Question about using VLog with the GH6

[Steve Siegel]

I have been shooting with the GH6 now for 3 months, and find the results to be superb. Images are exceptionally sharp...except when I go into VLog. Of course, the raw VLog footage is washed out, as it should be. However in post, whether I apply a LUT or just go to Lumetri color correction (in Premiere Pro) or do both, the final image is never as sharp as when I shoot in Like 709, or Cine D. There is a big difference.

Is it possible that since the GH6 uses contrast to autofocus, and since the contrast is greatly reduced in VLog, that the camera is just not able to focus effectively in that mode of shooting?

[Doug Jensen]

Seems like you first need to figure out if the footage is soft because you used AF and it didn't perform very well, or the footage is soft because that's the way VLOG is. Why don't you put the camera in manual focus mode and shoot some test footage where there is no doubt the lens was focused properly. That will rule out or confirm one variable, and then you can go from there.

With that said, in my experience, LOG and RAW always need sharpening in Resolve for my own cameras (S1H and all of my Sony cameras) because detail is usually turned down very low onboard the camera. As you know, LOG is washed out and has low saturation due to the camera's neutral settings -- and detail is also one of those neutral settings that you need to compensate for in post to your taste.

But you should rule out focusing errors first.

[Adriano Moroni]

Out of curiosity about V-Log and GH6.
Panasonic tells (if I uderstand well) native ISO with V-Log is 250. If you have to shoot 4K, 50p, 10bit, 2:2:2, in sunny days with no cloud how many ISOs would you choose to get a good video quality? I thank you.

[Doug Jensen]

Actually, none of those specifications you have listed make and difference at all. The correct exposure isn't affected by 4K, HD, the codec, frame-rate, ISO, 10-bit, cloudy, sunny, or any of the other things you have listed.

I expose Panasonic's V-LOG on my S1H exactly the same way I do for Sony's S-LOG -- by setting my zebras for 75% and allowing just a tiny hint of zebra to show on bright reflected whites. Perfect exposure is just as simple as that, and nothing elese needs to be known about the camera's settings or the shooting conditions.

S1H Master Class: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/s1h

[Adriano Moroni]

Ok, OK, I understand and I thank you to share your your experience but ....... since you still have to set the ISO on the camera, what would you choose for the GH6, knowing that the native ISO are 250?

I know shootng in log profiles, to maximize dynamic range, usually means high ISOs, such as 800 or more.

[Doug Jensen]

You should always set the camera for the lowest possible ISO (usually called base ISO) and only raise it higher when necessary to get a proper exposure. That is true for every camera and every shooting mode.

[Adriano Moroni]

Originally Posted by Doug Jensen

by setting my zebras for 75% and allowing just a tiny hint of zebra to show on bright reflected whites.

You are very experienced and allow me one last question as I have no experience with V-Log. If you behave this way with the Zebra, then the rule that you should always increase the exposure by about 2 stops.
With your behavior you could also often expose less than 1 stop more.
I thank you for your suggestions.

[Doug Jensen]

75% is already about 1-stop higher than Sony and Pansonic recommend. So over-exposing beyond that point is not necessary and will probably produce lesser quality results in some circumstances. Just expose bright white at 75% (with no LUT being viewed) and everything will be fine. It is just that simple.

[Adriano Moroni]

I'm sorry, but with this phrase "by setting my zebras for 75% and allowing just a tiny hint of zebra to show on bright reflected whites", do you also consider the sky? Thanks again.

[Doug Jensen]

It depends on the sky and whether or not the sky is the most important part of the picture.

[Christopher Young]

I don't know. I see some very confusing and elaborate suggestions on how to grade Sony and Panasonic Log material when really I find it's a pretty simple process. As Doug says it's pretty simple and I don't really see much reason to go overexposing by 1 to 2 stops when the factory recommendations of around about 61 IRE are the go. I find around about 65-70 IRE with V-Log works fine. The only real way to find out how easy it is to grade from the recommended exposures is to try it out yourself. If you don't have any V-Log footage download some that was kindly made available by Emmanual Pampuri off the S1.

If you want a simple way to grade LOG just use the Node Curves adjustment method. Very fast, simple and can generate good results very quickly from correctly exposed footage. It's my prime workflow for quick grading of LOG.

Download V-Log footage from and S1

Panasonic Lumix S1 V-Log ungraded 10bits 4:2:2 Test footage (You can download my footage for grading tests) on Vimeo

Simple, easy fast and efficient "The 5 Steps System to Grade LOG Footage"

5 Steps System to Grade LOG Footage in 11 Seconds in DaVinci Resolve - YouTube

Chris Young

[Adriano Moroni]

Thanks a lot for your suggestions.
I am already getting good results with V-Log. I got confused when I read a review of the GH5 with the V-Log. They said it was necessary to overexpose by +1 or +2. But then I understood why. GH6 doesn't behave like GH5. Thanks again.

[Doug Jensen]

Originally Posted by Christopher Young

As Doug says it's pretty simple and I don't really see much reason to go overexposing by 1 to 2 stops when the factory recommendations of around about 61 IRE are the go. I find around about 65-70 IRE with V-Log works fine.

The reason nobody I know exposes LOG at 61 is because it is right on the very edge of being underexposed. And underexposing LOG is the worst thing you can do. Why walk around along the edge of a cliff when you can step away a couple meters and not risk going over the edge if you happen to stumble a little? There is absolutely no penalty for exposing LOG up around 75 so why not give yourself that safety cusion. I have done the testing of grading LOG at different exposures and there is no problem making 75 footage look identical to 61. But if you accidentally go below 61, you are screwed.

I have footage of an outdoor interview that a student at one of my workshops accidentally exposed at 90 that I use in my demos now because I can pull it down in Resolve and make it look almost as good as if it had been exposed correctly. The beauty of LOG as that it is very forgiving if you overexpose, so perfection isn't needed. You just don't want to err the other direction.

So the logical question is, why do the manufacturers recommend 61? I think it is because they can then boast about a higher native sensitivity for the camera.