Jump to content

Sony A7SII colors suck!!!


Grégory LEROY
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

Are Sony engineer smoking crack? I rent the sony A7SII camera, shoot some SLog2 footage and oooh my god it's horrible..Skin tones look like corpse, sky look like on LSD and those file are impossible to transcode.

Can you share your workflow to color correct those horrible colors on DaVinci resolve? Any free LUTs to recommend to me?

Thank you

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EOSHD Pro Color 5 for Sony cameras EOSHD Z LOG for Nikon CamerasEOSHD C-LOG and Film Profiles for All Canon DSLRs
3 hours ago, Grégory LEROY said:

Hello everyone,

Are Sony engineer smoking crack? I rent the sony A7SII camera, shoot some SLog2 footage and oooh my god it's horrible..Skin tones look like corpse, sky look like on LSD and those file are impossible to transcode.

Can you share your workflow to color correct those horrible colors on DaVinci resolve? Any free LUTs to recommend to me?

Thank you

 

Try the Slog2 » Rec709 LUT 

https://luts.iwltbap.com/free-lut-log-to-rec709-and-rec709-to-log-conversion/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I previously had the same feeling about Sony Slog 2. But recently I realized that the problem was my workflow not slog2.

Here is my recent experience, testing A7R2 in slog-2 with Adobe premiere witch gave me good looking (not necessarily accurate) colors:

- first I applied a color transform matrix to convert sgammut to rec 709. take a look at this post:

- then I tried to add contrast and saturation with lumetri color. I was Kind of happy with the results but then I tried applying Adobe's Slog 2 SL LUT (in lumetri effect, basic corrections) and found out that it game me better results and I no longer needed to manualy add saturation, just contrast.

So in a nutshell: Apply channel mixer effect > Apply S-log 2 SL lut > Add contrast.

I also tried Resolve, first i applied Resolve's own Sony S-log 2 to Rec 709 1D LUT (from nodes panel) then found that I need to bring down the Gain quite significantly (I dont know why it happens) and then added a little bit of saturation and it gave me comparable result with premiere workflow.

I was aslo recording both internally and externally to a shogun, I found that shogun files needed a data range adjustment before starting the above workflow. you can read about this adjustments in here: https://***URL not allowed***/fix-crushed-blacks-on-sony-a7s-and-a7s-ii-external-recordings/

C0014.MP4_snapshot_00.00_[2016.08.21_22.29.29].jpg

C0014 Graded.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Grégory LEROY said:

Is this the slog2 Lut by default on DaVinci? It brings horrible colors. I would be very interested in some kodak though, do you have some?

Not sure what are you trying to accomplish? Have you used a rec709 preview on your A7S while shooting? If not, then you might wrongly set your exposure/scene/etc.

Every scene is different, rec709 brings you closer to standard picture profile, but it's not magic. 

If you're looking for film stocks, try Filmconvert or Premiere's lumetri built in presets. Or just share your footage to get some advice on grading. Cheers!

Alex

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you understand what is SLOG, and for what is it used for? If not, than you should not shoot in to log profile because you'll have problems like now.

Here's some walkthrough what is slog: 

http://www.xdcam-user.com/2011/01/understanding-gamma-cinegamma-hypergamma-and-s-log/

http://www.newsshooter.com/2011/09/22/sonys-s-log-for-dummies-matt-allard-explains-how-it-works-with-his-pmw-f3/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Grégory LEROY said:

I've exposed the footage at +0,3 EV like the guy of the rental shop advise me.

What is your experience level?  There are multiple threads on this forum about working with Sony cameras and various workrounds/workflows.

I am a relative novice.  I have never worked with Sony gear.  But I do own a Canon T3i and a BMPCC.  They are very different and how you expose, color correct, and grade the output takes quite a bit of thought.  The BMPCC results blow the Canon T3i out of the water when handled carefully but the the results out of the T3i color wise are obviously much easier to achieve straight out of the camera.

I just find it strange that you are posting on a forum with so much information about how to handle Sony cameras and files and yet you are asking advice from one guy at a rental shop.  I mean search the forum or start a thread and you will get tons of advice from various sources.  When you rent the camera test out two or three techniques and decide what you like.

Honestly I would never use an 8-bit prosumer codec with a log profile without heavy testing and tons of reading and advice.  It's been mentioned so many times on this forum that 8-bit prosumer log is more trouble that it is worth for many situations.  I stopped using flat profiles on my T3i.  If you really know your camera and are a wizard with Da Vinci Resolve then be my guest.  But an initial outing?  No way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Grégory LEROY said:

Hello everyone,

Are Sony engineer smoking crack? I rent the sony A7SII camera, shoot some SLog2 footage and oooh my god it's horrible..Skin tones look like corpse, sky look like on LSD and those file are impossible to transcode.

Can you share your workflow to color correct those horrible colors on DaVinci resolve? Any free LUTs to recommend to me?

Thank you

 

I'm pleased with my footage from the A7SII. 

To get nice colour, it's required to modify the Slog2 profile (there's loads of help online), expose the footage at least 1.5 stops to the right and white balance correctly. 

Then you need advanced colour grading skills - firstly to correct the image accurately, bring down the exposure (especially those mids) and use a LUT as a base for further styling if required. Sharpen subtlety and you have a very nice image. 

If you don't do any of the above, then your footage will look like a pile of sick. 

Again, there's so much information on the A7S, LUTS and exposure. You have to put the learning work in to get results. 

The A7S and other Sonys get the best results through intricate hard work. For those who don't want that fuss, Canon or Nikon is your weapon of choice. 

Crap though, like you say, it isn't. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • EOSHD Pro Color 5 for All Sony cameras
    EOSHD C-LOG and Film Profiles for All Canon DSLRs
    EOSHD Dynamic Range Enhancer for H.264/H.265
×
×
  • Create New...