ARRI LogC4

Logarithmic Color Space

SPECIFICATION

Date: 12th May 2023

 Document Version History

Version Author(s) Change Note

2021-07-07 Harald Brendel Initial document version

Sean Cooper

2021-07-22 Sean Cooper Clarify LogC4 Curve domain

2021-07-28 Sean Cooper Pseudo-code update

2021-11-30 Sean Cooper Mirrored LogC4 Curve and sensor-linear definition

Negative handling in LogC4 Curve amended
Matrices provided with higher precision
2022-05-01 Sean Cooper
Hardware encoding section expanded
Reference code provided as CTL
ALEXA 35 added
Matrix precision increased
2022-11-08 Sean Cooper CTL Reference amended
LogC4 Signal Tables added
False Color equations added
Y-Axis tick marks fixed in Figure 2
2023-05-12 Sean Cooper
Expanded False Color computed bounds

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 1 of 19

Table of Contents
Document Version History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2 Version History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3 Hardware Encoding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1 LogC4 Hardware Encoding Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

4 Specification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.1 ARRI LogC4 Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
4.1.1 Encoding Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.1.2 Decoding Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.2 ARRI Wide Gamut 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.2.1 RGB Primaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.2.2 White Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.3 ARRI LogC4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.3.1 ARRI LogC4 to CIE XYZ Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.3.2 ARRI LogC4 to ACES Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

5 Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

A Reference CTL Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

B Conversion Table - ARRI LogC4 to ACES 2065-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

C Conversion Table - ARRI LogC4 Signal (1% IRE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

D Conversion Table - ARRI LogC4 Signal (1/3 Stops) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

E False Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
E.1 Achromatic Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
E.2 False Color Zones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
E.3 False Color Calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
E.3.1 False Color Zone Color Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
E.3.2 Computed Bounds – EI 160 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
E.3.3 Computed Bounds – EI 200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
E.3.4 Computed Bounds – EI 250 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
E.3.5 Computed Bounds – EI 320 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
E.3.6 Computed Bounds – EI 400 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
E.3.7 Computed Bounds – EI 500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
E.3.8 Computed Bounds – EI 640 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
E.3.9 Computed Bounds – EI 800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
E.3.10 Computed Bounds – EI 1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
E.3.11 Computed Bounds – EI 1280 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
E.3.12 Computed Bounds – EI 1600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
E.3.13 Computed Bounds – EI 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
E.3.14 Computed Bounds – EI 2560 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
E.3.15 Computed Bounds – EI 3200 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 2 of 19

1 Introduction
This document describes the ARRI LogC4 logarithmic color space, hereinafter referred to as ARRI LogC4 or
LogC4, and its use.
ARRI LogC4 was designed to optimize the encoding precision and production usability of the increased dynamic
range1 of the ALEV4 sensor. For detailed information about the naming convention and version history of ARRI
camera encodings, please see Section 2 and 4.
The development of the transfer function was funded by the Horizon 2020 project HDR4EU2 .

2 Version History
ARRI LogC4 is a direct successor to the prior LogC v3 encoding definition in use since 2011, and continues its
version history. The prefix “ARRI” was adopted to ensure consistent naming across our cameras and provide a
stable base for advancement into the future. The following table provides a historical overview of the versioning
history for ARRI camera encodings:

ARRI Camera Encoding Version History

Version Cameras SUP Version Components Status

1 D-20 N/A Log C Archived

D-21

2 ALEXA Classic SUP 1 ALEXA Log C v2 Archived

ALEXA XT SUP 2
ALEXA SXT

3 ALEXA Classic SUP ≥ 3 ALEXA LogC v3 Active

ALEXA XT ALEXA Wide Gamut RGB
ALEXA SXT ALEXA LogC v3 Curve
ALEXA Mini
ALEXA LF ARRI LogC3
ALEXA Mini LF ARRI Wide Gamut 3
ALEXA 65 ARRI LogC3 Curve
AMIRA

4 ALEXA 35 SUP ≥ 1 ARRI LogC4 Active

… … ARRI Wide Gamut 4
ARRI LogC4 Curve

Note: In technical or UI text, the version number must be included for full specificity, including the reduced
form, e.g. ARRI LogC4 or LogC4.

1 Ratio of full well capacity to read out noise

2 See HDR4EU document D2.5 Real-time HDR to SDR conversion in a generic viewing environment

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 3 of 19

3 Hardware Encoding
This section outlines the LogC4 Hardware Encoding Curve as used in-camera. The hardware specification
is provided as informative material pertaining to sensor signal encoding for LogC4, and is not intended to be
implemented in software. Please see Section 4 for the specification intended for 3rd Party implementations of
ARRI LogC4.

1.0 EI 200
EI 400 4000
EI 800
0.9 EI 1600
EI 3200 3500
EI 6400
0.8

3000
0.7

12-bit Integer Encoding

Normalized Signal

0.6 2500

0.5 2000

0.4
1500

0.3 18% Ref.

1000
0.2

500
0.1

0.0 0
-18.0 -16.0 -14.0 -12.0 -10.0 -8.0 -6.0 -4.0 -2.0 0.0
Relative Exposure (Stops)

Figure 1: The LogC4 Hardware Encoding Curve at various exposure indices.

3.1 LogC4 Hardware Encoding Curve

The LogC4 Hardware Encoding Curve represents the logarithmic transform applied to linear sensor data
in-camera. The most notable change from LogC3 is the constant ”gamma” of the logarithmic curve which
does not vary with exposure index, only the linear gain factor ah changes.
The logarithmic encoding used by ALEV4 based cameras for LogC4 was optimized for 12-bit encoding, this
allows for greater precision at each stop of sensor signal when compared to the 10-bit LogC3 encoding. The
hardware encoding curve is defined as follows:

log2 (ah Esensor + 64) − 6

E ′ = fhw (Esensor , HEI ) = min( b + c , 1.0 ) (1)
14

HEI
ah = (218 − 16) (1a)
800

1023 − 95
b= (1b)
1023

95
c= (1c)
1023
where:

Esensor = Normalized linear sensor signal.

E ′ = Normalized log signal.
ah = Hardware encoding gain factor (EI dependent).
HEI = User selected EI value.
b, c = Scaling and offset, equivalent to LogC3.

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 4 of 19

4 Specification
This section begins the formal definition of ARRI LogC4, the scene-referred logarithmic color space composed
of the transfer function ARRI LogC4 Curve and the color primaries ARRI Wide Gamut 4.

4.1 ARRI LogC4 Curve

ARRI LogC4 Curve (LogC4 Curve) is the transfer function used in ARRI LogC4, it is a scene-referred logarithmic
function defined by an encoding and decoding function.

1.0
4000

0.9
3500
0.8

3000
0.7

12-bit Integer Encoding

Float Encoding

0.6 2500

0.5 2000

0.4
1500

0.3 18% Ref.

1000
0.2

500
0.1

0.0 0
-12.0 -10.0 -8.0 -6.0 -4.0 -2.0 0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0
Relative Exposure (Stops)

Figure 2: ARRI LogC4 Curve as normalized Float and 12-bit Integer signal.

The ARRI LogC4 Curve is exposure index independent, meaning, correct linearization of LogC4 encoded
images does not depend on the user selected EI. This is a notable change from LogC3, and simplifies
decoding of LogC4 encoded footage. This feature is enabled by the hardware encoding method described in
Section 3.1.

Although ARRI cameras will not produce negative LogC4 values in internal processing or RAW data,
negative LogC4 values may be introduced by intermediate processes in post-production software and
colorimetric conversions. Negative handling is covered in the following definitions.

Note: The ARRI LogC4 Curve function was designed for 12-bit encoding as its minimum quantization level,
10-bit ARRI LogC4 encoded images should not be used for archival or interchange.

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 5 of 19

4.1.1 Encoding Function
The function for encoding relative scene linear values is defined as follows:


 log2 (aEscene +64)−6
b +c Escene ≥ t
14
f (Escene ) = (2)
 Escene −t
Escene < t
s

1
a = (218 − 16) (2a)
117.45

7 ln(2) 27−14c/b
s= (2b)
ab
−c
2(14 b
+6)
− 64
t= (2c)
a
where:
f = ARRI LogC4 Curve encoding function.
Escene = Relative scene linear signal.
a = Relative scene linear gain factor, see Equation 4.
s = Inverse slope at threshold t.
t = Relative scene linear threshold point.

Terms b and c are defined in Equations 1b, 1c respectively.

4.1.2 Decoding Function

The function for reconstructing relative scene linear values from ARRI LogC4 Curve encoded material, is
defined as follows:


E ′ −c +6)

 2(14 −64
−1 ′
b
a
E′ ≥ 0
f (E ) = (3)

 E ′s + t E′ < 0

where:
f −1 = ARRI LogC4 Curve decoding function.
E ′ = ARRI LogC4 Curve encoded signal.

Terms a, b, c, s and t are defined in Equations 2a, 1b, 1c, 2b, 2c respectively.

The constant 117.45 found in the parameter a defined in Equation 2a is the relative scene linear gain factor
derived by the following equation:

117.45 = 0.18/(400/260991) = Sceneref. /(Signalref. /Signalmax ) (4)

The rounded version, as defined, should be used in all cases.

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 6 of 19

4.2 ARRI Wide Gamut 4

ARRI Wide Gamut 4 (AWG4) is the name of the color primaries used in ARRI LogC4. All chromaticity values
are defined with CIE 1931 2 Degree Standard Observer Colorimetry.

1.0

0.8

0.6
CIE y

0.4

0.2

0.0

0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

CIE x

Figure 3: The 2D gamut bounded by ARRI Wide Gamut 4 in the CIE 1931 chromaticity diagram is shown
as the solid line with colored markers. The larger and smaller gamuts with dotted lines are ACES AP0
(SMPTE ST 2065-1) and ITU-R BT.2020 respectively.

4.2.1 RGB Primaries

The RGB primaries of ARRI Wide Gamut 4, are defined as follows:

CIE x CIE y

Red 0.7347 0.2653

Green 0.1424 0.8576

Blue 0.0991 -0.0308

4.2.2 White Point

The White Point of ARRI Wide Gamut 4 is CIE Standard Illuminant D65, provided here for completeness:

CIE x CIE y

White 0.3127 0.3290

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 7 of 19

4.3 ARRI LogC4

ARRI LogC4 (LogC4) shall be defined as the logarithmic color space composed of the transfer function
ARRI LogC4 Curve and the color primaries ARRI Wide Gamut 4.

4.3.1 ARRI LogC4 to CIE XYZ Conversion

The conversion from ARRI LogC4 to CIE 1931 XYZ is defined as follows:

XYZD65 = MXYZ · f −1 (RGBLogC4 ) (5)

 
0.704858320407232064 0.129760295170463003 0.115837311473976537
 
MXYZ =
0.254524176404027025 0.781477732712002049 −0.036001909116029039 (5a)
 
0.000000000000000000 0.000000000000000000 1.089057750759878429

where:
f −1 = ARRI LogC4 Curve decoding function, defined in Equation 3.
MXYZ = ARRI Wide Gamut 4 to CIE XYZ conversion matrix.

4.3.2 ARRI LogC4 to ACES Conversion

The conversion from ARRI LogC4 to AP0 (SMPTE ST 2065-1) is defined as follows:

RGBACES = MACES · f −1 (RGBLogC4 ) (6)

 
 0.750957362824734131 0.144422786709757084 0.104619850465508965
 
MACES =
 0.000821837079380207 1.007397584885003194 −0.008219421964383583 (6a)
 
−0.000499952143533471 −0.000854177231436971 1.001354129374970370

where:
f −1 = ARRI LogC4 Curve decoding function, defined in Equation 3.
MACES = ARRI Wide Gamut 4 to ACES AP0 conversion matrix.

Note: The above MACES matrix has been created with a CAT02 chromatic adaptation transform from CIE
D65 to the ACES RGB White Point. Which, despite the primaries being defined within the gamut of AP0, may
produce negative values at the extreme border of ARRI Wide Gamut 4 in an ACES (ST 2065-1) container. Care
should be used to preserve these values if a lossless round-trip conversion is required.

5 Contact
In case you have questions or comments, please contact: [email protected]

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 8 of 19

 Appendices
A Reference CTL Implementation
1
2 // Constants
3 const float a = (pow(2.0, 18.0) - 16.0) / 117.45;
4 const float b = (1023.0 - 95.0) / 1023.0;
5 const float c = 95.0 / 1023.0;
6 const float s = (7 * log(2) * pow(2.0, 7 - 14 * c / b)) / (a * b);
7 const float t = (pow(2.0, 14.0 * (-c / b) + 6.0) - 64.0) / a;
8
9 // Utility function for log2
10 float log2(float x)
11 {
12 return log(x) / log(2.0);
13 }
14
15 // LogC4 Curve Encoding Function
16 float relativeSceneLinearToNormalizedLogC4( float x) {
17
18 if (x < t) {
19 return (x - t) / s;
20 }
21
22 return (log2( a * x + 64.0) - 6.0) / 14.0 * b + c;
23 }
24
25 // LogC4 Curve Decoding Function
26 float normalizedLogC4ToRelativeSceneLinear( float x) {
27
28 if (x < 0.0) {
29 return x * s + t;
30 }
31
32 float p = 14.0 * (x - c) / b + 6.0;
33 return (pow(2.0, p) - 64.0) / a;
34 }
35
36 void logC4ToACES
37 ( input varying float rIn,
38 input varying float gIn,
39 input varying float bIn,
40 input varying float aIn,
41 output varying float rOut,
42 output varying float gOut,
43 output varying float bOut,
44 output varying float aOut)
45 {
46
47 float r_lin = normalizedLogC4ToRelativeSceneLinear(rIn);
48 float g_lin = normalizedLogC4ToRelativeSceneLinear(gIn);
49 float b_lin = normalizedLogC4ToRelativeSceneLinear(bIn);
50
51 // Matrix AWG4 + D65 --CAT02--> ACES AP0 + ACES RGB White Point
52 rOut = r_lin * 0.750957362824734131 + g_lin * 0.144422786709757084 + b_lin *
0.104619850465508965;
53 gOut = r_lin * 0.000821837079380207 + g_lin * 1.007397584885003194 + b_lin *
-0.008219421964383583;
54 bOut = r_lin * -0.000499952143533471 + g_lin * -0.000854177231436971 + b_lin *
1.001354129374970370;
55 aOut = 1.0;
56
57 }

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 9 of 19

B Conversion Table - ARRI LogC4 to ACES 2065-1

Description ARRI LogC4 (R, G, B) ACES 2065-1 (R, G, B)

Relative Scene Linear 0.0 0.0929, 0.0929, 0.0929 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000

Relative Scene Linear 0.18 0.2784, 0.2784, 0.2784 0.1800, 0.1800, 0.1800

LogC4 0.0 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000 -0.0181, -0.0181, -0.0181

ARRI LogC4 Hardware Max 1.0000, 1.0000, 1.0000 469.80, 469.80, 469.80

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 10 of 19

C Conversion Table - ARRI LogC4 Signal (1% IRE)

10-bit Legal 12-bit Legal 10-bit Full 12-bit Full IRE Stops
10-bit Legal 12-bit Legal 10-bit Full 12-bit Full IRE Stops
145 581 95 380 9.29% BLACK
546 2183 563 2252 55.00% 4.39
152 606 102 410 10.00% -6.31
555 2218 573 2293 56.00% 4.55
160 641 113 450 11.00% -4.96
563 2253 583 2334 57.00% 4.70
169 676 123 491 12.00% -4.22
572 2288 593 2375 58.00% 4.86
178 712 133 532 13.00% -3.69
581 2323 604 2416 59.00% 5.02
187 747 143 573 14.00% -3.26
590 2358 614 2457 60.00% 5.17
195 782 153 614 15.00% -2.90
598 2393 624 2498 61.00% 5.33
204 817 164 655 16.00% -2.58
607 2428 634 2539 62.00% 5.48
213 852 174 696 17.00% -2.29
616 2464 644 2580 63.00% 5.64
222 887 184 737 18.00% -2.03
625 2499 655 2621 64.00% 5.79
230 922 194 778 19.00% -1.78
633 2534 665 2662 65.00% 5.94
239 957 205 819 20.00% -1.55
642 2569 675 2703 66.00% 6.10
248 992 215 860 21.00% -1.33
651 2604 685 2744 67.00% 6.25
257 1027 225 901 22.00% -1.12
660 2639 696 2785 68.00% 6.41
265 1062 235 942 23.00% -0.91
668 2674 706 2826 69.00% 6.56
274 1097 246 983 24.00% -0.71
677 2709 716 2867 70.00% 6.72
283 1132 256 1024 25.00% -0.52
686 2744 726 2907 71.00% 6.87
292 1167 266 1065 26.00% -0.33
695 2779 737 2948 72.00% 7.03
301 1202 276 1106 27.00% -0.15
703 2814 747 2989 73.00% 7.18
308 1232 285 1140 27.84% 0.00
712 2849 757 3030 74.00% 7.34
309 1237 286 1147 28.00% 0.03
721 2884 767 3071 75.00% 7.49
318 1272 297 1188 29.00% 0.21
730 2919 777 3112 76.00% 7.64
327 1307 307 1229 30.00% 0.38
739 2954 788 3153 77.00% 7.80
336 1342 317 1269 31.00% 0.55
747 2989 798 3194 78.00% 7.95
344 1377 327 1310 32.00% 0.72
756 3024 808 3235 79.00% 8.11
353 1412 338 1351 33.00% 0.89
765 3059 818 3276 80.00% 8.26
362 1447 348 1392 34.00% 1.06
774 3094 829 3317 81.00% 8.42
371 1482 358 1433 35.00% 1.22
782 3129 839 3358 82.00% 8.57
379 1517 368 1474 36.00% 1.39
791 3164 849 3399 83.00% 8.73
388 1552 379 1515 37.00% 1.55
800 3199 859 3440 84.00% 8.88
397 1588 389 1556 38.00% 1.71
809 3234 870 3481 85.00% 9.03
406 1623 399 1597 39.00% 1.87
817 3269 880 3522 86.00% 9.19
414 1658 409 1638 40.00% 2.03
826 3304 890 3563 87.00% 9.34
423 1693 419 1679 41.00% 2.19
835 3340 900 3604 88.00% 9.50
432 1728 430 1720 42.00% 2.35
844 3375 910 3645 89.00% 9.65
441 1763 440 1761 43.00% 2.51
852 3410 921 3686 90.00% 9.81
449 1798 450 1802 44.00% 2.67
861 3445 931 3726 91.00% 9.96
458 1833 460 1843 45.00% 2.83
870 3480 941 3767 92.00% 10.12
467 1868 471 1884 46.00% 2.99
879 3515 951 3808 93.00% 10.27
476 1903 481 1925 47.00% 3.14
887 3550 962 3849 94.00% 10.42
484 1938 491 1966 48.00% 3.30
896 3585 972 3890 95.00% 10.58
493 1973 501 2007 49.00% 3.46
905 3620 982 3931 96.00% 10.73
502 2008 512 2048 50.00% 3.61
914 3655 992 3972 97.00% 10.89
511 2043 522 2088 51.00% 3.77
922 3690 1003 4013 98.00% 11.04
520 2078 532 2129 52.00% 3.93
931 3725 1013 4054 99.00% 11.20
528 2113 542 2170 53.00% 4.08
940 3760 1023 4095 100.00% 11.35
537 2148 552 2211 54.00% 4.24

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 11 of 19

D Conversion Table - ARRI LogC4 Signal (1/3 Stops)

10-bit Legal 12-bit Legal 10-bit Full 12-bit Full IRE Stops

151 606 102 409 9.99% -6 1/3

153 612 104 416 10.16% -6

155 620 106 425 10.38% -5 2/3

157 629 109 436 10.64% -5 1/3

160 640 112 449 10.96% -5

163 654 116 465 11.35% -4 2/3

168 670 121 484 11.82% -4 1/3

172 690 127 507 12.38% -4

178 713 133 534 13.04% -3 2/3

185 740 141 566 13.81% -3 1/3

193 771 150 602 14.70% -3

202 807 161 643 15.71% -2 2/3

212 846 172 690 16.85% -2 1/3

223 891 185 742 18.11% -2

235 939 199 798 19.49% -1 2/3

248 991 215 859 20.97% -1 1/3

262 1047 231 924 22.56% -1

276 1106 248 993 24.25% - 2/3

292 1167 266 1065 26.01% - 1/3

308 1232 285 1140 27.84% 0

324 1298 304 1217 29.73% 1/3

341 1366 324 1297 31.67% 2/3

359 1435 344 1378 33.65% 1

376 1506 365 1461 35.67% 1 1/3

394 1578 386 1544 37.72% 1 2/3

412 1650 407 1629 39.78% 2

431 1723 428 1714 41.87% 2 1/3

449 1797 450 1800 43.97% 2 2/3

468 1871 471 1887 46.08% 3

486 1945 493 1974 48.20% 3 1/3

505 2020 515 2061 50.33% 3 2/3

524 2095 537 2149 52.47% 4

542 2170 559 2236 54.61% 4 1/3

561 2245 581 2324 56.75% 4 2/3

580 2320 603 2412 58.90% 5

599 2395 625 2500 61.05% 5 1/3

618 2471 647 2588 63.21% 5 2/3

637 2546 669 2676 65.36% 6

655 2622 691 2765 67.51% 6 1/3

674 2697 713 2853 69.67% 6 2/3

693 2773 735 2941 71.83% 7

712 2848 757 3030 73.98% 7 1/3

731 2924 779 3118 76.14% 7 2/3

750 3000 801 3206 78.30% 8

769 3075 823 3295 80.46% 8 1/3

788 3151 845 3383 82.62% 8 2/3

807 3227 867 3472 84.78% 9

826 3302 889 3560 86.94% 9 1/3

844 3378 911 3648 89.10% 9 2/3

863 3454 934 3737 91.26% 10

882 3529 956 3825 93.41% 10 1/3

901 3605 978 3914 95.57% 10 2/3

920 3681 1000 4002 97.73% 11

939 3756 1022 4091 99.89% 11 1/3

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 12 of 19

E False Color
False Color is defined as a collection of False Color Zones with upper and lower bounds, within which the image
signal is replaced with a constant color to visualize important exposure information. The bounds of the False
Color Zones are defined with respect to normalized sensor linear values (Esensor ) and applied on achromatic
normalized LogC4 encoded values (A′ ). Thus a two step process is required to calculate the input RGBLogC4
values that should be colored in the False Color overlay.

E.1 Achromatic Calculation

First an achromatic signal is calculated from the three channel RGBLogC4 signal.

A′ = 0.21260Er′ + 0.71520Eg′ + 0.07220Eb′ (7)

where:
A′ = Achromatic LogC4 signal.
Er′ = Red channel of the normalized RGBLogC4 signal.
Eg′ = Green channel of the normalized RGBLogC4 signal.
Eb′ = Blue channel of the normalized RGBLogC4 signal.

E.2 False Color Zones

The LogC4 encoded False Color Zone bounds are split into two types, EI dependent and EI independent. EI
dependent zones include those which visualize sensor noise or clipping behaviour which scale with the EI
gain. Whereas EI independent zones are fixed relative to absolute sensor signal and calculated at a fixed EI
of 400. To determine the active zone region, the Lower Bound value is inclusive and the Upper Bound value is
exclusive.

Color Description Lower Bound (Esensor ) Upper Bound (Esensor )

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 207149 —

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 164414 207149

Blue Edge of shadow detail 3 12

Purple Noise floor — 3

Table 1: EI Dependent False Color Zones (FD )

Color Description Lower Bound (Esensor ) Upper Bound (Esensor )

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1440 1760

Green 18% middle grey 720 880

Table 2: EI Independent False Color Zones (FI )

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 13 of 19

The LogC4 encoded False Color Zone bounds can then be determined by using the previously defined LogC4
Hardware Encoding Curve formulas, as follows:

F
Bz = fhw ( D , HEI ) (8a)
N

F
Bz = fhw ( I , 400) (8b)
N

N = 260991 (8c)

where:
Bz = Normalized LogC4 Curve encoded bound for zone z. Bz ∈ {Bzl , Bzu }
fhw = LogC4 Hardware Encoding Curve function, defined in Equation 1.
FD = Upper or Lower Bound of EI dependent False Color Zone (Table 1).
N = Max signal normalization factor.
HEI = User selected EI value.
FI = Upper or Lower Bound of EI independent False Color Zone (Table 2).

Note: The two undefined upper and lower bounds for the signal extrema are respectively fixed at the min and
max of the output signal A′ , i.e. for the Red Upper Bound Bzu = 1.0 and for the Purple Lower Bound Bzl = 0.0
for all EI.
Note: For HEI ≥ 3200, the top two zone’s bounds (Red, Yellow) are held at a constant EI 3200. This is due
to this EI gain producing values beyond 1.0 in LogC4. This results in the visualization of earlier signal clipping
than what is present in the sensor linear values or RAW file.

E.3 False Color Calculation



 (Rz , Gz , Bz ) B z l ≤ A′ < B z u
(R, G, B) = (9)

 (A′ , A′ , A′ ) otherwise

where:
Bzl = Lower bound for a particular zone z. Calculated from Equations 8a, 8b, 8c.
Bzu = Upper bound for a particular zone z. Calculated from Equations 8a, 8b, 8c.
Rz = Red value from the corresponding False Color Zone Index.
Gz = Green value from the corresponding False Color Zone Index.
Bz = Blue value from the corresponding False Color Zone Index.
A′ = Achromatic LogC4 signal.
(R, G, B) = Output display RGB signal.

E.3.1 False Color Zone Color Index

Color Description (Rz , Gz , Bz )

Red 1/3 stop below clipping (1.0, 0.0, 0.0)

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping (1.0, 1.0, 0.0)

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey (1.0, 0.7, 0.7)

Green 18% middle grey (0.0, 1.0, 0.0)

Blue Edge of shadow detail (0.0, 0.0, 1.0)

Purple Noise floor (0.7, 0.0, 1.0)

Table 3: The False Color Index colors have no colorimetric meaning and are purely categorical.

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 14 of 19

E.3.2 Computed Bounds – EI 160

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 2860 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 2772 2860

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 384 394

Purple Noise floor 0 384

Table 4: EI 160 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.3 Computed Bounds – EI 200

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 2946 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 2857 2946

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 385 398

Purple Noise floor 0 385

Table 5: EI 200 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.4 Computed Bounds – EI 250

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3031 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 2943 3031

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 386 402

Purple Noise floor 0 386

Table 6: EI 250 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 15 of 19

E.3.5 Computed Bounds – EI 320

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3125 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3037 3125

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 387 408

Purple Noise floor 0 387

Table 7: EI 320 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.6 Computed Bounds – EI 400

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3211 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3122 3211

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 389 415

Purple Noise floor 0 389

Table 8: EI 400 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.7 Computed Bounds – EI 500

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3296 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3208 3296

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 391 423

Purple Noise floor 0 391

Table 9: EI 500 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 16 of 19

E.3.8 Computed Bounds – EI 640

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3391 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3302 3391

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 394 434

Purple Noise floor 0 394

Table 10: EI 640 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.9 Computed Bounds – EI 800

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3476 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3388 3476

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 398 446

Purple Noise floor 0 398

Table 11: EI 800 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.10 Computed Bounds – EI 1000

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3561 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3473 3561

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 402 461

Purple Noise floor 0 402

Table 12: EI 1000 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 17 of 19

E.3.11 Computed Bounds – EI 1280

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3656 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3567 3656

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 408 481

Purple Noise floor 0 408

Table 13: EI 1280 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.12 Computed Bounds – EI 1600

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3741 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3653 3741

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 415 503

Purple Noise floor 0 415

Table 14: EI 1600 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.13 Computed Bounds – EI 2000

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3827 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3738 3827

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 423 528

Purple Noise floor 0 423

Table 15: EI 2000 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 18 of 19

E.3.14 Computed Bounds – EI 2560

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 3921 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3833 3921

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 434 561

Purple Noise floor 0 434

Table 16: EI 2560 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

E.3.15 Computed Bounds – EI 3200

Color Description Lower Bound (12-bit) Upper Bound (12-bit)

Red 1/3 stop below clipping 4007 4095

Yellow 2/3 stops below clipping 3918 4007

Pink 1 stop above 18% middle grey 1341 1412

Green 18% middle grey 1106 1172

Blue Edge of shadow detail 446 595

Purple Noise floor 0 446

Table 17: EI 3200 LogC4 Encoded False Color Zones

ARRI LogC4 - Specification Page 19 of 19