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Which codec would you select? C300 Mark ii/Shogun Connect
Which codec do you prefer and why?
Canon C300 Mark ii internal vs external codecs:
Internal
2K DCI 12 Bit 4:4:4 Intra – XF-AVC Long GOP H.264
Or
External
4K DCI 10 Bit ProRes RAW
(External via SDI to Atomos Shogun Connect)
It seems like the 12 Bit 444 color profile would have a greater pixel quality, but its compressed format might compromise flexibility in post. So is it worth compromising the bit depth for 10 Bit RAW in this case?
Thank you.
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1 Reply
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Hey Mike,
I can give you my 2 cents as a colourist: 12bit 444 is almost equivalent to RAW, when it comes to grading. Effectively, 12bit gives you much more information than 10bit when it comes to colour. The advantage of the RAW would be more about the dynamic range, especially for highlight recovery and shadow detail (in general compromised exposure situations). Also, 4K gives you more flexibility in post, as you can reframe without quality loss, assuming you are exporting in FullHD
Personally, if the file resolution is not a limiting factor (hence you don’t need 4K), I would opt for the 12bit 444 XFAVC for the easier workflow. Also, keep in mind that as of today DaVinci Resolve does not support ProResRAW natively. Thus, if this is your grading software of choice, you’ll need a third-party software to convert the ProResRAW to a file that DaVinci can actually read, most probably forcing you to a 10bit 444 conversion.
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