Description
Phantom LUTs Mavic 3 Pro
Unlock Creative Possibilities with Phantom LUTs for Mavic 3 Pro
For drone enthusiasts and professional filmmakers flying the Mavic 3 family (including the Mavic 3 Classic, Mavic 3 Pro, and Mavic 3 Pro Cine), the world of post-production color grading can often feel limited by the default DJI Technical LUTs. While these LUTs get the job done, they don’t always offer the creative flexibility or cinematic depth that many filmmakers desire.
That’s where Phantom LUTs come in.
Developed with the needs of drone users in mind, Phantom LUTs provide a much broader color palette and better creative options for those who want to take their Mavic 3 footage to the next level. Whether you’re shooting in D-Log or D-Log M, this LUT package includes several powerful tools designed to elevate your workflow.
Why Use Phantom LUTs for Mavic 3 Pro Footage?
Here’s why Phantom LUTs are a game-changer for Mavic 3 users:
1. Enhanced Color Grading Potential
DJI’s default LUTs can be limited, particularly if you’re trying to push your footage creatively. Phantom LUTs, on the other hand, offer a richer foundation for color grading, especially when using D-Log and D-Log M footage. You’ll have more room to manipulate the colors, contrast, and highlights to match your vision.
2. ARRI Alexa 709 Look Without the Expensive Camera
The ARRI Alexa 709 color science is a gold standard in the film industry. It’s widely known for its true-to-life colors, natural highlight roll-off, and cinematic depth. Now, Mavic 3 Pro users can access that high-end, professional look without breaking the bank or using an ARRI camera.
3. Ease of Use
Phantom LUTs are designed with simplicity in mind. Even if you’re not a professional colorist, applying these LUTs to your footage is easy. Whether you’re using DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro, these LUTs are plug-and-play, helping you get to a great starting point for further grading.
4. Creative Flexibility
The 4 creative variation LUTs allow you to explore different visual moods, and the 6 Film Emulation LUTs give you the power to bring that nostalgic, filmic aesthetic to your drone shots. This variety means you’re not stuck with one look—you can choose the LUT that fits the vibe of your project.
The 'ARRI Looks’
The 'Film Looks'
The ARRI 5-Pack
Along with the emulation LUT, there are 4 creative variation LUTs that come with it packaged as the ARRI LUT 5 Pack.
A lot of Mavic 3 (Pro/Cine) users have emailed me describing their dissatisfaction with the colours coming out of it’s camera. Having recently purchased a Mavic 3 myself I decided to develop a LUT to emulate my Alexa Mini using the tried and true process I developed with Sony, Canon and Blackmagic cameras. While no camera is perfect, personally I find the Alexa’s colour science to be the gold standard in terms natural, accurate and beautiful colours right out of the box as a starting point to grade from.
Over the course of a few days, I shot exposure matched test footage with my Alexa Mini and a Mavic 3 (Pro/Cine) side by side. I shot in sunlight, shadow, overcast, indoor daylight, indoor mixed lighting, controlled studio lighting and all with my trusty Xrite Colour Checker Classic Card and my Xrite Digital Color Checker SG Card.
In total I shot approximately 80 scenes this way. With each set up I recorded 3 exposures – under 2 stops over 2 stops and correct exposure. With the extensive data gathered, I was able to build an emulation that is extremely accurate; factoring in not just the overall colour response but also the more subtle aspects of the Alexa colour science that it borrowed from photochemical film such as it’s non linear hue responses for rich, complex colours, subtractive colour modeling in relation to luminance vs saturation dynamics and the Alexa’s overall saturation profile for beautiful highlight rolloff and shadow falloff to name a few.
The 5 ARRI LUTs Described Below:
Neutral
- A neutral ARRI look - no colour cast or 'look' - just the classic ALEXA Rec709 look.
Tungsten
A slightly warmer golden cast designed to be utilized for subjects bathed in tungsten light.
Ice Blue
Blue, colder cast with punchy, deep blues (looks amazing on subjects with blue eyes).
Jamaica
Green and gold cast - distinctive, rich, filmic greens and beautiful golden skin tones.
Utopia
The most filmic look of the LUTs
Blood red reds and filmic blues and greens. It’s my personal take on what Utopia would look like.
These LUTs are designed to deliver:
1) An organic, smooth and gentle highlight roll-off that mimics Alexa in it’s highlight rendering to give an overall organic and naturalistic feel to the footage.
2) Natural skin tones designed to render contrast levels on skin like an ARRI Alexa.
3) Naturalistic, organic and classic colours.
4) Rich but not crushed shadows so that these LUTs can be used in low light scenes as well as broad daylight.
5) Commensurate exposure levels with the input footage that don’t shrink the dynamic range of the camera (by blowing out the highlights and crushing the shadows) or radically change the exposure value or luminance of the originating image.
The FILM 6-Pack
For the nostalgic among you, I have developed 6 Film Emulation LUTs that each emulate film stocks from the past.
The ‘Film Look’ LUT Pack contains 6 LUTs inspired by real film stocks designed to give your D-Log and D-Log M footage the Film Look. The emulations are based on my own research and subjective impressions of the film stocks listeed.
The 6 FILM LUTs Described Below:
‘Vision’ - Kodak Vision 5274
‘Vision’ - Modelled on Kodak Vision 5274
Shot on: The Matrix, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Gladiator
The most colour accurate stock with accurate blues, slightly cool greens, accurate skin tones which slightly skew pink/gold
Strong contrast and filmic subtractive colour model in saturation
Gentle roll off and rich, smooth fall off in shadows
Skews green in shadow areas and when underexposed
Classic film character but less stylised than any other stock
‘Eastman’ - Kodak Eastman 5247
‘Eastman’ - Modelled on Kodak Eastman 5247
Shot on: Apocalypse Now, Bladerunner, Alien, ET
Vintage, dated Kodak look and feel.
Saturation strongest in mids and falls off in shadows and highlights.
Greens skew warm, blues slightly turquoise, gold/pink skin-tones.
Smoother contrast than modern stocks.
Vision Teal’ - Kodak Vision 5274
‘Vision Teal’ - Variation on Kodak Vision 5274
Subtle Orange/Teal colour scheme.
More stylised version of ‘Vision’, Less realistic - ‘prettier’.
Greens are slightly warmer, blues slightly turquoise and skin more golden.
Overall lift in saturation and contrast compared to ‘Vision’ but still balanced.
Can elevate a dull scene with its look but not overpower a rich scene.
‘Eastman RM’ - Variation on Eastman
‘Eastman RM’ - Variation on Kodak Eastman 5247
Classic Eastman Look but modernised (Orange & Teal)
Greener in cast than the more magenta original Eastman 5247
Modelled on the Re-Graded versions of classic films from 70s & 80s
‘Eterna’ - Fuji Eterna 8563
‘Eterna’ - Modelled on Fuji Eterna 8563
Shot on: Captain Phillips, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, The Butler
Overall smoother contrast and rolloff compared to Kodak.
Rich but not overpowering colours and saturation characteristics.
My go-to for Fashion and Beauty but can work with almost anything.
Very flattering skin-tones.
Greens are cool and rich, skin is golden, blues skew turquoise and modern, colour accurate yellows compared to Kodak.
‘Bleach’ - Fujifilm Super F 8552
‘Bleach’ - Modelled on Fujifilm Super F 8552
Shot on: Munich, War of The Worlds, Crash
Modelling the Bleach Bypass process for strong contrast and low saturation.
Aggressive, gritty look - halfway between black and white and colour film.
Great for War Films, Crime, Urban Fashion.
Works especially well with heavy film grain.
What’s in the box?
This pack includes LUTs for both Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Pro, as well as a detailed ReadMe PDF.
Mavic 3
65x High-Resolution editing LUTs (D-Log)
Legacy Variations on each LUT (features Sony’s older gamma curve)
Wide Dynamic Range Pre-LUT
Vivid Finishing LUT (for a bit more punch)
Mavic 3 Pro
65x High-Resolution editing LUTs (D-LogM)
Legacy Variations on each LUT (features Sony’s older gamma curve)
Wide Dynamic Range Pre-LUTs
Vivid Finishing LUT (for a bit more punch)
Detailed ReadMe PDF with recommended settings
How to Use Phantom LUTs: A Simple Workflow
Shoot in D-Log or D-Log M Start by shooting in DJI D-Log or D-Log M mode on your Mavic 3 Pro. These flat log profiles preserve the most information in the shadows and highlights, giving you more flexibility during grading.
Apply the ARRI Alexa 709 LUT After importing your footage into your editing software (like DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, or Final Cut), apply the ARRI Alexa 709 Emulation LUT to give your footage that professional, cinematic base.
Experiment with Creative Variations If you want to try a different aesthetic or mood, use the 4 creative variation LUTs to explore other grading options. These LUTs provide subtle variations to the Alexa 709 look, allowing you to refine your film’s tone.
Film Emulation for a Vintage Touch For a touch of nostalgia, finish your footage with any of the 6 Film Emulation LUTs to add a filmic texture, grain, and color palette to your aerial shots.
Fine-Tuning Once the LUTs are applied, you can fine-tune the exposure, contrast, and color balance to match your specific vision. Phantom LUTs will have already provided a strong foundation, but tweaking small details can help make the footage your own.
Final Thoughts
Phantom LUTs offer a wealth of possibilities for anyone using the Mavic 3 family of drones who wants to take their footage from flat to fantastic. Whether you’re looking for a professional ARRI Alexa 709 look, exploring creative variations, or embracing the charm of film emulation, this LUT pack provides the tools you need to elevate your aerial cinematography.
With Phantom LUTs, you no longer have to settle for the standard DJI color profiles. Unlock a broader creative range, enhance the cinematic quality of your drone shots, and push your post-production workflow to new heights.
Have you tried the Phantom LUTs with your Mavic 3 Pro footage? Share your thoughts, tips, and any stunning results in the comments!
