My scarlet just started doing this out of nowhere. I will light and get a beautiful image on my LCD but then when I bring it into my computer it is really dark. It looks like it is crunching the blacks. I'm shooting 2 feature films right now and it has ruined 2 of my days. I've reset my camera, upgraded firmware, calibrated the blacks..... Nothing has helped.
Welcome to our community
Be a part of something great, join today!
Footage looks great on LCD and really dark on my computer. Please help!
- Thread starter John Hale
- Start date
Maik Müller
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2009
- Messages
- 2,034
- Reaction score
- 2
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Dresden, Germany
- Website
- www.maikmueller.de
Getting good images on your LCD probably means that it is not a camera issue and nothing is lost or ruined, well as long as you have exposed by using the tools, not just by looking at the LCD. 
Ok, lets start looking for the problem.
You already have reseted your camera, which means there aren't looks or out of the line-settings in camera, LCD-brigthness isn't set to a extreme too? Right?
To me it sounds like a issue with your computer, have you checked the footage on another system? Is your monitor calibrated? Have you updated some drivers (GPU) lately? Also, when in RCX, have a look at the meta-data, is it the same as you've set it in camera during the shoot?
Are there any .RMD files with your .R3D files? Move them away temporary and re-open your files.
Maybe post a sample image (in .R3D) for us to have a look.
Ok, lets start looking for the problem.
You already have reseted your camera, which means there aren't looks or out of the line-settings in camera, LCD-brigthness isn't set to a extreme too? Right?
To me it sounds like a issue with your computer, have you checked the footage on another system? Is your monitor calibrated? Have you updated some drivers (GPU) lately? Also, when in RCX, have a look at the meta-data, is it the same as you've set it in camera during the shoot?
Are there any .RMD files with your .R3D files? Move them away temporary and re-open your files.
Maybe post a sample image (in .R3D) for us to have a look.
Glen Powell
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2010
- Messages
- 1,249
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Toronto
- Website
- www.heavygfilms.com
Look at the scopes!!! Look at the scopes!!! Look at the scopes!!! Bring it into RCX or your favourite edit system, and look at the scopes!!! When you expose in camera, are you using the cameras exposure tools? (goalposts, Histogram, etc) Or are you just looking at the lcd picture and thinking you've nailed it?
Just saying that as long as you aren't blowing out or woefully underexposed - all the info is there, and what you are seeing on the computer, is just a bad interpretation of metadata overlaying your raw image. It's all there, you'll just need to tease it out, and then learn what the correct picture looks like on the camera LCD… while actually using the histogram & goalposts (and a meter isn't a bad idea…) to set exposure.
Just saying that as long as you aren't blowing out or woefully underexposed - all the info is there, and what you are seeing on the computer, is just a bad interpretation of metadata overlaying your raw image. It's all there, you'll just need to tease it out, and then learn what the correct picture looks like on the camera LCD… while actually using the histogram & goalposts (and a meter isn't a bad idea…) to set exposure.
- Thread starter
- #4
I am using the tools.... The histogram on camera seems to represent more of what I'm seeing on my computer. Also the color temperature on my computer is warmer than on camera. It is not a slight difference. it is like night and day.
THIS LOOKED REALLY GOOD ON MY LCD AND THE DIRECTORS EXTERNAL MONITOR.
AFTER
![A010_C007_0914Y90001186After.jpg](http://[URL="http://s928.photobucket.com/user/jgh7d7/media/A010_C007_0914Y90001186After.jpg.html"][IMG]http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad121/jgh7d7/A010_C007_0914Y90001186After.jpg)
[/URL][/IMG]
THIS LOOKED REALLY GOOD ON MY LCD AND THE DIRECTORS EXTERNAL MONITOR.
AFTER
Bob Gundu
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2011
- Messages
- 10,238
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Toronto, ON Canada
- Website
- www.10fh.com
The LCD will always look brighter than what you are recording. The histogram and exposure tools are the only way to get proper exposure. Post your R3D file and it will reveal all.
- Thread starter
- #6
Bob Gundu
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2011
- Messages
- 10,238
- Reaction score
- 3
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Toronto, ON Canada
- Website
- www.10fh.com
Matt Ryan
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 22, 2008
- Messages
- 4,381
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 36
- Age
- 39
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA.
- Website
- pro.imdb.com
Kalulu Ngilo
Well-known member
- Banned
- #10
Robert Ruffo New
Banned
Just up the ISO in RCX! You could go up to 2000 without much issue, assuming you did a proper blackshade at the right moment. Come on man, learn tech before you use it. This is really basic stuff! And using your Red LCD to judge color! Come on! Just fix it in RCX.
Glen Powell
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2010
- Messages
- 1,249
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 38
- Location
- Toronto
- Website
- www.heavygfilms.com
That r3d file is severely restricted in terms of exposure. It is all crushed.
Let me get this straight - Your on camera histogram shows under exposure that matches the dark frame that you're seeing on your computer and the dark frames that we're seeing here through RCX? But your onboard LCD and directors monitor show a bright frame? Am I understanding you? So instead of believing the scopes you are trusting the picture on the Directors monitor / onboard lcd? & you were shooting a night exterior with very little (it would seem) in the way of lighting - at 400ASA???
Kind of like when I upgraded my pilots license to night VFR; the instructor (every instructor) pounded into my head: "trust your instruments, and not your eyes". In this case I would say "Trust the histogram, and not the monitor" & dial back the brightness on your LCD...