The Gratical X is Zacuto¡¯s customizable version of the full-featured Gratical HD EVF. The two EVFs feature the same hardware; the difference between the two is the included software-based functionality. The Gratical HD features a thumbnail-sized OLED panel with 24-bit RGB color depth and 10,000:1 contrast ratio. It provides a tremendous viewing experience, and when you consider its functionality, you have to consider the Gratical HD to be the high end of the EVF spectrum.
The Gratical X has all the same hardware functionality and connectivity built in and ready to go; you select the features you wish to activate. Features are available ¨¤ la carte or in packages, allowing you to pick and choose only what you want or need. However, Zacuto is currently running a limited-time promotion: with the purchase of a Gratical X, you can redeem one of four filmmaker packages from Zacuto at no additional cost.? For easy identification of the package most suited to your style of filmmaking, they are named after four popular filmmaking categories¡ªIndie, Classic, Pioneer, and VFX filmmaking.
Phil Arntz / Indie is well suited for Indie-style filmmaking, activating the EVF¡¯s Zebras, Red Peaking, and HDMI output. These tools deliver basic exposure and focus tools, while allowing you to output your video to a secondary monitor via HDMI. The zebras are descended from ENG gear, where getting a generally well-exposed image with protected highlights was a necessity in a news-type environment. It is a strong tool that helps you avoid clipping your highlights. With the peaking functionality, you can make precise focus adjustments, especially useful for controlling focus on faces.
Polly Morgan / Classic provides more advanced color and exposure tools, including Peaking and 1:1 Zoom. Activating Waveform, Histogram, and Vectorscope provides you with a trio of advanced tools that confirm exposure, and allow you to confirm the distribution of your image across the brightness range. This allows you to ensure that you are capturing the maximum amount of information available, for final color grading in post. Peaking allows you to confirm critical focus.
Philip Bloom / Pioneer was designed for the pioneer who is ready to create on the cutting edge, and while LUT import, export, and creation isn¡¯t exactly cutting edge anymore, it can be an exciting way to work, being able to pre-visualize the way your footage will look based on different processes and displays. The LUT functionality allows you to shoot in log formats for maximum dynamic range and post-production flexibility, but still have a good idea of how your footage will end up looking. This allows you to take more risks, and live on the edge. Peaking is, of course, for focus confirmation, and the included frame-line generation allows you to confirm your framing for a variety of delivery formats.
Bruce Logan / VFX is tuned for the VFX operator. This package activates SDI out for professional monitoring, Audio Meters and LUT import, export, and creation. The LUT functionality can help you see, on set, how your image will hold up after the post-production manipulation that you are anticipating for it, and assist you in delivering footage that holds up well. The package also includes audio meters in the EVF, and Bruce Logan¡¯s film look LUTs for the Arri Amira and Sony F55 and FS7.
Whichever one of the filmmaker packages you choose, you can always add additional functionality as you need. So check out the Gratical HD, the Gratical X, and the Gratical HD EVF Bundle for the Canon C300. Thanks for reading, and enjoy your Gratical X or HD.
