Comparison video of D log and regular mode?

neo_xiii · Mar 23, 2017

kona said:
How do you edit your d log videos to move the colors into natural looking ranges?

Actually editing d-log is not impossible , but it will take a lot more time , as this profile is really flat. And from my opinion, grading to a natural looking is much more difficult if you are not experienced. That's why I advise everyone to give Cinelike a try.
Have a look at that video which explains pretty well the pros and cons of it:

Besides, the None profile is not that bad , it can give good results if lighting is good, but personally I find it less good regarding the dynamic range.

neo_xiii · Mar 23, 2017

raybanner said:
Look at these just perfect footage in 2,7k. You can not only see but also feel the less compression in 2,7k.
Personally, I'm for an overall clearer image instead of crisp details with more compression. Just figured this the hard way because you need 4k right?

DJi Mavic Pro - Professional FIlm Look - CinemaScope 4K
Drone footage of the city center with the dji Mavic Pro

You're right these shots are amazing to me! it's exactly the look I like , especially in hard lighting conditions such as sunsets with strong contrasts between sky and ground.
From the description of the video, this has been shot in 2,7k, but upscaled in 4k with anti aliasing, d-log, 25fps, +1/-3/0.
Yes you can have very good results with d-log if you have skills in color grading, it's just a lot of work. The +1 sharpness setting helps getting rid of the watercolor effect, which is by the way more visible when filming trees and landscapes, and not present when shooting buildings (which have very sharp edges).
My guess is that there should be some ND filter too (especially in the first video) considering all the details in the highlights, but maybe i'm wrong.
I will definitely have to try 2,7k..
At the end, i'm exporting my videos in 1080p, and i'm shooting in 4k to have the best definition possible , which allow me to zoom and crop significantly without losing definition. That's the only reason i'm shooting 4k. But until now , i must admit i never really had the need to crop the image, as I'm trying to make a good composition while shooting.
Still learning as you can see but hopefully we can learn from each other here

Cheers

4wd · Mar 23, 2017

neo_xiii said:
Yes you can have very good results with d-log if you have skills in color grading, it's just a lot of work.

I don't find it difficult, try with style all on zero to start, and in most light you only need quite modest contrast and saturtion adding later.
I think D-Log is easier to grade than Art Mode.

neo_xiii · Mar 23, 2017

4wd said:
I don't find it difficult, try with style all on zero to start, and in most light you only need quite modest contrast and saturtion adding later.
I think D-Log is easier to grade than Art Mode.

I agree if you compare to Art, which is quite more difficult to grade . the problem with d-log is that its quality tend to depend on your mavic unit , some have "good" d-log but you can only know it by testing it and comparing to other color style. On my mavic there are no doubt , d-log is awfully muddy as soon as you decrease its sharpness.. I wish i could use it though, cause I like to correct/grade , but unfortunately i can't with this profile.

4wd · Mar 23, 2017

This is from D-Log and quite surprised me how good it looked on big TV, nice light is always very helpful.
Recorded at 0, -2, 0 and colour manual 6800

Strafe1 · Mar 23, 2017

kona said:
OK cool, and do you think the D-Cinelike results are noticeably better than "None" mode?

I think they are better, but it really is a matter of taste. None profile is too saturated for me and I have very little room to push colors or lighting effects around. As someone said above, not all Mavics are created equal, and some profiles just work better than others. I think you have to test for yourself!

neo_xiii · Mar 23, 2017

Strafe1 said:
I think they are better, but it really is a matter of taste. None profile is too saturated for me and I have very little room to push colors or lighting effects around. As someone said above, not all Mavics are created equal, and some profiles just work better than others. I think you have to test for yourself!

+1 for me, I prefer Cinelike, like I said previously above. But None can be good for you if you don't want to spend time color grading, again : test your mavic , then you will know what suits you the best. For me there is no perfect setting, you have to find one that you like and that match your expectations and needs, then play with contrast and saturation if needed.

ElGuapo · Mar 23, 2017

MavicFrank said:
That is one of the most articulate posts I've read on here. I've been lurking on the water color thread for a while now, and to be honest, the opinions there are all over the place. I am a scientist by trade and your systematic approach appeals to me. For myself, I plan to start out at 2.7k/30fps with varying SS and using None, 0,0,0 as a baseline and go from there. Thanks for your post.

and try filters, they make a big difference. My go to filter is a Polar Pro ND16, I shoot at 2.7k/30fps with SS at 60 and 0,0,0. This is what works for my Mavic, unfortunately this is all going to change for me very soon. I had to send my Mavic to DJI for warranty work. There is an issue with the Gimbal, it would sometimes roll to the left / right, I've had this issue from day one and did not want to have to send it in and deal with DJI's CS. Last weekend, the rolling was really bad and decided to go ahead and get this taken care of as we are planning a trip to Sri Lanka.

Take a look at this short clip I made for DJI, excuse the rolling, however settings for this cinematic look scene was 2.7k/30 fps - SS at 60 - 0,0,0 plus and a Polar Pro ND16 filter

neo_xiii · Mar 23, 2017

ElGuapo said:
and try filters, they make a big difference. My go to filter is a Polar Pro ND16, I shoot at 2.7k/30fps with SS at 60 and 0,0,0. This is what works for my Mavic, unfortunately this is all going to change for me very soon. I had to send my Mavic to DJI for warranty work. There is an issue with the Gimbal, it would sometimes roll to the left / right, I've had this issue from day one and did not want to have to send it in and deal with DJI's CS. Last weekend, the rolling was really bad and decided to go ahead and get this taken care of as we are planning a trip to Sri Lanka.

Take a look at this short clip I made for DJI, excuse the rolling, however settings for this cinematic look scene was 2.7k/30 fps - SS at 60 - 0,0,0 plus and a Polar Pro ND16 filter

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yes ND filters can make a difference , as long as you know to use them. But you can't say a ND16 is a go to filter as it really depends on what lighting conditions you have when shooting.
I have ND4,8,16 and 32 Taco RC (which work really well by the way) and the least I can say is that you had to adapt your ND to the conditions. ND16 works well in bright sunny days (except if you're in the mountains with lot of snow and sun, ND32 may be useful here), but only when shooting things that are fully exposed to the sun. As soon as you try to shoot in the shadow you may be under exposed (if you use 60SS), and all you can change in-flight to increase exposure is ISO, which is not what you're looking for.. Sometimes it's better to use a lower ND filter , and play with the shutter speed to get the good exposure , with ISO 100. This will prevent you from "RTHing" with the mavic each time you need to switch filters. I've heard that underexposing tends to increase the watercolor effect, and highlights with the mavic are (from my personal opinion) easier to color correct than shadows. That's why I usually try to "expose to the right", but not too much of course.
Compromises , that's what you will probably have to keep in mind

But ND filters are not the subject here , lets go back to the main thread what do you think ?

Gerry65 · Mar 23, 2017

ElGuapo said:
At one time I was using iMovie but now I use Final Cut Pro X which does a very good job of color correcting.

I too used iMovie but just bought a MacBook pro and am trying to learn FCPX. I took the suggestions here and videoed a scene while just holding the mavic. I played around with the color template as well as with the saturation and exposure settings. When you say FCPX does a good job of color correcting, is this what you are referring to or are there other techniques to employ in the app? Thanks. Just trying to figure these things out.

neo_xiii · Mar 25, 2017

raybanner said:
Finally someone who put the whole watercolor thread into one post. Perfect explanation!
One question for you: Did you test 2,7k vs 4k too? I ask because 2,7k compresses less than 4k.

Hello again,
I've done some testing in 2,7k , tried every main color styles and settings and ... unfortunately I didn't noticed any difference with 4k regarding the watercolor problem.
On my unit, the muddy image is still there whatever the resolution (didn't tried 1080p though).
As I'm moving to a trip in Thailand in 2 weeks, I will stick to 0 in sharpness in cinelike, and maybe will send my mavic back to DJI when back home. But I do fear to receive a refurbished mavic if I do so... [emoji29]

raybanner · Mar 25, 2017

I'm in the same situation. We will be out on a trip to Malaysia and Indonesia in a week from now. I will record everything in 2,7k 30fps. Thinking of sending in my mavic after the trip.

ElGuapo · Mar 25, 2017

neo_xxii - raybanner,

I was in that same situation as you both last month. We had a trip planned abroad to Costa Rica, of course I wanted to bring the Mavic in this trip from the portability stand point. I've had this horrible Gimbal Roll from left to right ( Gimbal Twitch ) in mid flight and did not want to send it in to DJI until after the trip. Luckily the Mavic behaved during the time we were there. I was shooting the whole time in 2.7k 30 fps, using a Polar Pro filters, over there the sun is very bright. Needless to say I am please with the video and pictures, I'm so happy she behaved.
Finally last weekend we drove down to the coast, most of the video footage is nearly unusable from the Gimbal roll from left to right. Finally decided to roll the dices and sent it to DJI, I am fearing the worst, receiving a refurbished unit. My unit was tack sharp, the only problem has been the Gimbal roll from day one, right out of the box. Only reason I'm doing this now is because in a few months we are going to go to Sri Lanka , and want to have enough time to work out the bugs of the unit I'm going to receive from DJI. This should be considered warranty work, mine has never been crashed or mistreated in anyway.

Can't wait to see the footage from your trip.

ElGuapo · Mar 25, 2017

Gerry65 said:
I too used iMovie but just bought a MacBook pro and am trying to learn FCPX. I took the suggestions here and videoed a scene while just holding the mavic. I played around with the color template as well as with the saturation and exposure settings. When you say FCPX does a good job of color correcting, is this what you are referring to or are there other techniques to employ in the app? Thanks. Just trying to figure these things out.

I developed my own work flow by playing around with FCPX and watching Youtube videos.
This video should shed light on a starting point of a work flow. To be honest with you, there is no right way or wrong way of a work flow for color correcting and color grading. Practice is what makes perfection, I've spent quite a bit of time playing around with videos shot at different times during the day, as lighting conditions vary based on the position of the sun, as well on cloudy days using various filters.

ElGuapo · Mar 25, 2017

Gerry65 said:
I too used iMovie but just bought a MacBook pro and am trying to learn FCPX. I took the suggestions here and videoed a scene while just holding the mavic. I played around with the color template as well as with the saturation and exposure settings. When you say FCPX does a good job of color correcting, is this what you are referring to or are there other techniques to employ in the app? Thanks. Just trying to figure these things out.

Also take a look at this video I shot last month off the coast of Costa Rica, I used FCPX for color correcting and grading. To summarize, on that day the sun was extremely bright, temperature was around 92 degrees. It was so bring out that I could hardly see the display of my mobile device. When I landed the Mavic to swap the battery I had to let it sit for a few minutes as the motors were extremely hot.

mavicpilotca · Mar 25, 2017

t0rpedo said:
I shoot in pure d-log [-1,-3,-3]. I love what I can do with it in post. In my opinion it's totally worth the time and effort. Here's a couple of my latest vids shot in d-log with color grading:

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Great shooting and editing. Impressive!

t0rpedo · Mar 30, 2017

mavicpilotca said:
Great shooting and editing. Impressive!

Hey thanks! I appreciate the kind words.

Gerry65 · Mar 30, 2017

ElGuapo said:
I developed my own work flow by playing around with FCPX and watching Youtube videos.
This video should shed light on a starting point of a work flow. To be honest with you, there is no right way or wrong way of a work flow for color correcting and color grading. Practice is what makes perfection, I've spent quite a bit of time playing around with videos shot at different times during the day, as lighting conditions vary based on the position of the sun, as well on cloudy days using various filters.

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Thanks for the insight and for demonstrating some of the FCPX basics.

dmyers7 · Mar 30, 2017

t0rpedo said:
I shoot in pure d-log [-1,-3,-3]. I love what I can do with it in post. In my opinion it's totally worth the time and effort. Here's a couple of my latest vids shot in d-log with color grading:

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Well done! That's gorgeous cinematic footage.

If your not it grading colors I find true color to be very balanced and not over saturated like the stock settings which really are quite edgy. Even with true-color I run -1 on color contrast and sharpness. Also manually select your WB for the situation to be safe.

HFMan · Mar 31, 2017

I prefer 2.7K Cinelike. This is no filters, required just a bit of color correction and contrast adjustment. Would be even better with a bit of filter. Two of the pans in this were not the best, but I didn't have enough footage to replace them with something better.