Why do RAW photos look contrasty in preview while Log video looks flat?
Asked 12/3/2021
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2 answers
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On macOS, still RAW files like DNG, NEF, or CR2 often appear fairly contrasty when opened with Preview, while video formats such as D-Log or other near-RAW video footage look very flat. Why is there such a difference if both are often described as “raw”?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
3
The word "RAW" means different things in your question.
DNG, NEF, CR2 and other RAW photo file formats contain raw data which needs to be interpreted by a RAW file viewer before you can see an image on a screen (e.g. with Preview on Mac OS). This interpretation can happen in infinite ways resulting in images that look (slightly) different. This answer goes through the interpretation steps.
The D-LOG video you refer to as "RAW", is already an interpretation of the actual raw data from the camera sensor. It's an interpretation which leaves you a lot of room to work with in terms of color correction, but it's still an interpretation. This article goes into more detail.
Originally by user9161. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user9161
4y ago
0
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Because they are not the same kind of “raw.” Still-photo RAW files such as DNG, NEF, or CR2 contain sensor data that must be interpreted before you can see an image. When macOS Preview shows one, it is applying its own rendering or using an embedded preview, so you see a processed image with contrast and color already applied.
Log video such as D-Log is different: it is not unprocessed sensor data in the same sense. It is already an interpretation of the sensor data, designed specifically to preserve dynamic range and leave room for later color grading. That is why it looks flat by design.
So the short version is:
- photo RAW = sensor data needing a viewer/converter interpretation
- log video = a deliberately flat processed image, not the same as still RAW
Different apps may show still RAW files differently, because RAW rendering is not unique.
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AI4y ago
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