If you are a video creator and you own a Sony or Panasonic camera, then you need to have a serious look at this. If you are not already shooting video with the HLG picture profile then you may not be getting the highest quality video out of your camera.
If you haven’t tested out the HLG picture profile with your Panasonic or Sony camera you should give it a test run. You might just discover that you will see more dynamic range and better color reproduction from your video footage even on a regular Rec 709 timeline.
Perhaps you are under the impression that HLG is only for HDR delivery which it can be used for, but you can also use it on a Rec 709 timeline in your NLE of choice for some impressive results. You will see higher dynamic range, lower noise, and improved color rendition than some of the other picture profiles that you may be currently using.
Keep in mind your video footage shot in the HLG picture profile will be rather flat and lifeless looking right out of camera but with a few tweaks or with a corrective lookup table you will discover it will yield some pretty impressive results.
For example, if you compare the HLG picture profile to the V-Log or the Natural color profile on the Panasonic GH5, or the HLG picture profile on the Sony a7 III compared to Slog or Cine2 profile, you will be in for a surprise when you color grade your video footage on a regular Rec 709 timeline.
Check out the YouTube video in this article by Gerald Undone for further clarification and then test it out for yourself. If you are like me, you may have just overlooked the HLG profile thinking it was only for HDR delivery.
Give HLG a try and compare it to the picture profile you are currently using and let me know what you think of it, in the comment section below.
Gosh. Thats good information, but holy crap that is a fast pace info dump. I consider myself pretty technical, but still had a hard time digesting all of that at the rate he was speaking.
I think that contradicts Alister Chapman, the Sony video guru who says to shoot SLog3, at least on Sony video cameras like the FS5ii.
This video pretty much confirms the fact that I never ever want to deal with video.
Can't he leave a microsecond between words? it hurts to hear him
there is also hlg in fuji xt3 (but not xt30)