For the second part of the ENG Essentials – Camera Matching Series, I will be adjusting the gamma settings on the VariCam 3700 (HPX3700) to match the gamma curves on the EX3. The HPX3700 has more gamma adjustability, so I chose to set the EX3 to a setting I liked and then adjust the HPX3700 to match. Every manufacturer has different gamma curves, so my goal is to set the two gamma curves to match as closely as possible using a DSC Labs ChromaDuMonde chart and Leader scope.
This is the first part of the ENG Essentials – Camera Matching series, and the first step to matching two cameras. White Shading is an in-camera process where a lens is matched with a camera’s sensor. Every lens and every sensor have unique characteristics, and the combination will often produce uneven color across your image. White shading corrects for this uneven color by adjusting individual color channels (R,G,B) from top and bottom and from left to right. This is done with a Leader waveform monitor and a white sphere that is designed to produce even white light.
Another important step after white shading a camera is to match white balance values. All pro cameras have preset and user defined white balance values – the P,A,B switch. If you run a white balance on two cameras looking at the same white card, in the same lighting environment, you will get very similar results. But if you plan to use the preset values (3200K,5600K) we need to be sure that both camera actually produce the same color white. Different lenses produce different white values, so even though the camera thinks you are at 3200K, it may be completely wrong. This can be corrected for by adjusting offset values in the camera, and making sure that both cameras have matching white values.
Watch my video below to see how these two steps are done.
“ENG Essentials” is a new series of articles and videos aimed at assisting anyone who owns a professional video camera. At Abel, we support camera owners everyday and this is just another way of us extending our service to you.
In the first part of this series, I will be covering the process and art of matching cameras. I will show how I adjust one camera to match, or at least come close to, the look of another. This is an essential process when working with multiple cameras, and your editor will praise you for it. I’ll be using DSC Labs Charts, Leader scopes, and our custom built white sphere to match the cameras. And to make this really challenging, I will be matching a Sony PMW-EX3 to a Panasonic Varicam 3700! The series will be in three parts: White Shading, Gamma Matching, and Color Matching. So stop by again soon to check on my progress.
