Thanks for watching. I hope I'll have something equally interesting to you after I run out of ideas with the R5. Thankfully, that doesn't look like it will be for a while at least.
HDR PQ files from a Canon body are currently the ONLY way to create a still image that will be interpreted as an HDR10 image by modern HDR displays. As-of 2022 no other camera company makes HDR PQ compatible cameras, and no RAW converters are capable of making an HDR PQ image.
Just watched this video. On my R7 I had no issue combining HDRPQ with HDR Mode, or also focus stacking (focus bracketing) with HDR PQ. The camera simply take HDRPQ shots and combine them. The file format used is HEIF as with all HDRPQ, instead of JPEG in all cases. Multiple Exposes is not available with HDRPQ but that is much less important. For the R7 at least, HDRPQ does not seem to limit what you can do with the camera.
Canon's software development situation creates these kinds of functionality disparities across models over time. This video is primarily for the R5 and R6, though the broader procedures generally would also apply to all Canon cameras that implement the feature. However, specific details can/will change from model to model as Canon updates/improves the firmware. Unfortunately, what Canon doesn't seem to do is back port those changes to older firmwares.
It's so close I can almost touch it. I shoot sports using jpeg straight to a server and instantly available for purchase. My colleagues are using Sony cameras and they can achieve a similar outcome with the benefit of outputting the file as a jpeg.
My understanding is that they're an attempt to mimic what you'd seen on an HDR capable display using the camera's SDR monitor/viewfinder. If you use exposure priority, the camera will focus on insuring that the mid-tones are rendered correctly, but highlights can appear clipped (they show as white even though there's detail in them in the HDR). Tones priority, will make sure that you see the full range of the highlights, but at the expense of crushing blacks. Basically, if in your review of the HDR PQ file what you care about is seeing the proper exposure of mid-tones (when, say, photographing people), and don't care if the highlights look blown out, then use exposure priority (mid-tones). If you're more concerned about the highlights, such as when shooting a landscape, then you'll probably want to use Tones Priority (highlights). The same applies to the shooting option as well.
@@PointsInFocus So the "playback" option only affects, what I see on my camera's SDR monitor/viewfinder? And the "shooting" option actually affects the file itself?
The shooting option affects what you see on the camera in shooting mode, the playback only affects what you see in playback mode. Neither change the file, only the way the camera's SDR screens render it. I think the idea is that you might want to, for example, see the highlights accurately when shooting to make sure you're not clipping something you don't want to clip, but then see the mid-tones more accurately in playback. Or something like that.
First, this video is about the still image formats on the camera, not the video formats. Sorry about that confusion. Second, no, standard video and HDR PQ are not the same. Standard video uses the Rec.709 gamma curve and is recorded with 8-bit AVC compression. HDR PQ video uses the HDR PQ gamma curve and is recorded in 10-bit with HEVC compression. At a minimum, the HDR PQ files can have more dynamic range and finer tonal steps as a result of the higher bit depth. HDR PQ files will also require either an HDR PQ capable display in HDR PQ mode, or color grading in post to make them look right on a standard Rec.709 or Rec.2020 display.
Hi, from my testing PQ enabled with highlights tone +D clamps a colorspace even through the viewfinder. I enjoyit since it provides me a better color rendering than the pictures modes (standard neutral etc) how can i explaine it...its more true to a raw file neutral
Interesting. I'll have to dig into that some more. I never bothered shooting in PQ mode since the raw data is the same. But I may have to dig more into their rendering of the preview image and whatnot.
In camera you can do that though the playback 3 menu. You're looking for "HEIF -> JPEG conversion". Otherwise, most image editors and viewers that support HEIF can usually do the conversion on your computer.
I thought this setting was for shooting video in HDR. Oh well. I only ever use RAW for images. I guess clog3 does the same thing for video? Then it just is a question of editing to HDR out format after grading. This is my understanding.
There are HDR PQ options for both stills and video. Clog/clog3 are similar, but they're different and they offer a lot more control over the details. Actually, the video tone curves get complicated compared to what I'm used to with stills and raw files.
@@PointsInFocus Sounds really confusing. Guess I'm going to have to do a lot of experimenting with the camera when it arrives. And figure out Davinci Resolve which I'm finding quite daunting.
I found understanding what's going on in the video world is confusing. There's a lot that's buried in seemingly impenetrable standards that just get thrown around by name (e.g. rec.709, rec.2020, rec.2100, etc.). I don't recommend jumping into picture clog or HDR PQ right away. At least if you're not already familiar with a lot of the editing, color management, and color grading processes. Start with a picture style that looks good to you and shoot that to start with. CLOG/HDRPQ is something that you'll need/want to get into eventually, but it took me 2 years before I understood things well enough that I was comfortable switching over to CLOG. Though I could have moved a lot faster if I wasn't also simultaneously trying to figure everything else out. I'm currently working on videos covering shooting in CLOG. I'm not sure when I'll have them done, but it should be in the next month or two. So you might want to keep an eye out for them.
@@PointsInFocus I'm aware of the processes and familiar with rec.709 and 2020 and colour grading with LUTS. Just not sure how the HDR PQ fits in with it. Since HDR is extending the dynamic range, does it do it alongside the CLog in a standard file, or is it a container for outputting a file which plays back a HDR image on a compatible HDR display? It gets confusing when Canon have had a "HDR" mode on their cameras for years which is a totally different thing for images (and sucks). Thanks
On the still side of things, enabling HDR PQ switches on HEIC compression, the tone curve to HDR PQ's, and the color primaries rec.2020. If you're shooting raw, then the raw data is still the sensor's linear output in the sensor's native color space and nothing is done to that, but the embedded thumbnail/preview image will be the HEIC HDR PQ file and not a JPEG (using sRGB or Adobe RGB primaries). In video mode, HDR PQ and CLOG are mutually exclusive options. In HDR PQ mode, you'll have the HDR PQ tone curve and rec.2020 primaries. In Clog mode, you have the choice between CLOG and CLOG3 tone curves and the choice of color primaries (709, 2020, and cinema gamut). Clog is more "HDR" than HDR PQ, in that it supports both a larger dynamic range and a wider color gamut (cinema gamut). The HDR mode (both for video an stills) is a blended multi-exposure solution. The files are tone-mapped SDR, but they can potentially show a wider dynamic range than either HDR PQ or CLOG3, because they're not limited by the dynamic range the sensor can capture in a single exposure.
this feels like "loudness" on cheap stereo. had r7 since release and its my first camera and i shoot only in manual and raw/clog its not hard to learn for someone that enjoys this. who gets a mid to high end camera and shoots auto/jpg o_O?
You're welcome. I'm in the same boat, I only shoot raw, but I don't like not understanding things my camera can do, even if I ultimately decide not to use it. I just wish I could find a really good explanation of exactly what HDR PQ does when you enable it.
Yeah, this is my question too. Have you gleaned any new insights into what the HDR PQ setting actually does to RAW files? It looks like CR3 files taken with HDR PQ enabled are less compatible with some applications, but I can't figure out why.
My best understanding so far is that the thumbnails for HDR PQ raw files use HEIF compression instead of JPEG. If the software you're using doesn't know how to read a HEIF file, then it's possible that it's erroring out when it tries to read the thumbnail data and due to the way the programmers are doing error handling, that's causing it to be unable to read the file as a whole.
Not presently. It's something I want to dig into more specifically at some point. But I haven't had the time to really sit down and dig into it enough to really understand what's going on and what the real differences are yet.
If you're using DSLR and that too a +$2000 / $3000 camera I see zero reason why anyone will want to explicitly shoot in JPEG. Having said that, it means either RAW, CRAW should be used 100% of the time. Then and in which case HDR PQ is totally not required. Next, HDR mode: again not necessary. Going to exposure -> bracketing and selecting anything between 3 to 7 exposures (max allowed) with 1/3 or 1/2 increments gives exactly the same benefits and much more in fact. Although in HDR mode camera does store the RAW/CRAW also but when you're reviewing them it quickly becomes cumbersome when you have sometimes 3, sometimes 5 or more RAW followed by a JPEG. Trust me - when I say how busy one gets trying to filter thru this!!
Raws take up a lot of file and they have to be individually looked at and modified to a jpeg. Also jpeg can do in camera lens corrections. I'm only going to shoot raw when I take the time to say do some landscape work on a tripod and or birding where shadows highlights needs to be controlled better.
As a Canon R5 user, I saw all your vidéo and I continue as long as you post. Keep going, the audience is listening...
Thanks for watching. I hope I'll have something equally interesting to you after I run out of ideas with the R5. Thankfully, that doesn't look like it will be for a while at least.
Just got an R5. Your videos have been really helpful. Thank you.
Glad to hear that you've found the videos helpful. Happy shooting with the new camera.
HDR PQ files from a Canon body are currently the ONLY way to create a still image that will be interpreted as an HDR10 image by modern HDR displays.
As-of 2022 no other camera company makes HDR PQ compatible cameras, and no RAW converters are capable of making an HDR PQ image.
Awesome walk-through! Thank you. It helped me a lot.
Just watched this video. On my R7 I had no issue combining HDRPQ with HDR Mode, or also focus stacking (focus bracketing) with HDR PQ. The camera simply take HDRPQ shots and combine them. The file format used is HEIF as with all HDRPQ, instead of JPEG in all cases. Multiple Exposes is not available with HDRPQ but that is much less important. For the R7 at least, HDRPQ does not seem to limit what you can do with the camera.
Canon's software development situation creates these kinds of functionality disparities across models over time.
This video is primarily for the R5 and R6, though the broader procedures generally would also apply to all Canon cameras that implement the feature. However, specific details can/will change from model to model as Canon updates/improves the firmware. Unfortunately, what Canon doesn't seem to do is back port those changes to older firmwares.
Hell yeah ! Loving this channel, found you yesterday abs will be going through it all
Thank you! This was very helpful and easy to understand.
Thank you very much. Very useful video. 🤝
It's so close I can almost touch it.
I shoot sports using jpeg straight to a server and instantly available for purchase. My colleagues are using Sony cameras and they can achieve a similar outcome with the benefit of outputting the file as a jpeg.
What about HDR for movies....did i miss it? Did you talk about that?
Sorry, but no I didn't. This video only covered photo mode HDR not movie mode.
Interesting video, but I don´t get, what exactly the settings for "HDR assist disp: shooting/playback" are doing.
My understanding is that they're an attempt to mimic what you'd seen on an HDR capable display using the camera's SDR monitor/viewfinder.
If you use exposure priority, the camera will focus on insuring that the mid-tones are rendered correctly, but highlights can appear clipped (they show as white even though there's detail in them in the HDR).
Tones priority, will make sure that you see the full range of the highlights, but at the expense of crushing blacks.
Basically, if in your review of the HDR PQ file what you care about is seeing the proper exposure of mid-tones (when, say, photographing people), and don't care if the highlights look blown out, then use exposure priority (mid-tones). If you're more concerned about the highlights, such as when shooting a landscape, then you'll probably want to use Tones Priority (highlights).
The same applies to the shooting option as well.
@@PointsInFocus So the "playback" option only affects, what I see on my camera's SDR monitor/viewfinder? And the "shooting" option actually affects the file itself?
The shooting option affects what you see on the camera in shooting mode, the playback only affects what you see in playback mode. Neither change the file, only the way the camera's SDR screens render it.
I think the idea is that you might want to, for example, see the highlights accurately when shooting to make sure you're not clipping something you don't want to clip, but then see the mid-tones more accurately in playback. Or something like that.
@@PointsInFocus Thanks! That makes sense!
Sooo standard video and HDR pq is the same?
First, this video is about the still image formats on the camera, not the video formats. Sorry about that confusion.
Second, no, standard video and HDR PQ are not the same. Standard video uses the Rec.709 gamma curve and is recorded with 8-bit AVC compression. HDR PQ video uses the HDR PQ gamma curve and is recorded in 10-bit with HEVC compression. At a minimum, the HDR PQ files can have more dynamic range and finer tonal steps as a result of the higher bit depth. HDR PQ files will also require either an HDR PQ capable display in HDR PQ mode, or color grading in post to make them look right on a standard Rec.709 or Rec.2020 display.
@@PointsInFocus Thank you very much, best answer 👍😌
hi I find the HDR PQ video is around the same as the normal video, do u think if I am missing some settings in the editing software ??
Unfortunately, I don't really know. HDR video is one of the bigger gaps in my understanding.
@@PointsInFocus no worries, yeah… not much information online
When using the HDR method, this is applicable to jpeg files? NOT raw, correct?
HDR mode generates a JPEG, that's correct.
The only true HDR method for RAWs is to exposure bracket and stack in post.
Hi, from my testing PQ enabled with highlights tone +D clamps a colorspace even through the viewfinder. I enjoyit since it provides me a better color rendering than the pictures modes (standard neutral etc) how can i explaine it...its more true to a raw file neutral
Interesting. I'll have to dig into that some more. I never bothered shooting in PQ mode since the raw data is the same. But I may have to dig more into their rendering of the preview image and whatnot.
hi your videos are very helpful. How would I convert HDR PQ shot photos into JPEG
In camera you can do that though the playback 3 menu. You're looking for "HEIF -> JPEG conversion".
Otherwise, most image editors and viewers that support HEIF can usually do the conversion on your computer.
I thought this setting was for shooting video in HDR. Oh well. I only ever use RAW for images. I guess clog3 does the same thing for video? Then it just is a question of editing to HDR out format after grading. This is my understanding.
There are HDR PQ options for both stills and video.
Clog/clog3 are similar, but they're different and they offer a lot more control over the details. Actually, the video tone curves get complicated compared to what I'm used to with stills and raw files.
@@PointsInFocus Sounds really confusing. Guess I'm going to have to do a lot of experimenting with the camera when it arrives. And figure out Davinci Resolve which I'm finding quite daunting.
I found understanding what's going on in the video world is confusing. There's a lot that's buried in seemingly impenetrable standards that just get thrown around by name (e.g. rec.709, rec.2020, rec.2100, etc.).
I don't recommend jumping into picture clog or HDR PQ right away. At least if you're not already familiar with a lot of the editing, color management, and color grading processes.
Start with a picture style that looks good to you and shoot that to start with. CLOG/HDRPQ is something that you'll need/want to get into eventually, but it took me 2 years before I understood things well enough that I was comfortable switching over to CLOG. Though I could have moved a lot faster if I wasn't also simultaneously trying to figure everything else out.
I'm currently working on videos covering shooting in CLOG. I'm not sure when I'll have them done, but it should be in the next month or two. So you might want to keep an eye out for them.
@@PointsInFocus I'm aware of the processes and familiar with rec.709 and 2020 and colour grading with LUTS. Just not sure how the HDR PQ fits in with it. Since HDR is extending the dynamic range, does it do it alongside the CLog in a standard file, or is it a container for outputting a file which plays back a HDR image on a compatible HDR display? It gets confusing when Canon have had a "HDR" mode on their cameras for years which is a totally different thing for images (and sucks).
Thanks
On the still side of things, enabling HDR PQ switches on HEIC compression, the tone curve to HDR PQ's, and the color primaries rec.2020. If you're shooting raw, then the raw data is still the sensor's linear output in the sensor's native color space and nothing is done to that, but the embedded thumbnail/preview image will be the HEIC HDR PQ file and not a JPEG (using sRGB or Adobe RGB primaries).
In video mode, HDR PQ and CLOG are mutually exclusive options. In HDR PQ mode, you'll have the HDR PQ tone curve and rec.2020 primaries. In Clog mode, you have the choice between CLOG and CLOG3 tone curves and the choice of color primaries (709, 2020, and cinema gamut). Clog is more "HDR" than HDR PQ, in that it supports both a larger dynamic range and a wider color gamut (cinema gamut).
The HDR mode (both for video an stills) is a blended multi-exposure solution. The files are tone-mapped SDR, but they can potentially show a wider dynamic range than either HDR PQ or CLOG3, because they're not limited by the dynamic range the sensor can capture in a single exposure.
thank you!!
this feels like "loudness" on cheap stereo. had r7 since release and its my first camera and i shoot only in manual and raw/clog its not hard to learn for someone that enjoys this. who gets a mid to high end camera and shoots auto/jpg o_O?
A lot of press and wedding photographers shoot in JPEG. There are plenty of people in that field running Nikon Z9s and Canon R3s, and shooting JPEG.
Thanks I only shoot in raw so this mode is useless to me. I was just curious as to what it does
You're welcome. I'm in the same boat, I only shoot raw, but I don't like not understanding things my camera can do, even if I ultimately decide not to use it. I just wish I could find a really good explanation of exactly what HDR PQ does when you enable it.
@@PointsInFocus this is a great attitude to have! Thanks for the useful video!
Yeah, this is my question too. Have you gleaned any new insights into what the HDR PQ setting actually does to RAW files? It looks like CR3 files taken with HDR PQ enabled are less compatible with some applications, but I can't figure out why.
My best understanding so far is that the thumbnails for HDR PQ raw files use HEIF compression instead of JPEG. If the software you're using doesn't know how to read a HEIF file, then it's possible that it's erroring out when it tries to read the thumbnail data and due to the way the programmers are doing error handling, that's causing it to be unable to read the file as a whole.
Do you have any video about the differences between RAW vs CRAW?
Not presently. It's something I want to dig into more specifically at some point. But I haven't had the time to really sit down and dig into it enough to really understand what's going on and what the real differences are yet.
@@PointsInFocus big big big fan of your work . Really thanks.
If you're using DSLR and that too a +$2000 / $3000 camera I see zero reason why anyone will want to explicitly shoot in JPEG. Having said that, it means either RAW, CRAW should be used 100% of the time. Then and in which case HDR PQ is totally not required. Next, HDR mode: again not necessary. Going to exposure -> bracketing and selecting anything between 3 to 7 exposures (max allowed) with 1/3 or 1/2 increments gives exactly the same benefits and much more in fact. Although in HDR mode camera does store the RAW/CRAW also but when you're reviewing them it quickly becomes cumbersome when you have sometimes 3, sometimes 5 or more RAW followed by a JPEG. Trust me - when I say how busy one gets trying to filter thru this!!
Raws take up a lot of file and they have to be individually looked at and modified to a jpeg. Also jpeg can do in camera lens corrections. I'm only going to shoot raw when I take the time to say do some landscape work on a tripod and or birding where shadows highlights needs to be controlled better.