How to Color Grade DJI D-Log M Footage Online

D-Log M is DJI's log color profile — available on the Mavic 3, Air 3S, Mini 4 Pro, and Osmo Pocket 3. It captures a wider dynamic range than standard color profiles by flattening the image, which means footage looks washed out and low-contrast straight out of the camera.

That's intentional. The flat image is designed to be graded in post. Here's how to do it without installing DaVinci Resolve.

What D-Log M Footage Looks Like

Fresh D-Log M footage has:

• Muted, desaturated colours
• Lifted blacks (shadows look grey, not dark)
• Compressed highlights
• An overall flat, low-contrast appearance

This isn't a problem — it's the starting point. The extra information preserved in the highlights and shadows is what you're going to work with in post.

Step 1 — Download the Official DJI LUT

DJI publishes a free D-Log M → Rec709 conversion LUT for each camera. This is the technical correction that converts the flat log footage back to a normal-looking image with accurate colour.

Get it from dji.com/lut. Download the version for your specific drone model — Mavic 3, Air 3S, Mini 4 Pro, or Osmo Pocket 3. They're all similar but not identical.

Step 2 — Extract a Frame from Your Footage

Luttie works with still images, so you need a representative frame from your clip. In VLC: pause on the frame you want and go to Video → Take Snapshot. In QuickTime: use Edit → Copy on a paused frame, then paste into Preview and export as JPEG or PNG.

Choose a frame with a good mix of highlights, shadows, and any subject you care about (sky, skin tones, landscape).

Step 3 — Apply the Technical LUT in Luttie

1. Open luttie.app/editor and upload your frame
2. In the right panel, go to the Creative section
3. Drag the DJI .cube file into the custom LUT drop zone
4. The image should now look neutral — correctly exposed with realistic colours

Check the result:

• Grey or neutral areas should have no colour cast
• Sky should be a clean blue, not teal or purple
• Skin tones should look natural
• Highlights should be bright but not blown out

If something looks wrong, try the LUT for a different DJI model from the same page — they vary slightly across cameras.

Step 4 — Build Your Creative Grade

Now that the technical correction is applied, you're grading a normal-looking image. The creative grade is where you develop the actual look.

Basic Correction — start here

• Adjust exposure if the frame is too bright or dark
• Tweak white balance if the colour temperature is off
• A small contrast boost (+10 to +15) adds punch back after the flat log profile

Curves — the core of the look

• A gentle S-curve on the master channel increases contrast without clipping
• Pull the red channel up slightly in the midtones for warmth
• Push the blue channel down in the midtones for that classic cinematic orange/teal split

Colour Wheels

• Push shadows slightly toward teal or blue
• Push midtones slightly toward amber or orange
• Keep highlights neutral or slightly warm

HSL

• Boost orange saturation +10–15 to lift skin tones and warm tones
• Reduce blue saturation -10 to keep skies from going garish

Step 5 — Export the LUT

When the grade looks right, export it as a .cube file from the bottom of the panel. This LUT contains both the technical D-Log M correction and your creative grade baked into a single file.

In DaVinci Resolve: drop the .cube into the LUT browser and apply it in the Color page. In Premiere Pro: apply it via the Lumetri Color panel. In Final Cut Pro: use the Custom LUT effect. In CapCut: go to Adjust → LUT → import.

The same LUT now works across your entire clip — and any other D-Log M footage you shoot in similar conditions.

Tips

Don't push the grade too hard on smaller sensors. The Mini 4 Pro has less dynamic range headroom than the Mavic 3. Keep the creative grade subtle — heavy grades show noise in the shadows faster on smaller sensors.

Match the grade to a reference. If you have a film frame or photo with a look you like, upload it as a reference in the Color Match section. Luttie will derive a colour transform from your image toward the reference, which you can then bake into the exported LUT.

Save your grade as a preset. If you develop a consistent look for your drone footage, save it as a user preset in the Creative section. Next time you open Luttie, you can apply it in one click and refine from there.