GH4 how to cheaply add 2 - 4 more stops DR to GH4 & GH5
- Thread starter wwjd
- Start date
joe12south
Veteran
That will add light, but how does it add dynamic range? If you can show me how to light a moving car against a bright sky with those, then I'm all in!
joe12south
Veteran
What is this "fun" you speak of? 
remember when you were 10, not a care in the world, making fun of old farts who seem to never have fun anymore? THAT kind of fun!
I do think a couple cheap lights to fill in background can effectively CHEAT lower Dynamic Range in a scene.... maybe not wide shots of moving cars outside, no, but even then you'd have a truck rolling next to it with reflectors bringing in more light for those crappy Arri cameras they always use...
I do think a couple cheap lights to fill in background can effectively CHEAT lower Dynamic Range in a scene.... maybe not wide shots of moving cars outside, no, but even then you'd have a truck rolling next to it with reflectors bringing in more light for those crappy Arri cameras they always use...
Thomas Smet
Veteran
to a certain extent this is true. Hollywood spent many years dealing with dynamic range by bouncing or filling light into shadow areas. If there is a bright sunny day shot with a person standing under a tree film makers didn't sit around waiting for a camera to handle it. They did whatever they could to make the shot work. That meant bouncing or filling some light back into those shadow areas.
so adding lights doesn't add stops of dynamic range but what they can do is reduce the needs of the scene and create more of a balance between the highlight and shadows areas. The goal is to bring that 16 stop scene down to more manageable 10 stops.
Why?
Because very few people have displays that can view 16 stops of dynamic range. very few movies are ever actually delivered flat to the point where they look like log. Any level of grading crushes down those 16 stops to a more realistic real world contrast range. Many consumer TVs and devices can at best show 8-10 stops of dynamic range. Some are even worse at 6 stops. What happens if you deliver something that only looks good at 16 stops and 95% of the people watching it see those details clipped down to 8 stops? By creating a balance in the scene you make sure most viewers can still enjoy it and creatively it still looks great.
So from the perspective of cinematography WWJD has a point that using a set of lights can help the scene capture with a better range across the field. That doesn't mean the dynamic range is increased but the dependency on 14 or 16 stop cameras is reduced.
Thats why I consider the 12 stops on the GH5 to be more than enough range for film making. Users may have to employee a few more tools and tricks of the trade but as a camera itself it is more than up to the task.
so adding lights doesn't add stops of dynamic range but what they can do is reduce the needs of the scene and create more of a balance between the highlight and shadows areas. The goal is to bring that 16 stop scene down to more manageable 10 stops.
Why?
Because very few people have displays that can view 16 stops of dynamic range. very few movies are ever actually delivered flat to the point where they look like log. Any level of grading crushes down those 16 stops to a more realistic real world contrast range. Many consumer TVs and devices can at best show 8-10 stops of dynamic range. Some are even worse at 6 stops. What happens if you deliver something that only looks good at 16 stops and 95% of the people watching it see those details clipped down to 8 stops? By creating a balance in the scene you make sure most viewers can still enjoy it and creatively it still looks great.
So from the perspective of cinematography WWJD has a point that using a set of lights can help the scene capture with a better range across the field. That doesn't mean the dynamic range is increased but the dependency on 14 or 16 stop cameras is reduced.
Thats why I consider the 12 stops on the GH5 to be more than enough range for film making. Users may have to employee a few more tools and tricks of the trade but as a camera itself it is more than up to the task.
exactly. Yes, my post title not FULLY true, but just some cheap fill CAN essentially get part of the shot you could get with a wider DR camera. Same, only different.
Thomas, I have not seen a LOT of HDR - other than those way over saturated crazy color explosion demos - but it will be interesting to see what we can do with much, much wider visual dynamic range, don't you think?
joe12south
Veteran
DR for acquisition shouldn't be conflated with DR for exhibition. Having more of the former is desirable even when the latter is limited.
I get what you're saying, I truly do, but I also think it is a bit disingenuous to suggest that the GH5's dynamic range equals a truly filmic response. This is partly because of how differently digital peaks look compared to analog saturation (harsh clipping vs gradual roll-off) and how differently digital noise looks compared to analog grain, but it really wasn't until we had Arri and RED hovering around 14 stops of DR that there was broad consensus that digital had matched film. That's why I, and many others, consider 14 stops to be the minimum goal before we stop bitching. ;-)
I get what you're saying, I truly do, but I also think it is a bit disingenuous to suggest that the GH5's dynamic range equals a truly filmic response. This is partly because of how differently digital peaks look compared to analog saturation (harsh clipping vs gradual roll-off) and how differently digital noise looks compared to analog grain, but it really wasn't until we had Arri and RED hovering around 14 stops of DR that there was broad consensus that digital had matched film. That's why I, and many others, consider 14 stops to be the minimum goal before we stop bitching. ;-)
Hahahahaha! I agree, I'd love a couple more stops. When I film stuff, I set it up, then think DUH! If I just add a light here, I can see the things that would normally be picked up via more DR camera that I can't afford.
My post is for people that are chasing numbers instead of filming with their limited gear. Buy a couple dang lights and film stuff!! "My camera sucks in LOW LIGHT!!!" well, light up the whole room, and cut brightness in post. FIX IT IN POST! hahhahaha No, but yeah, fix THAT in post.
joe12south
Veteran
Indeed, LED lights with decent color that will run off of little power are affordable to almost anyone. No more tripping circuit breakers and burning hands.