There are quite a few links to this already on the web. But I thought I would help spread the word. For those of us using 5/7D cameras, there’s a way to squeeze some extra dynamic range into your images by making a custom curve with the provided software by Canon. Essentially, turning your footage into a semi-log like image. It’s still 8-bit, but it’s very helpful, especially with the exposure challenges of shooting with these cameras, to capture more luma info up front and then apply your looks in post.
The curve editor is a pain in the ass to use, and some smart people have already pre-made files you can use as well as made a tutorial video here:
Below are two Images that I shot, one in the standard “Portrait” mode, the other using a “panalog-like” mode. You can see instantly, that without changing exposure or anything else, I’ve gained a lot of detail back in the shadowy areas of the stuffed dragon. I also turned off the artificial sharpening the camera does by default, again, choosing to save that option for post… I feel like the panalog image is a bit softer, but not defocused by any means, I actually like it. Lastly, take a look at the plane behind the FG figure, you can see that the portrait mode is adding some red into the mix, warming things up, where as the panalog is more neutral.
I would highly recommend TV shows using the 5D/7D shoot in one of these modes.
Oh, and one more tip. Canon has a little known and fairly hidden FREE plug in for Final Cut Pro. read about it here: http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=3249
The highlights:
1) It’s about 3x faster than using compressor to convert Prores. Not sure why, but I’m not complaining.
2) It Time code stripes your footage based on the date/time stamp of the footage. This is great, especially if you are shooting multicam and need to sync footage *cough* driving plates *cough*
3) It’s run through log and transfer. So it’s just like capturing P2 footage. No added confusion.
As promised, here are some color style stills:
Semi-Log Curve:
sRGB Curve in camera Default “Portrait Mode:”
