Leaderboard

Good post. To clarify I was comparing RAW Linear with compressed Log in the context of ETTR vs exposing for middle grey. ETTR is a great strategy if you're using Linear RAW and don't mind compensating for the level changes in post. The Alexa is a bit special in this way (I believe) as it can output Log in very high-bitrate 12-bit 444, compared to (say) the GH5 200-400Mbps 10-bit 422 log, so the Alexa has an enormous amount more latitude just because of the codec. It's also special in the sense the readout from the sensor is a higher bit depth than the Log codec. On a camera with a 12-bit sensor output, if that was transformed into a 12-bit Log profile then the highlights would lose the effective bit-depth they had when in Linear, but the other stops wouldn't really benefit much because although the 12-bit log has better bit-depth for the lower stops, the limitation would always be the bit-depth from the Linear readout. Regardless, having a 12-bit sensor readout converted to a 10-bit log profile in-camera is probably good enough for almost all applications - I've tried to break the 10-bit HLG on the GH5 by applying curves that were severe beyond reason and the image held up. Of course, the thing missing from most consumer cameras is a decent codec, like Prores HQ or 4444. I'm really looking forward to the GH6 update to see how the 1080p Prores looks. Unfortunately most cameras have really weak internal h264/5 implementations and the in-camera downscaling is often very poor. I suspect the push towards RAW in this segment is partly a way to deliver better image quality without having to design cameras that can scale and compress properly or having to buy a Prores license. Unfortunately it then means they run into the challenges around internal compressed RAW and so we end up with tiny cameras needing an SSD or external recorder strapped to them. Hardly ideal.

@kye lol🤣 Of course that "bug machine" wasn't for the bugs, but a fog machine to make it all pretty on camera. Quite common on sets. Never yet caused the Empire to show up!! Although years ago I was working on the lighting department for a music video, and we got a few fire engine trucks show up because they believed there was a real fire in the bush which they needed to respond to 🚒 🔥🔥🔥

I've had the Emotive Color lut break the Panasonic s1 4k 10 bit files. What happens is you get like weird looking noise. Hard to explain I'd have to post some photos. I suppose neat video would probably fix the issue. I would also imagine if you shoot RAW this probably wouldn't happen but that is a guess.

Its limited to what can be gleaned from the commands from the other cameras so its possible there is something from one of the Panasonic sets that I haven't got (I've tried GH5,GX80,FZ2000) that may do it so if someone else wants to go down that rabbit hole all the tools are available to do it on the other thread. However, from the reaction of the LX15 to those all-i codecs in terms of what went on in the actual UI (as opposed to the corrupt recordings !) then I wouldn't hold out much hope as it blanks out the codec selections completely until you then hit it with something valid.

The teleconverter is the Sony VCL-HG2030 and the holder is the Carry Speed MagFilter. Bear in mind that the HG2030 is a 30mm rear thread so will vignette until about 45-50mm (equivalent) of the LX10/15 but as it is a solution to extend the long end then that isn't an issue. I'm looking to pick up a similar adapter for the other end to offset the wide range that is stolen when you are in 4K modes. With regard to bitrate hacks..... Well, I took the extract from the FZ2000 and sent the 200mbps HD to the LX15 and it took it, recorded video but they are unplayable. Which is the age old story from the GX80/85 so thats a no go. So the best you can do with this camera is put my Cinelike D hack on it and it does make quite a difference but with the absence of high bitrate HD modes, I view it as a 4K/24p camera.

For our european visitors, in my country the Lumix S 24mm F1.8 is 900 euro's in every shop (well, 899 actually) but in Amazon italy it is 750 for reasons unknown to me. Has been for quite a few days now. I ordered one, it was an excellent copy. https://www.amazon.it/s?k=lumix+s+24mm&i=electronics

Just a note IMO about linear Raw vs Log encoding. Let's keep in mind that log encoding was developed by Kodak for Cineon scanning of film negative, and is basically what was passed on to digital cameras. It's not an inferior image encoding method developed for hybrid 4k mirrorless cameras. The LogC encoding on the Alexa is probably the most prominent log curve for a digital camera to be very close to Cineon, and Red and Sony eventually capitulated to that. It's not inferior to linear raw, unless the individual log curve implementation by that camera manufacturer is left wanting. It's a more efficient encoding of highlights and shadows because it gives less code values to highlights, rather than half of a linear image for the brightest stop. It also allocates more code values to the shadows than linear raw. I would rather take 12 bit log ProRes RAW from the Sony cams/Ninja V than 12 bit linear DNGs, but obviously that's a much more expensive solution than the fp - like 5x the price. The reason that log footage is often inferior in the prosumer cams is because it's probably chroma subsampled, denoised and DCT compressed. ProRes 4444 log from the Alexa Classic is a thing of wonder though. If you apply the inverse transform of the log encoding curve, then your image is back in linear space and if you factor out the ways the image has been decimated, then it is very close to an original raw recording.