Exposure tips with standard gammas not s-log

starcentral

starcentral

Veteran
Guys, I'm shooting a few scenes with the stock F3 on a beach this weekend for a music video. It will be late afternoon, no clouds are planned but can change, the sand is light colored and the water is a lake so quite dark. My subject is a couple, one lighter dark colored skin and the other with pretty white skin.

If it is sunny I plan on using overhead panels to cut down harsh light, and will fill/bounce with reflectors as much as possible. My concern is I want to capture as much of the contrast range here as possible. ie. light sand, dark water, possibly light sky if the clouds come out.

I'm wondering if I just go for skin exposure and forget what can be deceiving in the LCD, and do you think any cinegammas like 1 or 3 will help out here?
 
I would get the Abel Cine profiles and use AB_Range. AB Highlight can be useful too for bright scenes. Either one pushes the limits of the video mode pretty well.
 
+1 on the Abel AB Range. I like that profile a lot. Definitely expose for skin...I supposed your subjects are the important element in the scene.
I'd plan on having flags, silks, reflectors, etc. if possible.
 
For what it is worth, I like range also, but recently started using the 5DTECH setting (9) it actually has the greatest range especially outdoors against bright sky but needs adjustment in post. I believe it is closest to sLOG.
 
For what it is worth, I like range also, but recently started using the 5DTECH setting (9) it actually has the greatest range especially outdoors against bright sky but needs adjustment in post. I believe it is closest to sLOG. With the Cineroid false color it shows the greatest range especially of highlights, much more than AB range.
 
lasikdenver said:
For what it is worth, I like range also, but recently started using the 5DTECH setting (9) it actually has the greatest range especially outdoors against bright sky but needs adjustment in post. I believe it is closest to sLOG. With the Cineroid false color it shows the greatest range especially of highlights, much more than AB range.
Click to expand...

But at what cost to the blacks? Where are you exposing skin with that profile?
 
Thanks for all the replies.

I believe AB Range is based on Cine1, which has middle grey at 40%. With any of these cinegammas, you must really have to fight the urge to go with what you see on the LCD or VF that looks "good". That's what I'm worried about.. . .
 
I use the Cineroid false color and make the skin green/B&W, there is no "LUT" so you kind of have to guess. It seems to work best at about the same settings as the other profiles, so you can set up in another one and then switch. The blacks all record grey but the highlights peak at "yellow" and not red which is overexposed. In post I have used FCP X and adjust the exposure and usually have to bring up the saturation. The mid tones are also slightly blue and I reduce those by about 5%. I would probably play with this first before using it for something important, but it does give amazing range and the images have a very sLOG look prior to post processing. I try to have the skin about 50-70 IRE.

Here is an example very high contrast day in Colorado in the Sun:
http://vimeo.com/31302519
 
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I don't care for the 5D settings AT ALL (if you plan to grade). It smashes the highlights and crushes the black.
Hey, lasikdenver...no offense intended to you. I've noticed the stuff you do once before--it looks like so much fun I'd not even CARE which setting I use! ;-)
 
Thanks -- this is not the 5D settings but the 5DTECH which is completely different, also from Abel but the next one in the line. I agree the 5 D is no good.
 
Hey guys, been busy morning but wanted to get a chance to thank those who replied, and those who didn't :D

It was a clear day with no clouds as planned for, and managed to get some amazing footage and have graded frame grabs I wanted to share with you all. Already started a thread in this section.

Let me know your honest feedbacks.
 
If you cant shoot log, shoot to a KIpro, or some other 10bit source.

The F3 is so clean, you an drag up the shadows and find little to no noise, so dont be afraid, protect the highlights aggressively.

in -3dB there is vitually no noise at all, period. Remeber the stock F3 holds 7.5 stops below key, and 5 over. Pretend your middle grey is stop 6, and go a full stop under exposed, and boost it back up.
 
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