Mastering The Multiple Personalities of Resolve’s Contrast-Pivot Controls

Note: This Insight is the first in a new category of shorter Insights, that we’re calling Quick Tips. Their running times will be between 2-6 minutes and focus very narrowly on a particular aspect of a tool or workflow.

Quick Tip: How DaVinci Resolve’s two Contrast-Pivot controls behave very differently

In the Mixing Light Forums, a Mixing Light member recently commented:

Note that the Resolve reference manual says, “the Contrast control in the HDR palette ignores the “Use S-curve for contrast” setting in the General Options panel of the Project Settings.”

– Maurice M.

Maurice is 100% correct. The Contrast-Pivot controls in the Primaries Palette is an entirely different tool than the Contrast-Pivot control in the HDR Palette. AND it behaves differently. It’s confusing. It’s not entirely clear HOW they are different if you pull up a few different images and start spinning the Contrast knob. You’ll discover that something is different between these controls. But what?