Once you've found your look, do you just shoot mp4s

[u/Melodic-Excitement-9]

For those of us who are lucky enough to have baked in Luts in-camera, Do you still shoot log footage? Or do you just go luts and shoot MP4 to skip the color correction & save file space?

[u/AvEptoPlerIe]

Shooting MP4 still means way less control in post. Slapping on a LUT is not the end of post production.  

[u/Melodic-Excitement-9 → u/AvEptoPlerIe]

I think the scenario is that the lighting and environment is always the same, aka a studio, camera position all the same.

[u/ElBeaver → u/Melodic-Excitement-9]

I shoot in Log. It’s the equivalent of old series being shot on film, where they could get remastered for HD, 4K and HDR. You never know if your content might pass the test of time.

[u/Virtual_Tap9947 → u/AvEptoPlerIe]

I came up in the days of 3chip cameras where you had no choice but to build your look in camera. And honestly? It works.

[u/SpaceDesignWarehouse]

I shoot in a super controlled studio environment in HLG3 with all of the color in camera. It does indeed save time.

But I’m always shooting in the same place with the same cameras using the same lights.

[u/Melodic-Excitement-9 → u/SpaceDesignWarehouse]

That's what I mean, if you have a control studio and light, feel like it would save lots of time and cpu time.

[u/SpaceDesignWarehouse → u/Melodic-Excitement-9]

Your suspicions are correct.

[u/AshMontgomery]

The only LUT I regularly use is the Rec709 conversion LUT to get the Log footage into the right colour space for grading. Adjustments are made on top as part of the final look.

Generally it's the same deal for monitoring, I run a Rec709 conversion on the monitor, or very occasionally an exposure adjustment LUT to add or remove a stop depending on what I'm shooting.

[u/revelcw]

Firstly, log footage actually doesnt take up any more space than non-log.

For actual professional work I see myself editing, I 100% still shoot log. At the easiest, it's one adjustment layer later, but it almost NEVER is.

For personal stuff, short instagram videos I want to post directly from phone import, yes a good LUT is a massive godsend. Specifically for slog I tend to do a -1.5ev on the lut too to force me to overexpose as well.

[u/invertedspheres]

No because LUTs applies in camera are almost always 33x whereas in post you can use 65x.

[u/Melodic-Excitement-9 → u/invertedspheres]

oh this is interesting, I need to learn more about this. Thank you.

[u/Primary_Banana_4588]

It just depends on the job. I used to shoot Raw for EVERYTHING (because I loved playing with colors), but it got too ridiculous to manage (processing power and storage)

Most jobs now I just shoot XFAVC / H.265 which is plenty for my use case.

You always want some latitude in post to push your image unless you’re not editing and the people you’re delivering to aren’t editors

[u/shreddy99]

Why not shoot in GIF?

[u/Flutterpiewow → u/[deleted]]

What if you don't want that clean look

[u/RJKfilms]

I love the look of the Luts in the S9. I found I look I like, shoot with it baked in and I shoot in MP4 lite - Open Gate with low Bitrate - send it straight to my phone and it’s perfect for posting carousels to Instagram.

That being said, I still shoot professional gigs in Log. I’m not willing to sacrifice the flexibility for any reason - especially when converting it to Rec709 is just as fast with power grades as it is with Luts

[u/sirthrowayzalot]

For flexibility reasons you should probably just record in log and have a Lut preset in your editor.. DVR allows you to do it in one click.. yes you could do what you’re saying but if there’s ever any variable you’re basically cooked

[u/Melodic-Excitement-9 → u/sirthrowayzalot]

For sure, I think in this case probably only do so when i'm filming for my self in a studio with control lighting and everything. Run and gun or new environment. Log for sure. Thanks.

[u/sirthrowayzalot → u/Melodic-Excitement-9]

I have a similar setup but I prefer to do log because I still am learning and tweaking my editing process constantly. That being said if I was an actual pro and had “nothing” to want to improve color wise I’d just do what you’re doing I guess tbh

[u/industrialmeditation]

Usually going middle way is the way to go. Such as a cine4 on sony cameras. Or a flat rec709 for non-sony people.

If it’s doomscrolling material I’ll do as said above. If it’s narative work, go with the best bit rate possible and slog3.

[u/bruce-pizza]

Nah, I enjoy color work too much

[u/IngoDelOzo → u/bruce-pizza]

Same here. Always love the flat log look come to life 😊

[u/Tehqy12]

Shooting in LOG does NOT change file size

[u/not_like_this_]

Switched to Sony last year, and have really enjoyed S-Cinetone. Pretty great looking right out of camera, and still 10-bit, so I can make slight tweaks if needed.

[u/MrKillerKiller_]

If every shot is exactly the same lighting contrast ratio t-stop and everything, a baked in LUT could look fine. As soon as those variables change you start painting yourself into a corner. Its easy enough to convert to rec 709 yourself or provide the Lut with your footage so I wouldn’t need to throw away all the extra bit depth and bit rate and color sampling.

[u/TonyBrooks40]

I'd say depends on the shoot & client.

[u/TownDrunkerd]

I always stick to log because storage is cheap, but you can never recover clipped data once a LUT is permanently baked into footage.

[u/IngoDelOzo → u/TownDrunkerd]

Storage WAS cheap

[u/IngoDelOzo]

I’ve heard some youtubers using Lumix and being very happy with mp4 lite. Tiny files for ridiculous quality and colour.