I dropped a color grading breakdown of my reel over on YouTube. I hope it helps some of you. I know it’ll give you insight into what I do as far as post-color. Let me know what you think and thanks for tuning in!
#colorgrading #slog3
Hey Canon gang,
Good news, the Canon LUT pack has now been updated to include support for the Canon C80 and C400 cameras.
While I initially thought the images were quite similar between the C70 and C80 sensors, more nuances came to light as I spent more time developing the LUTs, with a total overhaul being needed but I ultimately decided to include them as a free update with the existing packs as it’s Christmas and I was feeling generous - so enjoy!
The existing C70/C300III LUTs remain the same, I’ve just updated the filenames to better differentiate the LUTs.
That’s all for now - have a great Christmas and New Year!
And just a note - the C50 (while not sharing a sensor with the C80 as far as I can tell) is very close in image to the C80/400 sensor and so I recommend using their LUT packs with it.
Thanks - Joel
Hi guys,
As promised, support for Apple Log 2 is now here and it’s a free update for any existing iPhone customers.
While Apple Log 2 will not increase dynamic range, the colourspace is a fair bit larger than the initial colourspace Rec2020 which should lead to slightly higher colour fidelity and more nuanced colour reproduction. In short, I will be using AL2 over AL1 moving forward where I can and encourage the same for the user base.
At the same time, I own both an iPhone 16 and 17 and AL1 is only available on my 16 and I'm happy to use it in that case - always remembering the concept of Phantom LUTs is to get as close to a fixed, identical look across all cameras, regardless of starting sensors or colourspaces as possible so don't stress too much if you can't shoot AL2 :)
Moving on now to support for Canon C80, Nikon Z8 and some updates for some of the older cameras - BUSY!
Enjoy,
- Joel
Phantom LUTs for the Mavic 4 Pro are here. I had wondered if the image would be close to the Mavic 3 and honestly, I couldn’t have been more surprised. In short, it was really, really different and the whole process with the new sensors, D-Log AND D-LogM took a bit more time than I expected, but as always I won’t ever compromise on quality, even if it means the LUTs come out a little later than I’d hoped.
Regarding the Mavic 4, I think this is a watershed moment. It’s the drone I always wished the Mavic would be - it’s image is incredible and when you consider the battery life and all the little features DJI have crammed into such an affordable and compact drone, it almost reminds me of the Fx6 of drones - in the sense that after I got the Fx6 I remember thinking ‘Ok, I could probably never buy another camera for 10 years and still be happy’, as it is just so jam packed with incredible features. It’s also probably the reason the Fx6 has held onto its value so well over the past 4-5 years, with second hand models even going for more than the larger and initially more expensive Fx9 or so I’ve heard. Anyway the Mavic 4 has that ‘close to perfect’ feel for me, and I think when DJI can finally release the electronic NDs, it will be in a class of its own.
So, if you’re on the fence about the Mavic 4, I can only say that personally, I love the thing - it’s really great and leaves the Mavic 2 and 3 in its dust for sure.
Don’t forget to use the code MAVIC20 for 20% off until the end of the month
Anyway, thanks for your continued support, and hope you enjoy the LUTs!
- Joel
Announcement: Hey gang, good news - the current iPhone LUTs are compatible with the 17 Pro in original Apple Log (1) but are not suited to the new Apple Log 2. I’ll be working on a free update in the near future to include with the existing pack that will work with Apple Log 2 but for now, the original LUTs will work fine as long as you shoot in Apple Log.
Given that Apple hasn’t yet released a White Paper for Apple Log 2, it will take some extra work to get the LUTs where they need to be and with the rapid pace of new cameras being released everyday from camera manufacturers, there is somewhat of a backlog to work through (for example the Mavic 4 LUTs are almost ready to drop) but I’ll get them out as soon as possible.
The end result will be identical to the Apple Log 1 LUTs anyway so I wouldn’t stress too much. The main camera sensor is the same as the one in the 15 and 16 so there’ll be no more DR to get out of it, even with a new Log Curve, despite what you may have heard.
Cheers - Joel
Fantastic interview set up here by @tomxshaw shot on two @sonycine Fx6's and graded with the ARRI Utopia LUT.
I love the depth Tom was able to create here in the background and the beautiful way the greens and timber tones play off eachother.
It's also a nice subtle touch to (key) light from the camera left while the natural daylight streams in from camera right - giving a subtle but rich sense of layering as the two different angles of luminance contrast eachother to give that extra sense of depth.
Here is Tom's gear list from his original post:
"Shot on @sonycine FX6 | 28-70mm f/2 and 70-200mm f2.8 G Master🎥🔥
Graded with @phantomluts Utopia🎨
I lit this entire scene with all @aputure.lighting ⚡️
Key light: LS 600x with light dome III
Hair light: Infinibar PB12
Fill light: STORM 80c with c40 fresnel and barndoors
Fake Sun: LS 600d Pro with reflector"
- Joel
Some folks wanted to see a breakdown of this color grade so here it goes.
As broken down in my @adorama Cinema YouTube Channel video, my workflow is simple:
1) Lean on a LUT that you love. Mine goto is @phantomluts VisionTeal. (Discount link in my highlights)
2) Balance the image’s contrast and color.
3) Add some sauce. For these, I pumped some cyan into the highlights to add to the vibe.
The above clips were shot on the @fujifilmx_us GFX 100 ii and @leicacamerausa R 28mm f2.8 and @tiffencompany 1/8 Bronze Glimmerglass.
// #fujifilmeterna #fujifilmgfx100ii #newyorkcityphotography #documentaryfilmmaking #colorgradinglife
Hi Fuji family,
F-Log2C support is now available for all existing F-Log2 users, and good news - it’s a free update!
I remain committed to offering free updates when I’m able and when it is suitable to do so, and will always be on the lookout for issues with existing LUTs that need fixing. So don’t hesitate to provide feedback and reach out if you encounter any technical issues in future, which I’ll investigate and fix if necessary.
Special thanks to @grzegorzporowinski for the image used graded with the new Flog2C Neutral LUT.
Thanks and enjoy!
- Joel
Some stunning shots here of a solar farm at sunrise shot with the @djiglobal Mavic 3 Pro shot by @thepurposedenthusiast graded with the Arri Neutral LUT.
I just got my Mavic 4 (LUTs coming soon) - can't wait to see what it can do!
Also, just a note for any Fuji users - I was planning on releasing the Flog2C update weeks ago but unfortunately have spent the last 3 and a half weeks in hospital due to some unexpected health issues - I'm still in hospital but looking to get out soon.
Just letting you all know - The Flog2C updates will be one of the first things I get onto when I'm ready to get back to work!
Cheers,
- Joel
Lovely frames here from @derrickmanieca shot on a camera + lens combo close to my heart: His @sonycine A7siii + Canon FD combo graded with the Utopia LUT.
It's crazy to think the game changing A7s3 came out in 2020 - 5 years ago now - how time flies. A momentous day when I feel Sony finally hit their stride, addressing so many of their prior camera's issues, giving us clean images, without the need to over-expose anymore, with fantastic rolling shutter and autofocus capability to name but a few of the features that helped Sony dominate the prosumer market for years to come.
But it's great to see in these images here from Derrick's short film 'Good Days' that the little lowlight beast still can produce stunning images in 2025 :)
Congrats to Derrick - consistently beautiful work brother from you here. I hope the release of the film helps get you the attention you deserve!
- Joel
Have you seen our new iPhone 15/16 Pro Showcase video yet? Link in the bio.
I'm so excited to finally be able to share these frames from the vid with you. I teased this showcase video in the initial release video for the iPhone 15 LUTs but it just took a little longer than anticipated with all the stuff going on over here (new cameras and looks in development).
I still feel many filmmakers don't take the iPhone seriously, but for me, it has carved out a spot where you can get really quite remarkable results when used properly. It won't replace your cinema camera but it doesn't need to :)
Even if you only used it for high quality home videos, it would be worth it, but you really can use this as a B or C cam alongside your more expensive rig to get extra shots and for socials content it is PERFECT! Just grab an ND and away you go. Even the native audio capture is surprisingly good with Apple's fancy algorithms at work.
That's it for now!
- Joel
