When using Final Cut Pro's built in "Save Current Frame" option, the exported frame is darker than the original no matter what format the file is saved in. Obviously they should look exactly the same. I assume this is a bug because why would they do this on purpose? Screenshotting will get around this but it can be difficult to screenshot the viewer at 100% size and perfect dimensions. Shouldn't have to rely on that anyway.
Joe Redifer wrote:
In the meantime the easiest and fastest workaround I've found is to just convert the image to the REC 709 Gamma 2.4 profile in Photoshop which fortunately can be automated so it's literally one click.
Just have to figure out why FCP wants to export as BT.709-5. I'm surprised FCP even knows how to do that.
I think the issue Joema is describing is completely separate from your problem which I think is actually a non-issue if you set up Photoshop properly in order to work with images from other apps such as FCP. Converting to the profile that that image is tagged with is what you are supposed to do if you want the image in Photoshop to look the same as in FInal Cut Pro. This is how color management is supposed to work.
However, you should not be doing this manually for each image. It is much easier to set your Color Management Policy to Preserve Embedded Profiles in the Photoshop Color Settings (towards bottom of Edit Menu) which is generally the best way to set up Photoshop anyway unless you have a reason not to do so. I am not seeing any gamma shift when exporting current frame and opening in Photoshop when set up in this way.
It would be surprising if FCP did not tag an exported still with the same color space as the timeline. If the project is SDR, it will use REC709. If the project is HDR, it will use a REC2020 tag. Again this is how it is supposed to work.
However, I am seeing the changes that Joema is talking about when viewing images in Preview but that is not the issue for Joe R if you want to edit frames in Photoshop and return them to FCP in the same color space.
Final suggestion . . . download the free version of Resolve and see whether that is any better.
Ian, an example of why I might need to Save Current Frame would be to touch it up in Photoshop... such as to remove an object in a stop motion animation that only appears for one or two frames to prop something up, etc.
Joe Redifer wrote:
Ian, an example of why I might need to Save Current Frame would be to touch it up in Photoshop... such as to remove an object in a stop motion animation that only appears for one or two frames to prop something up, etc.
In that case, and while we wait for a fix, you may want to try the workaround that I described earlier.
It's not unpredictable, however. It happens every time. I think a report of "Save Current Frame always has a gamma shift in Sequoia . Every time, no matter what. Try it yourself, you'll see."
If that's not enough for Apple I weep for the industry.
Yes I agree. I was confused with what you said in your post about converting the image to Rec709 G2.4 in Photoshop. I thought you meant that you needed to do that to see the image as normal in Photoshop. There wasn't enough info to be honest as you didn't clarify what you were doing. It was only when I dug deeper that I figured it out. I don't know the cause but it seems to be only affecting Apple's own apps from the info we have as of now. The workaround for your purpose seems pretty straightforward though. I want to have a look to see what it is doing with HDR as well when I get a chance.
Ian, that looks like a good plugin, but I'd need much more finesse that only Photoshop can provide for such a task.
I didn't have time to check properly but now I have it is perfect . . . absolutely no difference when stepping through the timeline frame by frame.
Ian,
I have the studio version of Resolve but despite having used it many times I still haven't wrapped my head around it yet. It's not designed intuitively.
Gamma shift when using Save Current Frame. Why?
