View Full Version : BMPCC - Robust color in RAW?


Jason Lowe
September 13th, 2014, 07:55 PM
I've started playing with my BMPCC, and am wondering why my RAW video looks so good right out of the camera. From every review and sample video I've seen, RAW video should look flat and washed out, but my RAW video has a very saturated look to it. I'm in "film" mode (no option for video in RAW) . I've attached a JPG sample.

Format is RAW, 200ASA, 30 FPS, 180 degree shutter angle. Firmware is up to date. Using a cheap panasonic lens for testing purposes. What am I doing wrong?

And on an unrelated note, battery life on this thing is beyond pathetic.

Craig Seeman
September 13th, 2014, 11:44 PM
I get 45-60 minutes per battery. Not great but not pathetic at all.

That's doesn't look like original Raw to me. Yes I have the camera.
The word "look" is key. Looking obviously involves using something and maybe that something is adding a LUT of some sort.

Daniel Epstein
September 14th, 2014, 09:06 AM
Raw is different than log. Log footage is what you would expect to be flat and washed out. Raw would have to be looked at with a LUT applied so maybe you are looking at Raw with a look applied,

Craig Seeman
September 14th, 2014, 10:10 AM
Yes that looks like Raw with a LUT added.
When asking about what one is seeing it's good to provide information about how one is viewing the files.

Raw doesn't have to have a LUT added. One can certainly view Raw without LUT just as one can view ProRes without LUT if it was shot in Film mode.

Jason Lowe
September 14th, 2014, 06:03 PM
Sorry, the still was pulled from Resolve Lite 11. When I right click on it, it says no LUT (there are options to add them).

Anyhow, I tried it again tonight in prores with film mode and got the expected washed out color. I think prores is going to be a lot easier for me to deal with at this point anyhow. At this point I'm unlikely to create a masterpiece anyway :)

And the battery apparently works better than expected too. I got about 45 minutes of timelapse footage out of it with 20% remaining. If I decide to seriously work with this camera, a new power solution will be in order.

Jay Bratcher
September 21st, 2014, 09:06 PM
Resolve gives you a lot of options for dealing with raw. If you go into the raw tab (looks like a camera icon on the color page), you can select how you want Resolve to process your raw footage. "Camera Metadata" gives you the look closest to what you saw in camera, while "Clip" combined with "BMD Film" Color Space and Gamma gives you a flat profile, like you would expect from ProRes. You can also apply Rec709 color space and gamma, which is quite useful if you just want a quick normal look for your footage (not everything has to be color corrected).

Frank Glencairn
September 28th, 2014, 04:19 PM
As long as you don't change it by hand, raw material is automatically debayered in 709.
In the color tab on the left side there is your raw settings (the tab with the camera on it).

Set it to "BMC film" instead of "709" and there you have your flat look, where you can add a LUT to it.