Among the many picture profiles and gamma curves included with Sony mirrorless cameras, S-Log 2 happens to be one of the most commonly used by filmmakers. With its flat, yet flexible, color palette and generous degree of dynamic range, S-Log 2 gives Sony users a level of creative control and flexibility that allows them to dial in exactly the look they want in post.
While S-Log 2 has definitely been a go-to option for many filmmakers and video shooters alike, some folks who have just made the switch to Sony mirrorless cameras may find implanting and customizing the picture profile a bit tricky and intimidating. Fortunately, filmmaker Cody Blue has shared what he believes are the best settings to use when shooting in S-Log 2 as he walks us through the menu tweaks of his favorite Sony A6300 camera.
Before continuing, it’s worth noting that the suggested settings are not the end-all or be-all of S-Log 2 shooting as these are specifically tailored to Blue’s shooting style. So, it’s important to spend the proper time with your Sony mirrorless camera to fiddle with the settings and figure out the optimal configuration that will best match your own preferences.
That being said, Cody Blue’s custom picture profile takes advantage of the dynamic range of the S-Log 2 profile while straying away from S-Log’s flat colors, opting for a more saturated look. These custom settings priorities punchy colors produced in-camera, thereby reducing the amount of time required to restore saturation in post-production.
Now, to mimic the picture profile in question, head over to your Sony camera menu and choose PP9. Then switch the Gamma to S-Log 2 and Color Mode to S-Gamut3.Cine. Next, set the Black Level to 0 and in the Black Gamma settings, adjust the range to Narrow and the Level to -7. The latter step should add more contrast to the darker areas of your image.
Next, set the Saturation to +32 and Color Phase to -2. Pushing the saturation in-camera to its highest should save you time later in post since you won’t need to bring back the colors as you would normally do when shooting with a flat gamma profile. Meanwhile, tweaking the Color Phase will allow you to control the hues of your image, which should remedy the infamous green and magenta tint associated with Sony cameras.
Furthermore, you should set the Color Depth of all color values to +6. Increasing the color depth will provide a punchier color palette to your footage. But you can still play around with these settings further depending on your subject and/or shooting environment.
Lastly, you want to change the settings for your detail as well. If you’re shooting in 4K, set the Detail to -6. If you’re recording in 1080p at 120 frames per second, set the Detail to 0. Tweaking the detail will adjust the amount of additional sharpness the picture profile will apply to your entire image.
Again, it’s essential to reiterate that these settings were created to suit a specific shooting style, and should not be considered as the ultimate custom picture profile whatsoever. As always, feel free to experiment and adjust these settings further to create a custom in-camera look that’s specifically tailored towards your personal preferences and needs.
[source: Cody Blue]
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Sony Alpha a6300 Mirrorless Digital Camera
Sony Alpha a6500 Mirrorless Digital Camera
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