For every compact camera system, there’s always a debate as to which film color profile to use. Initially, at the start of the DSLR revolution with the 5D MK II, filmmakers would customize the presets by lowering the saturation, contrast, and sharpness \u2014 to maximize the degree of correction and grading available. Then, once the need for filmmaking-friendly profiles became apparent for sub-$2,000 cameras, Picture Profiles started to pop-up everywhere from third-party producers. And, a little later into the new decade, newer camera models began to have filmmaking-friendly color profiles.<\/p>\n
Fast-forward a decade, and now cameras feature so many different profiles, it can be an issue to identify which one to use correctly. This is without question a concern for the Sony Alpha line. While the Alpha cameras feature many different profiles, the main two that often get pitted against each other are S-Log2 and Cine4.<\/p>\n
You may often hear that while S-Log2 gives you a better dynamic range and greater color grading capabilities, the image is rather . . . noisy. So, is there a benefit to using Cine4 over S-Log2?<\/p>\n
If this article were a video tutorial, this is where I would freeze-frame, like a classic ’70s TV show, and explain “That is not what happened.”<\/p>\n
I wrote the introduction to this article before the rampant spread of COVID-19, and like many around the world, I’m currently only allowed to leave home for essentials. As such, the idea of testing the profiles in different circumstances, along with different setups on actors to check skin tones, has become impossible. Thankfully, however, YouTube is inundated with various tests and video comparisons. Therefore, we can collectively pull data from the videos to continue the discussion.<\/p>\n