Trying to get a clear idea about grading SLog2 and using LUTs

jurny said:
So am I. That's why i find this 3 step program total bs. You grade for emotions. You help the scene. imho a7s slog2 is so versatile i have problems selecting the actual grade. So many options...
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Fair points, but I can only go by own (limited) experiences. I did not mean to imply that those steps were the only way to grade SLOG footage. I just thought that it could be a useful starting point for people who are a bit overwhelmed by it, that's all. No doubt there are other ways of going about it too.
 
I haven't done a lot with S-log and LUTs yet, but just from the footage I've seen using LUTs I personally can't stand them. Maybe it's just the way people are using them on Vimeo, but they all look like Instagram filters to me. Now this is just a guess, but I think the reason why LUTs don't look as good is because you're working with an 8 bit image. I've seen some nice LUTs applied to Reds and Alexas, but it never seems to look right with the Sonys (personal opinion.)

I used S-Log 2/S-gamut 3.cine with the Atomos Shogun for a couple shoots lately and this is what I did:

Granted it helped using the Shogun because I had a waveform monitor, but on the monitor I exposed on the highest level I could without clipping (Around upper 70s, usually around +2 stops). When I brought it into Final Cut I adjusted the levels for as much contrast as I could without clipping and brought the mids down to around 50 and I brought the saturation in the mids almost all the way up. Then I used a second correction to add some warmth and color grade and add a bit more saturation (don't wanna do too much though or else it'll look muddy with 8 bit).

And that's it. I mean my stuff isn't exactly stylized so if you're going for a certain look then LUTs can be great, but if you're looking for a nice 4K image that technique's worked well for me.
 
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