Proper Exposure with Scarlet

[Justin Kirchhoff]

I was hoping to gain some insight from some of you Scarlet owners on how you expose your images.

Why am I asking this?

Well, 95% of the videos I have seen posted that were all supposedly shot on Scarlet were all underexposed. 95%. I honestly don't think this is an exaggeration, seeing how I could go through the SHOT ON RED threads and prove my point.

So please, if any of you could please tell me how you expose your images, I'd be happy to know. Because it's killing me.

Now I know there is still a slight learning curve to using RED equipment over what you have probably used in the past...There is even a larger learning curve for learning how to process your footage correctly in RCX-Pro, so I understand that there will be some hiccups along the way. I've been there and have learned through great forums like REDUSER...heck, maybe I can even teach some of you a thing or two.

I'm looking for honest responses. Thanks!

 

[Trevor Meeks]

There's already a huge thread about this. A quick search of the forum for "Proper Exposure" brings it up in the first few results.

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showth...your-methods-please&highlight=proper+exposure

 

[Steve Sherrick]

I probably haven't seen enough stuff shot on Scarlet to know if that 95% number is true, but I could give you my take on why you are seeing some fall into that category.

1. Lighting. I find generally speaking that the best work out there that I see shot on RED (any of the 3 cameras) is very well lit by DPs who really know what they are doing. Even a hack like me (I'm not a DP) can get it right once in a while, but then I work with DPs who truly know how to manipulate light and get everything just right and I see the full potential of the RED image. Shooting wide open with no lighting is a tricky business that requires a fundamental understanding of what works as existing light and what doesn't.

2. Exposure. Understanding how the RED sensor sees and setting your exposure properly. Utilizing all the tools at your disposal to arrive at the perfect exposures (or close to it)

3. Lenses. Choosing wisely.

4. Knowing the technical procedures of achieving correct black shading, white balance, understanding the RED color/gamma spaces, etc.

5. Shooting lots of tests and seeing them through the post chain.

Scarlet footage should at the very least look as good, if not better than R1 footage, which we've seen plenty of good imagery from. So, it's certainly not the camera (unless a particular camera has a technical problem that needs to be sent in for repair). I'm sure there are many people getting good results with their cameras. Some of them probably too busy to post here on Reduser. That's why I'm not sure about that 95% number.

 

[Shane Kelly]

It's really pretty simple. Get a good histogram. If your histogram is squashed to the left and the left sensor bar has red in it, you are not exposing all of the sensor. Shoot 800 Asa outside and use nd's and shoot 320 or 400 inside and don't let any of the traffic lights turn on. look at the raw image from time to time and see what the sensor is seeing.
There's an obsession with shooting with no lights and frankly, the red's not the camera that does this that well. What it does do well is give you beautiful images if you expose it correctly.

 

[Justin Kirchhoff]

There's already a huge thread about this. A quick search of the forum for "Proper Exposure" brings it up in the first few results.

Sorry Trevor. I didn't bother to search. Honestly, I've been wanting to post this thread for a while now, just haven't hadn't gotten around to it.

I probably haven't seen enough stuff shot on Scarlet to know if that 95% number is true, but I could give you my take on why you are seeing some fall into that category.

Steve, I know that number seems outrageous, but I promise you that the links that I have clicked that have said "Shot on SCARLET" were underexposed. Not all, but most. And I agree with your input on exposure.

It's really pretty simple. Get a good histogram. If your histogram is squashed to the left and the left sensor bar has red in it, you are not exposing all of the sensor. Shoot 800 Asa outside and use nd's and shoot 320 or 400 inside and don't let any of the traffic lights turn on. look at the raw image from time to time and see what the sensor is seeing.
There's an obsession with shooting with no lights and frankly, the red's not the camera that does this that well. What it does do well is give you beautiful images if you expose it correctly.

Shane, I completely agree with your approach and I do the same thing, actually. My thought for this post was to see how new camera owners were exposing their images. I hope they take your input and use it to the best of their abilities.

 

[Wayne Beck]

Trevor thanks for the link to exposure guide. A bit over my head in a lot of regards going in, but as I worked my way through it all I found I had over stuffed it and my head grew a whole size. Now to retain it.

 

[sam karr]

I didn't see 95% underexposed. But maybe it's a monitor calibration problem too. I guess not everybody is calibrating monitors. People tend to push brightness of the screen too far up when grading and then you get underexposed footages on your well calibrated monitor. Or it's a choice. More in the spirit of "social network" or "girl with the dragon tattoo" than the "muppets" brightness.

 

[Keith Putnam]

Don't forget grading. Just because you've gotten as ideal an exposure as possible with the sensor doesn't mean you've done a good job grading the image. It may or may not really be "underexposed" but it can certainly come out of the color grade, or lack thereof, looking that way.

 

[Paramon Ivanovich]

I am still having troubles getting used to overexposed look on my touch, but that's how properly exposed footage looks on Scarlet LCD, at least on mine,
I tried all, i think, adjustmnts to make my touch work in WYSIWYG, but no success, so you have to watch your histogram, raw clip level and raw clip meter;
before my histogram was my secondary exposure confirmation, now it is primary;
plus I noticed that sometimes, not always, i cant figure a patern, youtube converted footage looks much darker than original.

 

[Steve Sherrick]

Don't forget grading. Just because you've gotten as ideal an exposure as possible with the sensor doesn't mean you've done a good job grading the image. It may or may not really be "underexposed" but it can certainly come out of the color grade, or lack thereof, looking that way.

Exactly Keith, that's why it's critical to test from acquisition all the way through the chain to best understand how the footage responds. Especially when shooting RED for your first time. Relying on other people's tests can get you started down the road but ultimately you need to test for yourself so you know exactly what to expect.

 

[Will Keir]

There's an obsession with shooting with no lights and frankly, the red's not the camera that does this that well.

It's true, Epic struggles if not given enough light. So far, Jim will give us more updates that might make the Epic more competitive in low light situations.

Some of the most beautiful images come from low light situations, like a sunset. Your best bet is get faster glass, around F1.2.