What does really affect the image?

[D Namir]

The camera menu has quite a few functions that affect the image on the monitor but don't affect the actual REDCODE RAW data being recorded.
Amongst are Color sub menu, Gain sub-menu.
The VIEW sub menu color (RAW, REC709 & RedSpace) also affect the monitor only, though, to my understanding, if you are not aware of it, may lead to some exposure errors.
Also in the Sensor menu there are settings that affect the preview only but not the recorded REDCODE RAW video data like Sensitivity and Color Temperature (BTW are these stored in the Metadata only when we shot RAW).
All these are affecting the way we see the image.
My question is what does really affect the final image beside setting the right exposure on the lens iris?

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Frame rate and shutter speed, your exposure, and color temperature used on the set. REDCODE compression level. Recorded format: 4K 2:1, 4K 16:9, 2K, etc.

 

[Joshua Brown]

David, am I incorrect in assuming that you can fully compensate for white balance in post? But your comment on color temperature makes me wonder. I don't know if I'm just comparing RedCode too much to RAW.

-Josh

 

[Manuel Wenger]

The Sensor works best at 5000°K which is kind of daylight, if you work in low light tungsten which is redish, and get not enough information into the blue channel, the recorded image can get noisy, you need to bring in information in the blue channel via camerafilter or filtering your lights towards blue to get arround. Just altering your white balance in camera doesn´t help since it´s Metadata and the Sensor always records at 5000°K.

 

[D Namir]

Frame rate and shutter speed, your exposure, and color temperature used on the set. REDCODE compression level. Recorded format: 4K 2:1, 4K 16:9, 2K, etc.

I meant affecting the color & exposure of the image within the camera.
Of course the nature of your lights affect the look, but these are external sources to the camera.
Format affect the framing and frame rate and shutter speed affect the motion, and REDCODE affect the .... quality?

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Format choice affects more than framing - if you are shooting in 2K mode, which involves cropping the sensor area, you obviously have less resolution as well, and certain artifacts like noise may become more visible in some cases.

Compression level is, well, compression level -- as in, less is generally better... though how visible compression artifacts become is sort of a case by case basis, it is shot-content dependent. Meaning it's hard to see much difference between the two REDCODE compression choices, so it's hard to make a mistake choosing either, but generally I'd stick to the milder compression when possible, on principle.

 

[Liam Hall]

My question is what does really affect the final image beside setting the right exposure on the lens iris?

It depends on how you post.

If you retain your metadata until the final grade
then David is right but if you embed your metadata into your transcoded rushes then all the settings will be evident in your image.

 

[D Namir]

It depends on how you post.

If you retain your metadata until the final grade
then David is right but if you embed your metadata into your transcoded rushes then all the settings will be evident in your image.

Well put, thanks.

 

[Derek Devine]

David, am I incorrect in assuming that you can fully compensate for white balance in post?

-Josh

David's comment was in reference to color balance on set not the setting in the camera or in RED Alert.

Just be aware of what you are recording to the blue channel. This histogram is a very helpful tool.