Hey Guys, it’s Gaba VR, and in this episode I will analyse the Insta360 video modes or color profiles.
Actually they are a little bit more than simple color profiles, as they affect the dynamic range
and the feel of sharpness and clarity.
In this test I will take a couple of different scenes
to compare the Normal mode with LOG and HDR video recording settings.
So we can check it out in bright sunny conditions, on an overcast day and indoors in low-light situations.
And thinking about reframing, we will see their effect on close objects and in wider scenes.
Besides watching and analysing everything side-by-side,
I put another link in the description and in the right top corner, where you can compare the video modes in 360,
so you can get an idea about how they look like in full 360 view.
So after this short introduction, let’s jump into it,
and let’s see the differences and possibilities in Normal, LOG or HDR video recording modes!
For the most accurate result, in this video I shoot in manual mode
so there will be no differences in exposure between the Normal and LOG shots.
Of course, HDR is a full automatic mode, so I can’t affect the recording settings.
First let’s start with an overcast seen, focusing on close objects.
Here you can see the same shot captured with 3 different video recording settings.
Looking at the raw footages you can see quite big differences between them.
On the left side it’s the normal mode, and in the middle you can see the LOG.
It’s a little bit washed out, undersaturated, but also seems to be the one with the widest dynamic range.
And finally you can see the HDR mode.
The highlights are maybe a little bit darker and the whole image is not as contrasty as the normal video.
Of course, looking at the full picture
you can see the main differences between the properly exposed normal video and HDR
but on such an overcast day, HDR mode doesn’t shine so much.
The HDR video is a little bit darker, but as you can see, it preserves the details on the sky behind the trees,
so if it matters for you to keep all the details on the sky, HDR mode has this advantage over the normal mode.
But let’s focus on our main subject again and let’s see how these footages look like after color grading.
Basically LOG videos are unusable without a proper post-processing,
and they are not meant to use without color grading.
So let’s see a comparison, looking at the final results.
So here we are. I wait a minute and give you some time to figure out which image belongs to which mode.
Or you can decide which one you prefer.
The ones on the sides look very similar in terms of dynamic range,
while you can see a little bit more details in the middle one around that black part, in the middle of the frame.
But now, let’s reveal the secret!
As you can see, I haven’t changed the order yet, so I kept everything on the same place,
with the Normal mode on the left, the LOG in the middle and the HDR video on the right.
As you can see, if I was shooting an overcapture video like this, I would get very similar results,
it doesn’t matter which mode I choose.
But looking at the bigger picture, again,
as you can see, the LOG profile leads to a better dynamic range in the shadows,
while HDR mode looks a little bit better in highlights.
At least, the line at the edge of the clouds is not so harsh.
It’s much softer than in the other two videos.
On the other hand the LOG video looks really crispy, compared to the others.
Looking at the normal mode the tree is not so detailed, and the HDR video is maybe a little bit softer,
while in the LOG video we can almost see the single branches and the leaves one by one.
But LOG mode also seems to be the noisiest one.
Just look at the shadows on the black area.
But take a look at the further Tesla sign in the distance: How sharper it looks in the LOG video!
And don’t forget, I was shooting manually, using the same settings during taking my normal and LOG shots.
So after all, which version do you prefer?
If you are interested about how they look like in 360, check them out in the right top corner.
But now, let’s jump into the next scene, shot in bright sunlight.
Let’s see the raw videos again.
Looking at the shadow areas first, I put the videos in a specific order.
On the left, there’s the less detailed version, and on the right you can see the most detailed one.
Looking at the colors, it’s obviously this is the LOG video,
while the HDR is in the middle, and the normal is on the left side.
But now let’s turn our camera against the Sun.
As you can see, the HDR video handles the highlights, especially the Sun way better,
while the shadows have a little bit washed out look.
And looking at the LOG video, it seems more crispy and more detailed again.
Just look at the trees and branches.
While of course, looking at the Sun, we lost some details at the highlights, compared to the HDR mode.
Or we can get a similar look in the sky with the Normal or LOG mode,
but it means we have to underexpose our video,
which leads to an unpleasant, dark look over the other parts of the 360 space.
But let’s take a look at the full image.
So here you can see the normal mode with the proper exposure.
And here is the LOG version.
And last but not least, the HDR video.
After colorgading the highlights still look perfect,
and I would love the shadows too, if I didn’t know, how it looks like in the LOG video.
It seems like a very different, not so shady forest.
And finally looking at best lit parts of the scene, everything looks very similar.
So usually the most visible differences appear in extreme light conditions.
But let’s see the indoor shots.
In this case, it’s quite a low-light scene, shot with ISO 400.
And it’s very important, that I was shooting manually,
so both the Normal and LOG footages were taken with the same exposure settings.
However, the LOG video seems to be a little bit less dark, but taking a closer look at it, also a little bit noisier.
But we have to keep in mind, that LOG format is not meant be used without post-processing,
and maybe the normal video went through some in-camera noise reduction,
or somewhere during the process Insta360 applied noise reduction.
And if you look at the details, you can see a much richer image in the LOG video.
So with a proper noise reduction during post-production we can possibly get a better result.
But looking at the HDR video, it’s really hard to find any cons over the normal mode.
As you can see, the overall image looks a little bit brighter,
but it can be the result of the automatic exposure,
compared to the normal mode, which was shot manually.
On the other hand HDR video doesn’t preserve highlights so much in this case.
Looking at the window, it looks almost the same,
and turning towards the door in the distance it looks a little bit brighter.
But I prefer the Normal mode in this case.
Looking at all the three variations, which one do you like the best in such a low-light indoor situation?
If you’ like to take a closer look to these videos, check out the 360 comparison in right top corner.
There you can watch each footages one by one and side by side with and without color correction.
So I hope I could help you select the best video profile for your videos, too,
and if you like this short comparison, please thumbs up.
And for further 360 contents and tutorials, please subscribe to my YouTube channel,
and see you next time!