The "chunky" look.

S

Snapper123

Well-known member
Hey guys, I want to discuss an issue I see alot with DSLR videos on youtube; so many times, I come across videos where the textures plain out look thick and chunky. Not talking about blocky, just the plastics look thicker, the skin looks more like play-doh, the woods look so camcorder-ish, fruits don't exactly look the best, hair looks like a wig, ect ect - it really seems to happen on so many different videos, while other users seem to be getting videos that look absolutely smooth and stunning, like film. This has even happened with my own videos, sometimes they look thick and play-doh looking, sometimes things look smooth and silky. My biggest guess is that it's different picture styles, because I do try to experiment with alot of them but....what would your guess be?

I ask this because like I said, I think it effects so many users and is keeping alot of people from getting footage that looks great.
 
Definitely show some images. From your description, it sounds like you may be talking about the 8-bit banding that happens on highly-compressed footage?
 
I know exactly what you're feeling, I've had the same reaction many times.

A sickly platiscky look, where individual textures lose their innate character and become, well, 'plastic' looking. It's unnerving and disgusting once you start noticing it.

What you really need to do is stop using dslrs and get into 35mm film. Nothing captures, preserves and enhances texture and feel like analog. I'm sure you already know that but I'll restate the obvious. Analog, aaaah analog.

The only thing you're suffering from is that your eyes work too well and they're rejecting what's wrong.
 
And also I think it's the weird edge enhancing coupled with line skipping coupled with color moire coupled with the compression blocking and blending textures into each other - I'm surprised ANY impressions of fine texture survive after all that!!
 
Matthew Bennett said:
I know exactly what you're feeling, I've had the same reaction many times.

A sickly platiscky look, where individual textures lose their innate character and become, well, 'plastic' looking. It's unnerving and disgusting once you start noticing it.

What you really need to do is stop using dslrs and get into 35mm film. Nothing captures, preserves and enhances texture and feel like analog. I'm sure you already know that but I'll restate the obvious. Analog, aaaah analog.

The only thing you're suffering from is that your eyes work too well and they're rejecting what's wrong.
Click to expand...


I agree - especially when I have to see/compared at Full HD resolution. DSLR footage when re-sized to SD and with alot of film grain added in looks fine to me though.
 
@Snapper123

Throw up some references. I think I know what you mean, but I've not experienced that yet, at least not with the t2i.
 
I think I know what you mean too. I have at least noticed a characteristic of dslr video that could be described as a lack o texture. Often when I see it some colors seem to be clipping, but not always. Maybe it can't store enough shades of the different colors.

Couldn't find any extreme examples but these somewhat illustrate my point:

Chunky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF6epJZmRvo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ALrPBmS8Iw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-OADzp0jPE&feature=related

Not so chunky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgFULJ5GGLk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPHAyyayUE&feature=related
 
chunky ones have too much contrast and sharpness + handheld with 50mm which is NO NO, not so chunky are more pleasing to eye ,less contrasty and planned shots
 
bwwd said:
chunky ones have too much contrast and sharpness + handheld with 50mm which is NO NO, not so chunky are more pleasing to eye ,less contrasty and planned shots
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The bottom line is Hunter Richards stuff vs...most other stuff (IMO).

I know exactly what the OP is talking about. It's that..."DSLR" look. In most cases it shows up but in others (using Hunter's shots as an example) it does not. I've been saying the same thing for quite a while now. The opposite look is more like a "thin" low contrast less sharp (or soft-like) image. There are plenty of examples out there but for the most part they are all that thick "chunky" looking DSLR video. My thought is there are two things at play...lack of decent DR in the sensor AND contrasty lenses. I think a good eway to get that.."thinner" look would be to shoot less contrasty scenes....like on an overcast day. With the GH-1 I'd stay away from Nostalgic mode (unless you are shooting on an overcast day)...because it makes the whites even whiter. People with light skin start to look...smoothed over.

It was easier for me to get"that thin look" on my old 7D for some reason. But it can still be easily done on the GH-1/2. This is why I believe that some folks believe thazt the Canons are...um...more film like. It boils down to how one shoots....not necessarily the camera.
 
It looks a bit over saturated and about 1/2 stop overexposed to me. I thought the first clip (guy singing marley) looked alot like af100 footage, mainly due to the way the highlights try to roll off, but blow out instead.
 
Norbert said:
Couldn't find any extreme examples but these somewhat illustrate my point:

Chunky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF6epJZmRvo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ALrPBmS8Iw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-OADzp0jPE&feature=related

Not so chunky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgFULJ5GGLk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPHAyyayUE&feature=related
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ALL of those videos above look chunky and DSLR like to me.

These are what I think, not chunky and shot on DSLR:

http://vimeo.com/15977077

http://vimeo.com/10744686

http://www.qmediasolutions.com/guest/CAMERA_TESTS/SUBWAY_edit_sharp_h264.mov (shot by Matthew Bennett! The main reason I got a D90 in the first place ;) )


Proper exposure, correct colour balance, use of lightflex and veiling techniques, and breaking up the chunky by adding in grain, is the way me thinks.
 
Lammy said:
These are what I think, not chunky and shot on DSLR:

http://vimeo.com/15977077

http://vimeo.com/10744686

http://www.qmediasolutions.com/guest/CAMERA_TESTS/SUBWAY_edit_sharp_h264.mov (shot by Matthew Bennett! The main reason I got a D90 in the first place ;) )
Click to expand...
Yes, those are definitely a lot better examples of not chunky. So it can be done. I remember the subway one (because it almost made me go for a D90 as well). What puzzles me is that it was shot run and gun with natural light (?). I think Ian-T might be on to something. The contrast and resolution of the lens could have something to do with it. High resolution stills can also look a bit chunky to my eye when fast lenses are being used with their aperture wide open.
 
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