This week we are reviewing how to color match PTZOptics cameras. Camera color matching is done by using a combination of in-camera settings and software enhancements to perfectly match multiple cameras. In this presentation, we color match multiple different PTZOptics cameras and other brands such as the Canon Vixia HDMI camcorder. This presentation follows up our “How to get the perfect exposure” video done last week on Back to Basics (don’t miss this presentation here). If you have not watched our camera exposure presentation this knowledge will be necessary for proper color matching.

Using Live Color Correction Tools

Before we review the live color correction tools that we are using for our video production we should clearly define what a color LUT is, what a Vectorscope is and what a waveform monitor is. In this presentation, we will be using a Color Checker, Calibrated Monitor, Vectorscope, Color Wheels, Color Correction Software, vMix, TriCaster and Adobe Premier. Our process will start with setting up our camera, configuring the ideal exposure with white balancing and a color checker. Then we will test and apply our LUT (Look Up Table) to our most important camera. With our most important camera properly color corrected we will apply these settings to each camera and move forward with tweaking. 

Color Lookup Table:

R= S+L … “R” is the result, “S” is the source and “L” is your LUT or the difference needed to make up between your source and the desired outcome.

Vectorscope:

A vectorscope is a tool that represents the color of your camera image. It is like an x and y graph representation of the color accuracy of your video image.

Waveform Monitor:

The waveform monitor is the counterpart to the vectorscope available to handle brightness and exposure. Waveform monitors can easily see if your image is clipping at the top or if the blacks are getting crushed.

Step by Step Process for Color Matching Cameras

1. Start with your best possible exposure
2. Focus on Color using the Vectorscope
3. Start with your “HERO Shot” or main camera
4. Start with camera settings first before changing in software
5. Consider Color Temperature and Saturation
6. Use Color Wheels to enhance your camera picture
7. Download your camera LUT or “Preset”
8. Apply that preset to your next camera
9. Tweak camera settings as needed
10. Toggle Color LUT on/off. Reset color wheels as needed

We always start with the cameras set to their best possible exposure. Once the cameras have the proper exposure we can start to tweak the color settings. It’s important to use the vectorscope to make sure your colors are accurate during this process. Inside the PTZOptics cameras, we can adjust the Hue, Gamma, and Luminance to tweak the details of our cameras color output.

Hue:

Hue is one of the main properties of color. Defined as the “degree to which a stimulus can be described as similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, green, blue and yellow”

Gamma:

Gamma is a nonlinear operation used to encode and decode luminance in the video. Gamma encoding is used to optimize the usage of bits when encoding an image by taking advantage of the way humans perceive light and color.

Luminance:

Luminance is the photometric measure of luminous intensity per unit of area of light traveling in a given direction. It describes the amount of light that passes through or reflected from a particular area.

Color Grading Steps

Once our cameras exposure and colors are set properly it’s time to move into our live color correction software. The process of color correction and applying a color preset to multiple cameras is called color grading. We always start with our most important camera or camera angle. From here we download or apply our camera settings to each other camera angle in order to match the settings. Usually, more changes need to be made but this is the best start place.

1. Color Grade your most important camera angle
2. Download or Match the Settings to each other camera
3. Tweak each other camera angle as necessary

Conclusion

Color matching your cameras is not an easy process. If you are setting up your live broadcast somewhere new each time, this process will need to be repeated before each live stream. In order to save time, you can use the tools built into Adobe Premier, the NewTek Tricaster or vMix with the waveform and vectorscopes. I would personally budget at least one hour for camera settings and color matching. Starting with camera color LUTs will save you a lot of time! Especially if you have these LUTs saved before you next live show for each type of camera.

Learning about live streaming and video production:

• Learn how to get the perfect exposure with your PTZ camera here
• 2nd annual brief history of live streaming panel w/ Top industry experts here.
• Q&A on the history and future of live streaming w/ top industry experts here.
• NewTek NDI for beginners here.
• How to build an audience response system for live streaming here.
• An executive producer’s job in the live streaming world here.
• Tips from 7 of the industries top live streaming professionals here.