ILCE-9M3

(Movie) Characteristics of each file format

This camera provides high video quality features such as 10-bit color depth, 4:2:2 color sampling, high efficiency MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 codec support, and Intra compression support and also provides various file format support related to editing work.
To connect the camera and the TV, use a Premium High Speed HDMI Cable (sold separately).

Refer to the descriptions below for the setting method and characteristics of each file format used for recording movies.

Setting method

  1. MENU → (Shooting) → [Image Quality/Rec] → [File Format] →desired setting.
  2. MENU → (Shooting) → [Image Quality/Rec] → [Movie Settings] →Select an item to set, and then select the desired setting.

    To shoot slow-motion/quick-motion movies, perform the following settings.
    Set the Still/Movie/S&Q dial to (movie recording mode) or S&Q (slow-motion/quick-motion shooting mode). Select MENU → (Shooting) → [Image Quality/Rec] → [S&Q Settings] → Select an item to set, and then select the desired setting.

Characteristics of each file format

  1. XAVC S 4K/XAVC S HD
  2. XAVC HS 4K
  3. XAVC S-I 4K/XAVC S-I HD
  1. XAVC S 4K/XAVC S HD

This setting records movies in the widely used MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec and therefore enables you to view and edit movies on various compatible devices.

To view movies on a TV

Example of recommended setting values
[File Format]: [XAVC S 4K]

Rec Frame Rate Record Setting
60p (NTSC)
50p (PAL)
150M 4:2:0 8bit

To edit movies

We recommend setting Record Setting to 10-bit 4:2:2 for editing movies since this setting assures rich gradation. This setting has high compatibility with video editing software and requires smaller file sizes than those required for XAVC S-I 4K/XAVC S-I HD (Intra compression).

Example of recommended setting values
[File Format]: [XAVC S 4K]

Rec Frame Rate Record Setting
24p (NTSC) 100M 4:2:2 10bit
60p (NTSC)
50p (PAL)
200M 4:2:2 10bit
  1. XAVC HS 4K

This format records high image quality movies with rich gradations and smaller file sizes using the MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 codec with 10-bit color sampling.

To view movies on a TV

As a HDR-compatible Picture Profile, the camera is equipped with HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma), which is compatible with a wide color gamut BT.2020 color spaces.
If you connect a HDR (HLG)-compatible TV via HDMI, you can prevent over-exposure and under-exposure without performing the color grading process and enjoy watching movies that will appear more realistic as if they are viewed with the naked eye.

Example of recommended setting values

Rec Frame Rate Record Setting Picture Profile
60p (NTSC)
50p (PAL)
150M 4:2:0 10bit PP10*1
*1
When the gamma settings are [HLG], [HLG1], [HLG2], or [HLG3], you can shoot HDR movies with a wide dynamic range.

To edit movies

When you edit XAVC HS 4K movies on a computer, use a video editing software compatible with MPEG-H HEVC/H.265 codec.
We also recommend using a computer with high processing capability so that you can edit the movies with greater efficiency.
To play back movies on a Windows computer, the Video Codec extension provided by Microsoft must be installed on a computer with Windows10 or later.

Example of recommended setting values

Rec Frame Rate Record Setting
24p (NTSC) 100M 4:2:2 10bit

To shoot movies for long periods

This format enables recording 4K movies with a small file size by taking advantage of the high compression rate.
When you want to record 4K movies in the memory card for an extended period, we recommend the setting values (example) given below.

Example of recommended setting values

Rec Frame Rate Record Setting
60p (NTSC)
50p (PAL)
45M 4:2:0 10bit

Notes

  • XAVC HS movies cannot be played back on Android smartphones. These movies cannot be shared with other devices via smartphones.(As of December 2023)
  1. XAVC S-I 4K/XAVC S-I HD

This format records movies in the widely used MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 codec and therefore XAVC S-I 4K/XAVC S-I HD with10-bit 4:2:2 sampling with rich gradation is suitable for editing movies. Since Intra compression compresses the movie frame by frame, there is less load on a computer when editing movies compared with Long GOP compression. Note, however, that the recorded file sizes will be larger than the files recorded with Long GOP compression.

To view the recorded movies as is on a TV, we recommend shooting in XAVC S 4K/XAVC S HD with 8-bit 4:2:0 or XAVC HS 4K with a 10-bit 4:2:0 setting.

Example of recommended setting values
[File Format]: [XAVC S-I 4K]

Rec Frame Rate Record Setting
60p (NTSC) 600M 4:2:2 10bit
50p (PAL) 500M 4:2:2 10bit
24p (NTSC) 240M 4:2:2 10bit

Memory cards that can be used

The memory card requirements vary depending on the file format.

For information about the memory cards that can be used, visit the following website.