How to Grade Apple Log and DJI Footage in DaVinci Resolve With One Plugin

To grade iPhone Apple Log or DJI log footage in DaVinci Resolve, add the Ypresets Color Lab plugin to a node on the Color page, choose the Pack that matches your camera profile, pick a LUT and set Intensity. Then refine exposure, white balance and contrast. It works in Resolve 20 or later, Free and Studio.

This guide walks through the full workflow, from a flat, gray clip to a finished, saved look. It follows the controls exactly as they appear in the plugin, so you can keep it open next to Resolve.

What is Ypresets Color Lab?

Ypresets Color Lab is a color grading plugin for DaVinci Resolve. It combines the Ypresets video looks with color adjustments, film-inspired effects, cinematic borders, comparison tools and saved looks in a single effect.

It is not a LUT pack. The looks are built into the plugin and used inside Color Lab, and it does not come with downloadable .cube files. It also does not replace the Color page. You can finish a grade entirely in Color Lab, or use it as the starting point for a more advanced Resolve grade.

Why does Apple Log and D-Log footage look flat?

Log is a recording profile that stores the image on a flat curve to keep more highlight and shadow detail. Apple Log on iPhone and D-Log or D-Log M on DJI cameras all work this way.

The trade-off is that a log clip looks gray and washed out until you grade it. A LUT built for that exact profile maps the flat values to normal-looking color and adds a creative look at the same time. Using the wrong LUT for the profile is the most common reason a grade looks off.

What do you need before you start?

• DaVinci Resolve 20 or later. The free version and Studio both work.
• A supported computer. A Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) or an Intel Mac, or a PC with Windows 10 or Windows 11, 64-bit.
• Color Lab installed. The free trial and the full version are the same download. Step-by-step instructions are in the Color Lab install guide.
• Log footage that you know the profile of, such as Apple Log, D-Log or D-Log M.

How do you grade Apple Log or DJI footage in Resolve, step by step?

Step 1: Install Color Lab and restart Resolve

Quit Resolve, run the installer for your computer, then open Resolve again. Resolve only looks for new OpenFX plugins at launch, so a restart matters. If something goes wrong, the install guide has a troubleshooting section for Mac and Windows.

Step 2: Add Color Lab to a node on the Color page

Open your project, go to the Color page and select your clip. Open the Effects library. Under OpenFX, find the Ypresets group, or type “Ypresets” into the search box. Drag Ypresets Color Lab onto a node. Its controls open in the Effects panel.

Step 3: Choose the Pack that matches your footage

The Pack menu is the most important choice in the plugin. You pick it yourself, based on the camera and profile you recorded. If you are not sure, check the color profile setting on your camera or in the clip information.

Pick the pack that names the exact profile you recorded. D-Log and D-Log M are different curves, so they are not interchangeable. If your profile is not listed in the Pack menu, email hi@ypresets.com before you grade.

Step 4: Pick a LUT and set Intensity

Open the LUT menu and browse the looks in that pack. The viewer updates as you go, so you can compare looks quickly. Then use the Intensity slider to decide how strongly the look is applied. A lower value keeps things natural. A higher value gives a bolder style.

Step 5: Correct exposure and white balance

In the ADJUSTMENTS section, set Exposure first, then Temperature (warm or cool) and Tint (green or magenta). Color Lab processes these three before the LUT. That means you are fixing the source footage before the creative look is applied, the way a colorist would.

Step 6: Shape contrast and color

Next, use Highlights to recover or shape bright areas, Shadows to open or deepen dark areas, Contrast to set the separation between light and dark, and Saturation to fine-tune color intensity. These run after the LUT, so they refine the finished look instead of fighting it.

Step 7: Add film effects and cinematic borders (optional)

The EFFECTS section adds texture and atmosphere:

• Grain (Amount, Size) adds film-style texture that changes from frame to frame.
• Halation adds a warm red-orange glow around bright highlights.
• Bloom (Amount, Radius, Threshold) softly spreads bright areas. Threshold decides which highlights glow.
• Vignette (Amount, Size, Feather) shapes the edges of the frame.
• Cinematic Borders (Top/Bottom, Left/Right, Border Color) add letterbox bars or colored borders without extra nodes.

Use these with restraint. Small amounts usually look more filmic than heavy ones. For a deeper look at each effect, see our guide to film grain, halation and bloom in DaVinci Resolve Free.

Step 8: Compare, then save the grade to My Looks

Turn on Before/After to toggle the whole Color Lab grade on and off, or Split Screen to see the original and graded image side by side. This makes it easier to tell whether the grade is actually improving the shot, or just getting stronger.

When you like the result, open My Looks, type a name and save it. My Looks stores the complete setup: pack, LUT, intensity, adjustments, effects and borders. You can apply, rename or delete saved looks inside the plugin.

How do you apply the same grade to a whole timeline?

Color Lab behaves like a normal Resolve effect, so you can use the tools you already know:

• Copy the Color Lab grade to other selected clips.
• Put Color Lab on a Group node for clips from the same camera.
• Use it on a Timeline node to affect everything.
• Apply it to an Adjustment Clip on the Edit page.
• Recall a saved grade from My Looks on another clip or project.

A practical setup for mixed cameras is one group per camera profile. That way your iPhone Apple Log clips and your Osmo D-Log M clips each get the right pack, and you only adjust exposure per clip.

What are the most common mistakes?

• Choosing the wrong pack. An Apple Log look on D-Log M footage, or a D-Log look on D-Log M, will shift contrast and color.
• Converting twice. Don’t add a separate Rec.709 conversion LUT or Color Space Transform before Color Lab. The looks are made to go straight onto the log clip.
• Using effects to rescue exposure. Fix Exposure first. Grain and halation won’t hide a dark, noisy clip.
• Leaving Intensity at maximum by habit. Many shots look better with the look pulled back a little.

Do you need Color Lab or a .cube LUT pack?

Choose Color Lab if you edit in DaVinci Resolve and want looks, corrections, film effects and saved looks in one place. Choose a downloadable .cube pack if you need the looks in other apps, such as Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or the Blackmagic Cam app. The packs are the iPhone Apple Log LUTs, Osmo Cinematic LUTs and Drone Cinematic LUTs. They are separate products from Color Lab.

Our buyer’s guide to LUT plugins for DaVinci Resolve compares the options in more detail. Still choosing a profile for iPhone? Read Apple Log vs Apple Log 2. For Osmo, see Osmo Pocket 4 vs Pocket 4P vs Nano color profiles.

FAQ

Do I need DaVinci Resolve Studio to use Color Lab?

No. Color Lab works in DaVinci Resolve 20 or later, in both the free version and Studio. It runs on Mac (Apple silicon and Intel) and on 64-bit Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Which pack should I choose for Apple Log 2?

Choose iPhone Apple Log. The same pack covers Apple Log and Apple Log 2 footage from iPhone.

Which pack should I choose for Osmo Pocket 4P D-Log 2?

Choose Osmo D-Log 2. Color Lab now includes dedicated Osmo D-Log 2 looks. You will find the Osmo D-Log 2 pack listed under Osmo D-Log in the Pack menu (Color Lab 0.9.11 or later). Use the Osmo D-Log pack only for clips shot in D-Log. No DJI drone records D-Log 2.

Do I need a Rec.709 conversion before Color Lab?

No. The looks are made to go straight onto your log clip. Adding a separate conversion LUT or Color Space Transform first will convert the image twice and make the grade look wrong.

Does Color Lab include the downloadable .cube LUT files?

No. The Ypresets looks are built into the plugin and work inside Color Lab. The downloadable .cube LUT packs are separate products.

Can I use one grade on a whole timeline?

Yes. Color Lab works like any other Resolve effect, so you can copy the grade to other clips, put it on a Group or Timeline node, use an Adjustment Clip, or save it to My Looks and apply it later.

Is there a free trial?

Yes. The free trial is the full plugin with a watermark over the picture. Buy a license and enter the key in Color Lab to remove it.

Will Color Lab fix badly exposed log footage?

It can help, because it includes Exposure, Highlights and Shadows controls. But no plugin can bring back detail the camera never recorded, so expose log footage carefully when you shoot.