C200: Where do YOU put 18% middle gray and/or use of low ISO for exposure?

[ReelWorksMedia]

Good post from Crimson Engine about low ISO. He also exposes to the right (45-50 IRE): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xit6Pyouj9I&t=138s

I see the logic that shooting low ISO does not short change the DR...it just puts it in shadows...which is often times where it needs to be. Debatable....but I would like to know your opinion.

Also, exposing C-LOG 2 to the right on the C200 RAW format. I believe Canon states that middle gray should be somewhere near 38%. That value when a 1D LUT conversion to C-LOG 3 is applied...equals about 32%. Question....where do YOU expose middle gray in C-LOG 2/3?

I'll be honest...the factory specs for exposing C-LOG from Canon ALWAYS seem underexposed to me and bumping it up in post seems to introduce more problems. Crimson engine suggests shooting low ISO in darker shots along with exposing near the 48% for middle gray.

I also believe that Shane Hurlbut also suggested exposing middle gray in C-Log around 50%.

This fellow does some solid tests and suggests that just shooting lower ISO really is the sweet spot and still exposing middle gray closer to factory specs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5K7mq49diQ

Any thoughts?

 

[ReelWorksMedia]

I'm going to do my own tests...but 320 - 400 ISO and expose around 45% sounds like a nice middle ground and balance of the sensor.

 

[morgan_moore]

So he sets it a 'low ISO' then exposes no where near clip. Makes not sense to me.

Id do your own tests.

Set up a scene, shoot it at a few settings and work out which looks good to you.

 

[mrchirster]

So he sets it a 'low ISO' then exposes no where near clip. Makes not sense to me.

Id do your own tests.

Set up a scene, shoot it at a few settings and work out which looks good to you.

What do you mean by that? There is no bright objects in the image that should be exposed "near clip".

 

[nothing]

What do you mean by that? There is no bright objects in the image that should be exposed "near clip".

But in order to "maximize DR", which seems to be the point of this thread, then you want the brightest object in the shot to be exposed just under clipping. This ignores the shadows, however, and will sometimes place the meat of the scene in a range that has fewer bits allocated than the middle where it belongs.

Exposing according to such rigid guidelines never works out in the real world in my experience - there are always other factors involved that such hard and fast rules overlook. You have to look at the whole shot, and not just the exposure tools.