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Marie5E35
Participant
June 14, 2023
Answered

Log footage pixelates when graded

  • June 14, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 388 views

Hi everyone! 

 

I'm having a bit of an issue editing Log footage, it was shot in 4K on a A7 and I'm editing it in a 1080p timeline. Whenever I push a bit of saturation, the colours become slightly pixelated as if they separate? It's not super blatant on a screenshot, I zoomed in on her shirt where they're the most present, once the video plays it's really ugly as the pixels move around. Is there anyway I can fix this or is my footage just like that? (any tips on how to grade this in general would be great also! the lighting wasn't great and there was a yellow lamp next to her face, which means half of her face is greenish, those are the pixels that come out   

 

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This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Mike Dziennik

What exact model is the camera? It looks most likely that it's shooting 8bit - it could even be 4:2:0 colour sampling. 

Shooting log allows you to capture a wider dynamic range but it potentially gives fewer data values to each stop within that range. Your clip doesn't appear to have a large dynamic range (there is not a big difference between the brightest and darkest sections of the image. You'd have probably achieved a better looking image by not shooting in Log mode.

You might just need to do a little more work to make it look good. 

Log isn't necessarily better, especially if it's not at least 10bit.

 

1 reply

Mike Dziennik
Community Expert
Mike DziennikCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
June 14, 2023

What exact model is the camera? It looks most likely that it's shooting 8bit - it could even be 4:2:0 colour sampling. 

Shooting log allows you to capture a wider dynamic range but it potentially gives fewer data values to each stop within that range. Your clip doesn't appear to have a large dynamic range (there is not a big difference between the brightest and darkest sections of the image. You'd have probably achieved a better looking image by not shooting in Log mode.

You might just need to do a little more work to make it look good. 

Log isn't necessarily better, especially if it's not at least 10bit.

 

    R Neil Haugen
    R Neil Haugen
    Legend
    June 14, 2023

    "Log isn't necessarily better, especially if it's not at least 10bit."

     

    SO true! And Mike diagnosed this clip spot-on. There's too little color data there to do much with before macro-blocking and banding will be very notable. With 8-bit, recording as much data as possible is needed in-cam, and using a "log" setting, or trying to fake log by setting the sat way down, will most often make things worse.

     

    Ya gotta test all these things before using for clients ... 

     

    Neil

    Everyone's mileage always varies ...
      M
      Marie5E35Author
      Participant
      June 15, 2023

      Thank you to both of you, it is indeed in 4:2:0 @Mike Dziennik 

      Not a huge fan of log usually but thought I would film this in log to match the rest of the footage I got for this project... Should've checked all of this before hand, from now on will make sure the bit is high enough, thanks! 

       

      'You might just need to do a little more work to make it look good '

      Any pointers on how I can make that happen? :))

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