New to EX3 and Having Color Issues

H

harrisonbound

New member
I am trying to figure out if I don't understand the setting for the EX3 or if there is a problem.... Couple of questions for the hard core EX3 people... I did a shoot... I had do about 25 minutes of one person... I then pulled the SxS card and did some quick editing... I noticed that one shot has to be redone... Had nothing to do with technical... I put the card back in.. I had the EXACT same lighting... Exact same distance, Exact same everything... I rewhite balanced the camera... However, when I pulled the card and bagan editing, the colors were way off... The reds were just weird... I have been trying to fix in Colors, but it is hard to match... So, a couple of questions

1. do you need to rewhite balance the camera everytime you switch from Camera mode to Media mode? It seems like you do... That would be a big issue..

2. Do you have to finish up all your shots before you pull your card to edit because one you pull your card and then put it back in it will be impossible to get the same settings? I hope that is just user error...

3. It seems like there have been some color issues with the EX3 that I have read about on these boards before... Things with the IR, etc... Could this be one of those issues? If so, is there a fix?
 
Just looking at my Aquisition setting from the different clips... Before I pulled the card out the white balanced was set at 2805K.... After pulling the card and doing the edits and then reinserting the card for follow up shots (and incidentally, i just realized I used a different card for the reshoot, although I would think that would matter) the EXACT same lighting conditions white balanced at 3545k... Don't know why...
 
harrisonbound said:
... I used a different card for the reshoot, although I would think that would matter)...
Click to expand...

It mattered because of the difference in the date stored on each card. The WB you had done on card A was obviously different from the WB that had been done on card B. So it didn't matter that the lighting conditions were the same.
 
White balance does stay set after you turn off the camera. If you set the switch to A, then white balance, the A setting will stay the same until you change it. When using a card, or piece of paper you can hold it at a different angle, which may cause the WB to react differently. Also if you have any windows letting in light that light changes too throughout the day.

Anyway, I don't think it was the camera in this case. Try to find a white portion of the image in your editor and use the 3 way color corrector to white balance again, then eyeball the 2 different clips to get them matched as best you can.
 
Jay Gladwell said:
It mattered because of the difference in the date stored on each card. The WB you had done on card A was obviously different from the WB that had been done on card B. So it didn't matter that the lighting conditions were the same.
Click to expand...


I would agree with that, however, I rewhite balanced the camera when I put the card back into the camera... So, wouldn't it update the white balance on the card?
 
Chadfish said:
White balance does stay set after you turn off the camera. If you set the switch to A, then white balance, the A setting will stay the same until you change it. When using a card, or piece of paper you can hold it at a different angle, which may cause the WB to react differently. Also if you have any windows letting in light that light changes too throughout the day.

Anyway, I don't think it was the camera in this case. Try to find a white portion of the image in your editor and use the 3 way color corrector to white balance again, then eyeball the 2 different clips to get them matched as best you can.
Click to expand...


Good point... While I don't have any windows in the room, the white card could have held at a different angle... Question... If i switch cards, would switch A still save the WB? or would it be lost? I am asking because of the other post... Basically, if I have to reshoot, do i need to make sure I used the card I used when I did the original shot to ensure the WB in switch A is the same...

BTW, i haven't used the technique you talked about in rewhite balancing using the 3 way color corrector... Can you expand on that? I am using Final Cut 7.... I am trying to match it in Colors, but it isn't easy...
 
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You say "put the card back into the camera". Do you mean the SxS card? If so, that doesn't matter. The WB on switch A & switch B stay no matter what you do, except set a new WB.

In FCP I color correct everything to get exposure's better and maybe saturate the colowr a little, or pull the color balance where I want it. You correct one clip, then you Right click/Copy the clip, and Right Click / "Paste ATTRIBUTES" onto all the other clips taken in the same light.

Drop the "Color Corrector 3-Way" onto the clip. You see 3 circles with sliders, and a Saturation slider. Try clicking the eye dropper on the "Whites" circle, then clicking on a white portion of the scene you are editing. The color adjustment handle in the center of the corcle will move toward the color needed to adjust the whites to pure white. Try it on the mids too. If you don't like the results click on the dot opposite the eye dropper and it will set back to the center. Or you can just drag the dot in the center to eyeball the color. If my scene is too blue due to outside light, I pull the whites to the opposite of blue (yellow/orange).


Experiment. You will soon be making every shot look better. Turn on "Excess Luma" in your FCP settings so you can see when the whites are too blown out. Then you can tell how far to pull down the whites in the 3-Way. I use it on everything and set it as a favorite in my Effects tab.
 
Chadfish said:
You say "put the card back into the camera". Do you mean the SxS card? If so, that doesn't matter. The WB on switch A & switch B stay no matter what you do, except set a new WB.

In FCP I color correct everything to get exposure's better and maybe saturate the colowr a little, or pull the color balance where I want it. You correct one clip, then you Right click/Copy the clip, and Right Click / "Paste ATTRIBUTES" onto all the other clips taken in the same light.

Drop the "Color Corrector 3-Way" onto the clip. You see 3 circles with sliders, and a Saturation slider. Try clicking the eye dropper on the "Whites" circle, then clicking on a white portion of the scene you are editing. The color adjustment handle in the center of the corcle will move toward the color needed to adjust the whites to pure white. Try it on the mids too. If you don't like the results click on the dot opposite the eye dropper and it will set back to the center. Or you can just drag the dot in the center to eyeball the color. If my scene is too blue due to outside light, I pull the whites to the opposite of blue (yellow/orange).


Experiment. You will soon be making every shot look better. Turn on "Excess Luma" in your FCP settings so you can see when the whites are too blown out. Then you can tell how far to pull down the whites in the 3-Way. I use it on everything and set it as a favorite in my Effects tab.
Click to expand...


Very interesting... We definitely try it.... i have just started using Colors... I have been doing basic editing on Final Cut for years and I have dabbled into Motion... However, I never used Colors until this issue forced me to try.... It is a really good program... I like the simple Auto Balance... It makes the shot look better right from the start....

I will attempt to follow your instructions and hope it works... Thanks....
 
Chadfish,
No worries...it is not a seperate filter, just a part of the 3-way Color Correction filter. Also, a little reminder; match hue is best to be used if there is a reference(or previous) shot you are trying to match, otherwise it is not an alternative to proper color correction.
One more thing: Once you fiddle with 'match hue' buttons, next time you apply the 3-way Color filter to a clip, you may see match hue button is still activated and this can prevent you to do color correction. If this occurs simply reset the 'Reset match color' button.(3rd button from the right under match hue)
 
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