A7C Auto Mode Very over saturated

[Orion5150]

I just picked up the Sony A7C last week.  I am not a professional just a hobbyist. I’m upgrading from the a6000.  I’m sure everyone’s going to yell at me for shooting in auto mode but I tend to do that more times than not.  I want a camera that is not too heavy but really wanted a full frame sensor. I was so excited to use this new camera.

 

I was out on my deck in the early morning hours testing some photos in auto mode versus manual. Taking shots of the dog in the backyard as the sun was just coming up. I noticed in auto mode the photos were extremely oversaturated. It looked as if it was high noon and the sun was bright as can be. The grass Looked very bright green and all colors seemed way too intense. Again the sun wasn’t even fully up in the yard to the naked eye make there were muted tones and very subtle. 
 

is there something wrong with my camera? It Doesn’t look like there’s anything much I can adjust in auto mode to fix that. But the pictures aren’t even close to what the naked eye is seeing.  I Tried a few more tonight at sunset while the kids were in the backyard playing and again it really changed the color and light levels and wasn’t even close to resembling what I was seeing with my own eyes.

 

Again, I know I can go to manual mode and adjust everything myself but just seems odd that auto mode could be that off.

 

thx!

Edited May 12, 2021 by Orion5150

[Orion5150]

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[Orion5150]

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[Orion5150]

Here are a few examples.  Auto is very saturated.  Looks nice in this example but it’s not capturing the real image.  I want the camera to capture what I’m seeing not an artistic representation. The other photos were captured in manual mode and looked exactly as they did that morning.

[XKAES]

The first thing to do is to read your manual.  Your camera may or may not be set to the factory defaults.  The manual will tell you how to do it.  If the factory defaults are not what you like, the manual will tell you how to change them.  You can set them for more vivid colors, or more subdued colors --  slightly or strongly.  Look in the index for CUSTOM settings.  Try out a few settings -- color adjustments, contrast adjustments, etc.  There probably is a subdued setting you can choose that's built-in that's right for the way you want to shoot.

And, "No", not everyone here shoots in manual mode!

[Orion5150]

Thanks for the feedback.  I did read through the online manual when I bought the camera 2 weeks ago.   I went through every menu screen too.
 

The problem is that none of these adjustments are available If I shoot in Auto mode.  I was just hoping to see if anyone else had this issue and its normal or perhaps there is something wrong with my camera.  My camera return date is tomorrow.

[XKAES]

I'm not familiar with that model, but all the ones I am familiar with allow for:

#1 -- the adjustment of auto-settings, such as increasing/decreasing contrast, color intensity, exposure, etc.

and/or

#2 -- offering custom settings of these features that can be saved for permanent or future use.

If your manual is 150 pages or more, as most are, I'd take a more in-depth look at it.

Is there a MODE dial on your camera that has P, M, A, S settings?  What other settings are on that dial?  I bet there is a 1, 2 & 3.  These are for custom settings -- explained in the manual.

Edited May 12, 2021 by XKAES

[XKAES]

Another point that probably applies to your camera is the "AUTO" setting on the PASM dial.  When you set the dial to "AUTO" the camera resets several features to the factory default.  That might not be what you want.  If you use the "P" setting instead, any changes you make through the MENU system are kept. 

Your manual explains all this.

The AUTO and P settings are the same except for this resetting feature -- this is why many people ONLY select the AUTO setting on the PASM dial when they intentionally want to reset things.

[LiveShots]

Use Program Auto instead (P). This will auto adjust to what the camera sees but you can adjust how the camera interprets the data.  For example you can set Vivid, Natural etc in Creative Style:

https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2020/v1/en/contents/TP0001140462.html?search=Creative

Program Auto will take care of all the ISO, shutter, aperture etc. but you still control how the results look.

If you use Auto all the time you are getting the results that some software engineer in Japan thinks that you want.

[XKAES]

The original post suggests the problem is happening when AUTO mode is used.

[LiveShots]

28 minutes ago, XKAES said:

The original post suggests the problem is happening when AUTO mode is used.

Correct, Intelligent Auto (AUTO) examines the scene and changes the characteristics of the image based on what the software developer thinks the user wants to see. 

Program Auto (P) does something similar but allows the user to change how the image looks.
 

[XKAES]

We seem to agree that Orion should try the P mode instead of the AUTO mode -- and re-read the instruction manual on how to choose the many ways that the results can be changed/improved -- and saved for later use.

[BeeVee]

Hello Orion & all,

I too have the same problem. Forget the other settings, folks; the question relates to the AUTO mode. Mine produces extreem saturation and exaggerated contrast. Like Orion, I can't find a way of adjusting this and AUTO mode seems to be a misleading name for that setting which should, at least, give acceptable 'fall-back' pictures. It soesn't!

I am tempted to think I got a bad a7C, but seeing this post makes me wonder.... I see I am not alone!

[XKAES]

There is probably nothing wrong with your camera.

Let me say it again"

"Another point that probably applies to your camera is the "AUTO" setting on the PASM dial.  When you set the dial to "AUTO" the camera resets several features to the factory default.  That might not be what you want.  If you use the "P" setting instead, any changes you make through the MENU system are kept. 

Your manual explains all this.

The AUTO and P settings are the same except for this resetting feature -- this is why many people ONLY select the AUTO setting on the PASM dial when they intentionally want to reset things."

[BeeVee]

Further to my post yesterday, I have been playing a bit nore with my a7C. I have found that when the SD card is played on the PC, the oversaturation phenominon does not appear, ie: picttures are normal, even though they are oversaturated viewed in the camera. Moreover, if you go into the Menu - Setup 1 - Gamma Disp. Assist,,,, set this to OFF - your camera display  will now be normal.

[OssamaH]

Hi.

Actually i'm having the same issue exactly. I was using A6000 mostly with auto mode. I sold it and bought the A7C with Sony 40MM G lens and Zeiss 24-70 F4 lens. Firstly i thought the issue from the lenses so o bought sigma 28-70 MM f2.8 and still getting same result. After searching and reading i found that sony A6000 has face skin filter so it is giving better portraits in auto mode. Currently i'm stuck and don't know what is is the right decision to take. Shall i sell it and buy A6400 as that one is the most near futures from A6000. Or other wise i need to learn how to use the A7c manually.

[Alejandro]

4 hours ago, OssamaH said:

Currently i'm stuck and don't know what is is the right decision to take. Shall i sell it and buy A6400 as that one is the most near futures from A6000. Or other wise i need to learn how to use the A7c manually.

The Automatic mode is......: Automatic. Nothing can be changed.
Saturation and contrast are set for the Automatic mode as Sony thought would please most users.
Regarding colours, even in the past, different brands of films gave different colours. Photos taken with Agfa, Kodak or Fuji gave different colours and even different films from each had their own character. I preferred the colours from Fuji, and when it came to B&W, the tones given by Agfa or Ilford films.

There is probably nothing wrong with your camera (but I might be wrong of course). For the way in which you shoot (jpg and allowing the camera to determine everything automatically) and for what you pretend to obtain, you don’t need to shoot in Manual mode (that by itself won’t change the saturation of the pictures you take in jpg), try first to do as it has already been recommended by others: on “Creative Styles” set the style (there even ought to be a “Portrait” one) and for the style you choose, set the saturation and contrast you prefer, and shoot in “P” mode (which is automatic, but for which you can pre-set some parameters including the Creative Style, as it has already been explained). 

And if I were you (you asked for an opinion), I would keep the A7C and the lenses you bought, and I would read the manual more thoroughly and experiment a bit. At least, give a try to what has been recommended to do by several others, before making up your mind.

Edited September 9, 2021 by Alejandro