How to get LOG on any Nikon Camera for FREE (Z6 / Z6ii / Z7 / Z7ii / D780 / Z50)

How to get #NLOG on the #Nikon #Z6 / #Z6ii / #Z7 / #Z7ii / #D780 for #FREE (or any Nikon Camera)

So I recently got the #NikonZ6 and I was very disappointed to learn there was no LOG profile when recording internally in 8 BIT. Seeing as the Canon & Sony competition has this function, I figured there had to be a way to attain it. So I set out on a mission to get LOG on the Nikon Z6, without using the atomos ninja V.

DOWNLOADS:

FOLLOW ME:

FOLLOW DAMON:

[AlexKall]

Firstly thank you Johann for a good profile!

Secondly here is a fix for everyone who is using a DSLR that does not support NP3 (Tested with NP2 camera).

Add your camera model:

Open up the Picture control software after install.
Top left you need to select your product (Camera model), click the dropdown and select Add product.
Product category should say "Digital SLR Cameras", in "Product" dropdown on the right you should pick your model, for example D500, this supports NP2.
Click "Add"
Your camera model should now be visible in the list below, click your camera name and press "OK"

Now to import Jakes profile that you have downloaded:

Back in the main program window, press "Imports custom Picture Control from file", it's the folder and arrow symbol on the bottom left in the main program window.
Locate the file you downloaded, called J-LOG, select it and press "Open".
It should now load and be present at the bottom of the Picture Control selection box above the "Imports custom Picture Control from file" button. Select it by clicking once on it.

Now, to save it to a file your camera can read you need to create a file with the same settings. Sounds simpler than it is, but it's actually very easy, just a few clicks!

When the picture control profile has been selected you can view it's properties on the right side of the program window, it says "Histograms", "Adjustments", "Quick Adjust" etc. At the bottom of those settings there is a button called "Add to list" (bottom left of main program window), click it once.
A new window opens, give it a name, it will suggest a new name, you can accept that and change the name in camera later. Press "OK"

There should now be a new profile under it with the new name, for me it was "J-LOG-02" and to the right it should have the file format your camera supports instead of NP3. Now select this profile by clicking on it once. Insert your memory card from your camera, it does NOT need to be formatted (at least not for me on my D500). In the Picture Control software main window press "Save to Card". This will save the file into the correct folder and create it if it does not exist. And then follow the instructions for your specific camera on how to import the file, it should now be visible (follow video).

I hope this helped, happy shooting!

[evgeniyyavtushenko]

It's a nice idea, but you won't be able to gain much by doing this. Probably quite the opposite.
When you invert the luma curve in profile builder, you lower mid-tone contrast without gaining much dynamic range. You can only lower saturation linearly, which is not a good idea too. When it's time to normalize it, you will get more banding and artifacts because of the 100mb/s limitation in 4k.

From my own tests, the best thing for Nikon's internal recording is to shoot everything in neutral with dialed down sharpness and -1 to contrast and saturation. I avoided flat profile because it also removes mid-tone contrast, and skin tones have a weird pinkish color.

[MasteAlex]

A massive thanks! You're the first person on youtube who actually did something for those who don't own Ninja recorder for Log format.

[koolkutz]

I have found that an easy way to create a cinematic LOG profile 'look' on a Nikon camera; mine is the D7500 (you can probably do this on other brands too) is to simply select the 'Set Picture Control' from the shooting menu; Select FLAT, then go into the fine tuning section by pressing right on the D-Pad. This brings up all the parameters, simply experiment by lowering all the values to the left (minus values) for the Sharpening, Clarity, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation & Hue, then hit the OK button and you have a very flat image to work with.

[ajitsingh]

A Huge Thanks for you Johann. You are the real youtuber those help others. You are not to be one those sell everything of photography product on the chaneel

[RichardNievesNY]

I precisely came out of BH PHOTO disappointed at the Atoms Ninja & memory card price tags. You tip is much much much appreciated! Subscribed!! Thanks!!!!

[mickue]

I really love your calm style. Very refreshing in times of "YO PEOPLE! ITS ME! HIT THAT SUBSCRIPE BUTTON!

[pakuplue]

FYI/PSA - for thoes of you who might be having the same issue i had, don't try and use the SD card on your z6ii to download the profile. It will ONLY work when using your xqd/cfx card to transfer the file to camera. BTW, huge thanks for the free profile my man!!!

[staticvideo]

Love this, thanks a ton! Just one question - do you have a lut for a Rec709 for the j-log? Or is there going to be any?

[zakcole]

Loved this and have downloaded your J LOG. Thanks Bru! Quick question: have you created a ‘conversion LUT’ that you apply to your J LOG footage? If so, it’d be a massive time saver for anyone, like me, who has benefited from your J LOG 😊

[RickValasek]

Great idea...however without the Ninja V you're still recording in 8-bit. You really need 10-bit to take advantage of the tonal compression factor that log profiles create. In 8-bit you can expand some of the colors (but you sacrifice others in the process). The only thing better than 10-bit is ProRes at 12-bit (or shoot on an Arri at 14-bit.

[zakariyanasr]

How to install the picture profile instructions:
1- Connect a memory card to your computer and format it:.
2- Create a folder on the card and name it NIKON
.
3- Create another folder called CUSTOMPC within the NIKON folder you previously made. Drag the file you downloaded into that CUSTOMPC folder.
4- Eject card and put into your Nikon.
5- Under the Shooting menu, select Manage Picture Control > Load/Save > Copy To Camera.


Enjoy

[joyoffilming]

Hi Johann, thanks for sharing!
I installed the picture profile on my Nikon D810, and it worked. Wow - thats very flat, indeed.
Even better: this Log-Profile allows me to transform the Nikon D810 footage into Aces Colorspace in Davinci Resolve and get it very close colorwise to the look of my Panasonic Lumix S1H. Okay, the Nikon is 6 years old and has HD only at 420 8Bit 20 MBit/sec, and low light comes not even close to the S1H, and there is no IBIS at all, and the glasses are focus-breathing like hell - but, if you are out for stills with the old beast and something comes across worth getting captured as film - then you will get the best out of it.

[darrenbivings]

Even though I can't use Log on my Nikon D850, I found your video very entertaining. Keep up the good work and keep that unusual sense of humor sharp and funny.

[grandMASTER]

My man, thank you!! I love seeing more YouTube support and love coming to the Z6, such a dope system and this little trick makes it even better

[Chih-Wei_Chang]

Thank you for the video! Very entertaining and impressive too! Just wondering whether if you could make a comparison video of perhaps J-Log vs N-Log vs Flat Profile etc.? Thanks again!

[thomasalemania]

Thanks for your work! I´m not really advanced in color grading but have some experience. I tried your picture style in comparison to Nikon Flat on a Z6 at ISO 1600 and the result was: at the first glance the whole footage was brighter and so there was notably more noise at J-Log. When I reduced brightness to the same level there was a bit more noise at J-Log but the white parts have been much less bright, what we want. When I didn´t correct with brightness but with gamma to the same brightness there was at J-Log only a little bit more noise and the dynamic was much better. The white parts have been notably less white/bright. So in total, after a first try, a progress regarding Nikons Flat. Thanks.

[siddharthchakravarty]

Two important things that these kind of videos assume that the viewers already know, is the importance of Exposure and lighting.
No matter which editor/picture profile/ log setting you use. If your image is not properly exposed and illuminated then no picture profile or log will save you. Yes this sounds really basic but so many people make mistakes while setting the exposure and lighting for the scene and then expect the editing software to save the footage just because the camera operator has chosen to use a log or flat picture profile setting (that is a wrong expectation on the camera operators part).

Make sure you use all the exposure tools such as histograms and if available, waveforms and vector scopes, and expose to the right as long as you are not clipping highlights (For moving scenes where lighting is changing, consider using a good quality variable ND filter to adjust the highlights on the fly). And try not to challenge the dynamic range of the camera and just light up the scene properly.

And you should be fine.

[Murk.mp]

holy— the production value is really good!

[grumpyoldphotographer]

Thank you for posting this. Your PC works just fine on my Z6 and Z50.