Dual ISO & Dynamic Range (featuring the BMPCC 4K)

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What does dual ISO mean in relation to Dynamic Range? We take the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and demonstrate the unique strategies that emerge when shooting Dual ISO.
Diving into Dynamic Range
• Diving into Dynamic Range
The Science of Exposure and Metering
• The Science of Exposur...
The Science of Camera Sensors
• The Science of Camera ...
#DynamicRange, #BMPCC4K, #DualISO

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Update to the Update: It has been brought to my attention that January update to the BMPCC4K camera changed the entire chart about 1.5 stops in the native ISO 400 region and ISO3200 regions making the camera bit more balanced between brights and darks on paper. The camera itself has not changed. When I produced this video I interpreted middle gray to be IRE 50 so my findings would reflect their original chart (sounds like what they did too). But I've been informed that the camera's middle gray is really IRE 38.4 so that would explain the discrepancy. All the concepts of this video still do apply but the numbers are a bit different.

[@videojourneys]

Hello Filmmaker IQ. I usually don't comment on stuff, but I think this might be incorrect data. Last year at NAB I spoke with the BM and Canon peeps about their varied explanations of what "RAW" meant. I wanted to know why the Canon RAW files had ISO baked in and BM/RED did not. Interestingly, according to the Canon rep, they COULD NOT produce a RAW file without embedding the ISO that was selected at the moment of shooting because they VARY the amount of current applied to their sensor based on your chosen ISO. They are effectively changing the sensitivity of the sensors by applying current to it. (This also applies to color based on your chosen WB or KELVIN, but the range or the GAMUT is so great it doesn't really make a difference in post.) BM does NOT do this, and when the ISO is selected on their cameras it's simply an INTERPRETATION of the raw data coming off the sensor. Very much like RED.(Not sure about the new Gemini.) EXCEPT, this was not the case for their new dual ISO BM Pocket Cinema Camera. For BMPCC's high ISO sensitivity, it was my understanding from the tech, that they pumped more current to their sensor in order to increase sensitivity for the 3200 setting... So really you have two different base sensitivities BEFORE any applied de-noise algorithms. That being said and despite speaking at length whilst traipsing back and forth from the Canon booth and the BM booth It is still possible that I got bad info... or that I simply misunderstood him. Any who, might double check the bit about the sensor sending out the same data through different processor algorithms. Not sure if that is correct. I'll try and ask someone again at NAB this week. Great presentation in these videos, I really enjoy them!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

@@videojourneys not sure how any of that counters what I'm saying in this video. Baking in gain does not change the sensitivity of the sensor. its just baking in gain.

[@videojourneys]

Filmmaker IQ Hi, thanks for responding. It’s only in reference to the front end of the video (00:45-ish) where you mention a certain number of photons hit the censor which produces a certain number of microvolts of electricity. Which then moves on to gain adjustments. My understanding is that that by running different amounts of current through the sensor the sensitivity is changed prior to any gain adjustments. Hence it is a “true” dual native ISO. I guess also in reference to the chart that follows. -thx

[@FilmmakerIQ]

@@videojourneys that is incorrect. I'm talking about the photodiode itself. It does not change sensitivity ever. What changes is how that signal is processed.

[@videojourneys]

@@FilmmakerIQ Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the reply. They were referencing the amount of current applied to the analogue gain processor immediately after the sensor. Not current applied to the sensor itself. And the dual ISO is in regards to the different AG processes at the different set of ISOs. Clarified. Thanks again! Enjoy your videos!

[@s87343jim]

It honestly shocks me and I have been shooting as a pro for many years (although as a photographer and causally as videographer). I didn't know you're supposed to shoot high ISO to preserve high light. I always just shoot at lowest ISO with the correct exposure whenever is possible. It really is counter-intuitive.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Some cameras are worse than others in that respect. Its also sort of the opposite of ETTR... ETTL I guess. Preserves highlights at the expense of noise.

[@s87343jim]

​@@FilmmakerIQ Yeah, I normally underexposed the image to preserve highlight and then raise up shadow VS shoot at high ISO to save highlight details. I've got a question though. I thought a camera sensor as a max signal celing(the max amount of signal it can get before it is overloaded). By increase the ISO, shouldn't it just push the middle grey value closer to the ceiling thus actually reduce DR for high light? It also really confuses me why there is no change in DR for the first 2 stages of the graph for the black magic, but only the 3rd stage.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I think I agree with Moo on principles but his conclusion is confused about what exposure actually is. First of all, forget automated modes. None of this deals with automation - though we are manually doing what automation does - the difference is we are much better judges of what we want middle gray to be than the camera. Moo is absolutely right in that it is the exposure side (Aperture and Shutter) that protect highlights. But setting the higher ISO enables us to make those move on the exposure side. It's sort of chicken and egg. If you just boosted exposure without compensating the ISO you'd just have an *overexposed image* - and I clearly said in the video, this is NOT about *underexposing or overexposing*. Now regards to if "shutter speed and aperture are fixed - shoot low" - I don't agree with that as a general principle. First of all if your shutter speed and aperture are fixed, then there is only one ISO setting that will deliver the image you want. Don't blindly gain up with a higher ISO (or gain down for a lower ISO) - that would be over/underexposing and as I said in the video - it's NOT about overexposing. So just use the proper ISO or something close to it. Being that a camera is ISO invariant just means you won't be penalized if you're off a stop or two, but apply gain in Photoshop is the same exact thing as applying it in the camera. Second, the Exposure triangle forgets a two other aspects of exposure: Scene Luminance and Lens Modifiers. You can add or subtract light in the scene and adjust your ISO accordingly - you can also engage ND filters and adjust your ISO accordingly Watch the Exposure Video and Dynamic Range video - they will paint a complete picture.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

@Jim Huang. To answer your direct question watch the vectorscope at 5:38. The max ceiling is at IRE 80 when we're shooting ISO100. IRE 80 is a 20% lower than IRE 100 is where most encoding puts pure white (although it there's things like IRE105 and IRE 110 for "superwhite" - don't quote me I'm not full read up on it yet). So we've got that space between IRE 80 and 100 we're just plain not using at ISO 100 - Gaining up between 100 and 1000 just amplifies both Signal AND noise to fill up that space. Remember that the technical definition of Dynamic range is the max Signal to Noise RATIO - since we're amplifying signal and noise together -the ratio does not change - that's how we can get the dynamic range to stay the same. Next you asked if raising the max ceiling also raises middle gray - absolutely it does. So if we raise the ceiling 1 stop, what WAS middle gray becomes one stop OVEREXPOSED, and the have a NEW middle gray that was 1 stop underexposed previously. The reason we can do this kind of pushing and pulling is because LOG's gamma gives us far more room to store this information than we need. Now if we shot in RAW - any ISO between 100-1000 would not matter - as I said in the video, if you switch ISO mid recording shooting RAW it would not record the switch UNLESS you make the jump to 1250.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

@moo No, I mean there is one ISO that delivers the image that you ultimately want - it's the ISO you get when you use a spotmeter and feed it A and SS values. As for prominence for pull shadows up... that's all camera specific. Lots of cameras retain much more highlight detail over middle gray - that's sort of what ETTR is based on. I'm not very familiar with the A7R3 but it seems like it has similar behavior to the BMPCC4k but maybe not as exaggerated. If you're interested in shadow retention I think there's a big case for shooting making that step above ISO640 in dark situations.

[@kuunami]

This makes neutral density filters even more important when shooting outdoors.

[@magnus547]

Honestly, you have taught me so much. Every time you speak, I feel like I'm sitting with a pen and paper paying attention and taking notes. Thank you for all your videos. I am a proud student of your teachings.

[@Os10ocupados]

Best channel I've seen explaining about this content. Congrats!!

[@PatrickPoet]

You missed an essential point, one that I've heard you cover in other videos. There is an unavoidable noise (thermal and 1/f) at a low level from the sensor cells. It's based on physics and you can't do anything about it. If you're shooting in a low light situation, your signal, the photons hitting the sensor, is down at the level of the noise. Turning up the gain, i.e. cranking the ISO amplifies both the noise and the signal. You notice the noise. Shooting in high key situations, the noise is still at the same low level, but the signal from the scene is high and swamps out any noise. The reason they have to apply extra noise reduction in high ISO is because there's more noise. You amplified it. There's only so much you can do, though. Even the best algorithms fail when the light signal is near the noise level. Even above that, the software actually changes the signal which means that it may look better, but you've lost data. A good analogy comes from AM radio. There is inherent noise in the best radios, but given a strong signal you don't hear it. The signal to noise ratio is high. Given a weak signal though, you have to turn up the volume and the noise gets boosted along with the weak signal and you hear hiss. The hiss was there the whole time, but you didn't have to amplify it enough to notice it. The ISO setting is the volume control, and noise in an image is the hiss.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Oh I agree and that does help explain why high iso for bright situations make sense. However you rarely take a shot where everything is in highlights unless you're just shooting clouds. That's why I left the bit about tolerable noise. I talked on this much more in the dynamic range video.

[@Fresus2]

I'll admit this was hard for me to grasp after my first viewing. However after applying these principles in the field I literally cannot thank you enough for this video. BMPCC 4k is my first Dual Native ISO and it's such a game changer for me. This has made me look back at some of my old work and cringe so hard.

[@zebrazone]

Fantastic video thank you so much taking the time to expain so CLEARLY ! Will be tremendously useful.

[@log0log]

This is exactly explains the problem I've seen in your first video!

[@AZREDFERN]

The best part about California is you’re always shooting in LOG with all the pollution washing out the image...

[@JStieloSoloPhysique1987]

YEP!!

[@JaspreetSinghArtist]

😂

[@Photographicelements]

"Livin' Life 23.976 frames per second"

[@noelwiggins4679]

This is the first time I've watched a tutorial and every time a new question pops into my head, its answered within the next minute! Thank you Filmmaker IQ!

[@Deloix]

Btw I like dual ISO on RED Gemini, you have full ISO range, not two(three) ISO ranges like BM, then you can shift middle gray with low light mode on any ISO, so there are not jumps between 1000 and 1250 like on Pocket 4k, but for this price is great have anything like Blackmagic did.

[@moep3]

Wow, that was a phantastic explanation. Finally I understand the chart and as a result, i had to change my way of exposing. Thanks a lot. Amazing work.

[@aaronpeipert]

This is some nerdy shiz, but well appreciated. 🙏

[@FilmmakerIQ]

It has been brought to my attention that January update to the BMPCC4K camera bumps up the entire chart about 1.5 stops in the native ISO 400 region and ISO3200 regions making the camera bit more balanced between brights and darks. All the concepts of this video still do apply but the numbers are a bit different.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Not the case in the BMPCC4K or cameras like the RED. Yes it is all sensor specific.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Maybe... I dunno... There's a case for analog gain which wouldnt be possible to change as metadata.

[@alansmithee6725]

All that changed was the chart (not the camera), which was deemed to be inaccurate in its first release. If your findings were consistent with the old chart, but not the current one, then your findings are at odds with BM's assessment of the camera.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I think I figured it out then. I interpreted middle gray as IRE 50 which gave me those results which matched the chart. Usually middle gray lower IRE 40 or something but I wasn't going to challenge BM official chart because maybe their system uses a higher mid gray. Using IRE 40 would match thier new numbers

[@alansmithee6725]

@@FilmmakerIQ It's actually 38.4%, as are all BMD cameras. I was going to point out the error at the time, but we didn't get very far in the more crucial dispute over which is effectively worse: ramping up to ISO 1000 in-camera to preserve highlights (with lots of noise in shadows) or underexposing middle-grey at iso 400 (again to preserve highlights) and boosting in post (much less noise), with indistinguishable color. Didn't sound like you actually tried it....

[@HangYuriYangFX]

For people who are still confused by it.. after an actual hand on on bmpcc4k.. I got a simpler answer.. essentially, the concept of iso is just a signal(value) multiplier. So whatever iso you use.. iso100-1000, the info you get is exactly the same if the aperture and angle are the same(higher iso just means you are multiplying the base value more).. so if you are using a higher iso, essentially to get the same brightness on your screen, you are under exposing your images.. now you understand why the highlight is getting less and less clipped.. you are literally reducing the amount of light onto your cmos.

[@flo.motion]

Hey! Thanks a lot for this video! Super helpful, and you did it in a super infotainment way to understand it pretty easy! But I still do have one question. Shooting a lot for VFX what concerns me the most is the Grain of the image. So my understanding normally is, that less ISO creates less grain? Therefore I tend to shoot in the BMPCC4K with ISO 100. Knowing about the ISO400 being the BASE ISO, what does that mean in terms of grain? Do I have the least amount of grain with ISO 400 instead of 100? I hope someone here can help me out! Would really appreciate an answer! Thanks a lot!!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

There's always noise in the image. Higher ISO don't create noise, they just amplify what's already there. So if you want as little noise as possible, expose for the lowest ISO

[@Supercon57]

I remember when I first learned about native iso when I started shooting with canon Cinema cameras Higher iso in brights/darker iso in darks was so mind blowing People I would work with had no idea and wouldn't listen to what I was explaining to them (since they were "pros" who were use to film cameras) So they would go outside in broad daylight and set the iso on the Canon Cinema to 100 and then go inside and set the iso up to 2000...and then wonder why the image looked like crap. Learn your craft, never stop learning

[@producer2959]

So you also need to shoot high iso when outside?

[@peacenzmiddleast]

Thanks, I rewatch this video (and all the DR/exposure videos in your series) every 6 months as a refresher. I always pick up something I missed before, and now I actually have a dual iso camera I can take advantage of this technique with.

[@neillabbedemontais6455]

Very good explanation. In schools for cinematographers , you are taught this counter intuitive part with dynamic range vs photography ISO. That was a well illustrated example; and thanks for doing it with the BMPCC4K.. cheers.

[@DawRoStudio]

My favourite channel!

[@karankshah]

Wouldn't it be more productive to just make high/low gain directly switchable with an extended boost? ISO as a setting seems to act as a catch-all for so many distinct signal modulations - modulations that are probably unnecessary in-camera for professionals with full workflows and misleading for the "pro-sumers" just trying to maximize their equipment.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

It's functionally the same exact thing. On my C200 you can actually switch between ISO and Decibels of gain. It's just that with ISO you can use the readings of a light meter. So for professionals its helpful to know where the camera sits. For prosumers its not misleading at all... What I'm explaining is how to maximize the equipment but of you ignored this you could probably get lucky and get okay shots the majority of the time.

[@mal2ksc]

@@FilmmakerIQ I don't think someone has to understand how this works to use it properly, but they _do_ have to know it is happening, and that when they aren't happy with the results, maybe it's time to try an ISO setting on the other side of the break and see what happens, because that's almost like switching cameras.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Only the engineers really know _how_ it works. All of us, including this video, is just explaining what is happening

[@AutoFOCUSED.]

This is probably one of the most important videos I've ever watched in regards to my BMPCC 4K. Thank you so much.

[@PassOnPassion]

Great video! I've been shooting this way for years, but you expressed it better than I could have! As a DoP, clipping highlights is a cardinal sin, something we're always fighting. Some exceptions are light bulbs, the sun, light retractions, but for the post part clipping highlights is the fastest way to look cheap. It's also the reason the Arri Alexa is still the raining king for most large productions. Red retains more detail in the darks which makes it easier to create deep creamy shadows. A look David Fincher seems to prefer for his movies.

[@timrober75]

Superb information and giving me a new clarity of understanding. Thank you so much sir :)

[@chrisratchford8153]

Excellent video! I wish Blackmagic would create videos with this level of detail and clarity for all of their cameras! Thanks John!!! Now I just need to practice with the camera in different lighting conditions and re-watch this video again until choosing the best ISO becomes second nature.

[@NINETY-97-SEVEN]

wait for real? I need to use high iso so my highlights don't clip and lower iso for shadow detail??? I really thought it was the other way around D: I've been using iso wrong all this time than lol xD I use the Sony ZV-E1 (mini FX3)

[@FilmmakerIQ]

In cameras that dual iso. And also in cameras that do Exposure Index type stretching of the dynamic range.

[@Jonhernandezeducation]

Thanks for that video, really good insight. If I understand right the biggest impact is on the distribution between shadows and highlights on dynamic range. When it comes to noise the iso 1250 is better than the 1000 at the cost of sacrificing the high light dynamic range, so for a normal exposed studio educational video ( white ciclorama etc.. Nothing cinematic) the best would be to use the high isos on the bank so around 800-1000 as would give the best dynamic range on the zones above 6-7 ?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

No, in a controlled environment you're best bet is the first range. On a white cyc maybe even the lowest ISO because you don't care about the highlights (you want no detail in the cyc because that's the point of shooting a cyc)

[@maikarbin]

Love the content. You guys are always putting out great informative videos!

[@joshuacoppersmith]

Thanks. I thought I had the ISO/f/shutter triangle in the bag...even the t vs f thing...now my triangle is a square with ISO/f/shutter/dynamics. Also, I didn't realize that some cameras record some ISO shift just as metadata. Helpful hints aren't hard to come by, but conceptual shifts like this are rare and wonderful.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

The conceptual shift is realizing it's not a triangle but a path way of light - then you through in scene luminance, and ND filters and you're set ;)

[@lowercase-me2om]

In a real world scenario when wanting to maintain the 180 degree shutter rule, could you just add ND filters to maintain the desired ISO without effecting the shutter speed to still maintain the desired dynamic range?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Yes exactly. That or you could adjust the aperture or relight the scene (if possible)

[@BrianEHoover]

Shooting bright scenes at a high ISO is so counterintuitive, but you broke down the logic so simply it makes sense now. Now I’m going to look for the dynamic range chart for my camera (Nikon d5100). Great video!

[@bartoszp2135]

In my Nikon D90 it doesn't work. It's better to properly exposed photo, because iso doesn't affect dynamic range. It looks like Nikon has analog gain ampilifier for each ISO, so it's way better than BMPCC 4K

[@filmkreation]

After watching videos like this I can only laugh (and cry) about the "filmschool" I went to. I have wasted so much money and time. - I wouldn't know shit without KZbin and channels like this. Thank you very much John!

[@jaaypeso]

excellent excellent video and highly informative. We often think of high ISO in cameras as just exposure and noise control, but rarely ever consider the dynamic range implications of that ISO (especially splitting it into below 50 IRE and above in a nuanced way). Gotta give credit to blackmagic as well for releasing the chart as its a very useful guide for users of the camera.

[@97DarkSkull]

Your explanations are phenomenal. I dig through your videos every time I need in-depth analysis on filmmaking related topics. Green screen, lenses, color, recording audio... I've learn so much here. 1. I'm watching your video. 2. I realize that half of what I know is wrong. 3. I learn the subject from scratch, based on technical principles and physics. 4. My life gets much easier. Thank you and keep it up!

[@Jazzmarcel]

Blew my mind!.......... listening to this while playing my scales on sax didn't help! Gotta go back and listen a few more times! Thanks for this very informative video! 👍🏾

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Glad to play a small part in your practicing regimen!!!

[@BLThackrey]

Loved the Airplane gag . I went with it too , exclaiming "It's Another Topic" ..I wonder if anyone else did ? Great shows!

[@MirekFe]

I did too.

[@mibo747]

What a PERFECT EXPLANATION!

[@jeremydulac5920]

This video is amazing! Thank you so much for the detailed and clear explanation. After watching, I 100% understand how to utilize dual native iso - it is totally counter intuitive to what you would think, but works so well!

[@trevorpinnocky]

👏👏👏👏 very very good. BTW if you do a merch jacket I'm in (classic baseball or windbreaker 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽)

[@imDanoush]

Very informative, Thanks for sharing these videos.

[@kweeFilms]

THE BEST VIDEO about dual-iso from Blackmagic! Thanks a lot!

[@walterdeminicis737]

Thank you. 5 years after you published this video, I ran into misinformation twice before finding you and actually learning something useful about ISO and BMPCC4k

[@psayent]

Enjoying your channel! Continue the good work. We Would greatly value your review! Let's support each other? 😎👍

[@LuisClement]

Amazing work and information, thanks! Would appreciate more on the BMPCC 4K...

[@adamzulfikar]

Most helpful and easy to understand on how dual iso on bmpcc4k works. Thankyou 🙏

[@borgesfilmes]

What a wonderful video. I have two blakmagic 6k G2 and 6k Pro and this helped me a lot to understand how to use ISO. I left Sony, which has another construction, and they always say to increase the ISO in dark situations, thus creating an internal struggle for me to increase the ISO. With this video I was able to really understand and apply what my cameras offer. If I could like this video 1000x, I would have done it! Thanks A hug from Brazil

[@SirZizu]

this is an amazing video tutorial for someone who doesnt have an idea what ISO is... thanks for youre help dude! suscribed

[@VilledaEstudio]

and what happens with the rule of being 24 frames per second in 1/48 shots? no longer used? I see pictures on the internet of some big movie work behind the scenes, and it is clear that they are working at speeds of 1/180 or 1/500

[@JamesJacksonFilmz]

Ultimately it all comes down to the content/project you are doing and what is the look you are going for. What is it that you want your viewers to engage in visually with their eyes. For films like "Saving Private Ryan" they wanted to go with a more gritty boots on the ground look so having shutter angles (still not use to speaking with shutter speeds) 90 deg or 72 deg makes sense for them. the 180 deg rule applies to when your filming and want to create a natural looking image to the human eye regarding motion blurr. But if you are going for a different look, then you don't have to go with the rule. Cinema is ultimately art, the key is are you consciously makeing these motion changes for the better of the project or to get you out of a sticky situation due to the lighting.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I throw out the 180 rule in my exposure demonstrations because shutter speed is much more precise way of showing exposure equivalents then using the aperture. I could adjust the aperture to create these equivalent shots but then my depth of field changes and the resulting shots dont look the same anymore. And since the subjects of my exposure tests are usually still life adjusting the shutters speed doesn't really affect the image. But in real world shooting the 180 shutter rull still applies... In fact i wonder of the cameras you say are shooting 1/180 are in fact shooting 180°

[@VilledaEstudio]

@@FilmmakerIQ I'm from Guatemala and I write with Google translate It's hard for me to understand everything perfectly but, I really appreciate the time that was taken to answer my question I keep shooting at 24pfs to make movies?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Oh yes my friend... Keep shooting 24 fps!

[@GO2CUT]

It's just what gives you the best and natural "motion blur". you can shoot anything you want! Action Movies tend to shoot at higher shutter speeds, to make the image look sharper, and fast movement is perceived better this way.

[@davidpm41]

wOw, I will try raising my iso to preserve the high light! Excelent video! New Suscriber!

[@tdcattech]

Best explanation of this that I’ve seen so far. Clear tips with simple examples to back them up.

[@BTNMNKI]

Confused camera idiot here: In the shot of the clouds, you're comparing shooting the skies in ISO 1000 with an exposure of 1/1000th to ISO 125 at 1/125th. Why would you open up your exposure so much if the goal is (theoretically) to avoid clipping? What is the reason for not staying at a lower ISO and keeping a slower exposure time?

[@ahmedouardani2370]

Thanks a lot for this video. Looks like BM tend to go on the magenta when it lacks data. Wondering if you would compare sony fx3 to bmpccc color science. I think braw have more color depth. Sony's full frame sensor is more sensitive to light but it introduce a lot of grain in the shadows that is why you would have to over expose underneath 2 stops. Still don't figure how netflix's list work though.

[@karliemorris7318]

my Dumb A$$ Has been Recording everything at ISO 400 Driving Myself Crazy , only to now understand exactly what to do with dynamic range

[@SjoerdWess]

This is the most detailed video ever. Wow.

[@RudyAyoub]

what a great video mang

[@HynekTuleja]

Hi John! Is that you in this video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jn3JqnWvrL2grqs You're awesome trumpet player!

[@glenngulia5409]

I stopped watching when the middle commercial came on. It has just gotten ridiculous. Put a commercial at the front if you want, but that's enough. And YEP, its your channel and you can do what you want, I just won't be watching.

[@IVANGOTTOLD]

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks! 🙏🏾 By the way, which lens did you used for the outdoors test? Thanks again

[@XavierPil]

Wonderful ans depressing video. Wonderful because it explains a lot. Depressing because I understand 1/3 of it! :-)

[@raviartsphotography9884]

boss u r explain best video ever i watch about camera technical inside .. very useful .. hatts off

[@DethronerX]

Interesting! Thanks! If I get a dual ISO camera, this will be handy!

[@SirRelith]

Is there are chart like this, including middle gray and stops above and below, for the Sony a7iii and a7riii? I've only read the DxO mark one.

[@Veptis]

As usual, dual GAIN processing is greatest. Original cinema camera line (including Micro, Pocket) had such a design. Alongside Arri and some others

[@DutchAussieProductions]

Thanks for the video, John. This is the first time I have seen a video on "Dual ISO" my 80-year-old brain understands. Have a great day.

[@alberto84rc]

That's the most interesting and mind-changing video ever seen about cameras. Congratulation for the... exposition!

[@usernamenotvisibIe]

Hi John...awesome tutorial as always...Thank You! Question: Dual ISO aside, would the same ISO yield similar results on the original BMPCC using Cinema DNG?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

the numbers may not be the same but yes the same behavior exists I believe

[@eunatacampos]

My mind is blowing!! Now understand more why and how i can get more pleasure images. Thanks a lot from the 🇧🇷

[@acanadianwoodworker]

Thank you so much for this incredibly well-presented and detailed video. After watching I immediately went and tested my Pocket 4K and saw the results. Thanks, it's generous knowledge like this that enable us all to use our tools to the best of their abilities!

[@joel0]

Hi John, I'm trying to figure out the name of a camera shot where the camera slowly closes in on a specific shot. An example of this is the very beginning of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance video where the camera closes in on her sitting on the chair. I want to know how to be able to recreate this shot, can you help? Can't find it anywhere, thanks!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

That's called a dolly in shot. You physical move the camera closer to the subject. You can do this any number of ways but camera has to move closer to the subject.

[@adanfave]

mejor explicado jamas, un video perfecto para entender la tabla de blackmagic, me parecio bien explicado y un gusto toparme con este video, gracias y saludos.

[@daltonrandall4348]

This video is absolutely tremendous. Thank you for this information.

[@EvilDogFilmsOfficial]

Wow, what an incredible video, thank you so much.

[@sansone9651]

✓ I never care about ISO ✓ My troupe have to do this job ✓ I have to create

[@nordpilgrim647]

Thanks. This feels so counterintuitive, but makes sense now. Forget that comment on the other video xD

[@ScottBalkum]

Yep! Nailed it. So many people misunderstand dual-iso.

[@AndriSoren]

Fascinating, thank you!

[@rich8037]

Good video! As others have said, it's not entirely obvious, intuitively. One way of looking at it is that a lower ISO setting forces you to let more light in to the sensor (wider aperture and/or longer exposure) which fundamentally gives you better dynamic range (signal-to-noise ratio). That's in dim scenarios: in bright situations, a high ISO forces you to stop down and/or shorten exposure, reducing the risk of overload on the sensor (clipping). Any time we take any sort of image we are juggling the three variables of exposure time, aperture and ISO (sensitivity), across quite a large bunch of considerations.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Be careful there, that's not quite the point (although I thought it the way you're describing, but that's not quite correct). Stopping up or down doesn't change the dynamic range of the incoming light ... the ratio of the brightest to dimmest is still the same, just the absolute values change. The key point here is Lowering the ISO on this camera just appropriates the dynamic range differently. Lower ISO might have a lower noise floor, but it comes with the cost of a lower clipping ceiling. Higher ISO have higher noise floors but the clipping ceiling is higher. And then it all resets when you jump to the next "native ISO" I don't even like thinking of it as three variables... It's really a bunch of exposure variables (scene luminance, ND, Aperture, Shutter) and a target (ISO)

[@rich8037]

@@FilmmakerIQ Thanks, yes, well put. I am first and foremost an audio bod and we tend to think of 'dynamic range' in terms of 'equipment noise floor to loudest expected input signal', and the term isn't used quite the same way in video, I appreciate. And yes, I like the concept of the bunch of variables.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

It's actually the exact same as audio, it is after all just an electronic signal ;)

[@rich8037]

@@FilmmakerIQ Certainly is - but the nuance of how most people think of it is subtly different. I remember in my hi-fi journalist days finding a surprising number of ways, all valid, all very slightly different, to define DR in an audio context.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

But it really isn't ;) Think of it more like adjusting the gain after you've recorded the file digitally. You can gain up and down in the DAW and the noise floor and clipping point would move up and down together ;)

[@NatesFilmTutorials]

Thanks for sharing, still kind of baffling. I will have to look to see how the GH5 deals with dynamic range

[@YostPeter]

I learned so much from this video. Thank you!

[@AdamMurtland]

This is fantastic! Thank you so much for putting this into easy to understand terms.

[@RaquelFoster]

This hurts my brain. If I'm shooting with an A7S III / FX3 (bases are 640 and 12800 in log profiles), and I have my lighting perfect for ISO 3200 ... I'm in a crazy spot. I have a lot of shadows, and I don't really care about the highlights blowing out a little. It looks cleaner if I put on a 2-stop ND filter and shoot at ISO 12800. But that's insane! It's just not right to be shooting with an ND filter when I'm looking for the best shadow detail!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

That's dual iso for you ;)

[@thequantaleaper]

@12:00 ... so if you were to increase the shutter speed for the ISO100 test so that the highlights fall under IRE100 it would be ETTR and no longer blown out, but your DR would be non-trivially diminished as you're no longer keeping middle gray @ IRE50 (or IRE 38.4 I reckon)? So the idea of using the highest ISO within your lowest native ISO range is dependent on where your highlights are in relation to middle gray? Or in other words... if your scene's highlights are only a couple stops above middle grey, go with ISO100; however, if they are 5 stops above, go with ISO1000?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

At ISO 100 shooting a log format, there's no way get the highlights to fall at IRE 100 regardless of what you do exposure wise. I think it clips around IRE 80. Middle Gray always stays the same... I used IRE 50 in the video but you're right it is IRE 38.4. And lastly you're kind of right on your last point.. It's more that if you want more range below middle gray shoot ISO 100 or 1250. If you're more worried about highlights shoot ISO 1000. It's just that this way of looking at it is more productive than the way you described... It's what you care about preserving rather than trying to preserving everything.

[@DutchAussieProductions]

Very good training video, John. You have a new subscriber.

[@Pierorocks]

Okay this is where i’m confused... Let’s say your middle grey is f2.8 and you’re at ISO 100. you’re telling me I have 11 stops of dynamic range below f2.8? there aren’t even 6 stops to play with there let alone 11 before any light meter reads the image as underexposed. What am I miss understanding here?? Even the well known zone system only has 5 stops below middle grey before disappearing into darkness.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

They changed the chart, at ISO 100 you have 9.6 stops below and 3.5 stops above. Yes that means at if your middle gray is at f/2.8 you can stop down to f/90 and that light that was middle grey will be just a touch above the noise level (literally just a touch). And if you open up to f/1.4 your middle gray will be almost peaking. The zone system is still very much applicable as a way to think about it but it is not as precise as what these cameras can produce. Still remember that in order to see all this range you need LOG which will look washed out to the eye.

[@RobertHamm]

Excellent video. Thanks for the info!

[@aec_corp]

Hi. Thanks for all your explication. It's very clear to how to expose now. But i don't understand TECHNICALLY why when you are at 100 iso, it is clipping. Is it as if DR was shifting down, and clipping high stops ?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Yep. The mid tones shifts when you increase the ISO

[@camerahunter91]

Thanks for ending my long internet search on this topic I'm going to buy a T shirt

[@BlackWarriorLures]

Oh, that's how this dual ISO works. This makes so much more sense. So, the GH5S has a similar circuit?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Everyone's asking about the gh5s. Honestly I've never been a big Panasonic guy so I just don't know and I haven't been able to find out any info

[@PhillipRPeck]

@@FilmmakerIQ If you find a similar ISO/Dynamic Range chart for the GH5s, I'll buy you a beer

[@FilmmakerIQ]

@@PhillipRPeck I'm thinking the only way to get the chart is to make one

[@PhillipRPeck]

@@FilmmakerIQ I'll buy you a whole case of beers

[@christophershivers6257]

the best way to check that is to test the gh5s in lowlight and high highlight situations, test both ISOs and see which one give you better result with the given situation. That's what I did for the P4k

[@Wistbacka]

Did I understand correctly? For shadows and dark scenes use low ISO and for strong highlights and backlit clouds I should use high ISO? I'm so confused right now. Feels so counterintuitive

[@FilmmakerIQ]

It is counter intuitive. Watch it a few more times ;)

[@GouthamRavee]

Well damn just learned something new about ISO

[@sonnyboo]

Fantastic explanation!

[@rhoadie]

This is amazing content! Thank you!!

[@saintsi6997]

Solid.

[@JePeVePe]

Oeh, thnx.... I didn't know this effect of ISO... from photography background, it almost sounds counter intuitive to use higher ISO for brighter situations and the lowest ISO possible for darker situations :)

[@漫讯T200]

very useful, really blow my mind!

[@starlifter303]

This video gave me new insight. Thank you.

[@mrwashur1991]

You're literally a life saver. I just shot some stuff with my bmpcc 4k and this cleared up all the issues I had with it. I knew it wasn't the camera at least haha. This is the best video someone can watch if they own the bmpcc 4k.

[@TPVPRO]

Fantastic video! But, I need to point out the obvious. I am 100% sure (clouds shot) If you just pulled down the exposure on 125 ISO you could of got the exact same look as 1000 because there are no shadows in that shot. The same also goes with the mountains you have more shadow detail at 125 so the same will work.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Sorry but you are confused about what's happening here. No you would not get the same shot - you'd get a more darkly exposed shot. The ISO 1000 has a lot more headroom than ISO 125. I'm putting the clouds in exactly the same exposure relative to middle gray in both shots. Sure practically, you could say well no one's looking, it's _about the same_ - but I'm demonstrating a point here - I need identical shots.

[@TPVPRO]

@@FilmmakerIQ You can just pull the blacks in post up very easily with less noise at that ISO. I have a GH5s I did a lot of testing way before this video came out. I'm assuming they're both very similar cuz they're the same sensor. When you shoot flat you have to grade regardless and I got identical results in daytime shooting.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

My point here is talk about how the camera actually behaves and you confuse subject by adding in different elements of post.

[@TPVPRO]

@@FilmmakerIQ Understand, there is more than one way to skin a cat.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Sure but if you want to understand the anatomy of the cat you better be sure you know what you're looking at.

[@darrylsmith3102]

You just did the Absolute BEST informative and usable ISO test and info on the Net. SERIOUSLY.