Sage

*Desert island

The NTG3 would outlast the 5U in extreme humidity and RF. No mistake though, if I had to pick just one for the rest of my life, CMIT 5U

44 minutes ago, Kisaha said:

I do not agree at all.

NTG3 is a cheaper and lesser version of the MKH416.

The NTG3 is an excellent mic if you can't afford a Sennheisser.

Audix is a lot cheaper and a lesser version of the MKH50. Audix's capsules are made in Germany.

The Neumann is similar to the CMC641, or maybe a DPA, but then DPA's are even more expensive than the Schoeps.

And that's A Ok; everyone has a unique vantage

Those are solely my first hand experiences, which were so different than everything that I expected (and directly contradicted my personal thinking that the NTG3 should not be used indoors)

Crazy as it sounds, I actually prefer the NTG3 to the MKH416! It has a more forgiving pick up pattern; and of course, there is the price factor

If I had to pick one desert island dialog mic, it would probably be the CMIT 5U

I've got an Audix + MixPre 3. I used to work with a group that used NTG3 inside all the time. I had a chance to test them side by side;

My impression was, as crazy as it sounds, that the NTG3 was a better choice, even inside. This is madness, and I was the one always pointing out they should have a hypercardioid. Over the years, there was a single occasion (of 1000s) that I remember the NTG3 distinctly failed, due to reflections. This specific scenario was a man with an incredibly deep and booming voice, facing a corner with two massive windows. I remember thinking it would sound incredible, but it was completely hollowed out and thin, unlike every other time with the NTG3.

The frequency distribution and effortless richness of the NTG3 was simply preferable to the Audix, tested indoors. This is not a mark against the Audix, which has incredible sound of its own, but rather my surprise at how good the NTG3 was. One could get them closer with an EQ, but there was one radio guy's voice that I just couldn't match.

I feel the MKH50 is the 'spiritual brother' of the NTG3 in hypercardioid land ('blockbuster' sound). Audix is like a cheaper option to the CMC641

11 hours ago, mercer said:

@Eugenia I’ve been reading your blog since your Canon P&S days. I learned a bunch back then, so thanks.

Right on, same here

On 8/26/2019 at 3:56 PM, njekolino said:

any update on the xt3 update?

Still working on the P4K. Though with the P4K, its 'EC2.0' that is the focus. Everything has been revised and dialed in. That new standard foundation will be able to be brought to new cameras much more efficiently once out

On 8/27/2019 at 3:53 AM, Miguelsantana said:

Just shot a super cinematic short doc in Brazil on the S1 in V-Log, would loveee to try your bespoke S1 conversion as soon as it’s available - even if a prototype. Any idea when that could be?

Not yet; you can expect things to move faster once the P4K is out. Dave Maze posted an S1H review using GHa on the sample footage sections (not sure how different it is from the S1):

On 8/23/2019 at 5:27 AM, jackch2n said:

Hi Alex! May I know when will the Pocket 4K Conversion be available? Can't wait to use it on my 4k xD

I'm not sure yet, there is much to do. I am working at a consistent pace of late; I put in a few 14 hour days last week. Every day, I'm working as efficiently as I can.

10 hours ago, JeremyDulac said:

Is this bit going to be useful with highlight recovery?

Yes, that intended HR handling I described has worked with flying colors (pun intended) and the files will be compatible with HR by default (reaching up into the 'super' values to conform them to LogC). Paired with the recent 129x129x129 HDR luts, this will mean superior performance for clipped gamut, especially extreme blue (although these colors are rare in everyday footage)

Just yesterday, I finished the new EC component completely. At the heart of it are two 129x luts in sequence - they are 84MB each ? (the final files will be traditional 65x). It turned out that the final critical piece of the puzzle was to recode to handle negative numbers for 'theoretical' color regions when color is hyper saturated (combined with 129x). I am very happy with the performance of this new EC component; it is a perfect match to the primaries of Arri 709 at center, with 2020-like gamut handling at the edges, in a 709 envelope, and the smoothest conversion I have yet made.

10 minutes ago, Justforfun said:

Has anyone tried this on the S1 vlog? Wondering if I should wait for that one or the GH5 version is close to optimized with the s1

I think some with an S1 have it. Its not optimized for the S1, but the conversions do take into consideration this theoretical space (no clipping) above the GH5 range. In the case of S1 use, I advise lowering highlights in advance of the conversion (ideally with hue lock as in the pdf) to dial in range. I'm not sure when I'll be able to support the S1; all is resting on my ability to be as efficient with my time as possible.

On 8/21/2019 at 6:22 PM, Yannis said:

Hi there, just a post to let you know that I’m also waiting for the P6K version of emotive color. I’m absolutely sure that both your knowledge and commitment will create some magic and make this beast of a camera shine in an unique way. Any ETA for the release ? Can’t wait !

Thank you for the amazing tools you are putting into our hands

Thanks so much!

Indeed it seems the P6K has a unique personality of its own. I don't know when it'll be ready, but I can say it will be something special.

An idea of what I've been kicking around: I rewrote the engine to work at whatever resolution on the fly. I did this to handle unique 97x/129x resolution passes that handle 'super' values beyond floating point 0.0 - 1.0. I've entirely remade the EC component in this larger space, and will be able to offer DCI-P3 variations (massively benefits 709 conversions as well)

1 hour ago, Attila Bakos said:

Btw what do you do with the gamut? Vlog L primaries are not published, do you use an estimation?

Yes, its an estimated continuation of the 'fringe' data. All of the gamut (and theoretical gamut) continue from the known edge of the sample cloud. In this way, even cameras with a wider range and gamut than the original intended can be used sans clipping

On 8/12/2019 at 3:00 PM, DVP said:

One thing I forgot to ask, does your HLG to VLOG L conversion LUT keep the wider Rec 2020 gamut of the HLG footage or is it optimizing it for the more limited Rec 709 color space, though flatter than the HLG profile?   Double checking as I am trying to keep the wider color gamut intact and have no interest in converting my HLG footage to Rec 709.  Thanks again!

There is no gamut compression; the key is that log formats are the 'data' format to HDR's 'display' format. Before displays could show a wide gamut and intense brightness, cameras were able to capture this data, which is stored in a log format.

2 hours ago, DVP said:

I see a LUT generator path from their site like this:  Arri Log-C Wide Gamut (Source) to HDR ARRI-2100 HLG (Conversion Parameter) to 3D LUT Video (Destination Output File). File type - DaVinci Resolve. 

If that looks good, how would that created Arri Log-C to Arri 2100 HLG conversion LUT play with your conversion LUT scenario? 

It kind of makes things a bit more complicated, I know, since I would like the Arri like colors with the GH5, but maintain HLG and Rec 2020 throughout as I want to output HLG wide color content.

 

Granted everything's set up for monitoring in HLG, and you want to deliver in that format, that would be the base. It would be used following the LogC variation (just as one would with ordinary LogC). The timeline would be set to work in HLG, so that the grading tools operate contoured to HLG

Just now, DVP said:

So, you would first set Resolve to Rec. 2100 HLG for the input and output color science and then drop the HLG Pre LUT onto the footage and then a common LogC LUT to maintain Alex like colors in a Rec 2020 color space? 

Or am I missing something?  Thanks!  I'm getting my head wrapped around Resolve color correcting.

You'll want those Resolve CM settings at default; the entirety of the data is accessible. One can think of the input and output settings in Resolve CM as a 'global CST', so to speak. For 2020, one could then use Arri's 2020 from their generator after the converted LogC. Granted, accurate post monitoring workflows can be challenging to set up.

https://www.arri.com/en/learn-help/learn-help-camera-system/tools/lut-generator

1 hour ago, DVP said:

Will there ever be a GH5 Alexa LUT for the HLG profile whilst maintaining the profile's BT 2020 gamut range?   Please and thank you!

The HLG Pre maintains the entirety of the captured gamut, converted to VLog (and then to LogC; log profiles are wide gamut):

Hlg

Pre to VLog

EC LogC

12 minutes ago, RCV said:

cool...for the p4k, would the p4Alex be applied to braw or prores? Or can be applied to both?

Both, though Braw is recommended for its unique advantages in this arena (accurate post WB etc.)

45 minutes ago, RCV said:

Genius shit as usual, Sage! Cant wait

With the new 6K announced, should they be the same sensor, just different sizes, this would be dope!

Also with the current p4k being developed, is the lut applied to the Vlog or prores footage? Or perhaps, it doesn't matter?

From the numbers, it sounds like its going to have a smaller pixel pitch. Grant noted that it would be 'almost identical', or something to that effect, but we'll have to see

Going by the numbers, it appears the pixel pitch will be decidedly smaller. I wonder if it'll use the dual Iso approach, given the different nature of the sensor

That 2.8k 120p mode is compelling

8 minutes ago, hijodeibn said:

Just a quick question, sorry if it was answered before, do this LUT works with GH4 footage?, or GH4 footage recorder with an Atomos external recorder?, any examples around?

It was made for the GH5 originally. I'd recommend Cine-D in that scenario over VLog for codec integrity, and/or recording externally to 10 bit.  I've seen a few examples over time, here is one:

1 hour ago, Parker said:

Really enjoying this lut the more I use it. Some grabs from a shoot today:

Awesome shots man, really nice

Nice work guys; sure, Aces is a viable route (VLog -> LogC -> Aces). With the next release though, EC will really exceed the aesthetics of standard LogC routes in every way

12 hours ago, mirekti said:

@Sage Any update on GH5S profile?

Well, I've certainly blown through my own deadlines. Best steer clear of further prediction until the exact date can be guaranteed beyond a doubt. Progress on the P4K is good (which directly benefits the S, and 5).

Here is the first 'P4Ka in the wild':

EC MAIN

EC LINEAR

On 7/19/2019 at 7:09 PM, Adam Kuźniar said:

Look who's using GHAlexa too
 

 

An excellent channel; very well spoken. His lighting reviews have been a great resource for me

9 hours ago, Wild Ranger said:

Hi, here is a music video that i was DP, shot with GHAlex.

it´s on the band's youtube only, so compression sucks. but i can upload some frames

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4hmsEW6PKQ&fbclid=IwAR3cYGmVBw47xgaaULwJKtSEQ9n8E9vpatP_55kWdZnOG371OHM_9_V_5zg

So cool man, very metal ? 

2 hours ago, Jak234 said:

@sage: yes Please Panasonic S1. Its a killer camera and so many people will request in the future.

Concerning Luminance in recoding 10bit. Shall i activate 0-1023, 64-940 or 64-1023 in my Panasonics s1 (VLOG) to be most compatible with your gh5a lut right now?

Thank you

It would be 0-1023 for VLog I believe (which is locked on the GH5 for VLog). Another advantage to the S1 vs the 5, is that it apparently can accept full look-ups for preview? The GH5 .vlt interpolation is shoddy next to the S1 and P4K here.

Saw these this week, I was really impressed:

Yan Berthemy sent this to me:

On 7/13/2019 at 10:24 PM, Wild Ranger said:

Hi! It's there any idea if someone wanna try this Lut with Panasonic S1?

I'm very curious of the result. 

I hope to get there; I've been getting a lot of requests for the S1 lately. At the moment its the P4K, S, XT3 and S1 on the horizon. I expect to keep a swift pace once the P4K is out.

David L'Abbée, who has been fundamental to GHa since the beginning, sent this yesterday:

Hey guys, just back from a trip -

On 6/20/2019 at 12:38 PM, RCV said:

Dope work as usual Sage!

Selfish and unnecessary question but will there be a 4000 K or 4200 K  WB option for those of us who love the bluish and greenish hues in daylight? 

Great work regardless... can't wait for the p4k version

Thanks RCV! Yes - but it'll be an approximation for ~4000k fluorescents/leds. For daylight, you'll want to use an accurate WB (from a white card), with the Daylight variation

On 7/3/2019 at 6:43 PM, GeorgeN said:

Wanted to try out my new Simmod variable nd for times I dont want to keep changing my firecrest Nd's.

Seems to work pretty well after messing with the WB shift in camera to get rid of the green tint. Im starting to love using the GH5 with this Lut. I'v never had a camera produce such great colours with minimal effort.

Fantastic video; exposure and WB were on point

On 7/4/2019 at 2:25 AM, midloch said:

Hi guys,

I use Vegas pro 16 for editing and grading. When shooting to v-log I firstly use panasonic LUT V-LOG to REC709 and after I do some grading (saturation etc).

Do you think that GHAlex Lut will work with Vegas pro? Has anyone tried it?

Thank you a lot!

Yes, though Vegas is a complete black box for me. Perhaps one day I'll give it a try. The same principles and order of operations for Resolve/Premiere apply to Vegas (granted the particulars of the NLE)

On 7/4/2019 at 6:16 AM, GeorgeN said:

Thanks, I used a leica 50mm-r summicron and kowa b&h.

The Simmod seems pretty decent, I got one really cheap second hand though.It definitely has a greenish cast but using the wb tint adjustment in cam you can dial this out. I was using a tiffen variable nd before and the Simmod seems so much better.

With NDs, its quite important to WB accurately. They very often give a green cast (also the case with the reference Firecrests)

On 7/5/2019 at 4:48 AM, Rinad Amir said:

Am waiting for GH5s release lut 

Seen reviews i must try . 

Working towards it; P4K is next, then S thereafter

On 7/6/2019 at 4:16 AM, Jak234 said:

@Sage:  do you think will the Lut will be workable on a Panasonics S1? It is Vlog and not Vlog-L. Also it should have significant more dynamic range. Does that mean underexposing to use the Lut?

Best

I would like to do an S1 variation, but it'll be a while yet. In either scenario, the exposure target of 45 middle gray will remain the same. With the current variation, one would lower the highlights in the NLE in advance of the conversion (rather than expose darkly in camera)

On 7/6/2019 at 9:04 AM, TurboRat said:

Do you also learn C++ as you go, or were you a C++ dev before creating the LUTs?

You can actually use it already with your GH5s shots just needs some tweaking for your personal taste

It was learn as I went; I had no idea how to code in C++ when I started. It was a daunting task, but I did used to code in ti-basic a long time ago. The challenge was about learning the particulars of C++, getting back into that mode, getting my head around the idea of 3d color manipulations, and coding with modern full computer potential. On the calculator, efficiency was everything.

On 7/4/2019 at 1:58 PM, bigp said:

Great stuff, just giving his books Cinema 1 & 2 a go... here is a nice podcast with intro to his work:

 

I was going to mention exactly this, with the recent episodes on Giles;

This is probably my favorite podcast, I've listened to almost every episode

36 minutes ago, 4nund said:

Hey @Sage

Bought GHalex a couple of months ago, really enjoying it so far! Got two questions:

1. Is there any difference between filming in Vlog or filming in CineD and using the pre LUT? 

2. Do you have any reccomendations on adjusting whitebalance in FCPX?

There is no difference under reference light (halogen or sunlight+FSNDs), but under leds/cfls there will be some degree of variance, depending on the peculiarity of the light spectrum. For an example of how they compare, here is VLog (400) and Cine-D (200) both converted to Main:

Here is interim guidance for Fcpx:

- To neutralize WB, (before everything else) use the temp/tint controls in the Color Wheels in conjunction with the Vectorscope. Avoid the Basic WB eyedropper (more than just WB).

- *For very bright or dark exposure, place the luma here, ahead of the conversion.

- Then, if you are shooting to VLog, you only need one Custom LUT Utility (listed under FCPX effects), with Main, Soft, or Linear loaded. For HLG or Cine-D, use 2 Custom Lut Utilities, with the PRE first (if HLG or Cine-D), and Main, Soft, or Linear second. *Avoid the MotionFX mLut plug-in* (incorrect color with PRE combo)
- After those, place the luma with your preferred luma tools in FCPX.

- The same basic principles and order of operation in Resolve and Premiere apply to FCPX