In DaVinci Resolve, a particular color wheel control adjusts the overall luma value of an image. Functioning independently from gain, gamma, and lift, it allows for brightening or darkening the entire image uniformly, avoiding the typical shifts in color balance that can occur when adjusting the gain. For example, if an image is slightly too dark overall, this control can be raised to increase the brightness without affecting the relative relationships between the shadows, midtones, and highlights.
This control offers a crucial method for quick global luminance adjustments, proving particularly beneficial in situations where subtle overall brightness corrections are necessary. It provides a way to achieve a balanced image without compromising the color grading already established through other primary grading tools. Historically, its addition to color grading workflows streamlined the process of achieving proper exposure balance before undertaking more complex color manipulations.
