Dragon ISO 100-6400 + ISO 50-12800

[Robert Ruffo New]

H264 hates subtle lower-luma gradients, but still, the lack of noise at highest ISOs is amazing. Really is a dream camera for those who, like me, sometimes shape the image with power windows and set-up shots with many layers of simultaneous action (often not possible to light all at the same level, especially if some layers are out a window, as even with all the watts in the world it wouldn't be comfortable for the actors). None of those layers will be compromised.

In 1080p (like I've said elsewhere 100% of our jobs are 2K or 1080p and there is zero indication that will change any time soon) noise looks fine until ISO 5000. With selective noise reduction, 5000 I would imagine would be pristine, especially if it were applied to the 6K original (i.e. before downscaling).

ISO 5000 at f1.2 gives you a bright image - maybe even moonlight will be usable as fill on some nights - certainly the light pollution within an urban area will read quite well. Time to buy more ND sheets for the lights....

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.

 

[Will Keir]

The final grade has so much "pop," it's really quite beautiful and shows the power of the correct tools in the correct hands. For a single BTS screen grab only a few words come to mind. Life and color, tone and grace, it's beautiful.

Can you go into greater detail as far as your color work to create the corrected image? Photoshop? Highlight and shadow isolation, image duplication similar to HDRx work? A dark image combined with a light?

Did you have HDRx enabled for this one?

 

[Robert Ruffo New]

The final grade has so much "pop," it's really quite beautiful and shows the power of the correct tools in the correct hands. For a single BTS screen grab only a few words come to mind. Life and color, tone and grace, it's beautiful.

Can you go into greater detail as far as your color work to create the corrected image? Photoshop? Highlight and shadow isolation, image duplication similar to HDRx work? A dark image combined with a light?

Did you have HDRx enabled for this one?

I can answer one part: he didn't have HDRX enabled. Dragon has the latitude of MX + 'HDRX 3 stops', but all the time. without the need to involve HDRX, and without any of HDRX's caveats

 

[Phil Holland]

The final grade has so much "pop," it's really quite beautiful and shows the power of the correct tools in the correct hands. For a single BTS screen grab only a few words come to mind. Life and color, tone and grace, it's beautiful.

Can you go into greater detail as far as your color work to create the corrected image? Photoshop? Highlight and shadow isolation, image duplication similar to HDRx work? A dark image combined with a light?

Did you have HDRx enabled for this one?

Robert's got it. No HDRx here. Very vanilla in terms of shooting this little piece. Straight camera and lens with the occasional use of an ND .9. Although, I'm real curious about just what's possible with use of HDRx and Dragon. I'd love to expose certain ways to potentially capture closer to 20-ish stops of dynamic range. You'd really only need that in real high contrast situations, but it's got me curious. I could see exposing wicked to the right and capturing more on the top end.

 

[Will Keir]

Phil,

My question is more about your post work, very lovely. Did you take still and use photoshop to color grade or Resolve? Wondering what program and how meticulous the process was to get your final print. Simple curves vs, duplicated images with highlights/darks layered on top of each other. Or was this all done in RCX with a couple sliders?

Tutorial?

Robert's got it. No HDRx here. Very vanilla in terms of shooting this little piece. Straight camera and lens with the occasional use of an ND .9. Although, I'm real curious about just what's possible with use of HDRx and Dragon. I'd love to expose certain ways to potentially capture closer to 20-ish stops of dynamic range. You'd really only need that in real high contrast situations, but it's got me curious. I could see exposing wicked to the right and capturing more on the top end.

 

[Will Keir]

WOAH! Moonlight fill... don't be ridiculous now Roberto!

maybe even moonlight will be usable as fill on some nights

 

[Phil Holland]

Phil,

My question is more about your post work, very lovely. Did you take still and use photoshop to color grade or Resolve? Wondering what program and how meticulous the process was to get your final print. Simple curves vs, duplicated images with highlights/darks layered on top of each other. Or was this all done in RCX with a couple sliders?

Tutorial?

Tutorial, likely one day soon. A few folks have been after me to do a Resolve/Speedgrade/Redcine-X Pro/Baselight video. Color to me is much more than the program itself, but more about applying theory and using the tools to get there. Each are different, some are better at certain things, some I prefer to use because of how exactly they handle color itself. I do about 6-9 hours a semester at Gnomon on the subject and have been thinking about a way to piece together an entertaining video. I'll likely produce a video in the coming months before getting underway on a larger project next year.


The first "one light" grade shown in this thread:
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?106511-Red-Dragon-It-s-Just-Paint

Was a simple quick grade in Redcine-X Pro. Sort of earthy in many ways, but not much finesse really. FLUT adjustments, curves, you name it and it's probably in there. I was essentially stress testing the material.


The "final grade" shown here:
http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?107069-It-s-Just-Paint-Shot-on-Dragon-Final-Color-and-Finish

Was achieved in DaVinci Resolve and After Effects, I also did a few more experiments on top of that to really see what I could do with the material. Long and the short of it was the grade used secondaries, power windows, curves and sometimes in unorthodox ways towards the end of the piece mostly to attract the eye. I did a few larger pushes into stretching the workable latitude that I personally know falls apart on other cameras and formats.

I did specifically choose to shoot this piece under lighting conditions that would allow for a real stress test. That window and that shadowed balcony. Shooting into shadow, exposing it as a midtone or close to it, and using the dynamic range in post to add life back into what could have been blown highlights. There's little things you see in the fine details when projected like clumps of paint on the skin that really show how the REDCODE stands up too.

 

[Will Keir]

Thanks Phil. I knew I saw your talent in that final image.

 

[Robert Ruffo New]

WOAH! Moonlight fill... don't be ridiculous now Roberto!

A full moon is actually quite a few lumens - I'm not saying "fill" like for a face, but enough to get a dim but clearly legible read on a distant forest? Sure, at 5000 ISO that does in fact happen if the lens is fairly open, and again, if that moon is full and the sky is clear.

 

[Will Keir]

When I get my Dragon upgrade, I'll be the first to try it coupled with 1.3T super speeds. I'm down for a little ridiculousness I can see a distance forest line visible, even working for some projects but the amount of noise isn't going to be pretty.

A full moon is actually quite a few lumens - I'm not saying "fill" like for a face, but enough to get a dim but clearly legible read on a distant forest? Sure, at 5000 ISO that does in fact happen if the lens is fairly open, and again, if that moon is full and the sky is clear.

 

[Martin Stevens]

Awesome tests Phil!

Thanks.