I'll start by saying that I am relatively new to color grading, so apologies if this seems trivial.

My primary cameras are:
* DJI Pocket 3
* DJI Mini 4 Pro

I am trying to set up a workflow to make color grading easy. Ideally my work flow in Davinci 19 would look something like:
Noise Reduction->Primaries->Power Windows->Film Look Creator

The challenge I'm having is understand:
1. Should I use Dlog-m or HLG?
2. Is the rest of my workflow set up correctly?

Dlogm vs HLG
I've read a lot of threads that state Dlog M is actually not as wide of a color space as HLG. Most tools have trouble interpreting it correctly as well. I don't actually care which one I use, I'd just like the easiest for my workflow with the best results.

Workflow Setup

Project settings I use:
Color Science = Davinci YRGB Color Managed
Color Processing Mode = HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate
Output Colour Space = Rec.709 (Scene)


I've heard in many tutorials that doing your processing in HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut provides the greatest flexibility in color correction. If that's incorrect, please educate me.

If I drag a clip into my timeline and then go to input color space on the clip, I get:
Dlog M = Rec.709
HLG = Rec.2100HLG

I've read many posts about people trying to use dlog/dgamut for DlogM and have gotten poor results. I've also read that HLG is supposed to be rec.2020 but is read as rec.2100 instead. Are these correct? Should I change them to something else?


Now for color grading:

• To make the most out of the Davinci Wide Gamut color space during my editing do I need to start with a color transform or is that already done since resolve identified the input color space and my processing mode is set to Davinci Wide Gamut?
• If I need to do a color space transform, should I use the input values Davinci recognized above or something else for HLG or DLog M?
• The Davinci 19 studio Film Look Creator can also do CST. Is it better to end with that and output it to rec709 or to have input/output be Davinci Wide Gamut and put in an actual CST at the end of my node tree?
  

I am also posting this on the BlackMagic forums, but I thought there may be some Mini 4/Pocket 3 experts lurking around here that could help me out. Any advice is much appreciated!

Color Grading is never trivial and you will find several tutorials on Youtube which describe 'the right' or 'best way' to grade the color.
As in real life there is no 'one' way. If you get familiar with color grading, color gamut and resolution (bit depth) it will be easier.
But let's start from the beginnig.

In my honest opinion I recomment HLG mode over D-LogM
In HLG mode a wider color gamut (color space) is used as well as high dynamic range. You have more headroom during color grading. Or in other words you will get more colors and density of the real word in your source video. As a drawback you have to do some color grading or at least let DaVinci do some work. The pure video from the camera look 'flat'.

In DaVinci Resolve there are several approaches possible to the get to the same result. Often CST are applied but this is not needed if you configure the project correct at start. A I saw you are on one (right) way and I will make some suggestions. I do not go into the details which would go far beyond of a forum post.
Project Settings > Color Management > Color Space & Transform
Color science: DaVinci YRGB Color Managed
Color processing mode: HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate
Output Color Space: Rec.709 Gamma 2.4 (this is the common color gamut and characteristic for standard video) Your settings 'Scene' is a setting for input devices as cameras

When you input your media in the media pool, right click on a video > Input Color Space > Rec.2100 > Rec.2100 HLG (Scene)
I guess DaVinci Resolve made already the right setting. (Note: Rec.2100 is the common color gamut of HLG videos).

If you drag the videos into your timeline the color shall look already good, because DaVinci Resolve will transforme the colors of the video to the right destination color gamut/space.
In the color page you can make your adjustments.

Be awake that the processing is done in the DaVinci Wide Gamut Color Space. Some filters e.g. film looks are based on other color space e.g. Rec.709. If you apply such film look on a wide gamut video it looks strange. Here you have to apply a color space transform first to transform the color into the gamut which is expected by the filter/look.

Maybe this helps as a starting point.

I recommend a tutorial on youtube to get basic knowledge:
DaVinci Resolve Color Management MASTERCLASS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ubDSzEEYg


Another approach where color space transform (CST) is applied is described here:
From Start to Finish: Mastering Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve for a Full Scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joJ5_o278PU

Thanks so much for the reply and for confirming some of my suspicions. I've decided to go with HLG as it seems to be more widely understood. Appreciate that tip. This is what my workflow has looked liked for the last week or so.

Project Settings
Color Science = Davinci YRGB Color Managed
Color Processing Mode = HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate
Output Colour Space = Rec.709 2.4

Pocket/Mini 4 Video
HLG

When I drag clips into the timeline they seem to be recognized correctly when I check in the input color space. My node tree looks like primaries->power windows-> film look creator. I am not adding any CST nodes and for the film look creator node I am leaving the settings at "use timeline" across the board. You mentioned that some film looks expect rec709 and would need a transform prior to that. I don't think that's needed here, but let me know if I'm wrong.

If I understand correctly, what's happening at each stage is:
1. Davinci recognizes the HLG video as Rec.2100HLG
2. It transforms it automatically into HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate for working color space
3. The nodes in my workflow all take place in HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate. They do not do any CSTs.
4. Davinci automatically does a final color space transform from HDR DaVinci Wide Gamut Intermediate to Rec.709 since that is my Output Color Space in the project settings.

Yes that's correct. DaVinci does some implicit color space transforms in color management and you do not need to add nodes explicit in color page.  

This has been incredibly helpful. Really appreciate you taking the time to walk me through this!