to reduce chroma level or to not reduce chroma level? that is the question.

M

mikebarber

Active member
Is there any tangible reason, other than saving a bit of time in post, to reduce the chroma level (saturation) in camera when recording AVCCAM? is it not wiser to keep as much colour info as possible given the 4:2:0 chroma sampling of the codec?
 
The AF100 is a rather saturated camera, producing a lushly saturated palette. Which is, depending on taste, quite good. But, if someone didn't know how to expose properly and let things overexpose, that saturated color palette will also contribute to the much-complained-about "yellow highlights" -- which are not highlights, they're overexposed areas and proper exposure would solve it, but ... I digress.

If you are one of those who cannot stand yellow-tinted overexposure, you can tame that to a certain degree by reducing the chroma level in-camera. The more saturated the palette, the sooner the color channels will clip on overexposure. Reducing the color saturation will increase the limits before chroma clipping can occur.
 
I think this camera can look vivid with chroma at default but at the same time it can be a bit much. Often I stay at around -4 and when grading I can boost chroma with less colour skew.
 
Yup.. I usually set it at -4 if it's going to be graded and -2 if it's not. As Barry said proper exposure is very important in preventing yellow highlights.
 
Yep - good advice above: keep it at -2 to -5 - depending upon how much color you like in your look. Anything higher is over-saturated, in my opinion (unless you're going for a special look, or you're Jacques Demy or something...).

I like a more desaturated look, and find it more filmic - so I'm a -4 or -5 kind of guy.
 
I find to match the look of a RED ONE, which I am often shooting this camera with, I need to desaturate and correct in post.
 
As sunny-j showed (so well)... choose the chroma (and any other setting) appropriate to the task on hand.

There isnt a one-rule "magic bullet" setting that suits every subject ...so why be so self-limiting in the approach.
 
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