The Canon EOS C70 enables you to create up to 20 Custom Picture files that can be used to give different treatments to your videos.
It's an efficient way to speed up your workflow and bring a consistent look to clips, as once you've set parameters such as gamma, colour space, black level and skin detail, and registered them to a Custom Picture file, you can instantly recall that specific setup at any point.
But did you know that you can also register 3D LUT (Lookup Table) files on the EOS C70, giving you an even higher degree of freedom to adjust the colour and character of an image?
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Harness the power of 3D LUTs in the Canon EOS C70
What is a LUT?
A LUT (Lookup Table) is essentially a set of mathematical instructions that remaps the input or recorded values for each pixel to different RGB output values. Think of it as two columns of numbers, where the input number in one column has a corresponding output number in the other column. When you apply a LUT to a video, the numbers are converted – as is the look of your footage.
One of the drawbacks of a standard 1D LUT is that it doesn't allow the red, green and blue colour values to be mixed. It's a linear conversion from one R, G or B value setting to another. A 3D LUT does allow this, however, so it provides more control over specific colour values and a more sophisticated level of colour manipulation as a result.
The 3D LUT advantage
As the name suggests, a 3D LUT maps red, green and blue in a three-dimensional grid, allowing for more complex and nuanced colour transformations. There are three grid sizes, or 'resolutions', of 3D LUTs – 17grid, 33grid and 65grid. Although 65grid offers the most accuracy, applying it to footage in editing software requires a computer with more processing power.
LUTs are often used as a starting point for grading, and for on-set monitoring. If you're taking advantage of the wider dynamic range of Canon Log, for example, then the footage tends to look washed out and compressed straight from the camera. But using a LUT enables you to monitor the content in a standard colour gamut such as Rec.709 or BT.2020 while you're filming. The addition of the Look File function on the Canon EOS C70 unlocks the opportunity to record video with a 3D LUT applied and the ability to achieve unique colour and contrast characteristics without the need to colour grade the footage.
You can create your own custom 3D LUTs in editing and grading software or download free-to-use or commercial files, which are widely available online. For compatibility with the Look File function, these must be 17 grid or 33 grid 3D LUT files in .cube format (33 grid 3D LUTs allow for more accurate image conversion). They should also be designed for Full Range signal input and output. While it's possible to register 3D LUTs that are designed for other signal configurations, these won't give you a correct conversion.
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There are a host of different applications for a 3D LUT. They can be used for straightforward colour correction, for example, or to emulate a specific cinematic look or style to help tell a story or create a mood.
How to register a Look File on the Canon EOS C70
To use a 3D LUT on the Canon EOS C70, you need to register it as a Look File through the Custom Picture menu. It's also possible to combine a Look File with other Custom Picture parameters. In this case the Look File will be applied after the other Custom Picture parameters, except for Noise Reduction and Skin Detail, which are processed after the Look File has been applied.
Just like with a Custom Picture file, adjustments made using a Look File are applied to all images, including MXF and MP4 clips, HDMI video output and the image displayed on the LCD screen.
Shooting on a budget with the Canon EOS C70
So how do you turn your 3D LUTs into Look File options? Here's a step-by-step guide:
Additional enhancements
While the Canon EOS C70 is the first camera to incorporate the Look File function, both the Canon EOS C500 Mark II and Canon EOS C300 Mark III now support the functionality as well, via a firmware update.
Additional performance enhancements and creative options have been added to all three cameras as part of the same Cinema EOS firmware release. For example, the updated EOS C500 Mark II is now able to record in 4:3 and 6:5 aspect ratios in Cinema RAW Light. Both the EOS C500 Mark II and EOS C300 Mark III also now feature a 1.8x de-squeeze option, enabling access to a wider range of anamorphic lenses, and the two cameras can even be controlled remotely by the Canon RC-IP100 remote camera controller via Canon's original IP-based XC Protocol.
EOS C70 users will benefit from the improved autofocus capabilities, thanks to the addition of 'Whole Area' to the existing 'Small' and 'Large' frame size options. Touch Tracking and Face Detection can now be initiated by touching the LCD screen when you're using this new mode.
The latest firmware also adds support for a further seven zoom lenses to the Canon Mount Adapter EF-球探体育比分_欧洲杯足球网乐¥在线直播 0.71x. These supported lenses allow for full optical correction, autofocus and metadata compatibility with the EOS C70, with even further lenses planned to be supported in future updates.
Download the latest firmware at https://www.canon-europe.com/support/consumer_products/product_ranges/digital_cinema/cinema_eos/