Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

Get answers to your questions about color grading, editing and finishing with DaVinci Resolve.
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AndreasK

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 10:38 am

I agree that -5 is a little bit crazy but it proves the point that there IS the information in the raw file and it can be recovered, adobe can :)

What more, if you download the whole package with all the frames there are other frames where the exposure is darker. I like best one that is a little bit less exposed, where i go only -2.5 and some highlight recovery so that I don't have to push the shadows that much. The information in the highlight (even if -2.5) is perfectly there in the raw file.

On the other hand, if you take a darker frame where you just use -1 or even no exposure correction at all just some highlight recovery and then push the shadows it gets VERY noisy. So overexposing or exposing that the highlights are just not clipped in the raw seems to be the best idea. As far as I know what you see/get in Lightroom is a 8 bit image, therefore if you expose it so that the highlights are just not clipped in the raw you have to bring the exposure down to map it to the 8bit colorspace, correct me if I'm wrong, not sure about this one

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 4:10 pm

Ok!
I take correctly exposed material to test what result i will have with ACR. I use ACR only, no other tools in AE.
This is Afterglow Shot1 frame000380
Can someone make same or near the same result in Resolve? I try a lot, but can't get close enough. And there is some banding in the shadows near her nose…
Seams like resolve uses 8bit master when convert from raw?

Image

link full frame -
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2727/frame000380n2.jpg
Last edited by Aleksandr_Oleynik on Sun Sep 09, 2012 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 5:16 pm

And this example of cooperation - ACR convert from raw + small grade Resolve -

Image

link full frame -
http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/8601/frame000380acrdav131.jpg
Last edited by Aleksandr_Oleynik on Sun Sep 09, 2012 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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valentine andreyev

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 5:17 pm

Try match this as close as possible.

Here`s result.

davinci.jpg
davinci.jpg (411.61 KiB) Viewed 36969 times


Main trouble is lack of details in Resolve and terrible banding.
Just compare it side by side!

compare.jpg
compare.jpg (364.63 KiB) Viewed 36969 times

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 5:33 pm

Thank you Valentine! Alas, I see banding on the result of a Resolve :(
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AndreasK

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 5:53 pm

That is a nice match valentine. Do you (both) mind sharing the settings as I'm making my first baby steps in revolve and having the matching values would greatly help.

The missing detail is imho Adobe's mighty clarity that greatly enhances the microcontrast.

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 7:52 pm

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John Brawley

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 10:16 pm

Aleksandr_Oleynik wrote:Ok!
I take correctly exposed material to test what result i will have with ACR. I use ACR only, no other tools in AE.
This is Afterglow Shot1 frame000380
Can someone make same or near the same result in Resolve? I try a lot, but can't get close enough. And there is some banding in the shadows near her nose…
Seams like resolve uses 8bit master when convert from raw?

Image

link full frame -
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/2727/frame000380n2.jpg


Resolve is 16 BIT when working with DNG files from the BMCC.

You need to get to know the camera tab on the bottom left of the Colour grading panel.

In there you can override the camera's exposure to make it around -2.0. You should find you have all your DR.

You can also try to use the brand new BMD FILM preset in the picker list on the left hand side.

jb
John Brawley ACS
Cinematographer
Currently - Los Angeles
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CaptainHook

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostSun Sep 09, 2012 11:21 pm

Okay, i had a go matching. I didn't get an exact match but i didn't expect to. It's close enough for me though and i will preface it by saying the choices made here or not to my taste but that doesn't matter (i personally am not a big fan of how flat and how lifted the low mid tones in the ACR version are, and i'm not big on the skin tone/colour but that's merely preference).

I don't see the lack of detail or banding mentioned above, but maybe i'm turning a blind eye to it.

Here's my version of matching Aleksandr's image above in resolve:

Image

Large version here:
http://f.cl.ly/items/3w241y3z1p0T0h2J2t ... _1.1.1.jpg

Here's a split screen with my version on the right and Aleksandr's ACR on the left, i made the split down her nose, check the large version if you're having trouble seeing the split (i should have labelled the ACR side to make it clear):

Image

Large version of split:
http://f.cl.ly/items/3L1M3n223H0n472A1O ... eRight.jpg

And here's the split with the images reversed for comparison:
Image

And large of that:
http://f.cl.ly/items/0K3T0w0T282D0s3M0w ... veLeft.jpg

Dont get me wrong guys, i've complained about how Resolve is dealing with these raws as well and it's obvious ACR can recover more detail in extreme cases. I'm all for improvement though where needed and i think something that will really help a lot of people is the initial default display of the raws. I keep going on about the Capture One default display but it really makes a difference on your first impression of the image and where you then take it. It really does affect your decisions as you manipulate colour. I just want to repeat as well, that i REALLY appreciate Blackmagic's communication right now and the efforts put in by their team and John.
**Any post by me prior to Aug 2014 was before i started working for Blackmagic**

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 5:08 am

Captain,
Can I get the project file to Resolve?
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CaptainHook

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 5:34 am

Sure,

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ay20u6uk2cbca ... 20Test.drp

If you have any issues with the project please let me know. This was exported with 9b3 as i have keyboard shortcut issues with the 9 GM release (that i have reported).

This isn't how i would approach a grade, but it is how i approached trying to match your frame. Something i found interesting is that the resolve version had more colour variation in the skin/hair so i made a node to desaturate and then re-colour with the colour wheels. This got me much closer. I may download your ACR settings to see what you did, but this is interesting if you didn't try unify colours yourself and it's just something ACR is doing. There's also more noise in the shadows of resolve but i use Resolve light with no NR (i own/use Neat Video if i want to do that kind of thing anyway). But the noise doesn't bother me here and feels more like 'grain' which i often add to digital footage anyway.
**Any post by me prior to Aug 2014 was before i started working for Blackmagic**

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 5:38 am

Thank you very much Captain!
Now we analyze the bones. ;)
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CaptainHook

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 5:39 am

Haha, no problem. I hope we all learn something from this and get a better Resolve from it. :)
**Any post by me prior to Aug 2014 was before i started working for Blackmagic**
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AndreasK

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 6:05 am

Thank you Caption, will download and learn from your project too
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CaptainHook

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 6:30 am

Sure, but i just have to re-iterate that this project is not how i would generally do (or setup) a grade. Thanks.
**Any post by me prior to Aug 2014 was before i started working for Blackmagic**
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AndreasK

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 6:31 am

Maybe (if you've got the time) you could start fresh with this frame and grade it like you would do ?

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 6:47 am

CaptainHook wrote:Haha, no problem. I hope we all learn something from this and get a better Resolve from it. :)

Captain, any communication - learning! I hope you also learn something new. ;)
Thanks.
Last edited by Aleksandr_Oleynik on Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 6:52 am

I do not mind the noise. I'm worried about banding and cadaveric yellow spots -

Image

It is better to look at the full frame -

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/2311/posterisation001.jpg
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Sergey Goncharov

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 8:48 am

Guys, I think you do not use a key option that appears in Resolve. Turn in Color Space - BMD Film and everything will be fine.
Attachments
L01.png
L01.png (865.84 KiB) Viewed 36822 times

Aleksandr_Oleynik

Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 9:19 am

Yes Sergey! A lot better with banding. But with saturation tight.
In general, this strange BMDFilm works. Compresses the range, and it is then necessary to expand.
John Brawley wrote BMCFilm - an interesting option!
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CaptainHook

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 11:18 am

AndreasK wrote:Maybe (if you've got the time) you could start fresh with this frame and grade it like you would do ?

Hey, i've posted my first grade earlier here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=22&start=60#p547

I went for a much darkier 'moodier' look overall since i like that, and i didn't make the skin as green/yellow as the ACR file we've been looking at here is. If i were going for a 'beauty' look i would approach it much differently yet again.

Aleksandr_Oleynik wrote:Captain, any communication - learning! I hope you also learn something new. ;)

Learning everyday! It's my favourite thing to do. :)

Aleksandr_Oleynik wrote:I do not mind the noise. I'm worried about banding and cadaveric yellow spots -

I personally don't see the parts you've highlighted as banding. In motion at 1080p on my 27" display it looks fine. Yes there are some yellow spots, but as i first mentioned in order to match the ACR file i noticed that resolve displays a much larger range of colours. The yellow parts in the shadow/low-mid tones are a result of my failure to fully 'unify' all colour in her skin like ACR. I actually see this as a 'flaw' to ACR since you have no option but to live with the lack of colour range. Most noticeable in the hair in which according to ACR is basically the same colour as her skin, where as Resolve shows clearly this is not so. The prores log files from the BMC are similar which i posted about and this can either be a negative or positive depending on what you're trying to achieve. I like that with raw in resolve you can choose.

The BMCFilm colour space indeed behaves like the Prores film files. It seems you prefer the more constrained and uniform colours. Great to have the option now in Resolve! I had a quick play with that option but i have to say the keyboard shortcut problems in 9GM (and scroll wheel now tilting instead of zooming - you have to hold alt+scroll now? arrggghhh) still annoy me and i will revert back to 9b3 after these tests.

So here are the comparisons with BMCFilm this time, not as closely matched now but still...

Image

Larger:

http://f.cl.ly/items/0c0x0I412i2m0X2C2T ... ight_2.jpg

And a pixel peeping 200% :D

Image

So yes, BMCFIlm (i'm guessing it's the prores log straight from the BMC) seems to get closer to ACR much quicker and easier. But IMHO this isn't a good thing unless you're always going for that look. For me, i've never been a big fan of ACR conversions. Not compared to Capture One. But i think the BMCFilm can go other places too and it's great we have the choice now if we need/want it or not. Progress. :)
**Any post by me prior to Aug 2014 was before i started working for Blackmagic**
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Sergey Goncharov

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Re: Adobe vs DaVinci RAW Converter

PostMon Sep 10, 2012 12:01 pm

Alexander, saturation there all right. All solved by increasing the contrast in the right areas.
Attachments
000001.jpg
In my opinion a lot, but reserve visible color.
000001.jpg (138.83 KiB) Viewed 36555 times
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