls appear. The first is a Brightness bar (shown just above the grayscale/color patches in Figure 4.9). It’s set to Manual adjustment by default, but press the center button and you can change it to Sunny Weather for a brighter display. You might resort to this setting if you’re shooting outdoors in bright sun and find it hard to view the LCD even when shading it with your hand.
If you set it to Sunny Weather, the LCD brightness will automatically increase, making the display easier to view in very bright light. This makes the display unusually bright so use it only when it’s really necessary. Remember too that it will consume a lot more battery power, so have a spare battery available.
Figure 4.9 Adjust monitor brightness.
The grayscale steps and color patches can be used as you manually adjust the screen brightness using the left/right direction buttons. Scroll to the right to make the LCD display brighter or scroll to the left to make the LCD display darker, in a range of plus and minus 2 (arbitrary) increments. As you change the brightness, keep an eye on the grayscale and color chart in order to visualize the effect your setting will have on various tones and hues. The zero setting is the default and it provides the most accurate display in terms of exposure, but you might want to dim it when the bright display is distracting while shooting in a dark theater, perhaps. A minus setting also reduces battery consumption but makes your photos appear to be underexposed (too dark).
I prefer to choose Manual but then to leave the display at the zero setting. This ensures the most accurate view of scene brightness on the LCD for the best evaluation of exposure while previewing the scene before taking a photo.
Options: Auto, Manual
Default: Auto
In Manual mode, this entry operates exactly the same as the Monitor Brightness option just described. A notice will appear on the LCD monitor advising you to look through the viewfinder and make your adjustments. The default setting is Auto.
Options: +2 to –2
Default: 0
While looking through the viewfinder, press the left/right buttons to adjust the color balance of the finder to make it appear warmer (using the left button) or colder/bluer (using the right button), according to your preference.
Options: 0-15
Default: 2
This menu item affects only the audio volume of movies that are being played back in the camera. It’s grayed out unless you have selected movies, as opposed to stills, with the Still/Movie Select menu item. When you select Volume Settings, the camera displays a scale of loudness from 0 to 15; scroll up/down to the value you want to set and it will remain in effect until changed.
You might want to use this menu item to pre-set a volume level that you generally prefer. However, you can also adjust the volume whenever you’re displaying a movie clip, to set it to just the right level. To do so, press the down direction button and use the up/down direction buttons to raise or lower the volume.
Options: On, Off
Default: On
Use this item to turn off sound recording when you’re shooting videos, if desired. Of course, the audio track can be deleted later, if desired, with software. However, there could be occasions when it’s useful to disable sound recording for movies, if you know ahead of time that you will be dubbing in other sound, or if you have no need for sound, such as when panning over a vista of the Grand Canyon. At any rate, this option is there if you want to use it.
Options: On, Off
Default: On
Upload Settings for Eye-Fi cards (not shown in Figure 4.8) does not appear in the menu unless you have inserted an Eye-Fi card into the camera’s memory card slot. An Eye-Fi card is a special type of SD card that connects to an available wireless (Wi-Fi) network and uploads the images from your memory card to a computer on that network. The Upload Settings option on the Setup menu lets you either enable or disable the use of the Eye-Fi card’s transmitting capability. So, if you want to use an Eye-Fi card just as an ordinary SD card, simply set this item to Off, which saves a bit of power drawn by the card’s Wi-Fi circuitry.
Options: On, Off
Default: Off
This is the first entry on the second page of the Setup menu (see Figure 4.10). The Tile menu is a holdover from the NEX era, and features icons representing the six main menu tabs. While it might be marginally useful when you first begin working with your a6000, it’s really an unnecessary intermediate step. Turn it Off and when you press the MENU button, you’ll be whisked to the conventional menu system, where you can quickly navigate to the tab you want.
Options: On, Off
Default: On
The On setting activates an on-screen description of the current shooting mode as you rotate the mode dial. You might want to enable this extra help when you first begin using your a6000, and turn it off after you’re comfortable with the various mode dial settings.
Figure 4.10 The Setup 2 menu.
Options: Delete First, Cancel First
Default: Cancel First
Determines which choice is highlighted when you press the trash button to delete an image. The default Cancel First is the safer option, as you must deliberately select Delete and then press the center button to actually remove an image. Delete First is faster; press the trash button, then the center button, and the unwanted image is gone. You’d have to scroll down to Cancel if you happened to have changed your mind or pressed the trash button by mistake.
Options: 30 minutes, 5 minutes, 2 minutes, 1 minute, 10 seconds
Default: 1 minute
This item lets you specify the exact amount of time that should pass before the camera goes to “sleep” when not being used. The default of 1 minute is a short time, useful to minimize battery consumption. You can select a much longer time before the camera will power down, or a much shorter time.
Options: None
This is the first item on the third page of the Setup menu (see Figure 4.11). Use this entry when you want to use the a6000’s auto image sensor cleaning feature.
Figure 4.11 The Setup 3 menu.
Options: On, Off
Default: Off
This is a semi-cool feature that allows your camera to be used as a demonstration tool, say, when giving lectures or showing off at a trade show. When activated, if the camera is idle for about one minute, it will begin showing a protected AVCHD movie that you have previously created, which is not impressive on the camera’s built-in LCD, but can have a lot more impact if the a6000 is connected to a large-screen HDTV through the HDMI port. Just follow these steps:
Options: On, Off
Default: Off
The a6000 can be operated using the Sony RMT-DSLR1 and its replacement, the RMT-DSLR2 Wireless Remote Commander controls. Constantly “looking” for the IR signal using the sensor on the front of the camera can sap battery power (because the a6000 does not go into power save mode), so it’s wise to turn the remote control feature on only when it’s actually needed. Choose On, and you can take pictures using the Shutter, 2Sec, Start/Stop buttons on the RMT-DSLR1/2 controls, plus the Movie button found on the RMT-DSLR2 control. The RMT-DSLR1 model cannot be used to shoot movies; the RMT-DSLR2 remote can be used to activate movie shooting as long as the Movie button on the camera is not set to Off in the Custom Settings 6 menu.
Options: Auto, 1080p, 1080i
Default: Auto
The camera can adjust its output for display on a high-definition television when at the Auto setting. This usually works well with any HDTV. If you have trouble getting the image to display correctly, you can set the resolution manually here to 1080p or to 1080i; the latter should work fine with any HDTV.
Options: On, Off
Default: On
You can view the display output of your camera on a high-definition television (HDTV) when you connect it to the a6000 if you make the investment in an HDMI cable (which Sony does not supply); get the Type C with a mini-HDMI connector on the camera end. (Still photos can also be displayed using Wi-Fi, without cable connection, as discussed earlier.) When connecting HDMI-to-HDMI, the camera automatically makes the correct settings. If you’re lucky enough to own a TV that supports the Sony Bravia synchronization protocol, you can operate the camera using that TV’s remote control when this item is On. Just press the Link Menu button on the remote, and then use the device’s controls to delete images, display an image index of photos in the camera, display a slide show, protect/unprotect images in the camera, specify printing options, and play back single images on the TV screen.
The CTRL for HDMI option on the Setup menu can also be useful when you have connected the camera to a non-Sony HDTV and find that the TV’s remote control produces unintended results with the camera. If that happens, try turning this option Off, and see if the problem is resolved. If you later connect the camera to a Sony Bravia sync-compliant HDTV, set this menu item back to On.
Options: On, Off
Default: On
Choose On if you want the shooting information to display when the a6000 is connected to an HDTV television/monitor using an HDMI cable. Select Off if you don’t want to show the shooting information on the display. You might want to suppress the shooting information when you’re showing your images as a slide show.
Options: Auto, Mass Storage, MTP, PC Remote
Default: Auto
This entry, the first in the Setup 4 menu (see Figure 4.12), allows you to select the type of USB connection protocol between your camera and computer.
Figure 4.12 Setup 4 menu.
Options: Multi, Single
Default: Multi
This setting specifies how the a6000 selects a Logical Unit Number when connecting to a computer through the USB port. Normally, you’d use Multi, which allows the camera to adjust the LUN as necessary, and is compatible with the PlayMemories Home software. Use Single to lock in a LUN if you have trouble making a connection between your camera and a particular computer. PlayMemories Home software will usually not work when this setting is active. But don’t worry; Single is rarely necessary.
Options: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese languages
Default: Language of country where camera is sold
If you accidentally set a language you cannot read and find yourself with incomprehensible menus, don’t panic. Just find the Setup menu, the one with the red tool box for its icon, and scroll down to the line that has a symbol that looks like an alphabet block “A” to the left of the item’s heading. No matter which language has been selected, you can recognize this menu item by the “A.” Scroll to it, press the center button to select this item, and scroll up/down among the options until you see a language you can read.
Options: Daylight Saving, Date/Time, Date Format
Default: None
Use this option to specify the date and time that will be embedded in the image file along with exposure information and other data. Having the date set accurately also is important for selecting movies for viewing by date. Use the left/right direction buttons to navigate through the choices of Daylight Savings Time On/Off; year; month; day; hour; minute; and date format. You can’t directly change the AM/PM setting; you need to scroll the hours past midnight or noon to change that setting. Use the up/down direction buttons or rotate the control wheel to change each value as needed.
Options: World time zones
Default: None
When you select this option, you are presented with a world map on the LCD. Use the left/right direction buttons to scroll until you have highlighted the time zone that you are in. Once the camera is set up with the correct date and time in your home time zone, you can use this setting to change your time zone during a trip, so you will record the local time with your images without disrupting your original date and time settings. Just scroll back to your normal time zone once you return home.
Options: OK, Cancel
Default: None
This is the first entry on the Setup 5 menu. (See Figure 4.13.) As you’d guess, you’ll use Format to re-format your memory card while it’s in your a6000. To proceed with this process, choose the Format menu item and select “OK” and press the center button to confirm, or Cancel to chicken out.
Use the Format command to erase everything on your memory card and to set up a fresh file system ready for use. This procedure removes all data that was on the memory card, and reinitializes the card’s file system by defining anew the areas of the card available for image storage, locking out defective areas, and creating a new folder in which to deposit your images. It’s usually a good idea to reformat your memory card in the camera (not in your camera’s card reader using your computer’s operating system) before each use. Formatting is generally much quicker than deleting images one by one. Before formatting the card however, make sure that you have saved all your images and videos to another device; formatting will delete everything, including images that were protected.
Figure 4.13 The Setup 5 menu.
Options: Series, Reset
Default: Series
The default for the File Number item is Series, indicating that the a6000 will automatically apply a file number to each picture and video clip that you make, using consecutive numbering; this will continue over a long period of time, spanning many different memory cards, and even if you reformat a card. Numbers are applied from 0001 to 9999; when you reach the limit, the camera starts back at 0001. The camera keeps track of the last number used in its internal memory. So, you could take pictures numbered as high as 100-0240 on one card, remove the card and insert another, and the next picture will be numbered 100-0241 on the new card. Reformat either card, take a picture, and the next image will be numbered 100-0242. Use the Series option when you want all the photos you take to have consecutive numbers (at least, until your camera exceeds 9999 shots taken).
If you want to restart numbering back at 0001 frequently, use the Reset option. In that case, the file number will be reset to 0001 each time you format a memory card or delete all the images in a folder, insert a different memory card, or change the folder name format (as described in the next menu entry). I do not recommend this since you will soon have several images with exactly the same file number.
Options: Folder
Default: None
This entry allows you to create a new storage folder. Although your a6000 will create new folders automatically as needed, you can create a new folder at any time, and switch among available folders already created on your memory card. (Of course, a memory card must be installed in the camera.) This is an easy way to segregate photos by folder. For example, if you’re on vacation, you can change the Folder Name convention to Date Form (described next). Then, each day, create a new folder (with that date as its name), and then deposit that day’s photos and video clips into it. A highlighted bar appears; press the up/down buttons to select the folder you want to use, and press the center button.
Options: N/A
Default: None
This item will enable you to create a brand new folder. Press the center button, and a message like “10100905 folder created” or “102MSDCF folder created” appears on the LCD. The alphanumeric format will be determined by the Folder Name option you’ve selected (and described next), either Standard Form or Date Form.
Options: Standard Form, Date Form
Default: Standard Form
If you have viewed one of your memory card’s contents on a computer, you noticed that the top-level folder on the card is always named DCIM. Inside it, there’s another folder created by your camera. Different cameras use different folder names, and they can co-exist on the same card. For example, if your memory card is removed from your Sony camera and used in, say, a camera from another vendor that also accepts Secure Digital or Memory Stick cards, the other camera will create a new folder using a different folder name within the DCIM directory.
By default, the Alpha creates its folders using a three-number prefix (starting with 100), followed by MSDCF. As each folder fills up with 999 images, a new folder with a prefix that’s one higher (say, 101) is used. So, with the “Standard Form,” the folders on your memory card will be named 100MSDCF, 101MSDCF, and so forth.
You can select Date Form instead, and the Alpha will use a xxxymmdd format, such as 10040904, where the 100 is the folder number, 4 is the last digit of the year (2014), 09 is the month, and 04 is the day of that month. If you want the folder names to be date-oriented, rather than generic, use the Date Form option instead of Standard Form. This entry allows you to switch back and forth between them, both for folder creation (using the New Folder entry described above) and REC folder preference (also described above).
Tip
Whoa! Sony has thrown you a curveball in this folder switching business. Note that if you are using Date Form naming, you can create folders using the date convention, but you can’t switch among them—but only when Date Form is active. If you do want to switch among folders named using the date convention, you can do it. But you have to switch from Date Form back to Standard Form. Then you can change to any of the available folders (of either naming format). So, if you’re on that vacation, you can select Date Form, and then choose New Folder each day of your trip, if you like. If for some reason, you want to put some additional pictures in a different folder (say, you’re revisiting a city and want the new shots to go in the same folder as those taken a few days earlier), you’ll need to change to Standard Form, switch folders, and then resume shooting. Sony probably did this to preserve the “integrity” of the date/folder system, but it can be annoying.
Options: OK, Cancel
Default: None
The Recover Image DB function is provided in case errors crop up in the camera’s database that records information about your movies. According to Sony, this situation may develop if you have processed or edited movies on a computer and then re-saved them to the memory card that’s in your camera. You will also encounter this message when using an SD card you have formatted and used in another brand of camera. Highlight this menu option and press the center button, and the camera will prompt you, “Check Image Database File?” Press the center button to confirm, or the MENU button to cancel.
Options: None
This entry, the first on the Setup 6 menu (see Figure 4.14), gives you a report of how many still images and how many movies can be recorded on the memory card that’s in the camera, given the current shooting settings. This can be useful, but that information is already displayed on the screen when the camera is being used to shoot still photos (unless you have cycled to a display with less information), and the information about minutes remaining for movie recording is displayed on the screen as soon as you press the Record button. But, if you want confirmation of this information, this menu option is available.
Options: None
Select this menu option to display the version number of the firmware (internal operating software) installed in your camera. From time to time, Sony updates the original firmware with a newer version that adds or enhances features or corrects operational bugs. When a new version is released, it will be accompanied by instructions, which generally involve downloading the update to your computer and then connecting your camera to the computer with the USB cable to apply the update. It’s a good idea to check occasionally at the Sony website, www.esupport.sony.com, to see if a new version of the camera’s firmware is available for download. (You can also go to that site to download updates to the software that came with the camera, and to get general support information.)
Figure 4.14 The Setup 6 menu.
Options: Camera Settings Reset, Initialize
Default: Reset
If you’ve made a lot of changes to your a6000’s settings, you may want to return their features to their defaults so you can start over without manually going back through the menus and restoring everything. This menu item lets you do that. Your choices are as follows:
