X-Rite recently announced the latest addition to their family of ColorChecker charts, the big and beautiful, ColorChecker Video XL. I use these charts all the time, and have spoken at several events on behalf of X-Rite, about how useful I find them.
DISCLAIMER: It was also my production company that was commissioned to create the launch video for the new XL. (This is not a review!) I’m simply sharing news about the product here and cinema5D as a company are not associated with X-Rite.
Why XL?
Until now, there has only been the smaller ColorChecker passport and standard ColorChecker sizes. The passport is great for pack shots and other close up work, whereas the standard size chart is ideal for interviews and situations where your subject is only a few meters away. But, if you were in a situation where your camera was a long way from the chart, you would find the colour chips on the chart were too small in the frame to make meaningful adjustments in post-production. To quote X-Rite, ‘with ColorChecker Video XL, users can increase capture resolution for post, maintain the same lighting conditions falling on their subject, eliminate the need to move the camera closer or adjust focal length, and minimize color casting from surrounding light.’
Use Cases
With the release of the ColorChecker Video XL, it is now possible to capture more useful colour information when shooting with drones, multicamera shoots, or large format cameras rigged in such a way that they cannot be simply moved towards the chart and back again. It provides the same chromatic colours, skin tones and grey reference chips as the standard size ColorChecker Video but is twice the size, measuring 53.3cm x 37.5cm. The only slight drawback, in my opinion, is that there is no white balance side to the XL chart, unlike the two smaller ColorChecker Video charts.
The new X-Rite ColorChecker Video XL is shipping now, either as a standalone product, or bundled with new accessories, which include a configurable case, which holds the chart in place whilst protecting it from smudges and marks, as well as a simple soft pouch.
Next time you’re on an aerial shoot, do you see yourself using this XL chart? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
