Grading the Sony A7S with S-LOG 2 and some EOSHD cinematic looks for download

[Andrew Reid]

Only a few years ago S-LOG was a $3800 upgrade for the Sony CineAlta F3, itself a $15,000 camera. S-LOG made its debut on the Sony F35, a workhorse of Hollywood.

Now Sony have put this on a $2500 consumer camera along with the best full frame sensor I have ever used for video. How good is it? Very!!

I am sharing a pack of LUTs for the A7S which can be applied in Premiere, Resolve, etc. for an instant cinematic look to your A7S S-LOG 2 footage.

Download

Three LUTs are provided in the zip. Dynamic - for best dynamic range, will suit a low contrast shot requiring high dynamic range and plenty of shadow detail. Also good for low light. Vivid will give a punchier look to those shots that benefit from it like a sunset and where some dynamic range can be scarified for higher contrast and saturation. S-GAMUT is for when shooting S-LOG with the Color Mode of S-GAMUT and compensates for the purple tint to reds I find I am getting in this mode. For the Dynamic and Vivid LUTs you must set the camera colour mode in PP7 to ITU709 Matrix.

Read the full article here

[1tkman]

Peter Buck!!! Rock On Reid! 

[ernstdante]

"The A7S is without a shadow of a doubt the best camera right now for the money."

 

Seems like the Blackmagic Pocket Camera at under $500 would get that title, especially with ProRes and RAW recording at that price point.

[Inazuma]

Really beautiful footage as usual Andrew!

 

I don't have an A7S, but those LUTs also work really well on flat GH3 footage.

 

 

 

The Greek guy's face is a bit splotchy but I think that's more to do with how much the data is being pushed.

 

I have actually been looking for something to produce colours exactly like this. I couldn't find it in FilmConvert, Osiris or Impulz, but here it is for free! Very nice

[Andrew Reid]

"The A7S is without a shadow of a doubt the best camera right now for the money."

 

Seems like the Blackmagic Pocket Camera at under $500 would get that title, especially with ProRes and RAW recording at that price point.

 

Pocket is a nice bargain for so little money but the A7S gives you far more. Far far more. In some ways $500 on the Pocket is $500 wasted by not getting something better. I had the Pocket on the same shoot as the A7S yesterday and hated every moment handling it. Dreary screen, poor ergonomics, too few features and no full frame look.

[Andrew Reid]

Peter Buck!!! Rock On Reid! 

 

You are talking about a huge REM fan here :) Buck's two latest albums, 2012 and 2014 are certainly worth a listen if you can find them. Vinyl release only!

[Raymond Poulet]

Again what do you think about stabilisation issue? Any suggestions to solve shake efects when you havno tripod with you.

Anyway Andrew your  post is fantastic :) Right now I am going to make test

[ernstdante]

Okay, you much prefer the Sony A7S over the Blackmagic Pocket Camera because of features, handling, and ergonomics, but based on image quality alone, how far off is BMPC RAW vs. Sony A7S (1080p with the Atomos)? Or BMPC ProRes?

[richg101]

Again what do you think about stabilisation issue? Any suggestions to solve shake efects when you havno tripod with you.

Anyway Andrew your  post is fantastic :) Right now I am going to make test

 

The handling (with very good evf) allows a 3rd point of contact (your eyebrow).  this alone is better than any electronic image stabilisation imo.  If you use the battery grip it brings the camera to the perfect height to rest the base on your shoulder which gives even better stabilisation.    

[Andrew Reid]

Again what do you think about stabilisation issue? Any suggestions to solve shake efects when you havno tripod with you.

Anyway Andrew your  post is fantastic :) Right now I am going to make test

 

I'm using Canon IS lenses with a Gorilla pod for stabilising the camera against both shoulders, with the EVF up to my eye as third point of contact for even more stabilisation. Even at 100mm it is as stable as a stable full of wooden horses.

[Andrew Reid]

Okay, you much prefer the Sony A7S over the Blackmagic Pocket Camera because of features, handling, and ergonomics, but based on image quality alone, how far off is BMPC RAW vs. Sony A7S (1080p with the Atomos)? Or BMPC ProRes?

 

They grade similarly with ProRes, the raw on the Pocket is of course better for doing HUGE colour correction and changes, choosing your white balance in post. Overall yes the Pocket does have a very good image but even with Speed Booster the look is totally different to full frame. Night and day different in the rendering of the lenses. The A7S is also far less noisy in low light and is able to come very close to the ProRes of the BMPCC even with the internal XAVC codec never mind external HDMI, which is 4K capable of course so big image quality advantage there. The externally recorded 1080p ProRes is very nice, nip and tuck the same in terms of grading, etc. as the Blackmagic ProRes. Here I expected there to be a much bigger difference. There isn't. Detail and resolution in 1080p = similar, but of course the A7S will do 4K over the HDMI and Pocket won't. Less moire and aliasing on the A7S.

[ernstdante]

Okay, Andrew, you sold me on the Sony A7S, but what do you think the odds are that they'll have internal 4K by next year, and at what price point? Seems like a good chance, since you can shoot 4K internally not only with the GH4, but with smartphones like the Samsung S5 and LG G3 (and probably a GoPro at regular frame rates later this year).

[JonnyGinese]

Is this a 720p vimeo upload? The grading looks awesome, but the detail is kind of mushy full screen (17inch laptop).

[tungah]

As always great images, Andrew.

Awesome camera.

[Andrew Reid]

Is this a 720p vimeo upload? The grading looks awesome, but the detail is kind of mushy full screen (17inch laptop).

 

It is set to stream at 1080p (but I believe you need to be logged in as a Vimeo member to have that?) - however always download the original to judge resolution, compression, etc. Resolution on the A7S is superb, on par with the best 1080p I have seen from C300, etc.

[Husah]

Okay, Andrew, you sold me on the Sony A7S, but what do you think the odds are that they'll have internal 4K by next year, and at what price point? 

 

Then you can sell A7s on used market and buy a new one :) That's an year without a FF camera. 

 

I predict the next year will be F60 with FF 12 MP sensor, same body as F55, and with global shutter. 

[SleepyWill]

I've said it before, the pocket is the perfect camera to learn cinematography on - but you wouldn't want to use it under pressure.

[JonnyGinese]

It is set to stream at 1080p (but I believe you need to be logged in as a Vimeo member to have that?) - however always download the original to judge resolution, compression, etc. Resolution on the A7S is superb, on par with the best 1080p I have seen from C300, etc.

 

Ah, ok.. I just watched it. Looks great. nice and sharp.  How long does the battery last on this thing?  I wish the low light on my GH4 was better, but I'm usually at 200-400iso for my shoots anyways so Its rare that I'm in need of a low light monster like this.

[pask74]

Thanks for those spot-on tests, Andrew!

I'm also under the impression that next year we could see the next generation of A7s with internal 4k and a few more goodies?

I'll see if I can borrow or rent an A7s in the meantime.

 

Also, if you fancy I'd appreciate it a lot if you could shoot a bit with some LOMOs and the A7s, just to see how their characters match. I'm thinking of shooting A7s in APS-C mode + LOMOs oct-19 (spherical only).

 

Thanks!

[thatPhilGuy]

Thank you for these tests.  You really make the case for low light and grade-ability.

 

If possible, could you run some skin tone tests with a natural, soft daylight?  Gravy would be with declining fill ratios of -2,-3,-4 stops?  Would love to see how the sensor renders skin tones.

 

Thanks again!