How can I replicate C-LOG in a Canon DSLR?

Question

I shoot almost all my video footage on Canon DSLRs (APS-C sensors if this makes any difference). I know that true C-LOG isn't available on DSLRs and I've seen many sites that claim to sell "C-LOG" profiles however my understanding is that these are just custom presets.

So:

a) Is there actually any difference between these "C-LOG" profiles online and me just changing the settings in-camera?

b) Is this actually the best way to get the most amount of data out of my Canon DSLRs?

I know about "Exposing to the right" for example, but should this be used in conjunction with other settings?

Answer 1

The Magic Lantern firmware transforms Canon DSLR cameras into RAW-capable video cameras that are not half bad. The native Canon video codecs are universally among the worst of any current DSLR, not only because of their weak codecs, but because their line-skipping algorithms really destroy the image quality from the start. If you are shooting RAW video, then RAW->C-LOG is a valid transformation and one that will make your videos very easy to edit in most NLEs. If your are shooting a native Canon profile, you've already lost resolution, bit-depth, and color gamut. Any profile that reads a native Canon video file and converts it to C-LOG is merely memorializing all the bad that has been done to the image and offers none of the good that could have come from using RAW data to begin with.

TL;DR To get the most amount of data from your Canon DLSRs, use Magic Lantern firmware and scrap the Canon codecs.