Firmware 1.4 to include 10 422 S-Log without Luts

A

Andrew Stone

Veteran
Noted Sony evangelist, Alister Chapman, has relayed from the NAB floor that Sony's firmware version 1.4 slated to be released (near June now) will include a scaled back version of S-Log that should satisfy most users needs.

S-Log will appear as a gamma curve in the menus along with the Cinegammas and will output to 10 bit 422. The significant missing features will be Look Up Tables (LUTS) and RGB 444 output.
 
SLOG for free? As someone looking at used F3s at the moment I like the sound of that! :thumbsup:
 
This is not a rant only a personal observation;

Just picked myself off the floor at this news, I expected it to happen but not so soon after the current price drop. It seems to be a sign of the times I'm noticing allot lately. Please don’t get me wrong S-Log is worth every penny I paid for it and if I had paid the original price I would have felt the same. S-Log running on the F3 using 23.98fps is digital cinema, it just looks amazing.

DP's and buyers of this new technology seem to be getting sucked in to this technological vortex where our money just keeps getting sucked out of our pockets. The manufactures throw something new at us, the equipment we already have no more than 1 year old in many cases suddenly becomes in our minds devalued or obsolete. A few years ago they were pushing 3D (see the April 2012 of Broadcast Engineering, “Back to the Desert” article) on us and now it is 4K. How many 3D or 4K consumer TV sets are out there now? The best throughput we get via 2K HD satellite is 15mb/s, and cable is even less. Broadcast providers are trying to increase the compression to cram more HD channels in their limited bandwidth because compressing the single is cheaper than building up their infrastructure.

4K cinema is wonderful when watched at a 4K digital cinema theatre. My wife and I drive an extra 25 miles to a newly built theatre to watch new releases in 4K digital cinema, 3D cinema and IMAX but we are not going to see that quality at home for a long time. What we have right now is perfect for what most of us do. The F3 is a wonderful camera and the more I dig into S-Log the more I just fall in love with that camera. When I see camera comparisons and the sometimes hot discussions that go along with those comparisons I feel we are just falling into the equipment manufactures money trap. I love this new stuff but I have to keep it in perspective. I sometimes have a difficult time trying to convince a client why a super 35mm sensor is so much better to shoot interviews with than a 1/3 or 2/3 inch sensor camera let alone trying to explain why they should use S-Log.

This coming week the super NAB show starts in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’ll be on my computer marveling at all of the new technology most of which has already been pre-released. This coming week I’ll be reading the latest tweets, trying to find out more about the new 4K cameras, trying to keep up with what is new all while working with my wonderful F3 camera.
 
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But S-Log is free since the F3 is now the F3/RGB.

I'll get some additional clarification from Sony today or tomorrow

Ned
 
So let me get this straight. Even though I waited t get SLog for only $899 last month , had I waited only one more month it would have been free? Sony is getting really screwy here. At least I got a card out of it. So now what happens to LUT's for those of us who have them. And why have they gotten rid of them?
If its just a normal gamma now I wonder if you can adjust color.
The update that really would make a difference these days would be getting us 4:2:2 in the camera but that's probably not a software issue. If Alexa can do it Sony must know how.
 
Do u guys think that in near future F3 can recored 10 bit 4:2:2 in camera?
i'm thinking to buy the external recorder ...may be samurai....then i can play with my s-log with better resolution.
Any new external recorder that can support s-log at 10 bit 4:4:4 that cheaper than Gemini?

Thanks
 
I think some subtleties are being missed here. S-Log is a gamma curve. The formerly $4400 now $899 upgrade not only enabled the S-log curve, but it unlocks 4:4:4 RGB and adds viewing LUTS. The original intent here was that users would shoot with Cinegammas, which would be enough, they thought. Then we saw the added dynamic range that S-log gave and people clamored for a more affordable entree into S-Log. Thus, it is possible to have S-log enabled as merely a gamma curve or part of a whole different camera metaphor of RGB 4:4:4 output. The fact is the majority of us shooting S-Log are only shooting to 4:2:2 external recorders.

I have not received any specifics on the 1.4 firmware but I won't challenge a thing Alistair says. So all that means is that the S-Log Gamma curve is provided as an option in addition to the other Cinegamma options. And yes, for those of us who don't have a Gemini or Cinedeck, it is the same as what the upgrade gave us. But viewing LUTs can be important to some directors or even editors as a grading starting point. And you can always rent a 444 recorder. And who knows what will be introduced at NAB on Monday. (Actually I do).

We've been around the block on the question of shooting S-Log to SxS cards so no need to rehash that discussion. And as far as future camera plans, come on--get real. Anybody who knows will not reveal it because they are under NDA. Anybody who claims knowledge is just speculating.

Ned
 
I guess what I'm wondering is whether the new firmware overrides previous firmware and the viewing LUT's will be gone, all replaced b y the new way of using SLog.
 
Now that's a good question, Lenny.

I suspect that it is just a shortcut to using S-Log which would then enable other functions that are disabled when enabling S-Log via the Dual-Link menu. So I speciualte-- and repeat I speculate-- no insider info here until I see Peter at some point at the show-- I suspect and speculate that it would mean we could white balance and maybe even use picture profiles with of course S-Log as the gamma setting as opposed to Cine1,2,3,4 etc.

This is only a guess and should not be the basis for wild internet rumors. Now if you want to start rumors about Ned gone wild in LV, that would help my middle-aged ego.

Ned
 
That makes some sense though I'm concerned that Sony (who I've already invested in ) is just playing catch up instead of trying to lead here. I've discovered already that the Red and Blue offsets can give you very bit of color control in SLog that the color offsets do in the PP menus , so that would be easy for Sony to offer just by remapping it in the menus, but getting rid of L:uts seems counterintuitive. Why not instead offer more useable LUTS, even just by saturated the existing ones. That would be a big deal if you could record 2 useable versions of the same look. One for 422 Slog and the other for SxS card. It would be similar to what the Red does now with the proxie recordings.

Canon offers a pretty useable LUT right now and that's quite helpful. I'll bet on the next upgrade Canon will offer a second more powerful Log gamma for 422 as well to counter Slog. (as well ass more choice on zebras. Meanwhile Sony is just trying to figure out how to market what they already have. They should really be going after the C300 because its a powerful competitor. I hope they are. Of course 422 to SxS would be the big Cahuna but it may not be feasible.
 
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