Make sure you haven't selected the color options in Catalyst Browse. Unfortunately the default setting applies color corrections.

@OldSmoke - I redid my render from Catalyst with no color corrections/adjustment and it still renders the video clip with a contrast shift. I should add that I'm using Catalyst Prepare version 2015.1.2.177 which is the latest version from what the update check says. Could it be a result of rendering to XVAC-I in Catalyst vs XDCAMHD 50 NTSC 422 in Adobe Media Encoder? I'm a noob around this and just wondering why the shift is so drastic when rendering from Catalyst.

Not sure. I don't have that issue with my XAVC-S files. Which one is closer to the original footage?

It could have to do with the way Vegas reads the files.

Not sure. I don't have that issue with my XAVC-S files. Which one is closer to the original footage?

It could have to do with the way Vegas reads the files.

OK - I was wondering about how Vegas was reading the two files... I also rendered out a Cineform AVi of the same clip - the contrast was the same as the Adobe Media Encoder MXF file - albeit at over 800MB for the same clip.

Do you have a sample file to try?

I should add that I'm using Catalyst Prepare version 2015.1.2.177

Unfortunately Sony stopped updating the full version of Catalyst Prepare and switched to a subscription model. Catalyst Browse on the other hand receives constant updates and does mutli monitor too.

Do you have a sample file to try?

As a follow up - I also rendered the same clip from Resolve 14 Beta 6 - it renders the file with the same contrast as Catalyst. I also placed the original clip on a Vegas timeline with all other transcoded clips - the only one different is the Adobe Media Encoder clip. It seems AME is the culprit in this instance with changing the contrast range of the original clip - albeit, I do like the slightly flatter look that I can tweak in post but it may be that is going to force an extra step in adjusting the clip back to what I would typically settle on in Vegas - I have rendered out the clip from Catalyst to XDCAM 35mbit instead of XVAC-I to more closely match the other MXF rendered files. I do see a slight color shift from the Resolve render as well.

I've uploaded the original as well as the MXF encoded clips in a Google Drive folder here

I tested it on my system with Catalyst Browse and the rendered file has the same levels as the original file. Not sure what Adobe is doing to it, only the gurus in this forum may know. I did however notice that the original file is BT601? That is what MediaInfo reports.

I can confirm MediaInfo reports the file the same. The original file is from my Olympus EM5 Mirrorless cameras... I had no idea they were shooting in BT601... Transcoding to MXF should help with maintaining IQ (I hope) - Just haven't had the resources to upgrade to newer cameras...

"I should add that I'm using Catalyst Prepare version 2015.1.2.177 which is the latest version from what the update check says."

Latest version of Catalyst Prepare is 2017.2 which was released this week, though of course this is the subscription version.

Hence why I don't use Ransomware.... I hope Vegas Pro never goes to a subscription model... It's why I made the switch from PPro CS6.

Seems like Adobe Media Encoder is doing a full swing to studio swing conversion for some reason.

Seems like Adobe Media Encoder is doing a full swing to studio swing conversion for some reason.

I have to admit I like the conversion AME is doing as it seems to make color correction/grading easier since the clip is somewhat flatter in contrast. But I"m wanting to solidify my post production workflow as much as possible outside of any Adobe influence/conversion glitches. I've had my fully licensed software just randomly quit working and the only recourse has been to resort to a full reinstall of Windows and all apps to fix it. Not something I enjoy taking a full day to do. I'm finding Vegas has become much more stable since transcoding all my clips to MXF and that's all the difference in the world for me. I"m hoping VP15 will improve even more in stability and the darker GUI will be a god send on my eyes...

I think Adobe Media Encoder reads the full range flag of the original file then adopts to limited range (by doing this full swing to studio swing conversion) and outputs a file which is meant to be read as limited range.

Actually this could be considered to be correct though it is quite unusual for us Vegas users who are used to have the levels just untouched and our system (Vegas Pro) ignoring such flags.

No harm either way, you just need to know what happens and what levels you need in the end.

Agreed. Once I installed the SeMW extension for Vegas Pro - I haven't had any issues with my renders being too contrasty , dark, etc

Cliff, it's been my experience that Vegas has a lot of issues when it comes to various codecs and working with other programs. I've had to find what works and stick with that. For example if I render out of Vegas and want to use in Adobe CS6 suite I use MXF. I can go back and forth without level changes. But say for example I render out of Vegas using Avid DNXHD then levels get messed up when I bring them into Adobe. Those same Avid renders brought into TMPEG Mastering works has no issues. But other codecs rendered from Vegas have problems in that program and so on. It seems Vegas does not flag things properly.

Cliff, it's been my experience that Vegas has a lot of issues when it comes to various codecs and working with other programs. I've had to find what works and stick with that. For example if I render out of Vegas and want to use in Adobe CS6 suite I use MXF. I can go back and forth without level changes. But say for example I render out of Vegas using Avid DNXHD then levels get messed up when I bring them into Adobe. Those same Avid renders brought into TMPEG Mastering works has no issues. But other codecs rendered from Vegas have problems in that program and so on. It seems Vegas does not flag things properly.

Having used PPro since CS5, I got use to how Adobe does things. SInce moving moving back to vegas Pro, I've come to realize each app has it's quirks. And yes, it seems that depending on the file type, each app has issues. even using mxf files, each app seems to want to do it's own thing - and as I have seen & uploaded, PPro is the only one making a change to the transcoded clips - either via AME or directly in PPro. Now that I've gotten use to working in Vegas Pro again, I'm realizing Adobe's way of doing things isn't in my best interest - and the workflow now feels laborious compared to Vegas.

One thing I noticed is my GPU temps did climb while editing these mxf files I edited with and Vegas seemed to become somewhat sluggish and it actually locked up a couple of times in post yesterday. Again, not sure why given all had been working fine. I'm hesitant to go back to Cineform as the file sizes are huge in comparison to the mxf clips I'm now working with in addition to Cineform seems to be falling out of favor within the market - I don't want to be locked into a proprietary file format that might be no longer supported and/or updated. I even witnessed Resolve rendering a clip out shifting the color of the clip with a slight yellow color cast which really surprised me. Catalyst seems to be a solid solution for prepping files for editing in Vegas Pro and that's the solution I'm currently using now. I await in anticipation for what's in store with the Vegas Pro 15 release.