Using Detail
 

I've been doing some experimenting with leaving the detail part of my picture profiles turned off, I understand that adding sharpening at the end of the effects chain is better but the side effect of not using the detail setting seems to be that the peaking function rarely helps. This seems especially true when trying to focus on faces, with detail off I'm really struggling due to the lack of peaking and less obvious correct focus due to softer images.

Do you guys shoot with detail on or off?

Paul.

Always off.

Detail can make some skin look really bad. Experimentation might give you a better idea but I turn it off.

Same with sharpening. Off. I do a lot of green screen work and sharpening creates its own set of problems.

Picture quality of EX1 becomes much worse when Detail is set to on.
It completely looses its organic look and looks almost like cheap video if detail is set ON.

So always keep Detail set OFF if you don't like that videoish look.
It doesn't help with sharpness either, it only adds some bad looking contour and even washing-out effects when cripening is on... very ugly.


Dennis

I don't think there's any consensus about the detail settings except don't go above "0".
Some people turn them off, some just set lower than "0" and I've had perfectly good results at "0" as well. If you turn it too low though it gets softer than " off" and that's not good.

For those setting to "off" - what kind of monitor are you using?

Lenny Levy

I'm using a 26" NEC (2690 WuXI) and a 40" Sony V3000.
With Detail=On (Level=0) the picture doesn't contain any more Detail, there are only more artifacts, very harsh double contours and stronger contrast...


Dennis

I'm not sure I'd go that far, I've had detail turned on so far (set to 0) and it does do a good job of making the images look more detailed, I wouldn't say my footage to date looks like cheap video, although I can understand that too much sharpening would have that effect.

I agree with Leonard, there is no concensus. The "always off" advocates are not the ones to be commenting about detail because it's "always off" for them, and probably has been since the first day. Expect the inevitable denials, that their scientific tests have conclusively proved that by using detail on you will tear holes in the universe, or that their post compression NLE unsharp mask workflow is better. Nonsense.

Sony provides you with 8 adjustable detail parameters, giving you literally millions of control possibilities. They would not waste your time on them if they couldn't provide professional quality creative control. And they do. It's in-cam, pre-compression, fully adjustable and highly effective.

I use different profiles for 60i than I do for 24p, because 60i uses dual row summation of the fields. The sharpening effect needs to be tailored accordingly.

And Paul, as for the peaking function not being effective with detail off, have you tried changing the peaking level, to mid or high?

Initially, I left DETAIL to "ON" with the LEVEL set to "0". I began to notice a lot of horizontal "twitter"/"flicker" in my SD downconverts from the EX1. I have, since, turned DETAIL to "OFF" and, while not totally eliminated, SD downconverts are much, much better.

When I use my Letus Extreme on the EX1, I have detail ON for many of the profiles I use. Always OFF without the Letus though.

Scott K.

I haven't been shooting much with the EX series yet but the detail question is definitely a question with most cameras. Just because the number is set to 0 doesn't mean there is no detail being added when it is on. This is just the manufacturers normal setting which is often not the best for many situations. The best way to determine which settings you like is to play with the setting while looking at a great display and then check on a lower quality display as well. Often there is a setting I find I like which is less than the manufacturers normal but more than completely off on most cameras. The reason to turn it completely off can be related to your output like if you are going to go to film as opposed to DVD only. Or the specs from the network you are shooting for guide you.

So if 0 is the default and you can set detail so that it is softer than OFF. What setting equals OFF?

Level=-30 up to -40 seems to be "OFF".


Dennis

I normally run between -10 and -15. I choose this level as even on large monitors the edge enhancement is just about invisible while there is still enough that the images still have some "punch". As much of what I shoot gets sold as stock footage I am looking for a balance between the punchy "wow" factor and the more natural un enhanced look. If I was producing for film transfer I would probably run with it off. For an HD corporate I might have it at 0 for more punch.

Yes I also see a reduction in Peaking which is not surprising as the peaking signal is derived from areas of high contrast and detail correction creates localized areas of high contrast in high frequency parts of the picture.