After some more extensive testing and endless waveform gazing, here is my (hopefully last) PP receipt:
I ended up using two different PPs most of the time now.
UPDATE Glencolor PPs 1.2!
I just updated my PPs.
Glencolor1 is for general use, mainly indoor.
Glencolor2 is for outdoor – especially when sunny.
After more testing I removed the highlight protection, since it often produces ugly results, when you don´t have controlled light.
I also provide basic black levels now, if you have time to set your variable black level per scene, I recommend to do so.
GlenColor1:
Black Level: (basic) 0, (controlled = variable)
Gamma: Standard
Black Gamma: Range = High / Level = +7
Knee: Point = 102.5% / Slope = -1
Color Mode: Type = ITU709 / Level =8
Color Level: -4
Color Phase: -4Color Depth: all 0
WB Shift = LB -3, cc -5
Detail = Level = -3 / Manual Set = on
V/H Ballance +2
BW Ballance Type3
Limit 7
Chrispening 0
Highlight Detail 0GlenColor2
Black Level: (basic) -2, (controlled = variable)
Gamma: CinemaTone2
Black Gamma: Range = High / Level = +7
Knee: Point = 102.5% / Slope = -1
Color Mode: Type = CinemaTone1 / Level =8
Color Level: -6
Color Phase: -4Color Depth: R=-4, G=-0, B=-0, C=0, M=-4, Y=0
WB Shift = R-B RGain-6. BGain 0Detail = Level = -7 / Manual Set = on
V/H Ballance +2
BW Ballance Type3
Limit 7
Chrispening 0
Highlight Detail 0/blockquote>
What I do is:
1. Dialing in my DOF for the scene.
2. Correct the highlights with an variable ND, till the 100% zebras go away (or use a WFM).
3. bring the black levels to zero via the “Black Level” PP setting.
Number 3 is a bit awkward and time consuming, but the only way, to use as much of the 8 bit room as possible.
Believe me, it´s worth the fiddling in the menu. (for fast jobs or run&gun, I use one of the other presets, depending on if they go trough post or not.)
My further workflow goes like this:
Convert everything to Cineform (Film)
Drop them all in Premiere and start editing.
When I´m happy with the edit, I open first light and do the
primary CC in FirstLight – set “Linear” on in and output – maybe also apply a look (LUT) there.
If something special is needed, I also use Magic Bullet or Mojo in Premiere on top of everything.
Frank Glencairn
www.elskid.com/blog
August 21, 2011
nice one Frank, got completely shat on by the highlights shooting out in the Maldives last week, and hadn’t had time to run any tests on the camera before I went. Thanks for sharing these.
Frank
August 21, 2011
Glad you like em Robin.
Frank
Travis Dierenfeldt
September 3, 2011
Have you found a picture profile you like for indoor shooting in low light/candlelight? We would be using the stock 18-200 e mount lens.
Chris
September 16, 2011
Thank-you for sharing Frank. It is good to have fellow film makers sharing the knowledge of their new and awesome acquisition tools!! Your German 1945 reel on Vimeo was amazing… truly filmic, you should be very proud. Keep up the great work!
STONEY XL
September 26, 2011
Hi Frank, did u happen to dabble in any Canon PPs? I’ve been using the Technicolor one with lil complaint, but I guess we’re always looking for better…
Frank
September 28, 2011
Nope, I´m not that much into DSLRs – sorry
Frank
September 26, 2011
UPDATE!
I just updated my PPs.
Glencolor1 is for general use, mainly indoor.
Glencolor2 is for outdoor – especially when sunny.
Matt Davis
September 28, 2011
Excellent work, Frank! Interesting to see your work on the Detail settings – I’ve been lazy up until now, leaving the whole section to ‘Off’.
Regarding the colour depth for individual channels, I’ve been ‘brought up’ to believe these are more for individual cameras. Any tips on how you set them up?
Frank
September 28, 2011
I was setting them – very unscientifically – by eye in my hunt for the skin tones I like.
Though it`s for the z7, this here provides some nice explanation what they do: http://www.sony-asia.com/microsite/professional/hdv/pdf/HVR-Z7_S270Tutorial_e7.pdf
Matt Davis
September 28, 2011
Nowt wrong with eyeballing them! I didn’t dial them in to start with, but now I have, and I think you have a point sir – maybe there’s not as much difference between FS100s as there seems to be between EX1s.
Pietro Impagliazzo
September 29, 2011
-7 Detail? Really? LOL, seems like things didn’t change much since my old and trusty Sony FX7, Sony is still commited to its “aych dee” look that is basically applying digital sharpening like a mad man.
I really miss the classic form factor of Sony camcorders (like the F3, FS100 as well to a certain extent), that coupled with a 35mm sensor must be a nice combo.
Now a question, I see that you use Cinematone 2, and it says it has the contrast similar to a film print (contrasty), do you prefer it that way? I know that most of the “superflat” fad is BS, specially with compressed codecs and most of the time we end up adding contrast anyway, so it’s better to leave a flat image for when you really need it. I’m just asking because I don’t know how contrasty it really is and how you use it.
Matt Davis
October 7, 2011
Hi Frank, may I ask a quickie?
In your long hours gazing at Waveform Monitors (I’m doing the same now), did you play much with what happens to highlights in the 100% to 109% range?
I’m finding this area really dangerous compared to the EX1, and I think it’s because of the fundamental difference between ‘Cinematone’ and ‘CineGamma’.
The EX1′s CineGamma seemed to roll off really nicely in the highlights, so one could use the full range of 109%. I’m finding that, even with -2 slope at 97.5%, that last 12% is very ‘tippy’ – it seems to want to peak way too quickly, so UNLIKE the EX1, one tries to keep things in the histogram peaking at 100%. Almost like it’s an intentional 1/2 stop under exposure, which never hurt on DSLRs.
Sorry, don’t have a monitor with a WFM – and I’m using FCPX which should probably be a warning too.
Frank
October 7, 2011
Yeah, I saw the same thing. Looks like one of the color cannels (probably red) starts clipping first and that´s where things get ugly. I tend to underexpose one stop or more, and keep the black levels a hair over zero.
I´m under the impression that the whole picture gets “fatter” that way. Hard to explain what I see there, but it seems to have more substance, texture and density (not latitude).
Barry Green did a nice write up on clipping color channels somewhere on http://www.DVXuser.com – well worth reading.
best, Frank
Keith Moreau
November 26, 2011
Hi Frank
I notice these profiles have changed quite a bit since you started, like a lot different. Do you have any reasoning why they are so different now? Just experimentation? And have you compared yours to Able Cine’s? Thanks for doing all this and sharing it.
-Keith
Frank
November 27, 2011
Yeah, the profiles are work in progress. I learn a lot at every shooting and I get a lot of input from other users (not only here). So I always try to improve them, to get the best out of the FS100.
I compared my G-LOG PP to some AbleCine PP here: http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/new-free-g-log-s-logish-picture-profiles-for-the-sony-fs100-version-1-0/
Frank