Helios Desktop Studio
What is Helios?
Helios is a professional RAW video converter designed to transform .helios RAW video files into high-quality, color-graded videos ready for sharing or further editing.
Think of it as a digital darkroom for your videos—just like photographers process RAW photos to bring out the best in their images, Helios allows you to process RAW videos with complete creative control over colors, exposure, and visual aesthetics.
What are .helios files?
.helios files are RAW video files captured directly from a camera sensor without any processing or compression. They contain pure, unprocessed image data that gives you maximum flexibility when adjusting colors and exposure in post-production.
Getting Started
Opening Your First File
When you launch Helios, you'll see the main application window with several panels:
- File List Panel (left side) - Shows all the RAW files you're working with
- Preview Panel (center) - Displays your video with real-time color adjustments
- Grading Panel (right side) - Contains all color correction controls
- Export Panel (right side, second tab) - Settings for saving your final video
Loading Files
There are three ways to open .helios files:
- Drag and Drop: Simply drag one or more .helios files from your file explorer directly into the Helios window
- File Menu: Click the "Open File" button in the top-left corner and browse to your file
- Multi-File Workflow: You can load multiple files at once and switch between them in the File List Panel
Color Grading Your Video
Primary Controls
EXPOSURE
Makes your entire video brighter or darker. Range: -3.0 to +3.0 stops. Each "stop" doubles or halves the brightness.
CONTRAST
Increases or decreases the difference between light and dark areas. Range: 0.5 to 2.0. Values above 1.0 increase contrast.
SATURATION
Controls how vivid or muted colors appear. Range: 0.0 to 2.0. 1.0 is neutral, 0.0 is black and white.
VIBRANCE
Intelligently boosts muted colors while protecting skin tones. Range: -1.0 to +1.0. Gentler than saturation.
Shadow and Highlight Controls
SHADOWS
Brightens or darkens only the dark areas
HIGHLIGHTS
Brightens or darkens only the bright areas
BLACKS
Adjusts the darkest tones in your image
WHITES
Adjusts the brightest tones in your image
White Balance
TEMPERATURE
Makes your video warmer (orange) or cooler (blue). Range: -1.0 to +1.0
TINT
Adds green or magenta tones. Range: -1.0 to +1.0
Advanced Features
Input LOG Profiles
If your .helios file was recorded with a specific camera LOG profile, select it to ensure accurate colors:
- Linear: No LOG profile (default)
- ARRI LogC3 / LogC4: For ARRI ALEXA cameras
- Sony S-Log2 / S-Log3: For Sony cinema cameras
- Blackmagic Film Gen 4 / Gen 5: For Blackmagic cameras
- RED Log3G10: For RED cameras
- Canon C-Log / C-Log3: For Canon cinema cameras
- Panasonic V-Log: For Panasonic Lumix/Varicam
- Fujifilm F-Log: For Fujifilm X-series
- DJI D-Log: For DJI drones and cameras
- Rec. 709: Standard video profile
Creative LUTs (Look-Up Tables)
LUTs are color presets that instantly transform your video's look:
- Enable LUT: Check the "Apply LUT" box
- Select LUT File: Click "Browse" and choose a .cube LUT file
- LUT Position: Choose Input (before adjustments) or Output (after adjustments)
- LUT Strength: Adjust from 0-100% to blend the effect
Film Grain
Add authentic film texture for a cinematic look. Enable Grain, then adjust strength from 0.0 to 1.0.
Exporting Your Video
Output Formats
H.264 (Most Common)
Best for sharing online, general use. Works everywhere.
H.265 (HEVC)
High quality with smaller file sizes. Modern devices only.
ProRes (Professional)
Best for editing in Final Cut Pro, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve.
DNxHR (Professional)
Best for Avid, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve workflows.
Image Sequences
PNG, TIFF, JPEG, EXR, DPX - for frame-by-frame control, VFX work.
Color Space Options
- Rec. 709: Standard HD video (most common)
- Rec. 2020: Ultra HD and HDR displays
- DCI-P3: Digital cinema and modern displays
- sRGB: Computer monitors
- Adobe RGB: High-quality printing and photography
HeliosCam Mobile
What is HeliosCam?
HeliosCam is a professional-grade camera application designed for filmmakers, content creators, and photography enthusiasts who demand complete control over their images.
Unlike standard camera apps, HeliosCam gives you the same level of manual control you'd find in professional cinema cameras, all from your Android device.
Key Features
- Full Manual Controls: Adjust ISO, shutter speed, white balance, focus, and more
- Professional Video Recording: High bitrate recording up to 500 Mbps in H.265
- Film Emulation: Apply authentic film stock looks with built-in LUTs
- RAW Recording: Capture 8/10-bit YUV video for maximum editing flexibility
- Video Scopes: Histogram, waveform, zebras, and false color
- Multiple Aspect Ratios: 4:3, 16:9, 21:9, and more
Manual Camera Controls
ISO (Light Sensitivity)
Controls sensor sensitivity. Range: 50-3200 (device dependent). Lower = cleaner image, better in bright light. Higher = grainier, better in low light.
SHUTTER SPEED
Controls exposure time. Range: 1/8000s to 1s. Fast speeds freeze motion, slow speeds add motion blur. Use 180° rule (1/(2×FPS)) for cinematic look.
WHITE BALANCE
Adjusts color temperature. Range: 2500K (warm) to 8000K (cool). 3200K for tungsten, 5500K for daylight, 6500K for cloudy.
FOCUS
Controls focus distance. Range: 0.7m to infinity. Use manual for consistent focus, auto tap to focus on subject.
FPS (Frames Per Second)
Available rates: 15, 24, 25, 30, 60, 120 (device dependent). 24/25fps = cinematic, 60fps = smooth, 120fps = slow motion.
Film Emulation & Creative Tools
Built-in Film Stocks
Clean, low-grain daylight
Versatile daylight stock
Warm tungsten stock
Punchy, vibrant colors
Clean, modern daylight
Halation glow, tungsten warmth
Custom LUTs
Import your own 3D LUT (.cube) files:
- Open Film Emulation settings
- Tap "Add Custom LUT" button
- Browse and select your .cube file
- Adjust strength slider (0-100%)
RAW Recording
What is RAW Video?
RAW recording captures uncompressed YUV video data in .helios format, giving you maximum control in post-production.
8-bit vs 10-bit
- 8-bit: Standard, 256 levels per color channel
- 10-bit: Professional, 1024 levels per channel (device dependent)
⚠️ RAW recording writes massive amounts of data. At high resolutions, 4K RAW can be 10+ GB per minute. Use fast internal storage.
Video Scopes
HISTOGRAM
Shows distribution of brightness levels. Left = dark, right = bright.
WAVEFORM
Shows luminance levels across the frame. Y-axis = brightness (0-100%).
ZEBRA STRIPES
Animated diagonal stripes over overexposed areas.
FALSE COLOR
Color-coded exposure map. Green = proper, Red = overexposed.
Tips & Best Practices
For Cinematic Look
- Shoot at 24 FPS for film-like motion
- Set shutter to 1/50s (180° rule at 24fps)
- Use film emulation LUTs
- Add subtle grain (20-40% strength)
- Shoot in LOG for maximum grading flexibility
For Low Light
- Increase ISO (watch for noise)
- Slow down shutter to 1/30s or slower
- Use 1x or 0.5x focal length (wider aperture)
- Add external light when possible