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HLG3 vs SLOG 3 — Comparison on a Sony A7R IV
HLG3 and S-log 3 are two of the most debated picture profiles for Sony cameras. It took me a week to find out which of them is better and what I would recommend using.
This article will be kept on point. If you still think it takes too much time to read it or you're a visual person, here is the video version.
Working with different picture profiles can be quite frustrating.
Especially as there are dozens of them and every YouTuber recommends a different one with slightly changed settings.
To narrow it down, I picked out the profiles with the (in my opinion) the highest potential for comparison.
S-Log 3
Log profiles are flat (greyish) profiles that help sony alpha users to get more out of their 8-bit footage. With Log profiles, it’s possible to retain a high dynamic range (HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. That means a larger, more perceptible contrast between the brightest and darkest parts of an image).
HLG3
The abbreviation for Hybrid Log-Gamma delivers you a less flat profile straight out of the camera. It’s easier to work with during production but leaves you fewer options in post. And this hybrid profile is supposed to have a nearly similar dynamic range.
I took both and applied various color grades to see how they perform under the same circumstances.
The grades
Let’s have a look at the base grade.. (Note: I’m not a professional colorist)
