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Canon creates 'Video Camera X–series-look' Picture Style for movie work

May 14, 2013 at 04:00:00 GMT

UPDATE CANON PICTURE-STYLE VIDEO

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Canon has created a 'Video Camera X-series look' Picture Style for its EOS cameras, specifically designed for movie work. As its name suggests, it's designed to match the colour look of the company's X-series professional camcorders. It produces low contrast, low saturation footage that's better suited to post-production grading processes than the cameras' existing options. It's downloadable now from Canon's website and can be installed on almost any Canon EOS model, from the movie-optimized EOS-1D C to the mirrorless EOS M.

Press release:

Canon develops new Picture Style for EOS DSLRs

London, UK, 14 May 2013 – Canon today announces the release of a new in-camera Picture Style pre-set for its range of EOS DSLRs. Created following direct feedback from video enthusiasts, the new Picture Style, called Video Camera X–series-look, enables users to capture EOS Movie footage with lower contrast levels, allowing for easier colour grading during post production processes.

Similar to that available in Canon’s range of X-series camcorders, the new Picture Style works by lowering colour saturation levels and contrast during filming. This makes it ideal for videographers during post production grading processes, especially if complementing with pre-existing footage shot with Canon’s X-series models, or alternatively for those who instantly want to add atmosphere to Full HD movies. In addition, the new Picture Style can also be applied to still images captured in RAW or JPEG formats.

The new Picture Style can be downloaded now from: http://web.canon.jp/imaging/picturestyle/index.html

Comments

Total comments: 50

Canon's X-series (actually, XF-series) camcorders have been out for 3 or 4 years now.... and only NOW does Canon put this little nothing much of anything out as a dubious firmware upgrade? Canon gives you this -- whereby Magic Lantern gives you 14-bit RAW video with a Canon EOS 5D. You be the judge which one is more useful.

0 upvotes

Just LOL.

Canon please do something useful, maybe some progress in sensor development.... or even sensors without banding?

2 upvotes

Do some Canon models already have a manual color saturation or contrast setting that functions in video? If one mutes the saturation, but then later decides that "natural" is good enough, does a simple boost of saturation in post-processing look as good as if shot using an "auto" setting?

I'd wonder how reliably one can chose optimum saturation or contrast on the basis of a small live-view screen, and even a large monitor might have its quirks.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Can someone pls explain, is this not the same as simply turning contrast all the way down in-camera?? Meaning, can i replicate this by adjusting the picture style values or do i have to download the x-file? Thanks

0 upvotes

no, this is not related to just contrast control alone, but related to gamma curve control, which alters the DR curve itself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma_correction

this kind of control is often used in motion video, but for stills, it is still the same. in the old days a RAW file was completely UNADJUSTED gamma. today, RAW files may have some gamma adjusted (custom?) bias built in, and even varies for different color channels

notice how Canon makes reference to C-log (meaning Canon Log = logarithmic curve related to gamma curve itself), which is Canon's own log curve control, just as others have a gamma(log) curve control for post processing in Cine industry

sdyue

Comment edited 9 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

ah kk i get it now.
I never bothered with picture styles until this post!
since shooting in raw i never bothered, but for video I will definitely look into it.

Some reviews i read say this PS is pretty conservative, as oposed to lets say cinestyle, anybody tried it out yet?

0 upvotes

I went to the picture style page put up by Canon. It looks like it was designed for a 12" screen by somebody who is really starting to get the hang of html.

2 upvotes

has anyone been able to download the "X-look" to a Mac and successfully installed on a 5D3 or 7D?

0 upvotes

6D ok

0 upvotes

regarding the 5D3 RAW hysteria, I see the price of CF cards suddenly going up:)

1 upvote

maybe the ML project is funded by Sandisc.

2 upvotes

At 4GB per minute of RAW video, CF cards are not going to cut it. Most are going to beed an SSD recorder like a Atomos Ninja or Hyperdeck Shuttle.

And a really fast computer to edit the files on.

0 upvotes

An hour to render a 20-second shot at only 720p? Ok, perhaps, for a 20-second ad. But if the end work is viewed on a 320x240 screen at 3mbps, won't it be a love's labor lost?

1 upvote

I know the headline says "for Canon DSLR's" but I'll have to ask. Is the software compatible with G15 if it isn't why not? since G15 is a very capable camera as compacts go.

0 upvotes

It's not compatible with the G15, because the G15 is a Powershot camera not an EOS, and therefore doesn't use 'Picture Styles' but 'My Colors' settings instead.

2 upvotes

Thanks for the reply but "why not" question was meant to be for Canon...ie; why not develop for the G series as well. Thanks anyway...

1 upvote

or for my G12 and SX50 as well :-)

1 upvote

hahaha you guys are funny :D

0 upvotes

Wow, impressive technology development, Canon!

1 upvote

Yeah, Canon. Don't you know that every single thing you do should be a technological leap that will be so amazing that people will simply hand over their grocery money to own whatever you make? Jeez. Losers.

4 upvotes

Well, Howard, a tiny quantum leap would be nice. At least once every five years.

2 upvotes

Canon ALMOST gave us something here worth a full 50 cents.... Almost.

0 upvotes

"Woah, those hackers are getting serious and got our camera to shoot raw video... um... um, here you go everyone, free super cool picture style, use this and love us by making beautiful cinematic masterpieces :D "

6 upvotes

Also set aside a few trillion pennies for screenplay, post-processing, grips, jibs, stabilizers, audio recording, actors, and even the cost of fund-raising itself. However, if you can borrow some good music for a small royalty, you may get lots of "hits" with relatively modest resolution, DR, color tricks, or play with DOF. If content is king, audio is queen.

0 upvotes

And in other news Magic Lantern release a picture style that turns a 5d mkiii into a camera that rivals a £40,000 Alexa for IQ!

I realise companies have to hold something back for the next model if they intend to get a good life out of the components they build but this is ridiculous, ML believe that cameras using the digic 4 can also shoot raw video so the digic 4 chip became obsolete and replaced before it's full potential was unlocked and I bet you the digic 5+ will also become obsolete way before Canon release a camera themselves that is capable of the quality the ML hack is unlocking. We live in a strange world when hardware is developed and doesn't meet it's full potential before it is replaced.

It's one thing to hold features back because you will be using the same chip in future models but when the chip get's replaced entirely with only a fraction of it's true potential being realised it seems like a massive waste.

7 upvotes

"turns a 5d mkiii into a camera that rivals a £40,000 Alexa for IQ!" - what other wisdom do you have to share with us?

2 upvotes

"The image is leaps and bounds ahead of any other DSLR. We’re talking Alexa / Red league here, yet full frame. The first ever raw video shooting full frame camera at that."

http://www.eoshd.com/content/10324/big-news-hands-on-with-continuous-raw-recording-on-canon-5d-mark-iii

I don't know why it's so hard to believe, do you think an Alexa has magic fairy dust inside and not a digital sensor and electronics?

3 upvotes

Andrew Reid has a pechant for hyperbole here and there...
In recent comparisons, the images out of the Mark III's raw video files had close to the same dynamic range as the Blackmagic Cinema Camera and appeared to be ever so slightly softer. That's certainly very impressive (especially since the BCC shoots at 2.5K resolution), but the Alexa is still noticeably better in both categories plus usability and functionality.
All that said, the fact that we're even comparing them at this level at all is impressive.

0 upvotes

BMCC is overrated.

1 upvote

If the average Camera Joe had an Alexa, or use RAW instead of h.264 when shooting with a 5D, the main difference would be that there would never be any video to see at all, since neither gearbrain Joe nor post-proc Jane would have the resources or time to edit the blasted stuff, and Aunt Josie would not see a scintilla of difference, if they could. Uncle Josh, who is to pay for the stuff, would squint, spit, and prefer to pay for the (good enough) cheaper version. The difference between "pro" video and mere ordinary stuff hinges only 2% on whether one used a $500 or $50,000 camera. 48% of the difference involves content, lighting, stabilization, skillful editing, and talent; the other 50% owes to audio, especially careful capture, mixing, and music.

1 upvote

You wonder after the ML news someone didn't say "hold on our new X look release, it sounds a bit lame now".
One of the reasons I went the X route was because it's video looked more capable than the 5III.
Now Canon release clean hdmi for the 5D and ML look to have cracked raw on it.
Oh well looks like I will have the video X look. Yipppee.

0 upvotes

Or they could try and implement a native raw movie format.

1 upvote

Philip Bloom will be on this momentarily.. :)

0 upvotes

he missed the bus by not getting involved in it.

0 upvotes

No, the problem is that no one can edit RAW convincingly while traveling between "how to be a filmmaker" seminars, using only a notebook, or if the hotel WiFi is too slow to do this via CS cloud.

0 upvotes

Three Years behind ,, and WAY OVER PRICED !!!!! Sony is going to make CanNot the FIRST PLACE LOOOOOOSER !!

0 upvotes

Thank you Canon! This would have been nice 3 years ago! Looks like this is your current schedule; 3 years behind the rest of the industry.

Comment edited 1 minute after posting

2 upvotes

Can you please post a real link to this DP Review... I cannot find this picture style anywhere on any Canon site world wide.

0 upvotes

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/picturestyle/file/index.html

0 upvotes

Howdy, it's not clear to me this link is the new "X–series-look". Thanks

0 upvotes

Sorry for the incorrect link, the right one should be in place now

1 upvote

Hi Andy, thanks but where is this correct link? As mentioned, the link above in your post doesn't make it clear that's it's in fact the new "X–series-look". Or am I missing something?

0 upvotes

Sorry, I got it! Thanks!

0 upvotes

I can't find where to download it. I've looked under downloads for the 5D3, 1DC, C300, can't find anything. Please help!

0 upvotes

I wonder how this differs from CineStyle?

1 upvote

My question as well, especially since Canon and Kodak worked together on CineStyle. I would love to see a 3-way comparison between this, CineStyle, and the typical Flat profile with lowered saturation and contrast.

0 upvotes

And there's better profiles anyways, like what I've come to like called "Flaat", which puts down contrast nicely, but keeps skin tones even with lowered saturation, the reds are retained, unlike cinestyle which usually ends up making everyone flat and gray skinned, bleh

0 upvotes

With the Magic Lantern announcement of RAW video on the 5Dmk3 I think this item will not receive much love.

5 upvotes

Hah true. It almost seems irrelevant at this point. Did you see the latest footage on EOS HD he just put up?! UTTERLY mind-blowing!!! Think like a Hollywood Blu-ray. Mind blown.

1 upvote

Raw makes flat image profiles 100% redundant.

3 upvotes

Total comments: 50


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