Nikon Z 6II, Z 7II ‪‎(N-Log Recording Edition)‬ Technical Guide

Professional

Technical Guide

— N-Log Recording —

En

Table of Contents

N ‑Log: A Primer ................................................................... 3

• Why Use N‑Log? ............................................................................... 4

Filming N‑Log Footage ...................................................... 6

• Using Camera Controls .................................................................10

• View Assist .......................................................................................11

• Ensuring Consistent Exposure ....................................................12

2

N ‑Log: A Primer

The term “N‑Log” is an amalgam of “N”, for “Nikon”, and “log”,
short for “logarithmic function”. The logarithmic function
in question is that used in digitizing light levels based on
the density characteristics of negative lm to render expo‑
sure dierences much as humans perceive them. This is
known as a “log curve”.

The process of lming movies using a log curve is referred
to as “logarithmic” or “log‑format” recording. Log format
recording preserves highlights and shadows in scenes in
which they would otherwise be lost and is intended for
footage that will be processed post‑production, when
color grading can be used to produce high‑quality video
with a wide color gamut that takes advantage of the large
amount of tone information available for an expanded dy‑
namic range and smooth color gradients.

Nikon’s unique N‑Log format was developed to take full
advantage of sensor dynamic range. It oers excellent bal‑
ance between highlights and shadows and is optimized
for 10‑bit movie recording.

3

Why Use N-Log?

l

Shooting in N‑Log format preserves details in highlights
and shadows and expands the range of eects available
through color grading.

Preserving Details in Highlights and ShadowsPreserving Details in Highlights and Shadows

N‑Log preserves highlights and shadows in high‑contrast
shots, such as those that mix indoor and outdoor lighting.

Footage shot without N‑Log shows
loss of detail in highlights.

N‑Log produces colors with less ap‑
parent contrast but more variation.

Highlights, shadows, and color
variation preserved.

4

Non–
N‑Log

N‑Log

N‑Log
+ color
grading

Improved Color GradingImproved Color Grading

Third‑party movie‑editing software that supports color
grading can be used to process the same footage in a va‑
riety of dierent ways, as is shown in the examples below.

No color grading

5