Good graded image with Dlog-M mode compared to Normal mode ?

[bobomet]

Can some of you please post screenshot of "better" graded videos in DLog-M compared to Normal mode ?
I've been grading all my videos for some time now, but somehow I 'm getting better result starting from Normal mode rather than using DLog-M with the LUT to rec709 provided by DJI.

OK I can get better retrieval in the burnt areas and the shadows, but DLog-M seems softer with less details, flater and with unpleasant fisheye deformation .

I was just wondering if any of you managed to get better results, and if you could post some example with normal mode vs your graded DLog-M

I always shoot in DLOG. My shoot partner and I always observe closely the lighting and colors at our shoot locations, and base our color adjustments on what we saw on a given day and time.
Normal looks good too, but it's rarely what our brains "saw" during our shoots.

 

[kilomikebravo]

I always shoot in DLOG.

Bobomet: I have been as well but that may change.

KB

 

[Shawn3D]

Usually the dynamic range of normal is very limited, where as DLog M gives you the most flexibility. It is actually safest to film flat and never run the risk of clipping your image. It’s always a lot easier to not just repair but also have an amazing looking shot when you have all this information of D-Log M ready at hand in edit.

It’s highly beneficial for you to use the SpectrumGrades Cinematic LUTs made for the Dji Mavic 2 Pro D Log M to very easily maximize a Filmic look.

This is because it maintains your shadows and highlights details with a sophisticated aesthetic filmic look that is developed with advanced color transforms. There’s many samples of graded DLog for you to check out if you go into the Cine Collection M2 page.

Here’s the screenshots of the before and after sliders. Go onto the site and use them yourself on the following link...
SpectrumGrades |Drone, Camera Filmic Presets LUTs and Noise reduction

 

[kilomikebravo]

Thanks a lot for this video I would say DLOG , HLG and Normal.

Kraft: It seems no one else wants to play the game so...

YOU WIN! Your guess was dead on and clearly "you have the eye." <smile>

Even so, based on the other guesses, I'd say it's fairly clear that the differences are quite small between the three.

Congrats!

KB

 

[kvv]

in sunny conditions there are little or no difference at all.
but in some situation there are big difference between normal, d-log, hlg
here are some example.

 

[kraft2000]

Yes it’s the feeling I have : just being able to do video with fewer blown highlight and more dynamic range. But you can easily see highlights with zebra display on the DJI app, and just lowering the exposure in normal mode, then grading by correcting the exposure back in post process seems enough for me.

 

[kvv]

lowering the exposure in normal mode,

then you will have no details in shadows
Also if you shoot against sun or through forest you will have better result with d-log.
but in other 90% situation i agree there is almost no difference.

 

[kilomikebravo]

but in other 90% situation i agree there is almost no difference.

<smiling>

Kraft/kvv: First, I certainly agree that there is a time and place to use the 10-bit color. No question about that and it’s pretty awesome too. Fact is I’m sure I will continue to shoot in Dlog but I guess I was trying to make the point that even with all our hard work in post, someone else can shoot in normal and deliver an outstanding clip that to the average person looks spectacular.

Secondly, I can certainly live with 90%.

Finally, I think most of us would agree that without careful scrutiny, it can often be difficult to discern the differences.

Aside from the criticisms, I personally think the MP2 is an unbelievably capable quad and I absolutely love mine.

KB

 

[Robert Granata]

I am an amateur when it comes to color grading so have some compassion with comments. <smile> I too saw the WeTalkUAV post from Alex and Chivo but after you asked the question, I wanted to do a comparison of my own. Here are three ten-second clips using Normal, HLG, and D-Log M (HQ) (although not necessarily in that order.) For now, I won't indicate whether I agree with Alex or not but my guess is, if you can't tell which is which in this short comparison, you will be served quite well with Normal 8-bit video. First time using a OneDrive link too so I hope it works correctly and gives enough bandwidth.

KB

Normal / HLG / D-Log M Quick Comparison

Dlog/Normal/HLG

 

[kilomikebravo]

Dlog/Normal/HLG

Close Rob, and I should’ve posted the results even though they were in kraft’s first quote.

DLog/HLG/Normal

Thanks for participating to all.

KB

 

[The Film Poets]

A good way to think about is this : The color profile is a bucket, and the scene (your shot) goes into that bucket. If the scene can fit into the normal color profile bucket, then no problem, but if it cannot you'll have clipped highlights, crushed shadows, and even some strange saturation clipping. Dlog-M is a larger bucket and can hold more information.

High dynamic range scenes are often outside the range of what the normal profile can handle, so I always shoot in Dlog-M and apply Natural LUTs to correct the image. This is actually easier than flipping back and forth between both color profiles and trying to grade them differently in post.

 

[Spike151]

Why not adjust the color profile manually, rather than use a LUT? Ive tried many different LUT's with the Dlogm photos and get better results spending a bit of time adjusting them manually

 

[kilomikebravo]

The color profile is a bucket..

Excellent analogy, Matt (or Pacey.)

Spike: I think it once again boils down to "taste" when it comes to workflow. If you are happier with manual adjustments, I say, go for it. Personally, I prefer to at least start with a LUT and then, if I think the clip needs additional tweaks, I make them but there are some pretty nice LUT's out there and I usually stick to one or two that I like and often do not make any further adjustments. But, to each his/her own, right?

Happy flying and filming,

KB

 

[The Film Poets]

Why not adjust the color profile manually, rather than use a LUT?

Good question. With any log profile there will be a very specific gamma curve, saturation boost, and in Dlog-m’s case, hue shifts that need to happen to put it back to a proper looking image. Sure these can be eyeballed, but it’s an inconsistent way of grading. I like to apply one of the three Natural LUTs and then tweak for any exposure mistakes if needed.

 

[Spike151]

Yep I agree totally, I got a LUT pack for Cyberlink Color Director, and depending on the colors of the scene I am shooting, sometimes I do use a LUT and tweak after. I dont like the DJI LUT much, i prefer other third parties efforts, its all personal choice and if you are happy with the results, then you organize your workflow accordingly.

 

[Shawn3D]

Usually the dynamic range of normal is very limited, where as DLog M gives you the most flexibility. It is actually safest to film flat and never run the risk of clipping your image. It’s always a lot easier to not just repair but also have an amazing looking shot when you have all this information of D-Log M ready at hand in edit.

It’s highly beneficial for you to use the SpectrumGrades Cinematic LUTs made for the Dji Mavic 2 Pro D Log M to very easily maximize a Filmic look.

This is because it maintains your shadows and highlights details with a sophisticated aesthetic filmic look that is developed with advanced color transforms. There’s many samples of graded DLog for you to check out if you go into the Cine Collection M2 page.

Here’s the screenshots of the before and after sliders. Go onto the site and use them yourself on the following link...
SpectrumGrades |Drone, Camera Filmic Presets LUTs and Noise reduction

 

[CanadaDrone]

For photos at least, this thing seems to respond well to (very) slight overexposure. Seems to be easier to fix blown highlights than to recover dark and noisy shadows.

You have much more leeway to fix shadows than highlights on virtually any modern CMOS sensor, including the 1" Sony IMX183 in the pro. It may not seem like that because when you try to recover shadows you are likely asking for a push if 2-4 stops but recovering highlights is usually more like 0.5-1 stop. Completely blown highlights occur much sooner than crushed shadows and are impossible to recover because there is no information to recover from.