How to use Color bars?

[John Rofrano]

Colors bars enable you to give the tape to someone else and allows them to calibrate their equipment to match your tape. They serve as a references for what the colors should be coming from your camera.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Gilles Gagnon]

Thanks John,

So if I get it…. no need to record them if I don’t intend on using the tape with another camera????

Gilles

[Kevin Wood]

It’s not another camera that you really need to be concerned with. It’s more for broadcast equipment – deck, monitors, vectorscopes, etc.

So if you’re dropping off your video for, say, a cable access tv program, then you’ll need them so that they can adjust their playback equipment against known good colors. If it’s a wedding dvd, probably not.

However, it’s always a good idea to use them to make sure your own equipment is working correctly, and as a color correction reference.

[Kevin Wood]

Also, here is a brief tutorial that may make it more clear: https://www.videouniversity.com/articles/color-bars-and-how-to-use-em

[John Rofrano]

It’s not another camera that you really need to be concerned with. It’s more for broadcast equipment – deck, monitors, vectorscopes, etc.

Thanks Kevin… that’s exactly what I meant by “equipment”. 😉

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Gilles Gagnon]

Thanks very much guys for the explanation. It now makes sense to me.

Gilles