Why Does Color Grading in ARRI LogC4 Feel So Unintuitive?

November 26, 2025

The Alexa 35 captures great dynamic range, but grading in its native LogC4 color space feels unintuitive. Discover why. Get better results.


Alexa 35’s new log curve captures extended dynamic range—but behaves differently as a working space

The Alexa 35 records up to 17 stops of dynamic range through ARRI’s new LogC4 encoding, compared to the 14-15 stops in LogC3. But that same curve that enables the extended capture range creates some friction when you sit down to grade.

If you’ve worked with Alexa 35 footage and felt like your usual grading moves weren’t landing quite right, you’re not imagining things. The reason lies in how LogC4’s transform function differs from the familiar LogC3—and why you might want to consider alternative working spaces for your color grading sessions.

“LogC4 isn’t a great working space. It’s a great capture space… But it’s not a good working space because of the way [it] behaves with these controls that we’re used to in Resolve.”

Peder Morgenthaler, Colorist
Quad split showing how a 'Gain' adjustment using the Primary wheels can have a heavy effect ina LogC4 working color space.
Quad split showing how a ‘Gain’ adjustment using the Primary wheels can have a heavy effect in a LogC4 working color space.

Key Takeaways

By the end of this Insight, you’ll understand:

  • The fundamental differences between LogC3 and LogC4 transform functions and how they affect grading controls
  • How to test different working spaces to evaluate which feels most intuitive for your workflow
  • Practical techniques for transforming LogC4 footage into alternative working spaces while preserving ARRI’s look

External Resources


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