Rand Thompson

After and Before
vlog graded_1.1.1.tif
 

I brought this up in another thread. I thought it was just due to me over saturating the S-log-3 footage due to my inexperience with it.

Hi,
 
i've just tested A7SII compared to 5DIII RAW... Dynamic is better with the A7SII. But also definition, stabilisation, compressed codec with a little better results than 5DIII big size files... Even when you have to take pictures : i found an EVF with peaking to be a fantastic choice to make All Manual pictures... i didn't do my focus manually on my 5DIII and i just say to myself this is a good thing as it is fast !!! Optical viewfinder is not enough to adjust your focus... EVF with Sony is just the right choice to be fast and accurate for pictures. I've discovered it today for pictures...
 
In fact i wasn't ready to buy an A7SII and let my 5DIII go... but this evening with the bunch of tests i've done i can't say an other thing that : Bye Bye 5DIII. You've done an excellent job so far during these years, but RAW video is not that enough now... A compressed codec like XAVCS 8 bits gives better results with much much less heavy files... And workflow likes it too... Does'nt have to do .MLV to DNG now... This is true you can't push it too far... but this is what i thought about 8 bits codec (I'm using for the first time) : if you control well the exposure and the color temperature when you shoot, this is all ok in post... RAW video is a bit more forgiving... but not to much...
 
The only major problem (that is a serious one to me) is that reds on A7SII are not true... and i don't know how to tweak it to bring them right... In fact they take some orange tints instead to stay right red...
 
Here is what i think right now... and i can assure you this was not going to sound like this with a poor codec like the Sony one faced to RAW 14 bits... You know what... i couldn't had think i could say this : I love this A7SII... Just a good tool to make some great footage. Not for job more serious of course, as the colors are a bit strange sometimes but a great camera for personal jobs without a doubt.
 
 
 
Even though you're totally right for the tinyness of the camera... and menus etc etc... this is all bad... But with a little practice i think it will be ok. 2 days with it and i'm more familiar... Have some horrible cramps at my fingers though as it is way too small... lol

Good Luck to you!!  Hopefully in the not too distant future I will be able to say the same. However, for now, my talent level will be keeping me on vimeo  with my 1:30 to 3:30 minute videos with unlicensed music.

Nice, at the end of the day, if you're in the right places and build the right relationships, you're going to get amazing footage no matter what camera you use. So good luck and have fun! I'll be shooting my first big (well, short at around 30mins) documentary early next year in London and am slowly putting all the gear together so I can be the ultimate one man band.

I understand what you are saying, but I learned a long time ago that a grade is completely in the eye of the beholder. Some people will hate my grade some people will love it.
I have seen grades that are technically too dark and some that were too bright. I have seen grades that I thought were technically too red, green or blue, too saturated( my own included)  and not saturated enough. Some times you have to look at a grade not in "your own taste"or on it's technical accuracy but as someones else's artist expression, right or wrong and appreciate it for that.

Kaylee.
I couldn't imagine waking up with a tombstone over my bed, and feeling like you've just woken up and returned from being dead.

Kaylee.
I couldn't imagine waking up with a tombstone over my bed, and feeling like you've just woken up and returned from being dead.

Kaylee,
A Goth but an older one, I remember when "Black Tape For A Blue Girl" was still actually "Black Tape For A Blue Girl" not the cover band they seem to have become today. Haven't really checked out whats new at Projekt.com in a while.
I don't have much experience with sony slog other than what andrew has graciously provided for download. I have the GH4, and  8-bit internal V-Log-L is producing magenta -cyan macro blocking in skies, areas of continuous uniformed light colors, and so forth. Most with GH4s have come to the final conclusion that to get the best out of V-Log-L it is essential that you get a external 10-bit recorder to do it justice.
When I saw that Andrew had posted some sample S-Log3 footage for analysis and or grading, I thought I would see how it compared to the what I was getting out of V-log-L. From fooling around with S-Log 3, I find I initially like it better than V-Log-L. This could be because of the lack luster log to linear conversion LUT panasonic recommended for conversion, simply panasonic's inexperience to optimized a log profile for a camera in this particular price range or panasonic just wanting V-log-L to be compatible with Varicam V-Log LUTs. I'm not smart enough to give you an informed opinion on which.
I have graded V-Log-L and S-Log3 both form scratch, with Avid Media Composer for V-Log L and Adobe After Effects for S-Log3. I have also Graded Both using LUTs I made with LUTcalc version 2.1 which you can modify for most of the various log profiles currently available you can try it here:
https://cameramanben.github.io/LUTCalc/LUTCalc/index.html
From grading from scratch and using LUTs, I like the the way LUTs interpret the log footage to linear space better. I was told from others after finding out that i thought grading from scratch was better than using LUTs that you could still get a good grade from grading from scratch, however the interpretation from log to linear would be better with the use of LUTs. I didn't believe them then, I believe them now. I don't ever want to get rusty not grading from scratch but I think, IMHO,  both combined are better than doing it entirely with just one or the other.
 

I understand what you are saying, but I learned a long time ago that a grade is completely in the eye of the beholder. Some people will hate my grade some people will love it.
I have seen grades that are technically too dark and some that were too bright. I have seen grades that I thought were technically too red, green or blue, too saturated( my own included)  and not saturated enough. Some times you have to look at a grade not in "your own taste"or on it's technical accuracy but as someones else's artist expression, right or wrong and appreciate it for that.