Canon HF G50 Custom Pictures question

[vstrglv]

Hi to everybody! I am newbie here. There is a question about Canon’s HF G50 Custom Picture (CP) function.

 I have recorded three footages:

1. Auto mode.

1. P mode, CP-OFF, Looks-default settings.
2. P mode, CP1 - default settings.

First and second look very similar, but third looks lighter and less contrast. Is it possible to tune CP to default Looks.

Thank you  in advance. 

[Nick2020]

Hi vstrglv,

Thanks for checking in with us.

You may wish to check our Knowledge Base to see if you can find suggestions that might help:

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb

Beyond that, we aren't able to provide forum support for your camcorder, so if you need additional assistance, you may wish to contact our phone support line by calling us at (800)652-2666 on M-F from 9am-7pm EST and then select the camcorder department.

[vstrglv]

Thank you for reply!

Unfortunately I have not found usefull  info in Knowledge Base, but a phone calling is difficult for me because of an English knowledge. So my question is what are The Picture Styles:

1. P mode, CP-OFF, Looks-default settings. and
2. P mode, CP1 - default settings.   

in Canon HF G50.

Thank you in advance.

[Inapickle]

Interesting that the image characteristics of the default 'Normal' picture profiles in CP and Looks are different - they are both BT.709.

Watched a video comparing the picture profiles on an XF400 and the Wide DR profile in CP (preset CP2) was definitely a bit sharper than that in 'Looks', at default 'image settings':

https://youtu.be/rB6HnyGcqx8

As for tuning the CP 'Normal' image to match that in 'Looks', I can't see an easy way of doing that, at least with one camcorder. If you had two HF-G50's side-by-side connected to a monitor (or separate monitors), ideally with videoscopes (WFM, Parade, Histogram, Vectorscope) or 'False Color', you could tweak the profile settings of one (set in CP1 Normal) to match as closely the image characterstics of the other, set in Normal 'Looks'  mode. Otherwise, with just one camcorder, and no external monitor, you would have to bring tweaked test clips into an editing/color grading software (with videoscopes) and compare them side by side until you found the best match. .

Alternatively, you could try matching one to the other in-post. Some color grading programs have a 'Color Match' feature for mapping the color profile of one clip to another - could work, especially if they are already close. Or do it manually.

Hope that helps.

[vstrglv]

Thank you for reply, Inapickle. I understand this tweaking, but it's too boringly. I only wonder why   the image characteristics of the default 'Normal' picture profiles in CP and Looks are different. It's not convenient.

[Inapickle]

I don't know why, but it seems like you'll have to choose and stick with one or the other then, if you think trying to match them up in-camera or in in-post is 'too boring' - I assume you mean tedious. That was your question though.

[Inapickle]

Oh here's something. I checked the HF-G50 online manual and CP gives you two BT.709 gamma curve options - Normal (the default for CP1) and Standard. Quite likely then, the gamma curve in 'Looks' (with CP turned off) is in fact Standard. If so, it would then be just a matter of editing the CP1 preset (as described in the manual) and changing the gamma curve from Normal to Standard.

[Mark35mmF2]

That looks right to me, Inapickle. Will be interested to see if that resolves the issue.

[vstrglv]

Thanks to everybody! Unfortunately I do not have G50 now. It goies to another country with my son for one month. So I will check it later.

[Inapickle]

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@Mark35mmF2 wrote:

That looks right to me, Inapickle. Will be interested to see if that resolves the issue.

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I think that is the case. On the HF-G and XA series camcorders that have more than one 'look' (my HF-G40 included) the default 'look' is always referred to as 'Standard'.