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April 9, 2025
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If you’ve ever shot in Sony SLOG3 and felt overwhelmed the moment you imported your footage—you’re not alone.
It looks flat. Desaturated. Washed out.
And if you’re not sure what to do next, color grading can feel like guesswork.
I’ve been there.
When I first started shooting log, I thought I was doing something wrong. I didn’t understand why my image looked so bad out of camera, and why it was so hard to “bring it back to life.”
Then I discovered the importance of applying a base Rec.709 LUT—and everything changed.
What Is Sony SLOG3?
Sony SLOG3 is a log gamma profile used in cameras like the FX3, A7SIII, FX6, and others. It’s designed to capture more dynamic range by flattening the image—preserving highlight and shadow detail that traditional video profiles throw away.
This makes it ideal for color grading, but only if you know how to properly convert it.
Why You Should Never Grade Sony SLOG3 Without a Rec.709 LUT First
SLOG3 isn’t designed to look good on its own—it’s meant to be interpreted.
When you apply a technical LUT that converts SLOG3 to Rec.709, you’re bringing your footage into a standard color space, making it viewable and gradable across screens and platforms.
This one step turns flat log footage into a workable image with:
- Natural contrast
- Balanced saturation
- Proper white and black levels
- Skin tones you can actually work with
It becomes a foundation, not a final look. From there, you can build creative grades without guessing.
My Workflow for Grading Sony SLOG3 in Premiere Pro
This is the same process I teach in my full Premiere Pro course, and what I use in client work.
Step 1: Import your footage
Make sure everything is shot in SLOG3/S-Gamut3.Cine for consistency.
Step 2: Create an Adjustment Layer
Apply all your technical LUTs here, so you’re not baking them into individual clips.
Step 3: Apply the Rec.709 Conversion LUT
In Lumetri Color → Basic Correction → Input LUT → load your Sony Rec.709 LUT.
👉 Download Free Sony SLOG3 LUTs (Rec.709) from Sony
Look for:
SLog3-S-Gamut3.Cine_To_Rec709.cube
Step 4: Do your creative grade on top
Now your footage is in a proper state to:
- Adjust exposure
- Work on skin tones
- Stylize with curves, HSL tools, color wheels
If you start without converting to Rec.709, you’ll constantly be fighting the footage. You’re grading from a broken baseline.
Download My Free Sony SLOG3 LUTs
👉 Download My Free Sony SLOG3 LUT Pack
What Good SLOG3 Colour Grading Actually Looks Like
Great SLOG3 grading isn’t about pushing the footage—it’s about control.
You want:
- Skin tones that stay natural under pressure
- Blacks that feel rich, not crushed
- Highlights that roll off without harsh clipping
- A grade that holds up across multiple lighting conditions
You get that when your base is accurate. That’s why the Rec.709 conversion is so essential—without it, your grade is built on sand.
Real Grading vs. YouTube Hacks
There are a ton of videos showing how to “grade SLOG3 in 2 minutes” by just dragging sliders and adding teal-orange.
It works for some quick content.
But if you want repeatable, professional results, you need structure. That starts with proper conversion.
This is exactly what I teach inside my Premiere Pro Beginner Course, where we work on a real commercial project using SLOG3 footage—graded step by step.
Final Word
If you’re shooting SLOG3, don’t treat it like standard video.
And don’t skip the normalization step.
Apply the Rec.709 LUT first. Then grade.
That one move took my work from inconsistent to client-ready.
And it will do the same for you.