The last 4 replies by Uli Plank and Micha Clazing are very interesting to me (as a newbie).
I have a pair of questions about (I know that, for your professional level, my questions are silly, but think that your kind replies can help not only me, but all the newbies at my level that are reading this useful topic!)
Let me say to you that I'm going to follow your advices and buy a decklink + second monitor for 709 grading. Said that, right at the moment I'm still with a single Dell (I need some time to make the money for the upgrade). The shots in my timeline are RAW dngs from a Magic Lantern 5D3 set in AdobeRGB color space, so here one first quesion:
1st Question: for 709 grading purpose, shooting in RAW, is it better to set the camera on AdobeRGB or sRGB? (Since that my final target is a theatrical projection, and that someone said that P3 is more-or-less AdobeRGB, I'd tend to think that AdobeRGB on camera is better then sRGB, right?)
Now, let's say I want to grade for theatrical projection. You said that the easiest way to grade (for my current-&-near-future gear) is doing that in 709, then converting it into P3, then converting it into DCP. The first step (if I understand correctly) is to set my whole system into the right color space and gamma. 709 is the color space, but the gamma (2.2, 2.4, 2.6, ect.) seems to depend on the final target (TV, computer monitor, etc.) Now, even if I'll grade in 709, you know that my final target is a theatrical projector, so here the second question:
2nd Question: which is the better gamma when you are grading in 709 but your target is a theatrical projector? Perhaps 2.2?
Now, on my Dell I can set Color Space and Gamma. Gamma is PC vs MAC, that is (if I understand correctly) the same as 2.2 vs 1.8. So I set PC if I want gamma 2.2. Here the third question:
3rd Question: if my monitor's gamma is set on 2.2, should I absolutely set my Resolve's
Color Management > Timeline Color Space on Gamma 2.2? Or is it indipendent?
Backing back to the monitor: about the Color Space, I can choose between AdobeRGB, sRGB, Custom, etc. (where Custom - I suppose - means calibrating by an external devices like i1Display-Pro). Now I'm confused (by my ignorance):
4th Question: AdobeRGB should be a bigger c.space then sRGB, so what happens if I choose sRGB? That all the non-sRGB colors aren't used on the monitor?
Anyway...
5th Question: following my grading needs (i.e. 709 grading, but theatrical projector as target, and AdobeRGB source shots) which is the most coherent setting for my monitor? AdobeRGB or sRGB or Custom (with X-Rite calibrator)?
And now let me ask about Resolve's Camera RAW: as I said, the RAW shots in my timeline come from a ML-5D3. So, in Camera RAW window I have to choose - again - Color Space and Gamma. I've noticed that - even if the source camera is not a BMCC - setting Blackmagic Design for both (Space and Gamma) gives a sort of log appearance that seems useful for grading. So I'd tend to set this way to let me more "room" for grading. But I have a doubt:
6th Question: should I set Camera RAW's Color Space as 709 to be coherent with the Color Management setting? Or is it indipendent? And when you said to me to grade in 709, do you refer to Camera RAW setting, or to Color Management setting, or both?
I's a bunch of questions, I know, and I'm sorry, but your replies will be very useful for me and all "low knoledge self-taught" community
Thank you so much as always.