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UNDERSTANDING GAMMA, CINEGAMMA,

HYPERGAMMA AND S-LOG
JANUARY 21, 2011 | ALISTERCHAPMAN | 18 COMMENTS

The graph to the left shows and idealised, normal

gamma curve for a video production chain. The main
thing to observe is that the curve is in fact pretty
close to a straight line (actual gamma curves are very
gentle, slight curves). This is important as what that
means is that when the lmed scene gets twice as
bright the output shown on the display also appears
twice as bright, so the image we see on the display
looks natural and normal. This is the type of gamma
curve that would often be referred to as a standard
Standard Gamma Curve
gamma and it is very much what you see is what you
get. In reality there are small variations of these
standard gamma curves designed to suit different television standards, but those slight variations
only make a small difference to the nal viewed image. Standard gammas are typically restricted to
around a 7 stop exposure range. These days this limited range is not so much to do with the lattitude
of the camera but by the inability of most monitors and TV display systems to accurately reproduce
more than a 7 stop range and to ensure that all viewers whether they have 20 year old TV or an ultra
modern display get a sensible looking picture. This means that we have a problem. Modern cameras
can capture great brightness ranges, helping the video maker or cinematographer capture high
contrast scenes, but simply taking a 12 stop scene and showing it on a 7 stop display isnt going to
work. This is where modi ed gamma curves come in to play.

Standard Gamma Curve and Cinegamma Curve

The second graph here shows a modi ed type of

gamma curve. This is similar to the hypergamma or
cinegamma curves found on many professional
camcorders. What does the graph tell us? Well rst of
all we can see that the range of brightness or lattitude
is greater as the curve extends out towards a range of
10 T stops compared to the 7 stops the standard
gamma offers. Each additional stop is a doubling of
lattitude. This means that a camera set up with this
type of gamma curve can capture a far greater
contrast range, but its not quite as simple as that.

Un-natural image response area

Look at the area shaded red on the graph. This is the
area where the cameras capture gamma curve
deviates from the standard gamma curve used not
just for image capture but also for image display.
What this means is that the area of the image shaded
in red will not look natural because where something
in that part of the lmed scene gets 100% brighter it
will only be displayed as getting 50% brighter for
example. In practice what this means is that while you
are capturing a greater brightness range you will also
Un-natural response
need to grade or correct this range somewhat in the
post production process to make the image look
natural. Generally scenes shot using hypergammas or cinegammas can look a little washed out or
at. Cinegammas and Hypergammas keep the important central exposure range nice an linear, so the
region from black up to around 75% is much like a standard gamma curve, so faces, skin, ora and
fauna tend to have a natural contrast range, it is only really highlights such as the sky that is getting
compressed and we dont tend to notice this much in the end picture. This is because our visual
system is very good at discerning ne detail in shadow and mid tones but less accurate in highlights,
so we tend not to nd this high light compression objectionable.
S-Log Gamma Curve
Taking things a step further this even more extreme
gamma curve is similar to Sonys S-Log gamma curve.
As you can see this deviates greatly from the
standard gamma curve. Now the entire linear output
of the sensor is sampled using a logarithmic scale.
This allows more of the data to be allocated to the
shadows and midtones where the eye is most

sensitive. The end result is a huge improvement in the

recorded dynamic range (greater than 12 stops)
combined with less data being used for highlights and
more being used where it counts. However, the image
when viewed on a standard monitor with no
correction that looks very washed out, lacks contrast
and generally looks incredibly at and uninteresting.

S-Log Gamma Curve

S-Log Looks Flat and Washed Out

Red area indicates where image will not look natural with S-Log without LUT
In fact the uncorrected image is so at and washed out that it can make judging the optimum
exposure dif cult and crews using S-Log will often use traditional light meters to set the exposure
rather than a monitor or rely on zebras and known references such as grey cards. For on set
monitoring with S-Log you need to apply a LUT (look Up Table) to the cameras output. A LUT is in
effect a reverse gamma curve that cancels out the S-Log curve so that the image you see on the
monitor is closer to a standard gamma image or your desired nal pictures. The problem with this
though is that the monitor is now no longer showing the full contrast range being captured and
recorded so accurate exposure assessment can be tricky as you may want to bias your exposure
range towards light or dark depending on how you will grade the nal production. In addition
because you absolutely must adjust the image in post production quite heavily to get an acceptable
and pleasing image it is vital that the recording method is up to the job. Highly compressed 8 bit
codecs are not good enough for S-Log. Thats why S-Log is normally recorded using 10 bit 4:4:4 with
very low compression ratios. Any compression artefacts can become exaggerated when the image is
manipulated and pushed and pulled in the grade to give a pleasing image. You could use 4:2:2 10 bit
at a push, but the chroma sub sampling may lead to banding in highly saturated areas, really
Hypergammas and Cinegammas are better suited to 4:2:2 and S-Log is best reserved for 4:4:4.
SHARE THIS:

Related:

Why Nailing Your Mid Range Will

Make Post Production Happy.
Even with Cingammas and Log.
July 3, 2012
With 5 comments

Choosing the right gamma curve.

May 14, 2013
In "cinegamma"

More on S-Log and Gamma

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April 21, 2011
In "cinegamma"

18 COMMENTS

CINEGAMMA

CURVES

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GAMMA

HYPERGAMMA

S-LOG

18 THOUGHTS ON UNDERSTANDING GAMMA, CINEGAMMA, HYPERGAMMA

AND S-LOG
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Martin
FEBRUARY 26, 2013 AT 8:59 PM

Thank you for the clear understanding of the differences! Now I want to take a
deeper dive. : )

Richard Chai
JULY 26, 2013 AT 1:02 AM

Thank you Alister for taking the time to write a article on Gamma, Cinegamma,
Hypergamma and S-Log! Information like this, explained concisely and yet clearly
and with meaningful pictures is actually quite hard to nd on the internet.
After reading this, Im going to start tinkering with the picture pro les on my Sony
ea-50 but Im wondering if the results are going to be worth it as the EA-50

natively captures in 8 bit 4:2:0 . Im not so sure if it is 4:2:2 using an external

recorder as I havent tried that yet, lets see
anyway, Thanks Alister!

alisterchapman
JULY 26, 2013 AT 9:57 AM

An external recorder with a better codec will help, but dont expect to visually
see a big difference because you wont. It will help the footage hold up better
through your post production process with less degradation however.
When you do have a limited recording codec this is where picture pro les are
strongest and most important as it reduces the need to make any corrections or
adjustments later.

Cees van Kempen

DECEMBER 22, 2013 AT 3:54 PM

Alister,
I am trying very hard to understand the whole cine/hyper/log matter for my F55,
which I have ordered but not received yet. You say here that Hypergammas are
better for 4:2:2 and SLog is better reserved for 4:4:4 codecs. But how about the
SLog2 on the F55 and the XAVC codec. This codec is 4:2:2 and if I read your post
well, then a Hypergamma would be preferable above SLog2. (?)

Patrick acum
JANUARY 30, 2015 AT 11:17 AM

Ive just picked up an f5 after using a c300 for a few years. Im trying to understand
the slog3 exposure best practices and have found your articles invaluable. It seems
Im best shooting sgamut3cine slog3 and setting a rec 709 mlut for vf monitoring of
exposure. I sort of get the idea of shifting the dr up and down via the iris/iso
settings even tho it at rst seems counterintuitive. If im shooting in low light,
rather than set a higher iso than native, (making the picture seem brighter) i
should try and go as low as possible to reduce the noise in the blacks when
adjusted on the actual slog recorded image (which, as the iso here is still 2000, will
show the extra stop or so from correcting to shoot at the lower iso in the vf)
I like the look of the rec709 typeA. If theres to be only a tweak of a grade and i
want it to look like the type A setting, is it better to switch on the internal mlut and
have the recording mirror what i see in the vf (ie iso settings will adjust in tandem
and dr presumably will too) or should i just use a hypergamma? Is there any

dr/colour bene t to using slog3 in this way or is it better to burn a look in with
custom settings?
Apologies for long post, its quite complicated!

alisterchapman
FEBRUARY 3, 2015 AT 8:45 PM

In low light you want to open the iris, so a Low EI is preferable to a high EI. Nut if
the light really is low you may be better of using custom mode and a
conventional gamma curve.

Patrick acum
FEBRUARY 7, 2015 AT 8:10 AM

Thanks Alister. With regards 709 typeA, can I use this baked in in mpeg2 if theres
little grading? If the color space is set to sgamut3cine and base setting is slog3,
does baking in a 709 lut like typeA negate the point of being in log? Will it create
banding? The bbc is increasingly going f5/f55 over c300 but theyre sticking mostly
with mpeg2. I wanted to use some form of log to bene t from the extra dr. If im
forced to use mpeg2 with hypergamma to avoid banding, is this any better than a
c300 in clog?

alisterchapman
FEBRUARY 20, 2015 AT 5:07 PM

LC709 TypeA works well with Mpeg2. There are small bene ts to starting with
SGamut3 color space as the blue response is better and the 709 type A looks
better as a result. Banding should really be an issue.

Jason Wawro
FEBRUARY 7, 2015 AT 6:47 PM

AlisterThanks for all of your hard work on this blog. Its really an invaluable learning
resource. Question for you. Currently Im shooting a 6 camera concert series for
iHeart radio. We are using Sony F55s. We shoot custom mode HyperGamma 7.
We record YpBpR 23.976. We record 38402160. We have the older Sony paint
boxes connect in our control room. We do some painting on the y and in advance
to match cameras. We are using LEDS to light the stage. We are experiencing a
BLUE CLIPPING. It is really evident on the white objects. Im kinda of out of
options on solutions to this issue. Here is a link. The question is what can we do to
minimize this issue in camera?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqeJG-TTd1w&feature=emshare_video_user
Thanks

alisterchapman
FEBRUARY 20, 2015 AT 5:05 PM

Blue LEDs are a PITA. A lot of cameras struggle with them. There isnt a great
deal you can do about them, they contain a lot of far blue light that is invisible to
the naked eye but the camera responds to it. Hypergammas are supposed to be
exposed about a stop lower than you would normally expose 709 and then the
footage should be corrected back up again in post. If you dont do this then you
will end up with more highlight clipping than you should. Also ensure that the
cameras white clip is turned off as this arti cially limits the peak hypergamma
levels.

patrick acum
FEBRUARY 23, 2015 AT 8:46 PM

Hi, sorry, just to clarify, banding would be an issue or not an issue with the baked in
lc709typeA in mpeg2?
Thanks for this great resource!

alisterchapman
MARCH 19, 2015 AT 6:08 PM

Should not be too much of an issue, but LC709 typeA has a massive dynamic
range so you will be pushing 8 bit mpeg2 very hard so will need to be extremely
careful with your work ow.

Bob
OCTOBER 9, 2015 AT 7:30 PM

Hi Alister, I know, two posts (!) in one day. What would be really helpful to a
newcomer like myself, and possibly others, is a complementary explanation of
what manipulation of the data is subsequently required in post. You have most
helpfully explained a lot here and elsewhere about what goes on in the camera, but
that is only one side of the coin. What happens afterwards? At the moment I think
that post production cannot simply apply a mirror image of a cine gamma,
hypergamma or S Log otherwise the output would presumably exceed the
dynamic range of the intended dispay. So, I assume a variable amount of gain has
to be applied depending on the recorded video level, more boost being given to

low levels to get them up to a nice looking range for human perception, with lower
levels of boost applied to highlights to make them look pleasing rather than
accurate since standard viewing displays have that limited dynamic range. So, this
post is a post asking what goes on in post (sorry, could nt resist that), and how
does that depend on the target display how does grading for TV viewing differ
from grading for cinema projection? Bob.

alisterchapman
OCTOBER 9, 2015 AT 7:43 PM

The problem for me is that the post process is much less well de ned because its
very subjective. Generally with Hypergamma or Cinegamma the gamma curve is
only having a large visual effect on the highlights which viewers tend not to notice,
so in post you can often leave the material as is (this is assuming we are aiming at a
normal 709 output for TV). Log is very different as the entire range is altered, so
much more work has to be done. The simples method is to apply a LUT to convert
from log to 709 (or whatever the chosen output standard is) and then to massage
the highlights and shadows to make the large captured range t in the small
display range. Often you end up having to let some areas blow out or go to black as
you simply cant show everything captured. This is something shooters need to
remember!
If you dont have a LUT then a common approach is to apply an S curve to the log
footage which in effect normalises the footage making it more linear. Then you
tweak and grade the top middle and bottom for a good looking picture.
I am preparing a new article on the ACES work ow. ACES sounds complicated, but
once you get over some of the fancy terms used its actually very simple and a
fantastic way to work with a vast range of very different types of material. In
addition Ive just done a video for Sony on post production for the FS7 which
should be going online in the very near future.

Bob
OCTOBER 12, 2015 AT 8:08 AM

Thank you Alister. Youre a gentle man! This is all fairly new to me. Your post
production video will help a lot and I look forward to seeing it. I shoot RAW with
my still photography (EOS 5D) and do have some understanding of selective image
manipulation. I wonder if we could have a LUT in lightroom?!

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