The Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro have an 8-bit color profile named Normal. It is a pre-processed color mode ready to use that doesn’t need intensive color grading. The Pro model also offers a 10-bit flat profile, D-Cinelike, able to stand heavier post-processing using LUTs
I will analyze the two modes and show how and when to use them
For more details, it can be useful to watch my article about the best camera settings for video with the Mini 3 and 3 Pro
If you prefer to watch this as a video, you will find my YouTube version at the end of this article
8-bit Normal Mode
Normal mode can be used without editing, for users who don’t have access to a computer or need to post immediately on social media platforms
As an 8-bit color mode, it can display 16 million colors against more than 1 billion for a 10-bit profile
A wider color palette renders a better structure in the sky and avoids color banding in uniform areas and other artifacts, especially when heavier color grading is needed
Normal mode is the same in the Mini 3 and in the 3 Pro, although the Pro model has a bitrate of 150 Mbps vs 100 for the Mini 3
A higher bitrate means less compression of the file, which in theory results in better performances in post-processing, but the difference, in this case, is subtle
Footage shot in Normal is pre-processed to be ready to use
Here is some ungraded footage shot in easy light conditions in orange plantations on the East coast of Sicily, near Mount Etna
More details about exposure settings of the Mini 3 and 3 Pro are in this article
The footage is excellent and can be used without any grading, although things improve slightly by adding a touch of contrast and saturation
It is also possible to shoot video in portrait mode. The quality of vertical footage taken in Normal mode is the same as for horizontal format
Turning the camera down towards the ground we can concentrate on detail and color rendition. It is not easy to reproduce properly the detail in foliage and vegetation, but the Mini 3 Pro does an excellent job
Scenes with a large difference between the darkest and the brightest areas, also known as high dynamic range situations, are where 8-bit color modes tend to struggle
Under these conditions, a more intense color grading is needed. This is not the strong point of Normal mode. Being an already processed profile, it does not respond as well as a flat 10-bit one to post-processing
An area where the Mini 3 and 3 Pro shine (forgiving the pun) is night footage. Thanks to the wide aperture of f1.7, the sensor is capable of gathering plenty of light and the results are excellent
More details about night footage with the two models in this article
I am not overly worried about noise, as I use the excellent denoiser Neat Video, you can read here my dedicated article
10-bit D Cinelike
D Cinelike is the 10-bit flat profile available only in the Mini 3 Pro model. It is not meant to be used out of the camera and requires a good amount of post-processing
The availability of the 10-bit profile is one of the differences between the two models, you will find details about the other differences in this article.
More examples of the video quality of the Mini 3 and 3 Pro are here
It is called a flat profile because the contrast is reduced to protect the highlight, although it is not nearly as flat as other 10-bit profiles like D Log
Since 10-bit profiles can stand heavy editing, they are used in high dynamic range situations or to adapt the footage to the color range of a specific project
When editing 10-bit profiles, LUTs are frequently used. LUT stands for Look Up Table, it is an image file mapping the colors to modify the appearance of the footage
In the video above you can see variations of the same clip by using different LUT and different editing values, they can all work well according to the color theme of a specific project
Compared to the Normal profile, with D Cinelike the colors are generally richer and the structure of the sky is more dramatic
With a flat profile, the quality of the editing is crucial to achieve the best results
I suggest always using D Cinelike for footage taken in the direction of the sun and high dynamic range situations, as a flat profile reduces the contrast and makes it possible to protect the highlights while maintaining some information in the shadows. It is then possible to fine-tune them in post-processing
In this case, I found the footage overexposed to my taste, but this is what was required by the client, and using D Cinelike I managed to deliver exactly what I was asked