How to know exactly what type of image you're recording?

B

BBFilm

Member
What I mean by that question is: When shooting with a DSLR on a student-filmmaker budget, how do you know if the colors, exposures, and picture styles you see on, say, the Canon DSLR's LCD screen are actually what you are getting until you upload it to a monitor that happens to be perfectly calibrated in terms of displaying the movie files?

Is the LCD screen, on say the Canons, already a very good representation of what you are getting in terms of exposure, color, and picture style (since Canon's LCD's are very, very good to my eyes) since you'd think the company would calibrate them accurately to what the camera captures? Or is there field monitors that are specially designed for that type of thing which reveal a brand new world once you hook them up?

Just to say, I'm not talking about moire, focus, or detail, just asking in terms of exposure, picture style, and color - how does a student filmmaker shoot a low budget work and shoot it accurately in terms of those latter things? So far, my files look extremely different depending on which computer I play them on, so I just don't know how it is done or what my files actually look like.
 
BBFilm said:
What I mean by that question is: When shooting with a DSLR on a student-filmmaker budget, how do you know if the colors, exposures, and picture styles you see on, say, the Canon DSLR's LCD screen are actually what you are getting until you upload it to a monitor that happens to be perfectly calibrated in terms of displaying the movie files?

Is the LCD screen, on say the Canons, already a very good representation of what you are getting in terms of exposure, color, and picture style (since Canon's LCD's are very, very good to my eyes) since you'd think the company would calibrate them accurately to what the camera captures? Or is there field monitors that are specially designed for that type of thing which reveal a brand new world once you hook them up?

Just to say, I'm not talking about moire, focus, or detail, just asking in terms of exposure, picture style, and color - how does a student filmmaker shoot a low budget work and shoot it accurately in terms of those latter things? So far, my files look extremely different depending on which computer I play them on, so I just don't know how it is done or what my files actually look like.
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I know this. I know my Canon 5DMk2 appears to be displaying the piutcure style I choose on it's LCD either in stills mode or in Video Capture mode. I can switch between say Standard, take a photo, then switch over to Cinestyle (which I use) and take another photo, and the resultant Chimp shows two differing results. same result if I shoot a small vid. So for me, the Canon LCD does display your chosen pic style.

I use a monitor in the filed, as you say, but I don't use it for what you're asking. I simply use mine for composition. I take a still with a white board before shooting to set my Wb. and I take another still of my scene to establish my exposure I'm looking for. I shoot, sometimes replay and don't look again until uploaded to my workstation.

I wouldn't worry over your files until you view them on the calibrated monitor, once you know the LCD is giving you what it is you want.
 
If you can, install Magic Lantern. All your details-pic style, WB in Kelvin, ISO, fstop--- all that info is displayed and can be adjusted incrementally
 
For exposure, use a light meter. Color comes in your color correction in post. Focus should be measured with a laser or tape. I've shot entire films where the only thing anyone except the DP saw was a black and white, low resolution CRT monitor. The DP was looking through the lens with the viewfinder. Trust your equipment and your measurements, and everything will be fine.
 
edinc90 said:
For exposure, use a light meter. Color comes in your color correction in post. Focus should be measured with a laser or tape. I've shot entire films where the only thing anyone except the DP saw was a black and white, low resolution CRT monitor. The DP was looking through the lens with the viewfinder. Trust your equipment and your measurements, and everything will be fine.
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My favorite thing about shooting film (remember film?) is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to see the image you are recording for as long as days after the shoot.

This forces you to use your eyes and brain instead of an electronic screen, which is what a talented cinematographer should be doing anyway.

You shouldn't be worrying about what you see on a screen during the shoot. Once you set up the camera you should only be thinking about exposure, focus, lensing, etc. Know the abilities of your camera such as dynamic range and highlight behavior and use your own eyes, not the screen.
 
I managed to pull perfect focus on some pretty complicated dolly moves without even a video tap. Just a tape measure, marks on the track, and a good follow focus. If I recall we were shooting pretty open too, maybe f2 or f2.8. I do love film...
 
Samuel H said:
The camera's LCD screen is the most accurate representation you can get of what the camera is recording (Shane Hurlbut dixit: "I have always felt that the back LCD is the true gauge of color, contrast, saturation, etc" http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/...eam-color-your-eyes-into-the-dslr-colorspace/ )
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The most important word in that sentence is "gauge". The LCD is not an accurate calibrated monitor, nor are they consistent between models. I have three 5Ds and the image is different on them all. You need to apply a range of skills to getting the right exposure - don't rely on the monitor.
 
I'm a little old school, but in my opinion if you shoot a little chart at the head of each scene change it gives you a baseline for primary color correction in post.
 
I think I'm just going to have to invest in a light meter (and learning how to use it in tricky environments where I have natural windows, lights, different sunlight directions, ect ect), a good white board (and ugh, the never ending question of white or grey), and a good color card.

But for things like say, a quick interview or low budget short, is the LCD really the best thing you can get for the three things above (light meters all seem to be pretty expensive, for example)? And if the footage on the computer isn't really matching the LCD at all, does that mean the computer is probably funky?
 
BBFilm said:
But for things like say, a quick interview or low budget short, is the LCD really the best thing you can get for the three things above (light meters all seem to be pretty expensive, for example)? And if the footage on the computer isn't really matching the LCD at all, does that mean the computer is probably funky?
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Use histograms. If you're on a Canon that doesn't have live histograms, take a picture and look at its histogram. On a GH2 the live histogram is only monochrome so using a picture and the RGB histograms can still be useful to keep your colors in check.

Otherwise, go by eye. Know your camera. KNOW YOUR CAMERA. Set your exposure and WB to what you know will work and go by eye, only using histograms and LCD's as a double-check.

But if your computer's LCD and the camera's LCD really are drastically different, something is probably up with at least one of them. Most likely it's the computer but not necessarily.
 
BBFilm said:
I think I'm just going to have to invest in a light meter (and learning how to use it in tricky environments where I have natural windows, lights, different sunlight directions, ect ect), a good white board (and ugh, the never ending question of white or grey), and a good color card.

But for things like say, a quick interview or low budget short, is the LCD really the best thing you can get for the three things above (light meters all seem to be pretty expensive, for example)? And if the footage on the computer isn't really matching the LCD at all, does that mean the computer is probably funky?
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I'll take a wild guess you're not practicing enough.

You mention getting a light meter and a good white board. I think you have access to both. A piece of White foam core board from the office supply will work. You make sure it is in the light or where your scene is to be. Take a photo, then use the Camera to set a custom Wb to that image. Done. In that same photo or the next still you take after it, you look first for 'blinkies' and then perhaps the histogram. If something is blown out and you cannot turn it down, like the sun, then scrim it. And so on. Light meters are great if you have the time to use them & the knowledge to learn them.

ON the Computer front. Unless you're using a Calibrated Monitor, you cannot be certain what you have in your product.
 
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