Color chart -- Can anyone tell me what this if for?

[Gary Colon]

Its going to be a stupid & obvious answer, but I have to ask because I really dont know.

http://www.red.com/shot_on_red

On that page, 3rd picture, 3rd row. There is this...color board...containing multiple colors and Ive seen many pictures of people shooting videos and stuff and using these boards. What are you they? What do they do? How? Do I know one for my camera?? Thanks!

GC

**Im thinking it has something to do with color balancing, but Im not sure!

[Erwin van Dijck]

It is a color test card. A bunch of various colors on a card. After shooting you can have a look at your material in your NLE and you can see the color differences. You can use scopes or other tools to check if the colors are correct. If you want, you can adjust for any color changes.

[Chris Hurd]

Moved here from our JVC Everio forum (??)

That's a Gretag Macbeth color chart: http://usa.gretagmacbethstore.com/

It's really optomized for still photography, not so much video.

Consider a DSC Labs color chart for for video: http://www.dsclabs.com/

[Gary Colon]

Originally Posted by Erwin van Dijck

It is a color test card. A bunch of various colors on a card. After shooting you can have a look at your material in your NLE and you can see the color differences. You can use scopes or other tools to check if the colors are correct. If you want, you can adjust for any color changes.

I still dont understand how its used though. Do I shoot my videos with the color chart somewhere in the frame so I can adjust the colors and then somehow cut out that part that has the color chart? Im sorry, Im really dumbfounded by this chart thing lol.

[Perrone Ford]

Originally Posted by Gary Colon

I still dont understand how its used though. Do I shoot my videos with the color chart somewhere in the frame so I can adjust the colors and then somehow cut out that part that has the color chart? Im sorry, Im really dumbfounded by this chart thing lol.

Color charts are used in several ways.

1. If you are shooting with multiple cameras, each camera shoots the same color chart. Then in post in the NLE, the color chart is displayed on the timeline, and the colors adjusted so that the vectorscope looks exactly (or as close as possible) for each camera. In theory this will bring the colors from the various colors into alignment and make each camera looks very similar.

2. On multicamera shoot with a vectorscope in the field, each camera can be tweaked and adjusted BEFORE the shoot so that each is giving both accurate and consistent color. This is especially important in live events.

3. On single camera shoots, shooting the color chart lets you adjust your colors when you get home to get a very accurate color representation before you edit your footage. If you have ever looked at what the output of a color chart gives on a vectorscope, it would become obvious what it's for.

Here is a link to what image is produced on a vectorscope when a color chart is displayed:

http://www.dsclabs.com/images/244_VS_Web.jpg

If the colors are not quite right, then the dots don't line up. So you tweak your camera, or your tweak your colors in the NLE until all the dots line up perfectly, and you should have accurate colors.

[Gary Colon]

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

Color charts are used in several ways.

1. If you are shooting with multiple cameras, each camera shoots the same color chart. Then in post in the NLE, the color chart is displayed on the timeline, and the colors adjusted so that the vectorscope looks exactly (or as close as possible) for each camera. In theory this will bring the colors from the various colors into alignment and make each camera looks very similar.

2. On multicamera shoot with a vectorscope in the field, each camera can be tweaked and adjusted BEFORE the shoot so that each is giving both accurate and consistent color. This is especially important in live events.

3. On single camera shoots, shooting the color chart lets you adjust your colors when you get home to get a very accurate color representation before you edit your footage. If you have ever looked at what the output of a color chart gives on a vectorscope, it would become obvious what it's for.

Here is a link to what image is produced on a vectorscope when a color chart is displayed:

http://www.dsclabs.com/images/244_VS_Web.jpg

If the colors are not quite right, then the dots don't line up. So you tweak your camera, or your tweak your colors in the NLE until all the dots line up perfectly, and you should have accurate colors.

Ahh, good good, I understand. Im just learning about using the vectorscope and stuff so its good I randomly asked about the color chart lol. I appreciate the help guys!

[Giroud Francois]

color chart help to understand how the camera AND the ligthing will render colors in the recording.
if you use some fluo lighting for example, some color could not render at all (they give you a grey/different square instead the real color.
that is not something you can correct with white balance.