Since most DJI Mavic 2 Pro owners choose HLG and DLOG over Normal, We Talk UAV compared the three color profiles to see if HLG and DLOG are truly better in this test video:
Findings after comparisons
After filming the same shot using different codecs and color profiles, We Talk UAV found that the Normal color profile forced the drone to record videos in 8-bit! The Normal color profile also applied auto lens correction.
Video information can be seen by using VLC media player: press “CMD + I” on Mac or “CTRL + I” on Windows to pull up video information. Alternatively, other software like Mediainfo can be used to open a file and display its information.
Why use Normal over other color profiles?
One benefit that the Normal color profile has over other color profiles is that it is basically designed to be ready to go. HLG and DLOG videos have more information, but videos shot using these color profiles are flat so that editors can have more flexibility in post to adjust lens correction, sharpness, saturation, contrast and other settings for a desired look. HLG and DLOG videos require over four steps in post editing, whereas videos shot using the Normal color profile can be mixed in a video right away or after applying a LUT, which is like a preset for changing the overall look of a video.
Since only one step is all it takes to use videos shot with the Normal color profile, there will be less time required in post.
Even after color correcting HLG and DLOG footage, Normal footage looked identical on We Talk UAV’s 5K retina display.
