What you see is what you get - with the freedom of Log C
In digital production one question is always present: “What will my image look like, when all the processing is done? Is it really what-you-see-is-what-you-get?” Yes, kind of! As described in our Log C section, all ARRI cameras record in Log C wide gamut color space. The camera image core (CIC) utilizes a look file to transform the flat, desaturated image into a pristine, color-rich image, followed by a color space transform either in-camera (ALEXA 35) or as part of the look file (all other ALEXA/AMIRA cameras).
This can happen in various ways. The most simple is using a conversion into HD or UHD color space (Rec 709 or Rec 2020 respectively). This is a straight, technical conversion. Some details in the highlights and blacks might be clipped by doing so: