Picture style, what are they?

[Jonathan Ziegler]

My understanding of picture styles (in-camera) is pretty much just what you said: the sensor just senses, but that feed is run through a series of filters, including a sort of s-curve translation for color. That’s where you get picture styles. It seems about that same as placing a filter, automatically, on each image or video. For my DSLRs, I occasionally use the technicolor “flat” picture style and bring it all back in post – which sometimes seems counterintuitive, but it does seems to bring out seemingly lost details. Incidentally, I use the same flat shooting for still photos, too, for some really interesting results.

Even though the sensor has no picture style per se, the files produced do. If you use a pic style during shooting, it will be integrated with your final video. If you want flat, shoot flat and then re-add the technicolor s-curve or another type back to obtain a better final image. Hope that helps. Would love some more detailed discussion on this as my comprehension is based solely on my understanding of color profiles from monitors, printers, etc., though I know the concepts are very similar. For example, I’ve never found a good way to shoot for CMYK with an RGB camera. I know there are curves for it, but the color gamuts don’t agree.

Save early. Save often.

Jonathan Ziegler

http://www.electrictiger.com
520-360-8293

[Ali Quintana]

Thank you Sir,

I shoot on Nikon d800:

Contrast at -4
sharpness at -4
Saturation at-3

Minus 4 being all the way down so cant get lower then that.

Then I record on Nin ja Blade on Proress or ND x HD. Using a ND filter, keeping at 24 frames and shutter at 50, native iso at 200. Only using the ND filter to adjust.

How do you feel about these settings?

I have Davinci full version and I do color correcting.Just really like to know about the above picture settings as I want to get the best footage I can capture.

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Discussion here: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3250606

Yes to all, but saturation. I would just zero that (dropping contrast will make everything devoid of any highlights or shadow, you don’t want to lose color saturation, but you don’t want to boost it, either). Basically, shoot with whatever built-in “neutral” pic style and drop contrast and sharp. Adjust to suit. Are you shooting raw to your device?

I use Technicolor’s flat pic style for Canon (it’s a free download and really easy to install and it works with Magic Lantern). Nikon has Cineflat – not sure about it, tho (no experience).

Save early. Save often.

Jonathan Ziegler

http://www.electrictiger.com
520-360-8293

[Ali Quintana]

I am shooting proress to Ninja Blade external recorder.

Interesting that Sat should be left at O, I heard that before. Why if it can be set in post?

If the Saturation, contrast and sharpness are basically like a post process but build in internally in the camera, we can get better results by by-passing that build in processor which is basically just consumer quality????

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Saturation can be added or removed. It’s tough to put it back once removed – it always looks flat.

Save early. Save often.

Jonathan Ziegler

http://www.electrictiger.com
520-360-8293

[Ali Quintana]

Great Inf. every one.

Just did my first shoot with the Ninja on DN x HD , 1080 p.

used

contrast 0
sharpness 0
Saturation instead of all the way down I used only -2

Looks great for color grading in Davinci.

[Omer Emır]

A picture style is just a code that your dslr uses to manipulate original file. The difference is your camera does that before generate a codec so there is a minimum quality loss in result

[Ali Quintana]

To by pass the picture style settings is not possible. You always have to choose one style.

So, what would be the settings to get the total ORIGINAL file? Without having the camera ad anything. No manipulation.