F3 + S-Log + -3dB + Neat Video = SUPER CLEAN!

[Christoph Tilley]

Hi folks,

another Video I recently created with my F3. We've been shooting in -3db gain and postprocessed the image in Neat Video / After Effects and the result is an incredible clean image.

Have a look here:

PayLife Black Making-Of on Vimeo

What do you think?

Kind regards,
Chris

[Leonard Levy]

why did you need Neat Video with an F3 at -3DB?

Great looking piece by the way.

[Christoph Tilley]

To even more reduce any digital video noise. I experienced that S-Log introduces a little bit more noise than regular REC709 does.

I am using Neat Video on nearly all of my projects to master the final output. It reduces noise and sharpens the whole image up a bit.

[Ned Soltz]

Really beautiful work. And loved the hybrid English-German word I caught-- ge-airbrushed!

[Leonard Levy]

I forgot about noise from SLog.
what settings are you using for Neat Video?

It is an amazing program

[Henry Epstein]

Originally Posted by Christoph Tilley

To even more reduce any digital video noise. I experienced that S-Log introduces a little bit more noise than regular REC709 does.

I am using Neat Video on nearly all of my projects to master the final output. It reduces noise and sharpens the whole image up a bit.

+1.

Looks wonderful!

[Alister Chapman]

Need to do some tests with S-Log to see if -3db reduces the dynamic range as it would with most cameras. I have a feeling that there will be half stop decrease.

Very nice looking images though, almost too clean perhaps. The grain in film does give it a nice feel sometimes.

[Gabe Strong]

Nice looking stuff. What lens/lenses did you use to shoot this?

[Christoph Tilley]

The Sony kit "primes". I can't remember the settings for Neat Video. I always use the auto function and set the sharpening to about 120%.

[Pietro Jona]

At what stage of PP do you clean your footage? Is it the first thing you do, the last?
I'm going to try it with what I shoot my EX1 in low light.
Thanks

pietro

[Steve Kalle]

Can you guess what settings this was shot at?

S-Log, +12DB and Sony 35mm T2.0 - which means ISO 6400. Oh yeah, and it was recorded to a PIX240 at 1080 30p with PR HQ (220Mb/s).

I included a jpeg before and after a simple curve in Photoshop and a TIFF for an uncompressed view.

I don't see any need to use NV with an F3. It is just amazing at how little noise there is. At ISO 6400, this camera is cleaner than my EX3 even with its PP set to reduce noise.

Are you using the new version of NV which includes CUDA acceleration? If so, is it noticeably faster?

[Christoph Tilley]

The Sony F3 is so clean even at +12dB, of course you don't NEED neat video.

Here is a video I shot with +12dB and +18dB in the nighttime without using Neat Video:

S-Log Test Night on Vimeo

Oh! Didn't know about Neat Video V3. Downloading it right now. Sadly I have an ATI card in my MacPro but I'll report if it speeds up processing anyway.

@Pietro: I do the noise reduction in the last stage of my PP. After the edit, cc and everything.

Btw, the attached image is/was my setup.

[Nate Weaver]

I'll be honest, I find myself adding noise or grain to some of my F3 projects.

I appreciate and want low noise as a means to facilitate good color correction, latitude, and low light situations, but in the end I'm learning I don't love an ultra clean look for most jobs...I'll add just a little texture as a last step to give it something extra.

[Pietro Jona]

@ Christoph: thanks

[Christoph Tilley]

Here is screenshot of the F3 output. Simply amazing!