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Color View

Image of the color view screen

Designed to allow users to perform color corrections, the "Color View" provides the camera's live video feed as well as a secondary feed with live color information.

The window to the left of the screen can provide, an RGB Parade a Waveform Monitor, a Vectorscope, and a Before Settings Snapshot.

RGB Parade​

Image of the RGB parade

Displays the Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) channels separately.

Steps to Color Correct Using the RGB Parade​

1. Identify Color Imbalances:

Open the RGB Parade scope in your editing or camera software.

Look for misalignment between the Red, Green, and Blue waveforms:

  • If one color is higher: That color is too strong.
  • If one color is lower: That color is too weak.

2. Adjust White Balance (Fix Color Cast):

If the RGB levels are not aligned, your image may have a color cast (too warm, cool, or tinted).

Adjust white balance (color temperature & tint) until the three channels are balanced in neutral areas (like white or gray objects).

  • Too much blue? Increase red and green or decrease blue.
  • Too much red? Increase blue and green or decrease red.

3. Correct Exposure & Contrast:

  • Ensure that the highlights (bright areas) reach near 100%, but don’t clip.
  • Shadows should be near 0% but still retain detail.
  • Midtones should be evenly balanced for a natural look.

4. Adjust Individual RGB Channels for Fine-Tuning:

If an image still looks off after white balance correction:

  • Use Red Gain, or Blue Gain to match the parade levels.
  • Make small changes to avoid unnatural color shifts.
tip

Right-click the RGB parade to save or copy the image to compare against another camera's RGB Parade.

Waveform Monitor​

Image of the waveform monitor

This tool helps you analyze brightness (luminance) in an image, ensuring proper exposure and contrast. Unlike an RGB Parade (which shows separate red, green, and blue channels), a waveform monitor focuses on luma (brightness levels).

Steps to Color Correct Using the Waveform Monitor​

1. Understand the Waveform Monitor Display:

  • Vertical Axis: Represents brightness from 0% (pure black) to 100% (pure white).
  • Horizontal Axis: Corresponds to the left-to-right placement of pixels in your frame.
  • Goal: Ensure shadows, midtones, and highlights are properly exposed.

2. Adjust Exposure & Black Levels:

  • Look at the bottom of the waveform (shadows).
  • Adjust brightness or black level so dark areas reach 0% without crushing details.
  • If shadows are too high, the image will look washed out. Lower them slightly.

3. Adjust Highlights & Whites:

  • Look at the top of the waveform (highlights).
  • Adjust contrast or highlights to bring the brightest parts close to 100% without clipping (blown-out whites).
  • If highlights are too low, the image will look flat.

4. Fix Midtones for Natural Skin Tones:

  • Midtones (skin tones, general lighting) should sit around 40-60% on the waveform.
  • Adjust gamma, exposure, or lift/gain to balance the image naturally.

5. Use the Waveform to Match Multiple Cameras:

  • If using multiple cameras, compare waveforms to ensure similar brightness and contrast levels across all feeds.
  • PTZ cameras may have different exposure settings—use the waveform to standardize them.

Vectorscope​

Image of the vectorscope

This tool measures color saturation and hue, helping you correct color imbalances and ensure skin tones look natural. It displays colors in a circular graph, with different sections representing red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, and yellow.

How to Use the Vectorscope for Color Correction​

1. Understand the Vectorscope Display:

  • The center represents neutral (no color/saturation).
  • Colors are plotted outward toward their respective targets (red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow).
  • More saturation = farther from the center.
  • Less saturation = closer to the center.
  • Goal: Ensure colors are balanced and properly saturated.

2. Correct White Balance (Neutral Colors):

  • If the vectorscope shows a color shift (e.g., too much blue or red), adjust the white balance settings until neutral areas (like whites and grays) move toward the center.
  • If colors lean toward one side, adjust the red, green, and blue gain to balance them.

3. Adjust Skin Tones Using the Skin Tone Line:

  • Most natural skin tones (all ethnicities) should align with the "skin tone line" (a diagonal line near the red section).
  • If skin tones are off:
    • Shift hue to move them toward the line.
    • Adjust saturation to control vibrancy.

4. Match Color Saturation Across Cameras:

  • If one camera has more or less saturation than another, use the vectorscope to match them.
  • Increase/decrease saturation until the scope readings match across cameras.

5. Fine-Tune Specific Colors:

  • If a scene looks too warm (yellow/red) or cool (blue/green), use the vectorscope to identify the dominant shift and correct it with hue and color balance adjustments.

Before Settings Snapshot​

Image of the before settings snapshot

As you make adjustments to the color, you may need to reference the image as it was before the changes were made. Use the "Before Settings Snapshot" to reference what've the changes you've made to the color settings.