Doug Johnson Productions

Scope guide · Color & matching

Vectorscope

Inspect color direction and strength, compare a neutral area, and separate shadows, midtones and highlights.

ExpressProfessional

Learn & Reference / Scope library / Vectorscope

Is the color balance consistent between shots?

Add this view from Add scope > Vectorscope, then choose the input you want to inspect. Use the pane's i button for its in-app reading guide.

Read this example.

Fresh studio-pair workspace. Vectorscope is lower left; Picture provides subject and prop context above.
Fresh studio-pair workspace. Vectorscope is lower left; Picture provides subject and prop context above. Click the image for a larger view.
  1. Content near the center has relatively little chroma. Neutral and low-saturation areas contribute here.
  2. Traces extending toward targets show stronger components in that direction. Connect skin and colored props with their contributions in Picture.
  3. A region around one face helps distinguish skin contributions from clothing and colored props.

Try it yourself.

  1. Select Studio pair / neutral baseline in Picture and Vectorscope.
  2. Compare Single with tonal Split to inspect shadows, midtones and highlights.
  3. Choose Cb/Cr or Opponent Chroma. On a known neutral patch, enable White balance guides (D65).

Useful controls.

  • Projection offers Cb/Cr, Opponent Chroma and HSV, each defining distance differently.
  • Trace, Guides and Performance adjust visibility, targets and sampling.
  • Professional shared regions and object selections isolate subjects across supported scopes.

D65 guide labels describe observed cast direction near neutral. Supported SDR Rec.709/Rec.2020 interpretations enable this guide.