I own the Diety TC-1. I can not figure out how to get an external timecode to sync on my Z9 and Z8. What are your camera settings to get the timecode to jam to the camera?
Finally, a professional explanation with no stupid long intro and no nonsensical matters.Would love to see other videos on how to work with Nraw, thank you for this.
Thanks. I was using my z8 for photo only. I want to eplore the video side of it. I was looking for the Nikon setting. I guess with this setup I do not need to use the Z_8_N-Log-Full_to_REC709-Full_33_V01-00.cube in the project input lookup table. Because when I switch the color science from DaVinci YRGB to DaVinci YRGB color manage and I keep the z8 LUT, the clip does not look good :-) I just started to experiment with the resolve color page and watching tutorial a few days ago. You video is a great help !
That's correct. Resolve's color space transform (CST) is automatically applied by Davinci Managed Color. It does the same thing as the LUT (but much better, IMO) so if you also use the LUT, you are double-correcting.
Clearest explanation I’ve seen to date. Hit some real hidden land mines and even threw in some subtle tricks without missing the main workflow. Hope to see more from ya. Thanks!
I wonder why the middle grey point shifts so much between the different modes. If they're both at ISO 800, what's changing between the modes to reduce and increase tolerance to different exposures?
very useful. so as for NRAW+SDR and NRAW+NLOG, which one do you suggest while we shooting a sunset or sunrise such high light contrast sence? which one has more dynamic range we can edit in Davinci to get a better quality video? or they are actually same for the result? just when we shoot in NRAW+SDR, we make sure the correct exposure of the sky part in shooting sunrset? when we shoot in NRAW+NLOG,we make sure the correct exposure of the land(dark) part ? sry about my English,hope i make my question clear to you
My Nicon NEF files are importing looking totally nearly totally green dominant and low quality when in fact they are not appearing that way in a photo viewer. How can I fix this?
Great test, thank you! I've found that the image on the back LCD looks overexposed, when in fact it is well exposed. I need to keep reminding myself to judge exposure by the waveform and ignore the over exposed image on the back LCD. I wish we could import custom LUTs into the Z9.
Yeah, Nikon is making some odd choices in monitoring its N-raw formats. Both the SDR and LOG that you see are overlays on the N-raw image data and not very reliable representations of what you’re shooting.
Thank you so much for this! My z9 footage looks so much better. But now my drone footage looks nuclear! How do I use my DJI footage in the same timeline? or is that possible?
@@Yupthereitism I did, I found out that because I use Lightroom to import all of my files from my cards, Lightroom does not import N-Raw files. You have to manually import them. If you use Lightroom you'll only import the MP4 sidecar files.
I have to point out the conclusion you get is false. The raw footage of iso 100 SDR and iso 800 Nlog are exactly the same, the brightness information are no different (you just need to switch the gamma and colour space to REC709 in Camera Raw in davinchi resolve and lower the exposure by 3 stops). When shooting nlog for example at iso 4000, the amplifier of the sensor actually works at iso 500, then via the Nlog curve, the brightness information is mapped to equivalent of ISO4000. However, under raw footage, this affects nothing because raw is the original data of the sensor. The reason why you get the conclusion that nlog is more friendly to shadow is because the camera was actually operating at ISO100. You see, Nlog ISO 800 is exactly 3 stops higher than SDR ISO100 (I don't know why Nikon make the base iso of Nlog 800 rather than 8x64=512). Similarly, the second base iso 4000 of Nlog is 3 stops higher than ISO500. Thus, to get maximum dynamic range, SDR iso 64 should be the best option.
I think you are correct-or close to correct. Nikon’s LOG and SDR are a very odd overlays for a raw file, and don’t help understand Nraw’s latitude and dynamic range at all. But I don’t think your recipe is quite right. Lowering the exposure in the Raw development stage by three stops is not something most colorists would do unless the image was overexposed by three stops. And it’s only if the image is overexposed by three stops that what you describe will yield the result you describe. And in doing that, you burn three stops of Nraw LOG’s hilight latitude. So while I do believe you are technically correct, that doesn’t lead to a better understanding of how to get the best images out of Nraw-because one has to shoot using either SDR or LOG mode. Given that, it’s important to know how they behave.
Hi David, this was very helpful a while ago. But what setting do you use with pro res nlog? before the update I used it. but It is not clear what the Colorspace is: also rec 709? Maybe you have the answer. Thanks
Firmware version 3.0 has added the ability to jam timecodes to a Z9 using an Atomos AtomX Ultrasync Blue paired via Bluetooth -- thankfully leaving both audio channels available for local low res recording
I did everything you did and when I go to color to find the raw clip and stuff its greyed out I can't select anything. why is that? I shot 4k 120 fps in Nikon z9.
I’m confused by what you mean when you say processed as log vs SDR. If it’s shot in N Raw isn’t the log vs SDR setting simply metadata that doesn’t carry over into the final look?
When you take an Nraw file into Resolve, Resolve reads the metadata in the file and develops the raw file using the appropriate gamma for the metadata-so Nlog for Nraw LOG and Rec709 for Nlog SDR. You don’t have to do that. You can tell Resolve develop the raw file using any gamma you like in the Camera Raw settings. In this case, I told it to develop all the files to Nlog so the signal path would be identical.
Hi David. I'm not able to import the Prores Raw files (from Nikon/Atomos Ninja V) as video files. They show up as audio files. I don't have the 'open using Rosetta' check box. I'm working on MacBook Pro (2018).
@@prestenbrooks7142 Yes, but I decided to stick to log files. To work with prores raw you need to use paid program RAW converter (90$ if I’m correct) which converts raw files into a series of DNG photos, which you then import into Resolve. The problem is the file size of DNG which are even bigger than ProRes raw. You would need huge hard drives to work in such a setup.
No. I am using Firecrest Ultra IRND filters, but no polarizer. The sky is as dark as it is because the exposure is accounting for the glare off the pavement and the light paint on the house. Also, it was an especially clear, dry day, so there was about zero haze.
The more I watch this, the more I feel it confirms that N-LOG really wants to be overexposed which makes it much trickier to monitor in-camera. Pulling up this video in two windows side by side, it seems that N-LOG = SDR + 2stops. i.e. N-LOG +2 over is closer to SDR correctly exposed, and N-LOG -2 under, performs closely to SDR -4 under. If I set my zebras in camera to a midpoint value, I have to overexpose N-LOG by two stops (+2) exactly to have zebras match SDR. Also likely explains why the Leeming LUTs want you to push that exposure so far to the right.
Great job! Nikon has a lot of work to do on their N-LOG which is understandable given its so new. Should also note that its worth using Arri Log and Panasonic V-LOG for conversions as they may render the Nikon files with more pleasing skin tones and contrast than Nikon's own. Also on the over-exposure, its great to see such a good example on why you should overexpose these sensors to the right. You can clearly see on the blueish pot (bottom left) how much cleaner the shadow areas are when captured at +2 expo vs "normal" exposure. You always want to try to push these captures to the right as far as possible without clipping any unwanted areas.
Are you able to confirm that this tentwcle sync timecode is compatible with the h265 and the nev recording options in the camera. I was reading the z9 manual and it said timecode was only available in the mov format... Is this actually true? Much appreciated and looking forward to hearing your outcome! Thanks for a great vid! Actually side question, after setting up the tentacle syncs, can you start and stop the cameras as you wish, and still have time code synced... Or do you have to run the cameras continuously?
Rob, sorry to be so long in replying. I don’t monitor my channel very much. Yes. Tentacle is compatible with ANY video format that has an audio track. The Tentacle produces Longitudinal Time Code, (LTC) which is an analog audio signal. That is recorded on an audio track and your edit system or the Tentacle app uses it in place of the camera time code if there is any, or just uses it if there is not. Tentacle says that if there is file TC from the camera, the sync is slightly better than if there is none, but it works in any case. You may have learned this since you asked the question, but h265 is a codec and mov is a wrapper (or package) that can contain many codecs-including h265. So you can get camera TC with h265.
Thanks -- BUT - currently "we" cannot have the Z9 sync to any external time code device "automatically" and as a result the only way is to use an audio channel. Is that correct? If so there will be shooters who do not want to lose the 2nd channel. Obviously, Nikon could provide a firmware update to enable this functionality via an appropriate port - 10-pin, flash sync, USB-C or perhaps the hot shoe - or Bluetooth (my preference)? So similar to the H1S.
You’re talking about jam sync? As of right now, the Z9 can jam to the Ultrasync Blue via Atomos AirGlu, a Bluetooth connection. That works very well, with one BIG caveat-if you plug any camera control device (like a gimbal or Nikons own wired remote) into the Z9s USB-C port, that disables Bluetooth.
For all M1 users who are interested in: With the new Davinci Resolve 18 Beta version, N-Raw is supported natively. You don't have to run Davinci with Rosetta anymore :)
David, I was intrigued by this test- thanks for doing it! This morning, I decided to see if I could underexpose by 4 stops and grade the N-Raw Log on an HDR Resolve timeline. At the starting point, of course, the clip was extremely noisy, as expected, and there was the color shift that you highlighted. However, I'm happy to report that, with some gamma, gain, temp adjustments, and noise reduction- more so in the chroma- the clip looked good, and was quite usable. So, at least in this context, 4 stops under is possible. UPDATE: Just tried it as rec709, also cleans up nicely.
So helpful David. Thank you. I am not there yet to use Timecodes, but it is one of those things I will get to eventually and have always wondered how they are set up.
Very helpful! My Z9s just arrived last week, so I'm trying to get a feel for grading N-raw log. I'm switching from Sony, and used Slog3 sGamut3 for almost everything, including a fair bit of HDR. N-log raw HDR handles very differently, and I suspect that I might not be setting it up right on the Reslove side. This film might help solve some of that. In trying just a couple of test HDR grades, rendering to DNxHR HQX work well, however rendering the same clip to h.265 results in terrible banding in the blue sky. Again, I suspect it's something I'm doing wrong in the settings. Of course, Resolve has never been known for its fine h.265 rendering abilities, so it might just be a matter of mediocre compression causing banding artifacts. H.265 N-Log recorded directly from the camera doesn't have the banding, but does if I re-render it to h.265 again, and doesn't if re-rendered to DNxHR HQX.
That was very interesting. Thanks for posting it. Tomorrow, I'm going to experiment with N-raw to see how N-raw SDR set at iso lower than 800 does when grading it as HDR in Resolve. It certainly held up well underexposing at low iso grading to SDR. I often grade HDR rec 2020, so curious to see whether raw really requires 800 or higher when grading HDR..
I'd be interested to see that test. In quick tests using Resolve's HDR grading controls, I saw no real difference in results, though their increased granularity helped on some cases. But I haven't experimented at all with HDR output, as I have no clients asking for that yet.
It's a very valuable video, thank you for your efforts ، I'll be grateful if you upload one second or less from 8k n-raw sdr - high quality , so we can download it and try it in davinci resolve , Because I am very interested in the capabilities of this camera in video raw ، and I do not want to buy it before I try it , Thank you
