guaranteeing absolute color matching (using different lenses)

Emanuel

Cross-Examiner
Is it possible to guarantee absolute color matching throughout the use of different lenses even if from the same device*?

* I'd add: the RED camera.
 
Absolute color matching ? There is no such thing as absolute anything...white balance every time you change lenses and that will be plenty close, then make it "absolute" in post.
Aloha
-A
 
Those are words but not mine:

«Special attention is paid to guarantee absolute color matching throughout the whole range of lenses resulting in state-of-the-art image quality.» from the Zeiss press release regarding the new ZF lenses for Nikon F mount.

Is it more acceptable now?
 
No not really... I'm sure they will be great lenses, I may even buy some but that is marketing speak.. means very little.
Aloha
-A
 
Well, and about the use of two units of the same lens model, the RED 18-85mm zoom lens for example?
 
Depending on the coatings used, different lenses and especially different manufacturers lenses have different colours. Nothing much we can do about that.

Graeme
 
Don't know if you will implement vignette, chromatic abbreviation and lens distortion correction in REDCINE. But if you do it cold be very useful to be able to store the used lens in the file metadata, as a base correction in REDCINE. Might be usefull to make a Lens correction process step to sharpness and tint/w as well....hmm maybe for a future update.
 
you guys can make coloring profiles in your NLE/timing suite to reflect lens changes.. but its kinda backwards thinking.. you might as well just time shot by setup like you normally do, because lens coloring is low on the totem pole of things that will require you to correct.. as graeme said white balancing with each lens will take care of that.
 
It's not complete marketing jibberish though. It's much like buying a matched set of speakers. Each brand's lens exhibits a characteristic and quality of its own. Which is why they're desirable. All they're saying... although like pointed out, somewhat inaccurately... is that within the brand name they're pretty well color matched. If you mix a cooke and a zeiss lens you'll see differences in color, but nothing that'll break continuity.
 
Emanuel said:
Is it possible to guarantee absolute color matching throughout the use of different lenses even if from the same device*?

* I'd add: the RED camera.

Emanuel,

Ultraprimes and Master Primes from Zeiss are color matched throughout the range, as are Cooke S4's, where sets share the same serial no throughout the range of focal lengths. You really know you have a real set!

One of the reasons they are so expensive. Still camera lenses are not matched in the same way.

Stephen
 
Camera assistants have been known to match sets of lenses on a lens projector to get a consistent color temp and look. All depends on the DP.
 
Alex Fostvedt said:
Camera assistants have been known to match sets of lenses on a lens projector to get a consistent color temp and look. All depends on the DP.

Hi Alex,

With older lenses this is standard practice, however one lens might match better in sharpnes than in color. As the T stop changes.......

With digital color correction color matching is not a big issue IMHO.

Stephen
 
Totally. With older film processes you would just select your stock, and lenses and filters, and get some color tints from those choices. They were sublte, but many cinematographers managed to come up with "looks" with those combinations. Now, you can just turn a friggin blue wheel, and you're there. That is especially true with a digital camera, where you can do minor color adjustments (like white balancing) in camera. Remember that film does not white-balance (only at telecine or the DI suite)...
 
Both Sony and Panasonic offer Lens Files in their latest generation of cameras. It's possible to match just about any B4 lens of the same generation (HD or SD) regarless of manufacturer.

I.
 
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