How do you color match cameras in post?

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firehawk

Veteran
I've been using my Matrox hardware (MX02) for years but my newest computers don't have it so I'm looking for ideas.
I use Premiere CS6 for almost all my post work
but am slowly migrating in the future to Resolve Pro, Vegas Pro, Lightworks Pro. Not sure which I will use the most yet.
 
Ahh sorry. That is a big question.
On location. No colour card. Manual white balance of all cameras on a white object.

Or all cameras set to same color temp setting such as 3200K
 
If you still have the cameras set a scene - with a colour card amd make two matching images.
(The same shot)

Put them into resolve and twingle the xour till the two match

save each image as a look/lut

go back to your shot footage and apply each lut to each camera

done.

In real life that might be a good start point.

—
consider ACES if there is a tramsform for each model.

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the may be a commercial thing “cinematch”?? that might help
 
You could try the auto shot match feature in Resolve, but I wouldn't hold my breath on it working to a satisfactory level. if Morgan's suggestion isn't an option, then you could try to match them by eye with the color warper in Resolve, but that would be kind of tedious.
 
firehawk said:
Or all cameras set to same color temp setting such as 3200K
Click to expand...

Dialing in the same number on two different cameras is rarely going to produce the same look because the numbers are just ballpark figures. Even on the exact same model of camera you might not get a good match because there's more to white balance then just the Kelvin temperature for warm/cool -- the tint (magenta/green) axis must also be matched. On top of all that, some lenses are warmer or cooler than others, so even if everything onboard the camera matched exactly, there could still be a difference if they don't have the same lens.
 
I find that Resolve does a good job using Davinci Wide Color Space if there is a Transform for the various footage involved.
 
Here is a sample of Resolve with two very different clips (FX6 SLOG3/Cine and a DJI 2s DGamut/709) using Resolves Wide Colour Space / Transforms applied rendered out to 709 with No Grading applied at all - https://behome.dyndns.info/index.php/s/rFgRHtSKtmQmrPa Just dropped the clips in the timeline and then cropped them for a side by side. It is a good starting point pretor to grading (and no need for destructive LUTS etc). Once graded I then render out both a SD 709 and a UHD HDR version from the same grade.

For those that have DR and want to see the project settings this is the Zip file of the project (with media) - https://behome.dyndns.info/index.php/s/HrYE6oXjZfei88T
 
Thanks everyone.
What Doug Jensen said makes sense. I once thought that using identical model cameras with fixed lenses and setting them to the same # kelvin temperature should make them match since all hardware is the same. However after my three HMC 150 cameras never matched nor my AC90a cameras by matching WB numbers I understand.
Manually white balancing on a card makes them match wheras setting them to 3200K etc doesn't.
However my UX180 cameras seem to be pretty close by manually dialing in a #.

So how do you guys do it when using interchangeable lens cameras? Say you have 2 or 3 Sony FS series cameras, each with different lenses and focal lengths and want them to intercut seamlessly. A Sigma lens may look different from a Tamron or Sony G master in saturation etc....
 
Generally speaking, I find the differences in modern lenses fairly subtle, and only worry when incorporating vintage lenses, which can be all over the map with color and contrast differences. Some vintage lens glass yellows over time, but that can be corrected by shining a UV light through it for about a week.

You could shoot a DSC-Labs One Shot chart with each lens and make a corresponding LUT that maps the color, contrast, and saturation, but I think it's only necessary for the lenses that are way off.

P.S. In addition to a gray card, I have a knock-off ExpoDisc for custom white balance.
 
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