A couple of n00by questions

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James McDonagh

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A couple of n00by questions

PostMon Feb 12, 2018 11:31 pm

Hey guys,

I read the manual for the URSA Mini Pro and have experimented with the camera a bit and I still have a few questions that I would grateful if someone could help me with:

- Why is the default tint set at 10? Even in the URSA Mini Pro promo video this was set at 10.
- Is there any preference between DCI and 16:9? Is so, why?
- Would it make sense to use the "detail sharpening" option during recording or can all the detail sharpening that the camera applies also be applied in post?
- What screen brightness is the best? Does having higher screen brightness run the risk of one thinking that their shot is better lit than it actually is?
- I have no iris digit on my HUD. Why is this? I'm using Rokinon Cine Lenses.

And a general question I have about cinematography overall is: why bother worry about getting "technically" accurate white balance? Shouldn't the point of WB be to go by your eye to see what affect the WB is having on the shot? And why does any of this WB stuff make a difference when LUTs and post work can adjust the captured footage?
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rick.lang

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Re: A couple of n00by questions

PostTue Feb 13, 2018 2:05 am

Tint
CaptainHook posted a graphic showing how tint settings can vary with colour temperature. Sorry, I don’t have the graphic. The default tints that are selected automatically with colour temperature are often sufficient for general situations. If you shoot raw, it’s just a starting point for your grade and you easily set it to anything suitable to your goals in post.

DCI versus 16:9
If you know your deliverables are going to be DCI resolutions, then you can save recording space by selecting a DCI resolution. Using 16:9 will give you additional flexibility in post to help with either stabilization or reframing. So your choice.

Detail Sharpening
Designed only for live broadcast and generally shouldn’t be used in other situations. You can add sharpening in post.

Adjust screen brightness so you have a chance of seeing the screen in bright daylight. Otherwise you can set it at less than 100% and conserve your battery. If you use false colour a few times to set exposure, you’ll see what brightness on the monitor works well.

The Rokinon Cine lenses don’t have electronic communication with the BMD camera, do the IRIS won’t display on the HUD.

WB / LUTs
Setting white balance is a starting point and can be adjusted in post to suit your needs. Again raw gives you much more flexibility to set it wherever you want. For example for outdoors scenes you might set it to 5600 and forget it. The actual colour temperature may be 3200 or 6500. I think it’s a habit to set it approximately correct for your scene and adjust in post. Again more important to set in camera for ProRes.

LUTs are quite a different kettle of fish. You select a LUT in camera to approximate the ‘look’ you want in post fir your deliverables so you can judge the scene the way you think it will finally look.

I tend not to do things in camera that can be done in post because post allows you to experiment and go in different directions. So I stay more vanilla in camera and add tastier flavors in post. More fun doing that in post if you’re not required by the director to use a LUT for his/her monitor.


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Rick Lang
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James McDonagh

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Re: A couple of n00by questions

PostTue Feb 13, 2018 12:10 pm

rick.lang wrote:Tint
CaptainHook posted a graphic showing how tint settings can vary with colour temperature. Sorry, I don’t have the graphic. The default tints that are selected automatically with colour temperature are often sufficient for general situations. If you shoot raw, it’s just a starting point for your grade and you easily set it to anything suitable to your goals in post.

DCI versus 16:9
If you know your deliverables are going to be DCI resolutions, then you can save recording space by selecting a DCI resolution. Using 16:9 will give you additional flexibility in post to help with either stabilization or reframing. So your choice.

Detail Sharpening
Designed only for live broadcast and generally shouldn’t be used in other situations. You can add sharpening in post.

Adjust screen brightness so you have a chance of seeing the screen in bright daylight. Otherwise you can set it at less than 100% and conserve your battery. If you use false colour a few times to set exposure, you’ll see what brightness on the monitor works well.

The Rokinon Cine lenses don’t have electronic communication with the BMD camera, do the IRIS won’t display on the HUD.

WB / LUTs
Setting white balance is a starting point and can be adjusted in post to suit your needs. Again raw gives you much more flexibility to set it wherever you want. For example for outdoors scenes you might set it to 5600 and forget it. The actual colour temperature may be 3200 or 6500. I think it’s a habit to set it approximately correct for your scene and adjust in post. Again more important to set in camera for ProRes.

LUTs are quite a different kettle of fish. You select a LUT in camera to approximate the ‘look’ you want in post fir your deliverables so you can judge the scene the way you think it will finally look.

I tend not to do things in camera that can be done in post because post allows you to experiment and go in different directions. So I stay more vanilla in camera and add tastier flavors in post. More fun doing that in post if you’re not required by the director to use a LUT for his/her monitor.


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Hi Rick thank you.

I'm just curious as to why 10 is the default tint? Would you recommend that I sue a default tint of 0 or 10?
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Scott Smith

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Re: A couple of n00by questions

PostTue Feb 13, 2018 5:18 pm

And fyi.....I have found these free LUTs to be valuable when the white balance was not properly set. Shoot at 5600k indoors under tungsten light? Shoot at 3200k outdoors? This helps fix that quickly.

They are also great for use with a n inexpensive on-set monitor display, to get the color to look correct with the monitor on-camera. They tend to look blue. Add LUT to a Teranex mini before going into monitor, and the monitor will look all awful and yellow to the eye, but to the camera, will be right on. Or close. Depending on monitor and/or camera. It helps.

https://lutify.me/7g15696ecbf1c96e6594b ... 30ee/4574/
Scott R Smith
BMD Stuff I use: ATEM 2-M/E, 4 x ATEM PS 4K, Broadcast Videohub, 6 Hyperdeck Pros, 4 Hyperdeck Shuttles, Multidock, Smartscope Duo, Smartview, Intensity Extreme, Decklink Studio, and lots of Miniconverters and Open Gear Converters.

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