Blackmagic Gen 4 VS Gen 5 Color Science. What’s the difference?
Blackmagic Gen 4 VS Gen 5 Color Science. What’s the difference?
Let’s talk about Color Science today! Blackmagic released New Gen 5 Color Science about a year ago and now many of us get to enjoy new and improved colors for our cameras. But what is the real difference between Gen 5 and Gen 4 and how does it work?
To begin this discussion, let’s really take a look at the new Gen 5 color science. First, we immediately notice how much flatter the image is, compared to previous gen 4 color science. We also notice a much smoother roll-off between highlights and shadows. Visually it appears that Gen 5 also has a slightly higher dynamic range.
Gear Used
Blackmagic Design 4k Camera with Olympus M Zuiko 12-40mm PRO 2.8 for the beach shots, for the studio work I used Blackmagic Design 6k PRO with Sigma 50mm Art
If we take a look at the different scenes, we can see a dramatic difference between the two color generations. Gen 5 appears to have much better control of highlights and shadows and appears to give a much more pleasant starting point compared to older Gen 4. What’s even more interesting, is that skin tones appear to be much more natural under the new Gen 5 Color Science vs the old one.
Now that we see both samples, what can we really tell about the two. First of all, if you are shooting raw, than it doesn’t really matter. What you say?! See, the raw format, is an open data format that captures entire spectrum of available data, meaning, that what Blackmagic refer to as “Color Science” is really nothing more than a certain log profile being applied in post processing. In reality, camera captures the same image disregarding what Color Profile you have selected.
Where it really matters, if you are shooting Prores. In that case, camera “bakes” the logarithmic curve into the footage that you are filming, and when it’s time to take that material in post, you can’t change it because it is already being burned into the file. Now that doesn’t mean when you shooting raw, you can shoot things sloppy, it’s still matters, but that for another post.
What I like about gen 5 color science, that it gives me much more neutral starting ground for color grading, and in some ways, I think this new gen 5 is much closer to Alexa Log c look which many of us like so much. I think Blackmagic is really getting closer and closer to blur the line between their affordable line of cameras and the pro market cameras which gonna equalize playing field and everyone going to be able to make an awesome looking projects without being a selected few royalties being able to afford an expensive equipment. Watch comparison in the YouTube video below!
