Disclaimer:
This thread is for the 1 or 2% of users who understand grading on a production level, and 8-bit vs. 32-bit float editing environments. Most users (including me) should not be using Protune for any kind of production, as was stated previously. Hobbyists and the entitled are exempt.
;?)
The narrow question was, "Do I import native Protune or Cineform conversion into Vegas for grading?" All Protune is flat 1.0 gamma, and the universal viewing standard is 2.2 gamma. For an understanding of what "gamma" is, as opposed to "levels" or "contrast," search the internet.
First, as a starting point only, here is a shot from non-Protune mp4. It is inarguably 8-bit, with limited dynamic range (look at the window on the right and cabinet on the left, and the contrasty GoPro "look" is evident. Note that these videos were purposely shot dark to exclude approximately equal amounts of information from both ends of the luminance spectrum.
You must right click and view or save image to see these at full resolution.
Next, here is the native Protune mp4. It is flagged as 8-bit, but the GoPro folks say it can contain up to 12 bits of real information at 4:4:4, which seems remarkable. If we view it in Vegas in its native form, we can see it is only 8 bit, but the gamma has been flattened as expected. No extra information or dynamic range is revealed by viewing it in a 32-bit float project. All Vegas sees is flat 8-bit, perhaps a fun playground for practicing our color correction skills, but fairly uninteresting in a production workflow.
So where do we get a full 10 bits of information, and the corresponding increase of dynamic range -- several stops worth, according to the GoPro folks? The answer lies in GoPro Studio, and its proprietary Cineform codec. If we are to believe Cineform's head developer, David Newman, merely converting to Cineform in Studio will upack all that hidden information, and put it back in a 10-bit AVI or Cineform container.
Is this even true? See for yourself. As a retired commercial photog, I'm seeing a stop or so of detail in the dark areas, and maybe a stop in the window that wasn't there in either of the 8-bit versions. We would see even more detail, up to 12 stops total with the paid version of Studio. It's also been pointed out to me by another user that the free Studio version may produce 4:2:0 chroma, and would need the paid version for 4:2:2 and 4:4:4. I can't really confirm or deny that at this stage of testing.
So, if I asked an experienced color grader which Protune incarnation he/she would rather wok with, the answer would be instantaneous, knowing that neither is ready for delivery in a 2.2 gamma world.
Conclusion: native Protune mp4 is of little use in Vegas, except as a curiosity; GoPro never intended the stuff as anything but a storage wrapper, although everyone and their cousins think it's the bee's knees for editing. It's just not.
The Cineform conversion, however, gives us real 10-bit from a consumer camera, along with Blackmagic and a few others. The problem is, Vegas doesn't have a preset for G-log (again, I made that up), so even the most creative among us have no scientific starting point, like a rowboat adrift on the ocean.
The nagging question remains: Until our audience and clientele are able to ingest and view full uhdtv quality as the daily norm, why even bother?
Original GoPro footage courtesy of https://vimeo.com/user442745
To the inevitable question, "What if you were to . . .?" my answer is, "Run your own tests."
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=848611&Replies=24
More to come . . .
This thread is for the 1 or 2% of users who understand grading on a production level, and 8-bit vs. 32-bit float editing environments. Most users (including me) should not be using Protune for any kind of production, as was stated previously. Hobbyists and the entitled are exempt.
;?)
The narrow question was, "Do I import native Protune or Cineform conversion into Vegas for grading?" All Protune is flat 1.0 gamma, and the universal viewing standard is 2.2 gamma. For an understanding of what "gamma" is, as opposed to "levels" or "contrast," search the internet.
First, as a starting point only, here is a shot from non-Protune mp4. It is inarguably 8-bit, with limited dynamic range (look at the window on the right and cabinet on the left, and the contrasty GoPro "look" is evident. Note that these videos were purposely shot dark to exclude approximately equal amounts of information from both ends of the luminance spectrum.
You must right click and view or save image to see these at full resolution.
Next, here is the native Protune mp4. It is flagged as 8-bit, but the GoPro folks say it can contain up to 12 bits of real information at 4:4:4, which seems remarkable. If we view it in Vegas in its native form, we can see it is only 8 bit, but the gamma has been flattened as expected. No extra information or dynamic range is revealed by viewing it in a 32-bit float project. All Vegas sees is flat 8-bit, perhaps a fun playground for practicing our color correction skills, but fairly uninteresting in a production workflow.
So where do we get a full 10 bits of information, and the corresponding increase of dynamic range -- several stops worth, according to the GoPro folks? The answer lies in GoPro Studio, and its proprietary Cineform codec. If we are to believe Cineform's head developer, David Newman, merely converting to Cineform in Studio will upack all that hidden information, and put it back in a 10-bit AVI or Cineform container.
Is this even true? See for yourself. As a retired commercial photog, I'm seeing a stop or so of detail in the dark areas, and maybe a stop in the window that wasn't there in either of the 8-bit versions. We would see even more detail, up to 12 stops total with the paid version of Studio. It's also been pointed out to me by another user that the free Studio version may produce 4:2:0 chroma, and would need the paid version for 4:2:2 and 4:4:4. I can't really confirm or deny that at this stage of testing.
So, if I asked an experienced color grader which Protune incarnation he/she would rather wok with, the answer would be instantaneous, knowing that neither is ready for delivery in a 2.2 gamma world.
Conclusion: native Protune mp4 is of little use in Vegas, except as a curiosity; GoPro never intended the stuff as anything but a storage wrapper, although everyone and their cousins think it's the bee's knees for editing. It's just not.
The Cineform conversion, however, gives us real 10-bit from a consumer camera, along with Blackmagic and a few others. The problem is, Vegas doesn't have a preset for G-log (again, I made that up), so even the most creative among us have no scientific starting point, like a rowboat adrift on the ocean.
The nagging question remains: Until our audience and clientele are able to ingest and view full uhdtv quality as the daily norm, why even bother?
Original GoPro footage courtesy of https://vimeo.com/user442745
To the inevitable question, "What if you were to . . .?" my answer is, "Run your own tests."
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=848611&Replies=24
More to come . . .