"Setting the Standard"
for Quality Maintenance &
Custom Camera Setups
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After the camera has all its lens compensation adjustment made, it is then aligned to the Macie Uniform Standard camera set-up parameters. This becomes the "Base Look" for all other specialty looks and settings.
Most models of broadcast cameras have internal scene files and external media memory cards that hold a number of additional scene file, lens files, and user files. Depending on model you can have from one to ninety-nine scene files per card.
Below is a partial list of scene file "Looks" or settings, which can be used in difficult or problematic lighting conditions.
FILM LOOK This "Look" has it's high level detail clipped off, to minimize the heavy video detail edging creating an image that looks more like film. It still maintains detail in smaller amounts, without looking too soft. Film can have plenty of sharpness to it without having the harsh video edging. We often add a small amount of black stretch and adjust the knee point and slope to give more exposure latitude as well. These are just picture image alignments and have nothing to do with frame rates such as 24P.
WARM LOOK This look takes advantage of either preset gain alignments or preset color temperature adjustments to get a look similar to adding an 81B, or 812 filter to front of lens. On some cameras, like the Panasonic Broadcast versions, this preset will be canceled out if camera is white balanced. In that case the WARM LOOK scene file will have to be re-read again. With Sony and Ikegami cameras, the image will stay warm even after switching from auto-white to preset.
Additional FILMLOOKs with several film like gamma curves. These additional gamma curves are not available on all cameras, however most newer model have them.
HIGH CONTRAST LOOK Is a setting that has an increased contrast, by bringing the master gamma crossover point lower by about five IRE units below our standard gamma setting. This scene file is most helpful in a low contrast situation such as haze.
MEDIUM HIGH CONTRAST LOOK The gamma crossover is 50 / 50 split between the high contrast look and our standard gamma crossover.
LOW CONTRAST LOOK This setting has a fair amount of black stretch and the gamma crossover is set about eight IRE units higher than our normal cross over. This setting would be very helpful in an extremely high contrast situation such as shooting in a forest with streaming sunlight. With the iris should be set for proper exposure on sun lit areas, the gamma change along with the black stretch will help brighten up the dark areas of the image.
MEDIUM LOW CONTRAST This setting is a 50 / 50 spit between the low contrast look and our standard look.
ATK LOOK This setting was developed for use with the PBS Cooking show series Americas Test Kitchen. It has higher color saturation in the green and cyan color range than our Macie Uniform Standard. This setting works only with cameras like most Panasonic models and several newer Sony models that have color correction menus.
BACK LIGHT 70 This setting uses a knee point of 70 IRE. The camera must be in the DCC OFF or Auto Knee OFF mode. This setting can be helpful with severe back lighting or when you would like to see detail in what would normally be "Blown out highlights". Shooting an indoor scene with a bright window in view could benefit with this setting.
BACK LIGHT 80 This setting uses a knee point of 80 IRE. The camera must be in the DCC OFF or Auto Knee OFF mode. This setting can be helpful with severe back lighting or when you would like to see detail in what would normally be "Blown out highlights". Shooting an indoor scene with a bright window in view could benefit with this setting.
SKIN DETAIL ON This scene file uses our standard setting, but with the skin detail turned ON, and with a low detail level in the flesh tone areas.
PRESS BLACK This setting has the black stretch turned on and adjusted to bring down the video level in the dark areas.
VIVID LOOK This scene file has about ten percent higher chroma level and higher detail level than our normal setting. Sports shooters often like this setting.
Please note that not all of these settings can be done on every model of camera or camcorder. It depends on the menu structure, which often differs from model to model.
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