GH5 Question Re: Grading VLOG

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Ianscreations

Well-known member
I shot a commercial in VLOG and will be grading it with DaVinci.
For a couple shots, I had to bump up ISO a bit more than I like and will need to use NR.
Is it better to apply NR to the ungraded clip in Premiere or wait until I have graded the image in DaVinci and then
apply either with that software or after exporting back into the Premiere?
Thank you.
 
You can use either tool, but I recommend removing the noise as early in the image processing pipeline as possible - prior to other image manipulations. I used to use Neat Video on ingest, but these days I do it (as needed) as the first node in my Resolve workflow.
 
Joe, thank you. That is very helpful.
Would the same approach apply to sharpening? I presumed NR and sharpening would be the final step, so I'm glad you offered an experienced opinion.
 
Sorry for the delay responding. Exact opposite advice on sharpening...do so at the very, very end of your pipeline. This is because everything else you do affects perceived sharpness, especially contrast adjustments. Remember, post-sharpening doesn't recreate real detail, it creates the illusion of detail by exaggerating edge contrast.
 
Cary Knoop said:
I would stay away from sharpening, it damages your image.
Click to expand...

Exactly, in camera and in post-processing. I don't use any additional sharpening in camera (-5, as well as for noise reduction) and even blur the image slightly (black pro mist Tiffen 1/4 and blur in post). Looks so much more cinematic but still looks 4K.
 
The advice to never use either form of sharpening is as wrong-headed as advice to always do something.

Anything coming off of a bayer sensor is highly processed. Detail has to be reconstructed from adjacent samples...it's just a matter of when it is done, and to what degree. Is -5 better than 0 better than +5? Depends on the intent. You want to avoid visible ringing, but other than that, season to taste. Or adjust to match cameras, or lenses, or a whole host of other creative reasons.

I will add that the nature of h264 codec lends weight to doing whatever degree of sharpening you deem appropriate *before* compression, as areas with higher frequency are compressed less. It is nigh on impossible (in practical terms) to reconstruct detail after the fact, but conversely brain-dead easy and computationally inexpensive to blur in post.
 
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