LuttieLUTs for Nikon N-Log
N-Log comes off the card flat, grey and slightly green. That green is the curve, not your white balance. These convert to Rec.709 and carry a look with them.
Z6 · Z7 · Z8 · Z9
Convert N-Log before you grade it
Log footage is recorded flat on purpose: it holds highlight and shadow detail far outside what a display can show. A look LUT does not expand that range, so applied straight to log the image stays washed out and the highlights stay dead. Convert to Rec.709 first, then grade on top. Technical transform, then look, in that order.
The workflow
Shoot N-Log internally or to ProRes RAW
The Z8 and Z9 record N-Log internally. Earlier bodies need an external recorder.
Ignore the green cast on set
N-Log looks green before conversion. Correcting it on the log signal overshoots once the transform is applied.
Convert to Rec.709
One conversion at the bottom of the stack. These LUTs contain it already.
Judge colour after the conversion
White balance decisions only make sense once the curve is normalised.
Nikon N-Log LUT Pack — 5 Conversion LUTs for N-Log
5 Nikon N-Log to Rec.709 .cube LUTs that convert and grade in one file. Neutral conversion plus warm, cool, contrast and faded looks. For the Z6, Z7, Z8, Z9 and Zf.
- Neutral Rec.709
- Warm Cinematic
- Cool Moody
- High Contrast
- Faded Film
Questions
The Z6, Z6 II, Z6 III, Z7, Z7 II, Z8 and Z9. The Z8 and Z9 record it internally in 10-bit; earlier bodies need an external recorder for N-Log over HDMI.
That is the curve, not a white balance error. N-Log sits green before conversion. Convert to Rec.709 first, then judge the colour.
No. These contain the conversion. Applying Nikon's underneath converts twice and crushes the result.
N-RAW is debayered by your editor before you grade, so it arrives in a normal colour space. These LUTs are for N-Log video, though the looks themselves still work over a normalised N-RAW clip.
Longer walkthrough: grading N-Log footage step by step. Not sure which profile you shot? Find the LUT for your camera.