Comments on: Color correcting DSLR footage on a Mac is a clustercuss

By: DSLR Plugin 5DtoRGB Version 1.5 for Both Mac and Windows | Picture Point Media

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:27:10 +0000

[...] plugin transcodes HDSLR files in 10 bits withoutusing the ubiquitous, problematic, gamma-shifting Quicktime engine. Great article in this months No Film School newsletter. Give [...]

By: Does 5DtoRGB Yield the Absolute Best Quality DSLR Footage? - NoFilmSchool

Does 5DtoRGB Yield the Absolute Best Quality DSLR Footage? - NoFilmSchool — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:45:40 +0000

[...] he speaks of in his example clip:To my eye, he’s exactly right: the 5DtoRGB clip solves the Quicktime gamma issues I’ve harped on in the past, and does indeed also seem to offer a bit of moiré correction [...]

By: “I’ve been abandoned by the company that used to love me” - NoFilmSchool

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:37:29 +0000

[...] support his argument that Apple is abandoning the professional community, Brook also brings up that pesky Quicktime gamma issue; the elimination of ExpressCard slots on MacBook Pros (my 15″ 2006 MacBook Pro has an [...]

By: Apple Snubs Adobe Again with New Mac Pros - NoFilmSchool

Apple Snubs Adobe Again with New Mac Pros - NoFilmSchool — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:18:26 +0000

[...] the basic options you want? Maybe you can build a hackintosh. Or, you know, thanks to some other Mac issues with editing, perhaps it’s time to switch to a PC.I’m just thinking out loud here, and while [...]

By: Is 5DtoRGB the DSLR post-production solution we’ve been waiting for? - NoFilmSchool

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:27:33 +0000

[...] DSLR post-production plugin called 5DtoRGB.1 I’ve called DSLR color-correction on a Mac a clustercuss, not just because of the 4:2:0 color space, but because of Quicktime gamma inconsistencies (often [...]

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:34:27 +0000

I agree with your first point, Nigel. The thing is, back when I was shooting standard-def DV it was actually easier to color correct on a broadcast monitor, by using the firewire-out on the computer connected to a camera (DVX100 in my case) which then output to a Sony broadcast monitor. Before that I had a miroVIDEO DC30 which output to a TV as well. But very few people watch content on CRTs anymore, and so it’s actually more difficult to color-correct in the high-def and mobile world. However, I don’t agree that this is a “simple fix”:

“Look at the clip in a few different players and monitors then create a preset in Compressor that compensates for your specific source codec in order to get a happy medium.”

So basically you’re not sure how it’s going to look until you output the final file? Or, if you recompress everything before you edit, averaging out a “right” and “wrong” look will just leave you half-wrong. I’m not sure why people like to defend Apple as if they’re some sort of holy institution, but they do. To quote the PVC article Roman links here in the comments:

“Everything worked fine two years ago when we did the first edition, but something has changed since then, and now the same settings produce unsatisfactory results. It is sad that this known bug has been around for so long.”

By: Nigel

Nigel — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 05:52:01 +0000

Any real colorist knows that you should never judge an image based on what it looks like in FCP, and no real colorist would be using FCP for color correction willingly anyway, even if it’s just for the internet. Maybe you should be using a professional broadcast monitor, the image will look the same even in different applications.

There’s a simple fix for correcting gamma issues in Quicktime. Look at the clip in a few different players and monitors then create a preset in Compressor that compensates for your specific source codec in order to get a happy medium.>

By: Roman

Roman — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 03:52:13 +0000

That colorshifting on a Mac is really tedious to work with. Haven’t found a solution yet. Even working with the x264 codec doesn’t seem to be better (http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/cmg_blogs/story/brightness_issues_with_h264_quicktime_movies/P0/). Thanks for posting this!

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:08:46 +0000

Yes, I used "clustercuss" in the title because I have no sense of humor. Anyway, all I'm saying is the gamma issue should be fixed. It's a bug, son. It's not that hard.

By: mutinyco

mutinyco — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:21:03 +0000

It’s always been like this. I always refused to use H.264 for web video because it looked different depending on the program that played it: Quicktime, Safari, iTunes, etc. Most of the time it looked completely gained-up and bleached out. That’s why I always stuck with MPEG-4 — it was much more accurate. But now with ColorSync it doesn’t really matter so much; they both look kind of crappy.

But we’re talking DIY filmmaking here. This isn’t Cameron or Fincher and what tools they can buy (even though Fincher uses FCP). But even in the studio world I know there’ve been issues because usually one color-corrected master is made — and from that source flows 35mm prints, digital prints, DVD/Blu-ray, etc. Yet, each of those formats has different properties and reads the information slightly different. Do the best you can, then you put it out there and it’s out of your hands…

You need to have a sense of humor…

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:46:08 +0000

Or we can just switch to a PC.

Maybe not just yet, but the door’s open thanks to Apple’s lackadaisical FCP updates (and closed mentality when it comes to application approval and content distribution).

This is a documented bug that’s been out there for a year, as you point out. It’s a pretty serious one. I’m not reminded of Barry Lyndon.

By: mutinyco

mutinyco — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:16:17 +0000

> I’m reminded of the scene in Barry Lyndon when Barry complains that his water cup is filled with grease…

We can all complain all we want…

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:56:44 +0000

I’m aware it’s a year-old issue… which kind of makes it worse! Apple released fixes to QT but then QTX messed it up again.

I’m not saying everything should look the same no matter time and place (YouTube, DVD, etc) but I am saying that within a pro-level Mac postproduction environment, we should not be seeing this level of color shift based on whether we’re in After Effects or FCP or Color. It’s ridiculous.

By: mutinyco

mutinyco — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:40:42 +0000

This is a year-old issue: http://filmmakermagazine.com/news/2009/10/upgrade-part-2-by-jamie-stuart-5/

Unfortunately, the reality is that there’s no way to create a master that will look exactly the same on every format or OS anymore. Even uploading to vimeo or YouTube looks different than a mpeg-4 or H.264.

By: Dan Nguyen (@wynddan)

Dan Nguyen (@wynddan) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:13:23 +0000

definitely an issue i’ve come across, and have yet to come across an exact solution. thanks for bringing more awareness to the problem.