A simple workflow for taking flat DJI Osmo Pocket 3 D-Log M footage and turning it into a finished colour grade without making the process unnecessarily complicated.
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The video above shows the basic ToneLab Chroma workflow inside DaVinci Resolve. The camera may change from project to project, but the principle remains straightforward: choose the correct camera conversion, balance the footage, develop the creative look and finish the image.
Why DJI Pocket 3 D-Log M footage looks flat when you first bring it into the edit.
One of the first questions people have after recording D-Log M on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is why the footage looks grey, low in contrast or considerably less colourful than it did on location.
That flat appearance is part of the point.
D-Log M gives you a more flexible starting image for post-production rather than trying to deliver the final contrast and colour directly from the camera.
Flat D-Log M footage is not the finished look. It is the starting point for the grade.
So if you're searching for how to grade DJI Pocket 3 D-Log M footage, how to make Pocket 3 LOG footage look normal or how to convert DJI Pocket 3 D-Log M to Rec.709, the first stage is establishing the correct technical starting point.
To colour grade DJI Pocket 3 D-Log M footage, begin with a conversion designed specifically for D-Log M, then correct exposure and white balance where necessary before developing the creative look. ToneLab Chroma provides a supported Pocket 3 D-Log M conversion and lets you continue into the creative grade within the same workflow.
Understand what you recorded before deciding how you want the finished film to look.
D-Log M is one of the colour modes available on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. It gives the footage a flatter appearance so that more of the tonal information can be preserved for post-production.
That gives you more freedom when you reach DaVinci Resolve, particularly if you want to control contrast, highlight behaviour, colour and the overall character of the image rather than relying entirely on the look produced in-camera.
The trade-off is that D-Log M footage normally needs to be processed before it looks finished.
You therefore need to think about two separate stages: technical conversion and creative colour grading.
The workflow is deliberately simple: convert correctly first, then make the creative decisions.
Make sure the footage was actually recorded using D-Log M before choosing the conversion. The technical starting point needs to match the footage.
Apply the DJI Pocket 3 D-Log M conversion in ToneLab Chroma so the flat source image is moved towards a conventional viewing starting point.
Judge exposure, white balance and shot consistency. A conversion should not be expected to fix every decision made while filming.
Once the technical image is controlled, choose the creative direction and refine contrast, saturation, colour and finishing according to the footage.
Start with a correct D-Log M conversion before treating contrast and saturation as purely creative adjustments.
Convert the source correctly, balance the individual clip and then develop the final colour and character of the image.
A suitable technical conversion is one way to handle D-Log M. The important part is distinguishing conversion from the creative look you add afterwards.
Use a conversion designed for the Pocket 3 D-Log M source footage rather than applying an unrelated creative LUT.
It does not need to be. Keeping the technical conversion and creative grade as separate stages makes the process much easier to understand.
ToneLab currently lists the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 D-Log M profile among its supported camera conversions.
Why ToneLab Chroma makes sense for this particular type of camera workflow.
There are several valid ways to process DJI Pocket 3 D-Log M inside DaVinci Resolve.
You can use DJI's own technical LUT, build a colour-managed workflow or create a manual node structure.
For this workflow I'm using ToneLab Chroma because it keeps the supported camera conversion and creative side of the grade within one relatively straightforward system.
That's particularly useful with a camera such as the Pocket 3. One of its strengths is how quickly you can take it out and start filming. I don't necessarily want the post-production side to become disproportionately complicated afterwards.
Pocket 3 is a fast camera to shoot with. The grading workflow can be fast as well.
ToneLab doesn't remove the need to judge the footage. Exposure, white balance, consistency and creative intent still matter. What it can do is make the journey from the flat D-Log M file to a useful grading starting point easier and more repeatable.
Start with a technical conversion designed for DJI Pocket 3 D-Log M footage. Once converted, adjust exposure and white balance where needed and then develop the creative colour, contrast and finishing of the image.
D-Log M deliberately produces a flatter image than a finished standard colour mode. It gives you a more flexible starting point for post-production rather than trying to create the finished contrast and colour in-camera.
Begin by applying the correct D-Log M conversion. This establishes a more conventional technical starting point before you make the creative decisions about contrast, saturation and the final look.
Yes. DJI provides a D-Log M to Rec.709 LUT for Pocket 3, and compatible third-party workflows such as ToneLab Chroma can also provide a supported conversion as part of the grading process.
There isn't one creative LUT that is automatically best for every shot. Separate the technical conversion from the creative grade. Start with the correct D-Log M conversion and then choose the look according to the footage and the film you are trying to create.
ToneLab currently lists the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 D-Log M profile among the supported DJI camera conversions in Chroma.
Yes. The process becomes easier when you separate it into stages: identify the source footage, convert it correctly, balance the shot and only then decide on the creative look.
Not necessarily. D-Log M is useful when you want additional flexibility in post-production, but there are situations where a more finished in-camera colour mode may be quicker. Choose the recording mode according to how much control you want later.
If you want to follow the ToneLab Chroma workflow shown here, use SONGHURST20 to receive 20% off ToneLab Chroma.
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