Exposure/Tool is a DCTL plug-in for DaVinci Resolve Studio from PixelTools, designed to provide precise exposure control using real photographic stops. It is built for colorists who need camera-like exposure adjustments while maintaining clean black levels and avoiding unwanted shadow shifts.

Unlike standard Offset, Printer Points, or Lift/Gamma/Gain adjustments, Exposure/Tool focuses on photometric exposure behavior. It also includes a dedicated Fill Exposure control for lifting detail below middle gray without flattening the image.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

• 1 custom DCTLe plug-in file
• 1 alternate No Icon DCTLe plug-in file
• Base Setup PowerGrade DRX file for each version
• User Guide PDF

FEATURES

• Photometric exposure adjustments in real stops
• Precise camera-like exposure control
• Maintains clean black levels
• Avoids unwanted shadow lifting
• Dedicated Fill Exposure control
• Visual Fill Roll-Off Curve
• Fill Pivot Controls
• Tooltips
• Optimized for fast grading workflows
• Compatible with Blackmagic Design control panels
• Suitable for fixed node trees
• Wide Log-format support
• Fully color-managed workflow support
• Base Setup PowerGrade included
• One-time purchase
• Free lifetime updates

PHOTOMETRIC EXPOSURE

Exposure/Tool uses photographic stops as its exposure unit, making adjustments such as quarter-stop and half-stop changes more intuitive and consistent.

This is especially useful for:

• Matching exposure between shots
• Making precise DP-requested exposure changes
• Balancing clips with different brightness levels
• Maintaining a consistent grading workflow

CLEAN BLACK LEVELS

A core goal of Exposure/Tool is to change overall exposure without unnecessarily lifting the black point.

This helps preserve shadow depth and avoids the milky appearance that can occur with some conventional exposure tools.

FILL EXPOSURE

Fill Exposure adds soft, targeted light below middle gray.

It is useful when shadow detail needs to be opened while still:

• Preserving black depth
• Avoiding flattened highlights
• Preventing a global lift across the image
• Controlling how much of the shadow range is affected

VISUAL FILL ROLL-OFF CURVE

The plug-in provides a visual roll-off graph for controlling where Fill Exposure begins and how it fades through the tonal range.

This allows more deliberate shaping of the shadow lift.

CAMERA & LOG SUPPORT

Exposure/Tool supports major Log formats and camera workflows, including:

• ARRI LogC3
• ARRI LogC4
• RED IPP2
• Sony S-Log2
• Sony S-Log3
• Canon Log
• DJI D-Log
• Panasonic V-Log
• Apple Log 2
• JPLog2
• Additional Log formats

COLOR MANAGEMENT

The plug-in is designed for modern scene-referred and color-managed workflows, including:

• DaVinci Wide Gamut
• DaVinci Intermediate
• Resolve Color Management
• ACES
• Compatible RCM workflows

This makes it suitable for integration into professional color-managed node trees.

WORKFLOW

1. Install the plug-in with the PixelTools Installer or manually.
2. Open DaVinci Resolve Studio.
3. Add the DCTL to the desired node.
4. Select the appropriate working color space.
5. Adjust Exposure using the required number of stops.
6. Use Fill Exposure when additional shadow detail is needed.
7. Refine Fill Pivot and Roll-Off controls.
8. Continue grading through the remaining node tree.

VERSION

Current Version: 2.1.0

Version 2.1.0 adds:

• DJI D-Log support
• Apple Log 2 support
• JPLog2 support

Major additions introduced in version 2.0 include:

• Fill Pivot Controls
• Tooltips
• Official renaming to Exposure/Tool DCTL Plug-In
• Updated user documentation

COMPATIBILITY

• DaVinci Resolve Studio 19.1.4 or later
• macOS
• Windows
• DaVinci Resolve Free is not supported

NOTE

Exposure/Tool is a DCTL plug-in and requires DaVinci Resolve Studio. The free edition of DaVinci Resolve is not supported.

The product is sold as a one-time purchase with free lifetime updates.