After the success of my JVC HD100 TrueColor configuration (TrueColor 3, TrueColor 2 and TrueColor 1 ) I have been asked to calibrate a few different cameras. While I can’t get my hand on every possible model in the market I managed to get a Canon XH A1 some time ago and so I was able to apply the same calibrations techniques use previously on this little camcorder. I was quite impressed by the flexibility of a $3,000 camera, I didn’t quite expect the level of customization that is available. Anyway, the principla used for the A1 is the same that I apply to all cameras: do not create a look in camera, instead make the camera able to “see” the scene in the most neutral way.
This is because HD cameras already compromise a lot in terms of color quality. If you apply transformations to the color matrix to achieve a give color look, say a simulated Bleach Bypass, you are baswically discarding color information that you will never be able to recover. On the other hand, if you capture your video at the most neutral state, you will be able to use a program like After Effects to create the look that you want with full color resolution. Think about it. When you dial a look in camera you are taking the real life colors, the “neutral look”, and apply a transformation to it using color-altering techniques based on the limited processing power of the camera. Also, these alterations need to be applied in real time, something that is usually achieved by limiting the depth and precision of the calculation. Leave your footage neutral, except for necessary filters like a Polarizer, and apply the look in post where you have the maximum amount of precision and you can dial-in each parameter with extreme precision.
Based on this idea, TrueColor is aimed at giving you the highest latitude available from the camera, other shooters verified an increase of 1 full stop when using TrueColor for the JVC ProHD cameras, and the highest color fidelity that the camera is capable to deliver. As strange as it sounds, most cameras come out of the factory with less-than-perfect configurations. This happens at all levels and it’s dictated by all kind of marketing decisions. A lot of cameras are set in a way that the manufacturer believes will create the highest impact with a prospect buyers. That doesn’t always translate to the most precise configuration.
As I did with my previous configurations, the A1 was calibrated by using a radiospectrometer accurate DSC chart. Calibration is only as good as your tools. You need an objective point of view in order to see how far off the camera is. The DSC charts are individually tested to reproduce the colors of the HD standard when lit correctly. You can’t use a Macbeth chart and you can’t use a chart printed on your Inkjet printer. I know that $350.00 for a chart seem like a lot but, like in everything in this industry, you get what you pay for. An accurate chart, in the right hands, can do wonders for improving image quality.
I placed the camera level on front of the chart, lit the chart with two lights placed at equal distance on both sides of the chart and measured the light hitting the chart at several points in order to get even lighting. The white balance was adjusted to matvh the lights at around 3200K. In order to verify if TrueColor brings any improvement compared with the stock settings I selected the “CP9″ scene file from the camera, a configuration meant for “Cine” shooting, and took a sample of the camera response by using a Vectorscope and Waveform monitor (WFM). The Vectorscope gives me the location of the reference colors in the spectrum. If the colors, which have been verified by DSC, don’t fall in the predetermined areas of the VScope then we turn the dials in the color matrix until they are placed in the right location. This will correct any color bias in the configuration. The WFM gives us the information about the luminance of each grayscale pattern, the location of the white and the black chips. In addition we see where our gamma is. The first impression about the CP9 is “Holy crap!” what is all that stuff:
All that fuzzyness is the noise created by the “detail” circuit. Like in most video cameras, the A1 is set from factory to ultra-sharpen everything. The so-called sharpening is simply an edge-detect circuit that finds areas of high contrast and draws darker pixels into them. This creates an “edge” that some people find attractive. Turn it off. Because of the misleading terms used by camera manufacturers, words like “detail” or “sharpen”, the public is often lead to believe that if you turn off this parameter the images get blurry. Nonsense. Your images will gain a nice softer look that will not be by any means blurry. They will look more like something shot on film and you can add a little bit of detail in post, with After Effects or similar programs, and set it up with much finer control. Also, the sharpening done by After Effects is generally more subtle and better in quality than the one performed by the camera. Still skeptical? Here is the same exact chart but with the detail turned off:
So, while the image looks softer (nicer) the amount of noise is actually much, much lower. Incidentally this also turns into smaller media files as the artificial noise wreaks havoc with the compression used by the camera. By comparing the Vectorscope portion of the two images above we can also see how the TrueColor places the color chips in the right spot while the factory settings are way off. In fact the “CP9″ configuration not only has the cyan and green chips way off target but all colors are quite muted.
So here are the settings for TrueColor XH A1. Enjoy!
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| GAM Gamma | N |
| KNE Knee | M |
| BLK Black | P |
| PED Pedestal | -9 |
| SET Setup | -9 |
| SHP Sharpness | -9 |
| HDF Hor.Detail | M (default) |
| DHV Detail HV Balance | 0 (default) |
| COR Coring | 0 |
| NR1 Noise Reduction 1 | 0 |
| NR2 Noise Reduction 2 | 0 |
| CMX Color Matrix | N |
| CGN Color Gain | 0 |
| CPH Color Phase | 0 |
| RGN Red Gain | -7 |
| GGN Green Gain | 3 |
| BGN Blue Gain | 12 |
| RGM Red Green Matrix | 40 |
| RBM Red Blue Matrix | -12 |
| GRM Green Red Matrix | 6 |
| GBM Green Blue Matrix | 0 |
| BRM Blue Red Matrix | 12 |
| BGM Blue Green Matrix | -3 |
Now for the bad news. I did this a few months ago for a client. I don’t have a A1 so I can’t updated these setting or provide more information. If you need help post below and I’ll do my best to answer.
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Great stuff. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you! Much appreciated.
Hi, been following the thread on dvinfo. Do you have the latest update to the configuration. btw. thanks in advance
You’re very welcome. The last configuration is the one above, just change the pedestal to -7
Thanks for your sharing. I will try
[...] reading Paolo Ciccone’s article on his TruColor preset for the Canon XH-A1, I began to rethink whether it is better to use a camera [...]
Not sure if there is a conclusion to this post but my point of view is explained in this other post: http://paolociccone.com/blog/?p=27
Paulo,
Great preset. Absolutely no blue colour cast here!
I’ve been shooting with the sharpness turned down to -9 for quite some time as I found it to improve the performance of the HDV codec. This obviously has a knock on effect in grading and any future compression for delivery.
It’s a shame that camera manufacturers have conditioned users to think over sharpened images are desirable.
Thanks Steve.
– Paolo
Paolo, Thank you for your great technical work with the XH A1! I just wish you had one to tinker with more. Above you mention that on the latest update the pedestal on TruColor should be set at -7. Is the purpose of this to pull out more detail from the shadows? If not, how could more detail be shown? Congratulations on the great work! James
@James, yes raising the pedestal will give you a little more detail in the blacks without washing out the image. Initially I used the DSC charts black chip to set the level for the pedestal but there is a little bit of reflectivity, probably not more than 1% from that chip. The right way of setting the pedestal would be to set the 0 IRE for the cavity black. Raising the pedestal basically corrects for the minimal reflectivity of the black, non-cavity, chip.
Paolo, Thanks for the explaination. How far do you think the pedistal or the toe could be pushed without washing out the image on TruColor? James
Hard to know without having the camera but you should notice this. Many time the dark tones seem too dark in the display or even in your NLE. But, if you add a bit of color correction and see that you gain definition in areas that seemed perfecly black, than you know that the camera was recording something there, ergo you were not crushing the blacks. A bit of testing should give you the answer that you’re looking for.
Paolo, when should I white balance when I use the Truecolor (or any) preset? Before turning on the preset (Cam in neutral position) or after turning on the preset?
Sorry… I didn’t see my earlier posting and thought I had done something wrong. Now I see it is posted twice.
White balance is not affected by a configuration so you should adjust it every time you shoot, if the condition of light change. Keep in mind that most cameras store te WB configuration when you save the configuration.
I can understand that WB is not affected by a configuration. But I was thinking the other way round. WB by default affects the configuration doesn’t it? But what you say is: activate the Truecolor preset and then perform a WB each time light conditions changes?
[...] this earlier article, I mentioned trying out Paolo Ciccone’s Trucolor preset. I am pleased to say that I have used Trucolor on my XH-A1s for the last three weddings with [...]
Hi Bonnie, thank you for the feedback.
Stavo rivedendo delle immagini girate ieri pomeriggio,sulla mia hd110e, e sentivo l’audio, come che va a scatti,riprendendo le alre cassette anche lì l’audio droppa. Nel senso, da 00.01.00 a 00.01.30 scorre tranquillamente poi l’audio non si sente per un centesimo di secondo circa,..e la cosa continua per tutto il video,sembrerebbe una cosa non in modo “random” ma “meccanizzata”..! Questo succede solo in formato HDV-HD25p,invece in formato DV-25p tutto va a norma…! Inoltre nel primo nastro,dove ho fatto un “insalata”(cioè, per i primi 30 min ho registrato in DV gli altri seguenti min in HDV) il formato dv va a norma l’Hdv droppa l’audio, il video è perfetto . Succesivamente ho preso un nuovo nastro(fuji dvm60) , novo di zecca!! E il problema si ripropone registrando in Hdv. Ora mi chiedo. E’ un problema d’impostazioni della cam?? oppure un difetto?
Giovanni, non ci sono impostazioni che riescono a causare quelle che hai descritto. Quello che descrivi succede quando leggi la cassetta dalla telecamera o quando usi il file nel computer? Se succede con la telecamera chiama JVC o il tuo rivenditore e richiedi una riparazione/rimpiazzo Buona fortuna
Thanks – most welcomed info!. Been trying loads of pre’s and this one sounds like a “real deal” as Im big on post. I did find the VISION2 interresting but colors seem rater flat – any comments? Ive been doing post for 6 yrs and just got a XHA1. Still a little confused with the progressive vs interlaced shooting. I seem to lean more towards the prog. as it seems purer .. should I stick to it? Thanks
Hi and thanks for the great info. I was astonished by the amount of noise my XHA1 was generating. I am using it in SD mode because of my present multi-camera environment. Does anyone have any idea if the settings above need to be significantly altered to work well in an SD shoot? Thank you again.
Giovanni. I have been using your true color setting on the A1 for 6 months. Love It. I recently shot a music concert and noticed that the camera was not responding well to red lights on the stage. Seems like Red and Orange are very hot (much more that our second and third camera we were using on the shoot). is that something you’ve encountered.
Tony, HD or SD will not make any difference.
Hi Thanks fo this article and the suggestions for a good picture.
I’ve tried these settings after I struggled with the XH-a1, to get nice, deep colours, like the Canon XM1 that I also used for 5 years now,
From the date of purchase I just could not get the same crisp picture and excellent colours with this camera. Maybe this one is a dut. I don’t know, but really, even with these settings, I am not satisfied.
Any help?? Please!
Greetings Cornie
Great setup thank you very much. I try to shoot in -3 gain when I have enough light, how does that effect this preset? I did notice when I turn your preset on the image does seem to loose some of it’s brightness. Again thanks for all your time and sharing this for everyone.
Well yes, interesting history
Hello, I’m new owner of XH A1s. I also notice blue cast at TrueColour preset. Here are my shots with fabric preset and TC. Windows and snow are white as you know. Why they tend to blue? Please, help me! Sorry if my English is poor.
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/3279/img0113syb.jpg http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8641/img0114wcr.jpg http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2732/img0115q.jpg http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2012/img0116fgx.jpg
Greetings, Artur
To complete the picture, switch the gain to low and then change it to -3. This all but completely overcomes the graininess of the XHA1.
I’ve shot a short with the true color preset and the sg-pro adaptor: great!!!! Only one answer: does exist a similar preset for the xlh1? Thank you!
@daniele: I’m afraid not. I need to get the camera in my dirty little hands in order to make the preset. If you are stopping by in the Santa Cruz area I’ll be glad to take a look….
Artur Śmiech from Poland is right – all colors switch to blue with this preset. I did not get real white. You have to change some color-settings.
Maybe you got good results while you’re shooting with a light source. Or you set the false color temperature.
Please use the automatic WB next time and try what happens with your preset. I make a bet it turns to blue.
But you’re right with the sharpness and other “image-enhancing features”.
I forgot one thing.
With this setting “BLK Black P ” (PRESS) you loose a lot of information in the dark regions.
Hi: Can you help me match the color of an XHA1 with a Canon 5DMk11 set to neutral color and then adjusted further according to Philip Bloom recommendations. In reading the posts it seems that your True Color comes the closest to the 5D when the color on the 5D is back off and the sharpness reduced. I also want to match everything up with a Canon XHL1.
Hi Tim. Currently I’m swamped with other jobs so I don’t have bandwidth for anything else. I also don’t have the cameras thar you mentioned so, without them, I could not perform the task, unless you would be able to provide them. You can perform the calibration by following the steps that I have described in my guides and by purchasing one of the DSC charts.
Good luck.
In Australian terms mate, ” Youre a bloddy ledgend” I am 86% colour blind and have been dicken around with colours in post for so long! I stumbled on this thread and immediately made the changes and tested it! Absolutely brilliant for amatuers like me… Only wish I had found yonks ago. Thanks for the info and keep up the great work, people like us love it!
Hey Philby, comments like yours are what make my day! I’m glad… Ok let me re-phrase that, I’m bloody happy that the TrueColor works for you. Thanks again for the feedback and great humor
Hi everyone i am a photographer and a videographer too. The true color is a very good preset! Sometimes it is very important to know what kind of scene you are about to shoot or the kind of event you are about shoot, becouse that will help you choose preset that is suitable for that project or scene. It is just like the movies, they will choose the right colors depending on the story and the mood of the movie. I guess what i am trying to say is that not all presets are suitable to use in the case of shooting scenes in the snow for example, naw you understand.
The true colors presets of pciccone is great, you just have to know where to use it or what kind of look you want to archieve, especially indoors with good lighting or outdoors when it is nice and bright not when it is cloudy or on a snow day, because snow is white and true colors has different color tones. The true colors works well with people or weddings and that is just one example. especially at an event were everyone has put on colorful cloths.
How can I tweak the TRUECOLOR so that my image would not need any color correction in post? I need the blacks to be blacks, colors a little bit oversaturated, highlights enough and a little cinematic look. I use 30f and outside I need more contrast and adjusting levels to give more black( but I don’t like to chamge that in post- I would prefer doing it in the camera). Another thing , what setting I woud use in low light restaurants (i shoot weddings), when I use 1/30, 30F , f1.6, and gain +12db? (the noise in more than present and the colors washed out).
What you are asking goes against the spirit of Truecolor, namely to give you the most neutral image possible with your camera. But your request is in line with what a lot of cinematographers do with camera calibration: get look in the camera. I’m personally against the technique because it “bakes” a look in pot your bits with not way of changing it and it will forever discard data that is otherwise acquired by the camera. Nevertheless, the way of doing that is to buy a DSC chart, start with the Truecolor for neutrality and then use the chart with a Vectorscope monitor to change the colors tot the direction that you want. Then switch to the waveform monitor to accurately set the levels of blacks so that you can crush them a little bit. The waveform will give you an accurate way of evaluating how much data you are removing.
Hope this helps.
If I send you a NX5U can you calibrate it for Truecolor? May be useful for others to see your results too. I also have an XH-A1 that is currently use with your Truecolor preset.
Hi Rohan. At this time I’m working on 3D rendering software (http://www.daz3d.com/i/3d-models/-/reality-1-0?item=11203&_m=d) that is taking all my available time so I will not be able to assist you with this calibration. Sorry.