![]() So, to help us get a proper exposure with these log formats, Dunna Did It has made an insightful and informative video on the topic. But if you’re just starting out, these picture profiles can be a bit confusing at first. Now we have a lot of small mirrorless cameras available out there with great specs and affordable prices, at least for beginners who want to dip their toes into professional video shooting.īut what is that makes so popular Sony cameras? Price plays an important role, there’s no doubt about that, but the quite famous picture profiles like HLS, S-Log2, and S-Log3 have an even bigger role. The company has always been in the high-end camera market but has slowly entered the field where smaller brands prevailed. After I get the histogram close to bell-shape, I then adjust my ISO, f-stop and/or filter settings to ETTR.Sony is one of the most popular brands among independent filmmakers. But the more you practice it, the more natural you become at obtaining it. Getting this shape can be very tricky and sometimes not even an option. Then I know that in post I'll have ultimate flexibility when it comes to coloring. So, often times, I'll adjust my scene, my composition and everything else I can, until my histogram has a bell-curve shape. In my opinion, the healthiest images exist when the histogram has a bell-curve shape (see below). But, when the codec is more compressed, like the SONY A7sii, you need to make decisions on set that will give you more success in post. So, when I know my camera's footage is more flexible in post, I can be more of a risk taker on set. With most high-end camera systems, like the RED and Arri, their RAW codec is more flexibility in post which allows the dark and light outliers to be fixed more easily. When composing an image I always consider how the subject is fitting into the scene. ![]() This section is about knowing what the strengths and weaknesses are for any particular codec or picture profile, and then composing the scene to give you ultimate flexibility in post. This section is not about the rules of composing an image. When I'm working with the S-Log2 picture profile on my Sony A7sii I'm constantly analyzing the live histogram and making sure the image is slightly exposed to the right. As I've come to learn, the modern digital sensor wants (and needs) as much light as possible- without overexposing highlights obviously. Normal workflow was underexpose by a stop or two, protect the highlights, then lift the image in post production. From the time I can remember, underexposing images "just a touch" was the way to do it. For me, this was a new concept all together. ![]() Or at least it was new to me. This concept was showing up more and more on S-Log2 forums and all other digital cinema blogs. Exposureĭuring that time in March of 2015 a new concept was emerging in the digital camera space called ETTR. I've included short write ups under each image about my motivation for the lighting and editing. And how the picture profile handles different lighting scenarios. Below are some images I've pulled from Premiere projects to demonstrate the before and after comparisons of the S-Log2 color grade. But you also need to take into account how the lighting assists the story line. It's hard for me to specifically describe how to get high-quality light without knowing the details of the environment and what the story is trying to say. And that is the art. Is it a dramatic story? Is it a bright story? Is it a simple story? The lighting is obligated to be honest about what the story is trying to say and then push that story along. You need high-quality light to make a beautiful image. My settings are as follows: Black Level: 0, Gamma: S-Log2, Black Gamma: Middle/0, Knee: Auto, Color Mode: S-Gamut, Saturation: 0 and Color Phrase: 0. ![]() Quick note: When using the SONY A7sii I use Picture Profile 7 (PP7) under the camera settings. When it comes to effectively using the S-Log2 profile, I've found there are 4 keys elements: Lighting, exposure, composition and the color grade. This blog post is simply meant to share my technical and creative approach to using Sony's impressive, and tricky, S-Log2 picture profile. I don't make the claim to be a great colorist or technical expert. Since then, I've shot maybe 100 films using an array of different Sony's (A7s, A7sii, FS7) and edited/graded countless S-Log2 clips. That was in March of 2015 while filming a road trip adventure across the great state of Oregon. The first time I filmed with the S-Log2 picture profile was also the first time I used the SONY A7s mirrorless camera.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |