8 bit Footage Grading - sRGB Cameras

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msdesignfoto

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8 bit Footage Grading - sRGB Cameras

PostFri Mar 24, 2023 9:39 pm

Hello everyone!

Simple version: My question is only regarding 8 bit workflow for grading: do you use some specific color settings or use the default color options provided by Davinci? My cameras all use the sRGB color space (either that or Adobe RGB).

Long version: I use Resolve for quite some time now, and I have a pretty simple workflow. First, I use the free version. Second, my cameras are 8 bit only (consumer level cameras):

- Sony HXR MC50E (movie recording camera - has an option called "X.V. Color" I can toggle on or off)
- A7 (photographic camera)
- A77II (photographic camera)
- RX100 IV (photographic camera)

Most of my hobbyist works are just dance shows and sometimes, dance videoclips, where I replace the audio in the video for the original music file to keep up the quality. I synchronize the audio and the video, and mute the video. Sometimes I add a few localized audio samples like water, birds and the likes. All good here.

But regarding color: all my cameras make the end-user files already done with rich colors and great contrast by default. If much, I may need to adjust some colors in videoclips footage to match the mood of the song or dance. In dance shows, I don't even need to adjust much to keep it natural (altough I always create a small node tree - one for contrast, one for color, one more for extra stuff as needed - with some simple adjustments along with some clip cropping in the Edit page).

Currently, my color settings are default and I don't apply any kind of color profile in the node tree or whatever. I simply work over the current colors as they are and watch the output, if they are good or not.

Do you use any specific color profile or settings when working with 8 bit footage? My final videos seem ok to me, but I feel I'm missing something or some utility I could use to help me keep the colors even more precise.

Please note: after Resolve finish any big render job and I upload it to Youtube or Facebook, I watch it in two or three different devices: computer, mobile phone, tablet, or second mobile phone. The colors and contrast usually come out nice and very similar across platforms, so that is not an issue for me.

Thanks everyone for the input!

small note here: I asked this question recently in social media groups, but people tend to be nasty in comments or be unpleasant. So to keep it simple, I just need to know a few tips about the color preferences you use with 8 bit footage. FYI, all my works so far seem ok to the naked eye (I don't have any devices to evaluate the color quality, so..).

Any tips and thoughts are welcome!
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Uli Plank

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Re: 8 bit Footage Grading - sRGB Cameras

PostFri Mar 24, 2023 9:45 pm

I can only say what you should not use with 8 bit: any kind of log profile.
Apart from that, if it looks good to you on a decent monitor, it is good.
Now that the cat #19 is out of the bag, test it as much as you can and use the subforum.

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msdesignfoto

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Re: 8 bit Footage Grading - sRGB Cameras

PostFri Mar 24, 2023 9:51 pm

Uli Plank wrote:I can only say what you should not use with 8 bit: any kind of log profile.
Apart from that, if it looks good to you on a decent monitor, it is good.


I certainly don't use any. My theory is: if it looks good, I don't change anything :lol:

I'm more into looking more information about the color preferences in the menu, not in the nodes, luts or logs whatsoever. Just the preferences.

Thank you very much for your answer :D

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