Log profile
A camera sensor captures far more brightness range than a standard video file can hold. A log profile compresses that range using a logarithmic curve, so highlights and shadows survive in a flat, washed-out looking image. The footage looks dull straight out of the camera, but it carries the detail a colourist needs to shape the final look without clipping or banding.
Each manufacturer has its own version: Sony S-Log3, ARRI Log-C, Panasonic V-Log, Canon C-Log. In the grade, the colourist converts log into a viewable space like Rec. 709, using a LUT or a colour-managed workflow. Because log holds so much information, this transform can be pushed hard, which is exactly why high-end productions shoot log rather than a baked-in profile.
Examples
- •A Sony camera records S-Log3 to keep highlight detail in a bright sky
- •An ARRI Log-C clip is converted to Rec. 709 with a conversion LUT
- •A V-Log shoot gives the colourist room to recover shadow detail
In Sanbila
Sanbila streams your original log footage at full quality for the grade, so the colourist works with the complete dynamic range rather than a proxy that already baked in a look.
Frequently asked questions
How is Sanbila different from the proxy generator built into my NLE?+
Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro and Avid all generate proxies locally, but they keep the original full-resolution files on the same SSD — so the disk fills up twice. Sanbila stores the originals in the cloud (Cloudflare R2) and keeps only the lightweight proxies on your machine. At export, Smart Relink streams the originals back via a local WebDAV mount, so you finish at full quality without ever downloading the source files.
Does Sanbila work offline?+
Yes for editing — once a proxy is cached on your SSD, you can cut, trim, color and arrange your timeline without an internet connection. You only need network access for the initial import (uploading originals to the cloud) and for the final export (streaming originals back via WebDAV).
How much cloud storage does the free plan include?+
The free plan includes 5 GB of cloud storage and one project, with no credit card required. Paid plans start at $49 per month for 2 TB and 50 projects, going up to 25 TB on the Enterprise plan with overage billing for teams that need more.
What upload speed do I need to use Sanbila?+
Any broadband connection works for the initial upload — Sanbila chunks files into 50 MB parts and uploads in parallel, so a typical 100 Mbps fiber line uploads 1 hour of 4K H.264 footage in about 6 minutes. After upload, day-to-day editing happens on local proxies, so your connection speed only matters again at export time when originals are streamed.
Which video formats does Sanbila support?+
Sanbila handles 22+ formats out of the box: MP4, MOV, MXF, R3D (RED RAW), BRAW (Blackmagic RAW), ARRI proxies, ProRes, DNxHR, DNxHD, H.264, H.265, plus WAV and AAC for audio. Both 4K and 8K sources are supported up to 200 GB per single file (URL imports have no size limit).
Related terms
Sources
- Sony S-Log3 technical guide · Sony
- Colour management in DaVinci Resolve · Blackmagic Design