How to Shoot C-Log on the Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon has released a (paid) firmware update that finally introduced C-Log to a DSLR that isn’t the overpriced 1D-C. This flat shooting mode is more than a picture profile - it promises to expand the dynamic range of your camera to 12 stops and bring your image much more in line with the Cinema EOS line. So how do you use C-Log on the Canon 5D Mark IV?

1. Purchase The Upgrade

The first step is to ship (or drive) your 5D Mark IV to one of Canon’s authorized service centers. For this luxury, they will charge you $99. Canon won’t disclose what exactly needs to be upgraded, but they insist more than a simple firmware update is happening. Alternately, if you are buying new, you can purchase a camera body with the update already installed.

2. Turn on Canon Log

In the fifth camera menu, scroll down to Canon Log Settings, then toggle Canon Log on. 

3. Turn on View Assist

View Assist is a helpful feature that essentially applies a LUT to your viewfinder and LCD to bring the image you see closer to what a final graded image could look like. It re-saturates and boosts the contrast on the viewed image, but not the final recorded image. 

4. Settings to Taste

Canon has also included options to set custom sharpness, contrast, and saturation. If the stock log image isn’t to your liking, you have granular control over its behavior.

Notes

When shooting C Log on the 5D Mark IV, be cautious pushing the ISO. There have been reports of some banding and shadow-detail artifacts past the base ISO of 400. If you start to encounter banding or other such issues, one possible solution is to go to Camera Menu 1 > Lens Aberration Correction > Peripheral Illumination and turn it off. Otherwise just expose carefully, test your shots ahead of time, and know that you can do a lot to minimize these artifacts in post-production.

Notes

• Canon warns users of artifacts past ISO 400.
• When shooting video, sticking with intervals of 160 will provide the cleanest results (ie. 160, 320, 640).