COLOR / TOOL GUIDE 02 / 13
RAW.
Decode first. Grade second.
Camera RAW determines the signal entering the node graph. Understand decode settings, white balance and exposure without confusing RAW with flat-looking log video.
debayer/decode → Node Editor
Project / Camera Metadata / Clip — format dependent
changes RAW interpretation before the grade
These captures show ARRI with inactive controls. They document the panel, not a configured RAW shot. Available controls depend on the format and Decode Using mode.
BEFORE MOVING A CONTROL
Understand what you are changing.
Check the format, not the appearance
A flat image does not establish that the source is RAW. Log describes tonal encoding; RAW concerns camera data and its decoding. Before troubleshooting grey controls, check the clip properties and supported codec.
Available controls depend on the camera, codec and Decode Using mode. ISO, Highlight Recovery and identical gamma/gamut choices are not guaranteed for every RAW format. A similarly named grading control elsewhere is not necessarily the same operation.
Decide where decode settings come from
Project settings provide a shared starting point; metadata provides the camera interpretation; Clip enables individual adjustments where supported. Record current values and compare the image when changing the source of settings, otherwise a decode-mode change can be mistaken for one slider’s effect.
After changing RAW output gamma or gamut, inspect downstream input-space settings. Nodes or color management must expect the signal now produced by the decoder, not the previous assumption about it.
Correct the source without assuming unlimited recovery
Start with a clear white-balance problem and sensible source exposure. Inspect neutrals and skin without neutralizing intentional colored lighting just to align channels. Keeping creative contrast and the look in nodes makes them independent decisions.
Use Highlight Recovery only with a supported format and inspect highlight color for reconstruction artifacts. Exposure cannot restore information never captured or automatically improve signal-to-noise ratio. Recheck reduced decode quality at the intended working quality before delivery.
FROM PURPOSE TO CONTROL
Choose deliberately, not by trial and error.
The interface images are collected in the viewer above. Here, focus on what each control changes and when to use it; values in the captures are not universal presets.
Decode source and quality
Decode Quality
Controls RAW decode quality. A lighter mode can improve performance on demanding footage, while final quality should be checked before delivery.
Decode Using
Determines where Resolve gets the RAW settings. The exact choices vary by format, so first check what is actually available for the selected clip.
Camera metadata
Camera metadata can be used as the decode starting point. This is useful when you want to preserve the capture intent and avoid unnecessary RAW-level changes.
Source controls
Color Temp
Changes color temperature at the RAW decode stage. When white balance is clearly wrong, this can be a cleaner place to correct it than aggressive compensation later in the node tree.
Tint
Corrects the green-magenta bias. Use it together with Color Temp for source balance rather than as a creative look control.
Exposure
Lets you adjust exposure at the RAW decode stage. Make sure you are fixing a source problem rather than trying to build the entire contrast structure here.
Sharpness
Controls decode-stage sharpening when the format supports it. Start cautiously: too much sharpening quickly emphasizes noise and edges.
TECHNICAL REFERENCE
Camera Raw is part of the image pipeline, not another Primaries palette
The RAW palette matters less for the number of sliders than for its position in the pipeline. Resolve interprets the sensor data and performs debayer/decode before the resulting video signal reaches the Node Editor. White Balance, ISO, Exposure, Highlight Recovery and RAW gamma/gamut choices therefore define the source state rather than merely offering another way to make the same grade.
What Camera Raw controls technically mean
The exact controls depend on codec: BRAW, RED, ARRIRAW and other RAW families do not expose an identical UI. The table describes the pipeline logic rather than promising the same controls for every format.
| Control | What changes | When to use it | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decode Using | the source of RAW settings: project, metadata or clip level | when a shot needs its own decode | whether project settings already define the same state |
| Colour Science / Gamma / Gamut | how RAW is interpreted and what signal state is produced | technical normalisation and pipeline alignment | whether downstream colour management matches the RAW output state |
| White Balance / Temp / Tint | channel balance at RAW decode stage | capture WB error or deliberate source correction | neutrals and skin in RGB Parade/Viewer, not just the Kelvin number |
| ISO / Exposure | RAW brightness interpretation before nodes | establish a sensible starting exposure without early clipping | highlight headroom, noise floor and waveform |
| Highlight Recovery | an attempt to reconstruct clipped/near-clipped channel detail when supported | only when useful RAW information exists | colour artefacts and false texture in bright areas |
| Gamut Compression | behaviour of extreme colours leaving RAW decode | when saturated sources exceed the working gamut | whether gamut mapping is being repeated later |
FROM KNOWLEDGE TO A REPEATABLE RESULT
One exercise. A result you can check.
Use a supported camera RAW clip. Ordinary H.264/H.265 footage cannot be used for this RAW-control exercise. The supplied screenshot shows the ARRI panel with inactive controls: it documents the layout, not a working preset.
- 01
Confirm the clip is actually RAW
Camera Raw only matters for supported RAW media. If you are working with H.264/H.265 or another baked image, this panel is not a universal replacement for Primaries.
- 02
Choose the appropriate decode source
First decide whether project settings or camera metadata are sufficient. Move to clip-level manual control only when a specific shot actually needs it.
- 03
Fix source-level problems only
White balance, exposure and decode parameters are appropriate Camera Raw jobs. Build the full look, local masks and complex contrast later in the Color node tree.
- 04
Then move to Primaries and scopes
RAW decoding prepares the source but does not finish the grade. After it, check the image and scopes, then build the normal pipeline with Color Wheels and nodes.
Self-check in Resolve; the site does not evaluate your work. Progress is not saved after reloading.
An editorial exercise for your own footage, not an automated check of a Resolve project. Work on a copy or separate version and evaluate the complete shot.
WHEN THE RESULT IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECT
Find the cause, not a compensating slider.
01Camera Raw is entirely greyed out+
Possible cause. the clip is not RAW, project/metadata decode is selected, or the format exposes no clip-level controls
What to check. media type, Decode Using and the specific RAW codec documentation
02The image becomes doubly contrasty after enabling RCM+
Possible cause. RAW is already outputting a display-like state while colour management performs another transform
What to check. RAW gamma/gamut, clip Input Color Space and CST/LUT nodes in the graph
03RAW Exposure saves highlights but the image becomes noisy+
Possible cause. exposure raises useful signal together with the noise floor; RAW cannot create missing photons
What to check. capture exposure, waveform, shadow noise and Highlight Recovery
A SITUATION TO THINK THROUGHThe RAW panel is grey although the image looks like log. Does this mean another LUT is needed?Compare your reasoning ↓
A LUT does not diagnose this. Check the source format and Decode Using. Ordinary decoded video has no RAW controls; handle log through appropriate color management or a technical transform. For genuine RAW, individual field availability depends on format and setting source.
FAQ
What else should you know?
What is Camera Raw used for in DaVinci Resolve?
Camera Raw controls the decoding of supported RAW media before the main node-based grade. Depending on the format, white balance, exposure, sharpening and other source-level RAW parameters may be available here.
Why are Camera Raw controls grayed out?
This is usually related to the selected clip type, RAW format or Decode Using mode. Some modes take values from project settings or camera metadata and do not expose clip-level changes. Available controls depend on the format.
What should be changed in Camera Raw versus Color Wheels?
Use Camera Raw for source decode adjustments such as white balance, exposure and supported RAW parameters. Use Color Wheels for overall luminance, contrast, color balance and the broader grade.
Does Camera Raw work with H.264 or H.265?
Not as true RAW decoding. Camera Raw is intended for supported RAW formats. Normal H.264/H.265 clips already contain a baked image and are graded with the standard Color tools.
Do you always need to change Camera Raw before grading?
No. If project settings or camera metadata already produce a sound technical starting point, there is no reason to change RAW parameters just for the sake of it. Camera Raw is a preparation stage, not a mandatory ritual for every clip.
Sources and version notes
Checked against Blackmagic Design’s Color documentation and the relevant new-feature guides. Screenshots are from the site’s own supplied library; controls and layout can differ between versions. Examples are instructional, not universal production settings.
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