At the beginning of the video, you’re demonstrating Nikon RAW by lowering the exposure on an overexposed shot. Just a quick note: the ‘Exposure’ tab in DaVinci Resolve adjusts the original ISO from the camera’s metadata because Nikon RAW is, as the name suggests, RAW. Essentially, you’re correcting the original ISO, which is why there’s no noise-this is exactly why we shoot in RAW. It allows us to adjust settings like white balance or ISO in post without clipping any data. You’re absolutely right about the H.265 footage-it’s not RAW, so when you adjust it using HDR wheels in DaVinci Resolve, you reduce noise but also lose some texture and sharpness. That’s expected and can still be useful in certain cases. However, the behavior you pointed out with Nikon RAW is completely normal for RAW footage and not an error. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Dude, you're so right, I didn't even think of that for some reason. Raw video is really new to me, so I kind of just shoot it like any other H.265 shot haha.
Thank you for taking time out to respond. This video is awesome, as a nikon shooter with a Z8 i find myself shooting video but struggle trying to understand exposer and vetting that right. Im not sure if its in your video pipeline, but that will be something awesome to sbare in detail as there are nkt many nikon creators out here in the wild.
My approach involves setting the zebras to a value of 240, switching the mode to "highlight," and paying close attention to the histogram. This way, I try to capture as much light as possible. One downside with Nikon cameras is the lack of a CineEI feature, like on the Sony FX3. With CineEI, you can adjust the display ISO to show a normally exposed image on the monitor, while the actual file is 1.7-2.0 stops overexposed. Similarly, RED cameras allow ISO adjustments as metadata only, so changes affect the monitor exposure but not the RAW file. For my Nikon Z8, I see two options when shooting in bright conditions: either disable the display LUT (Rec.709) or use an external monitor like the Atomos with PQ color space, which doesn’t clip highlights as the Z8’s monitor does with the Rec.709 LUT.
I actually just made a 1 stop and 2 stop overexposure LUT for my shinobi. Those get me really close when exposing by eye, and keep me from underexposing. I can see Nikon beginning to implement things like this in the future. I imagine a lot of cinema knowledge is coming from the RED acquisition.
I'm going to play with this! Over exposing seems so antithetical to good practice to me I'm always afraid of blown highlights. I'll dive into configuring zebras.
This is a great video, thanks for making it. One question is, if in shooting in a very low light location where I have no control of the lighting, am I best using iso 6400 and using ND to bring it down to correctly exposed at f/5.6 for example then open up again to f/2.8? And if setting the zebras midtones to 95 is correct for exposure based off Nikon’s recommendation, what would your 2 stops over put that number at and would you just be setting your aperture correctly from the outset?
I haven't checked! I honestly never shoot on anything but base ISO. The Z6III is much noisier than the A7Siii in general, so I'd imagine that would hold true at those ISOs as well.
That's all youtube. Perfectly clean on my end. I might throw the comparisons alone up on a different site that doesn't compress if I have time though. Before upload the difference was crazy
Great work with this video. congrats bro. i have another question. Why z6III show wrong minutes remain on the card? i shoot in my tests in 128gb 2 hours and 45 minutes in H265 4k 10 bit color, but everytime z6III show me 42 minute remaine, 35 min, 37 min. i dont understand why. THX A LOT FOR YOUR VIDEOS. sorry for my bad english
The first one (0 Stops) shows once again that flickering in the background. I really hope Nikon releases an NLOG 2, and perhaps a firmware update to minimalize the flickering
I heard a rumor they were working on a fix! Fingers crossed it's true! If they fix that and their horrendous display assist LUT then this thing would be dang near perfect.
@@TannerSimpsonMedia - Yep. It’s why I’m holding out. Hoping for a fix. Z8 while phenomenal, is too big and heavy when using a stabilizer. Z6 III best bang for the buck, actually even punching well above its price weight
I've found the same thing. Nikon's LUT is absolutely garbage. The sensor likes to be overexposed and brought down in post. Having a LUT that makes properly exposed footage look overexposed is crazy. When you turn on the exposure preview in camera it makes it look like your highlights are blown out even if they're clean. I've been Colorizers ACES LUTs for NLOG, which let you monitor with the shot more exposed while clearly showing when the highlights start clipping. Doing this makes final footage so much cleaner.
Nikon's display LUTs are awful haha, you're correct. I just made a 1 stop exposure compensation lut to monitor my footage, and you're right, it's so much better
The video is well done. Still I‘m a bit disappointed, because this is just a usual kind of practise and not a real trick or something. This is nothing that is always practical. In unlit scenarios you often run into blown out highlights, which depending on the shot can be worse than a shot with heavier noise reduction.
Easier just to get a different camera. Overexposing in video is a common technique but it'll still be better with comparable cams. Z6III is a fail for this, I regard it as a fault.
Exposing to the right is a super common technique used by people with all different camera brands. I do it on my Sony A7Siii as well. By all means, get a different camera. All I was trying to say is that by using ETTR, shadows are cleaner. It's also like 2 steps, that's not a lot to go through. to each their own though! Thanks for watching!
@TannerSimpsonMedia of course they will be cleaner. Cleaner though; not clean. It has to be excessively overexposed and it's still worse than other bodies using the same practice; hence my comment
At the beginning of the video, you’re demonstrating Nikon RAW by lowering the exposure on an overexposed shot. Just a quick note: the ‘Exposure’ tab in DaVinci Resolve adjusts the original ISO from the camera’s metadata because Nikon RAW is, as the name suggests, RAW. Essentially, you’re correcting the original ISO, which is why there’s no noise-this is exactly why we shoot in RAW. It allows us to adjust settings like white balance or ISO in post without clipping any data.
You’re absolutely right about the H.265 footage-it’s not RAW, so when you adjust it using HDR wheels in DaVinci Resolve, you reduce noise but also lose some texture and sharpness. That’s expected and can still be useful in certain cases. However, the behavior you pointed out with Nikon RAW is completely normal for RAW footage and not an error. Thanks for sharing your insights!
Dude, you're so right, I didn't even think of that for some reason. Raw video is really new to me, so I kind of just shoot it like any other H.265 shot haha.
Even the black Shirt Looks more black in the 2stops over (raw) then in the other two👍thx
Such a valuable video ! Thx a lot
Love your Videos and would love to see a "When to use raw" "When to use h265" "When to use flat Profile/log" comparison!
Thanks a lot! Just landed the Z6III and will test, this looks good!
Thank you for taking time out to respond. This video is awesome, as a nikon shooter with a Z8 i find myself shooting video but struggle trying to understand exposer and vetting that right. Im not sure if its in your video pipeline, but that will be something awesome to sbare in detail as there are nkt many nikon creators out here in the wild.
My approach involves setting the zebras to a value of 240, switching the mode to "highlight," and paying close attention to the histogram. This way, I try to capture as much light as possible.
One downside with Nikon cameras is the lack of a CineEI feature, like on the Sony FX3. With CineEI, you can adjust the display ISO to show a normally exposed image on the monitor, while the actual file is 1.7-2.0 stops overexposed. Similarly, RED cameras allow ISO adjustments as metadata only, so changes affect the monitor exposure but not the RAW file.
For my Nikon Z8, I see two options when shooting in bright conditions: either disable the display LUT (Rec.709) or use an external monitor like the Atomos with PQ color space, which doesn’t clip highlights as the Z8’s monitor does with the Rec.709 LUT.
I actually just made a 1 stop and 2 stop overexposure LUT for my shinobi. Those get me really close when exposing by eye, and keep me from underexposing. I can see Nikon beginning to implement things like this in the future. I imagine a lot of cinema knowledge is coming from the RED acquisition.
I'm going to play with this! Over exposing seems so antithetical to good practice to me I'm always afraid of blown highlights. I'll dive into configuring zebras.
This is a great video, thanks for making it. One question is, if in shooting in a very low light location where I have no control of the lighting, am I best using iso 6400 and using ND to bring it down to correctly exposed at f/5.6 for example then open up again to f/2.8? And if setting the zebras midtones to 95 is correct for exposure based off Nikon’s recommendation, what would your 2 stops over put that number at and would you just be setting your aperture correctly from the outset?
Nice video. 02 stops over has a colour shift to a bit warm colour when you atop down. Just an observation.
I see that too, subtle but noticeable
Thx!
ETTR never fails
do you have to go through all of this to get a clean image ?
Great video!!how is the noise performance compare with a7siii or z6ii at iso 25600-40000
I haven't checked! I honestly never shoot on anything but base ISO. The Z6III is much noisier than the A7Siii in general, so I'd imagine that would hold true at those ISOs as well.
@TannerSimpsonMedia Thank you very much 🙏!!!!
Awesome video. I noticed some banding in the background on the over exposed clips. Is that from TH-cam or do you see those as well?
That's all youtube. Perfectly clean on my end. I might throw the comparisons alone up on a different site that doesn't compress if I have time though.
Before upload the difference was crazy
Kasey from camera conspiracies needs to watch this video, cause his nikon footage is even noisier than your 0 stop footage 😂😂
Great work with this video. congrats bro. i have another question. Why z6III show wrong minutes remain on the card? i shoot in my tests in 128gb 2 hours and 45 minutes in H265 4k 10 bit color, but everytime z6III show me 42 minute remaine, 35 min, 37 min. i dont understand why. THX A LOT FOR YOUR VIDEOS. sorry for my bad english
This is why all cinematographers "expose to the right" with lighting or aperture.
Hey bro love your videos
Thanks man!
3:11 Why +2 stops is not brighter compared to +0 stops?
I brought the exposure down in davinci resolve to match.
The first one (0 Stops) shows once again that flickering in the background. I really hope Nikon releases an NLOG 2, and perhaps a firmware update to minimalize the flickering
I heard a rumor they were working on a fix! Fingers crossed it's true! If they fix that and their horrendous display assist LUT then this thing would be dang near perfect.
@@TannerSimpsonMedia - Yep. It’s why I’m holding out. Hoping for a fix. Z8 while phenomenal, is too big and heavy when using a stabilizer. Z6 III best bang for the buck, actually even punching well above its price weight
Wow, interesting. I shoot with a Z8 and Z9 and I'll have to see if I get the same results.
I'd love to know your results.
Its jack!!!love your channel and the tips you give with nikon.
This is because N-Log underexposes by 2 stops to protect the highlights. If there aren't highlights to protect you should always overexpose im N-Log.
I've found the same thing. Nikon's LUT is absolutely garbage. The sensor likes to be overexposed and brought down in post. Having a LUT that makes properly exposed footage look overexposed is crazy. When you turn on the exposure preview in camera it makes it look like your highlights are blown out even if they're clean. I've been Colorizers ACES LUTs for NLOG, which let you monitor with the shot more exposed while clearly showing when the highlights start clipping. Doing this makes final footage so much cleaner.
Nikon's display LUTs are awful haha, you're correct. I just made a 1 stop exposure compensation lut to monitor my footage, and you're right, it's so much better
The video is well done. Still I‘m a bit disappointed, because this is just a usual kind of practise and not a real trick or something. This is nothing that is always practical. In unlit scenarios you often run into blown out highlights, which depending on the shot can be worse than a shot with heavier noise reduction.
Easier just to get a different camera. Overexposing in video is a common technique but it'll still be better with comparable cams. Z6III is a fail for this, I regard it as a fault.
Exposing to the right is a super common technique used by people with all different camera brands. I do it on my Sony A7Siii as well. By all means, get a different camera. All I was trying to say is that by using ETTR, shadows are cleaner. It's also like 2 steps, that's not a lot to go through.
to each their own though! Thanks for watching!
@TannerSimpsonMedia of course they will be cleaner. Cleaner though; not clean. It has to be excessively overexposed and it's still worse than other bodies using the same practice; hence my comment