Which Color Space to use?

[Evan S]

Back again with another question!

In Red Alert, I see the default setting is REDspace for "Color Space" and "Output LUT/Gamma Space"

But my Metadata (Which looks very off) is both at REC709.

I'm assuming the reason my metadata is so wrong is that we shot in the old colorspace and the new software is interpreting incorrectly. Ok - so I'll grade... But should I stick with both at REC 709 (Which is what I'm assuming) or use other settings?

Thanks in advance!

 

[jimhare]

Hi Evan,

I used REDspace exclusively until build 20, then jumped ship to Rec709. Before then Rec709 never seemed to "pop," but they really fixed it up with the new color science.

What build are you working with?

 

[Evan S]

All the latest and greatest... but I shot on cameras in August, not sure what build they were at that point. But certainly pre-whatever is out now.

 

[Noah Kadner]

First off- you should make these decisions during production so that what you see on the monitor on set matches what you expect in post. Failing that you should make the decision based on where the footage is ultimately going. For example if it's going out to HD tape for broadcast or DVD, you really should look at it in REC 709. If it's just for web you have more flexbility. And whatever you do you should be looking at it using a properly calibrated broadcast monitor. Just view on a desktop or laptop computer is a shot in the dark.

Noah

 

[Yousuf Abbasi]

What's the point of monitoring in either RedSpace or RED709? Why not work with RAW and grade in post as you see fit.

 

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

What's the point of monitoring in either RedSpace or RED709? Why not work with RAW and grade in post as you see fit.

Because RAW looks like crap. Flat - desaturated.
It is not a "viewing" format IMO.

 

[Yousuf Abbasi]

Because RAW looks like crap. Flat - desaturated.
It is not a "viewing" format IMO.

But atleast you get a good sense of what you can and cannot push in post.

 

[axel ebermann]

But atleast you get a good sense of what you can and cannot push in post.

Explain that to my clients on the set " It sure looks crappy now but it will be awesome some time later"

I usually use RedSpace.

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Toggle

Toggle

Each viewing option tells me something about what the camera is seeing. I like toggling between RAW and RedSpace. Toggling between the newer rec709 and RAW makes sense for a TV finish.

IF you have the discipline you could leave it in RAW all the time, but for most people, including any collaborators, it is too different from the real scene.

Cheers - #19

 

[J. Eric Camp]

I am a toggler as well. Usually Redspace / RAW. I have never cared for 709. It has gotten better but I still prefer Redspace.

Either way. Choose whatever you like, just monitor in a way you can trust.

 

[Yousuf Abbasi]

Wouldn't it be nice if you could monitor both Redspace and RAW simultanously on two monitors? Can you?

 

[Uli Plank]

No. Not enough processing power in the camera. But the "barber pole" is always showing RAW.

 

[NateS]

So which color space and gamma space settings will show you the RAW image in Red Alert?

Camera RGB and linear light? Redlog?

 

[Tim Sutherland]

Camera RGB and REC709 will give you what the camera shows as the 'RAW' preview option, as the actual RAW data is not an image (or at least not one that makes sense to view).

 

[NateS]

Thanks!

So the RAW preview look on the camera seems to be built on the basis of a REC709 LUT, if however toned down from the camera's REC709 look source setting?