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Best Colour Formats for Videos – REC.709 vs LOG vs CineLike – Understanding Different Colour Gamuts
- Monique Harmer
- 2 minute read
Best Colour Formats for Videos
When shooting and editing video, understanding different colour formats and gamuts is crucial for achieving the desired visual style and ensuring compatibility across various platforms. The three most commonly used colour formats in video production are REC.709, LOG, and CineLike. Each format has distinct characteristics and is suited for different purposes. Below is a breakdown of these colour formats, their uses, and why you would choose one over the others.
1. REC.709 (Standard for HD Video)
Description: REC.709 is the standard colour gamut for HD video (1080p resolution). It defines the colour space for most consumer HDTVs, Blu-ray discs, streaming platforms, and professional broadcast TV. It’s a widely used standard that ensures consistency across various viewing platforms.
Advantages:
- Industry Standard: REC.709 is the go-to colour space for HD content, making it ideal for broadcast television, online streaming, and web content.
- Great for Final Output: REC.709 is designed to be a colour space that requires little to no post-production grading. It’s ready for use straight from the camera with minimal adjustments.
- Consistency: It ensures that colours look the same across different displays, including consumer TVs, monitors, and projectors.
Disadvantages:
- Limited Dynamic Range: REC.709 has a limited colour range compared to other colour spaces like DCI-P3 or REC.2020, which can be a limiting factor in high-end productions.
- Less Flexibility in Post-Production: Because REC.709 is already “baked in” with colour and contrast, it offers limited flexibility in colour grading compared to formats like LOG.
When to Use:
- Final Deliverables: REC.709 is ideal when you’re delivering a video for television, online streaming, or web platforms, where you want a standardised and consistent colour output without extensive post-production work.
- Consumer Devices: It’s the best choice for content that’s designed to be viewed on consumer devices, including TVs and monitors that support REC.709.
2. LOG (Logarithmic Gamma)
Description: LOG is a type of flat colour profile used primarily for cinematography. It’s not a colour gamut, but rather a gamma curve that is designed to capture more dynamic range and retain more information in the highlights and shadows. There are several variants of LOG, including S-Log (Sony), C-Log (Canon), and V-Log (Panasonic).
Advantages:
- High Dynamic Range: LOG captures a broader range of highlights and shadows, preserving more detail in extreme light conditions (such as bright skies or dark shadows). This allows for more flexibility in post-production.
- Better Colour Grading Flexibility: Because LOG footage is flat and desaturated, it provides a better starting point for colour grading, enabling the colourist to push the colours and contrast further without introducing noise or artefacts.
- More Cinematic Look: The flat, neutral look of LOG is preferred in professional filmmaking and high-end video production as it gives the footage a more cinematic feel that can be sculpted in post-production.
Disadvantages:
- Requires Post-Production Work: LOG footage is flat and lacks contrast and saturation, so it requires significant colour grading to make it visually appealing. This can be time-consuming and requires a professional colour grading workflow.
- Higher Demands on Post-Production Resources: Because of the need for colour grading, the editing process is more resource-intensive and demands more powerful hardware.
When to Use:
- Cinematic Productions: LOG is ideal for filmmakers and videographers who want maximum flexibility in post-production for colour grading, contrast adjustments, and visual effects.
- High Dynamic Range Projects: LOG is best when shooting in high-contrast scenes, like sunrises, sunsets, or any situation where you need to preserve details in both highlights and shadows.
- Professional Film and TV Production: LOG is widely used in feature films, documentaries, and other high-budget productions where the final look is carefully crafted in post.
3. CineLike (Flat Colour Profile)
Description: CineLike is a flatter colour profile designed by Panasonic for use in its consumer and prosumer cameras (such as the GH5). It is somewhat similar to LOG in that it is intended for use in situations where the footage needs to be colour graded later, but it offers a less extreme starting point than LOG.
Advantages:
- Slightly More Vibrant than LOG: CineLike footage is less flat than LOG and retains a bit more saturation and contrast, making it easier to work with and requiring less extensive grading.
- Easier Workflow: CineLike offers a good balance between flexibility and ease of use. It doesn’t require as much work in post-production as LOG but still allows for some adjustments to colour and contrast.
- Smaller File Sizes: Compared to full LOG footage, CineLike can offer smaller file sizes while still providing some of the dynamic range advantages.
Disadvantages:
- Limited Flexibility Compared to LOG: While CineLike offers some grading flexibility, it doesn’t capture as much dynamic range as LOG, meaning that there’s less headroom in the highlights and shadows.
- Not as Widely Used as LOG: CineLike is mainly used in Panasonic cameras, so it might not be as universally applicable in high-end productions that require a consistent look across different camera systems.
When to Use:
- Amateur to Semi-Professional Work: CineLike is great for independent filmmakers, YouTubers, and semi-professional videographers who want a good balance between colour grading flexibility and ease of use.
- Non-Professional or Low-Budget Productions: CineLike can be a good choice when you want a flatter look without diving into the complexity of LOG grading.
- Workflows with Less Post-Production: CineLike is ideal when you don’t have the resources or time to do extensive colour grading but still want to preserve some of the dynamic range.
Comparison Table: REC.709 vs LOG vs CineLike
Which Colour Format to Use and Why?
- Use REC.709 if you are working on content that will be viewed on consumer devices, such as TV shows, web videos, or streaming content where consistent and accurate colours are essential without requiring extensive post-production.
- Use LOG if you’re working on professional video projects where you need maximum flexibility for colour grading, visual effects, or post-production work. LOG is perfect for high-end films, documentaries, or commercial shoots where you want complete control over the final look.
- Use CineLike if you want a flatter profile for easier grading with a bit more vibrancy than LOG, and you’re working on semi-professional projects or quick-turnaround content where you want a good balance of dynamic range and ease of use.
Each colour format has its strengths, and the best one to choose depends on the type of content you’re producing, the post-production process, and the overall visual style you’re aiming to achieve.
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Best Colour Formats for Videos
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REC.709 vs LOG vs CineLike – Understanding Different Colour Gamuts
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Hi I'm Monique
Personal and business brand photographer and educator, super passionate about empowering business women and men to have a positive self perception, with the right tools and guidance so they can share their gifts with the world.
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Best Colour Formats for Videos
Download PDF version here
Best Colour Formats for Videos
REC.709 vs LOG vs CineLike – Understanding Different Colour Gamuts
Download
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