Exploring color - Filmconvert and friends.. (A6500, but not specific)

[TheMdrnSamurI]

Hey all,

I've been a lurker for years but it's time to dig in to raise my game in 2018 and to that end, I have been looking to push my A6500 past vlogging and out into narrative. As I learn everything else, I am also getting my head around my LUT workflow. I am a software dev by trade, so I have some conceptions about color management that I am sure don't really work in the real world.  For me? it seems that...

* I want to shoot in whatever way will allow me to correct with an input LUT to REC709
* Once I have a good Rec709 image (LUT, contrast etc changes) I can then use a creative LUT to achieve an artistic look

Now, it is obviously more complex but follow along for a moment. I am powerfully attracted to FilmConvert. They seem to have done a lot of the work that would even out the quirks of all my cameras (A DJI Mavic, an A6500, a G7, a GoPro etc). I know most of those will grade horribly and I'll not be able to match them really but it is still super attractive that FilmConvert can bring out "the best" in each one and at least try and match them.
 
BUT... FilmConvert seems to fail me there (at least the trial). I can't just use their input LUT's and then get a good Rec709 out. I have to go from there to one of their film looks. Mind you, I LIKE their film looks... but I would rather go Camera -> FilmConvert -> Rec 709 -> adjust, edit etc -> FilmConvert to print stock emulation.

Am I missing something? Is Rec709 not a desirable baseline to target? Is FilmConvert more flexible than I think? Given that I will not be using FilmConvert for the grade, I already have a handle on Lumetri (sort of) so I would rather make my adjustments there.

Any thoughts welcome!

Thanks!

[Benjamin Hilton]

Why not make your adjustments after Filmconvert with the Lumetri panel?

[TheMdrnSamurI]

Hey there,

That makes total sense to me, however, would much prefer to begin developing looks of my own from a specific reference point. So I would much prefer it is FilmConvert would bring me to a common baseline (a plain Rec709 for instance) and let me work from there.

Ken

[Deadcode]

Then you should use SLOG2 - S-Gamut with the official correction LUT

Or (not) use SLOG3 - S-Gamut3.cine with official correction LUT

The problem here: if you expose properly, then you have to correct exposure before adding any of the LUT's above. With s-gamut there is a color shift from magenta to green while the exposure rises, so after the correction you may have green tint...

Or use Slog3/S-Gamut3.cine correction which not shifts with exposure, but banding may occur with slog3 on 8 bit cameras.

The best case if you are using Davinci Resolve with Color space mapping and use SLOG2 with S-Gamut3.cine > SLOG3/S-Gamut3.cine > official correction LUT

After that a little tweak on the skintones, a little hoax on the green and the blue of the sky, and BAAM, you  have the same image what filmconvert can provide :D

[kidzrevil]

Try grading without LUTs. For starters stop shooting in SLOG and switch to a cinegamma