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FCP workflow for Canon 7D and XH-A1s
Can somebody suggest an excellent workflow in Final Cut Pro 7 for capture and editing presets using both the Canon 7D and XH-A1s cameras, in one 1080 30 frames per second timeline for 2 shot doc interviews? The 7D (the A camera) is progressive 1920×1080 and XH-A1s (B camera and also for sound) interlaced 1440×1080.
Your help is most appreciated.
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17 Replies
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I’d love to know to I often have same workflow. When I use my 7D I use MpegStream clip to take to Apple Pro res LT but not sure what to do when integrating with the Canon XHA1
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FCP really isn’t ready to edit raw 7D or XHA1 generated material. Heck, the latest version of Media Composer has some issues.
Best bet (and practice) is to convert the footage to a more manageable format that is easier for the NLE to use. For FCP, this would be ProRes. I’d go with ProRes 422 or ProRes 422 HQ.
The XHA1 follows the same practice: flip it to Pro Res before attempting to edit!
.: michael kammes mpse
.: senior applications editor . post workflow consultant
.: audio specialist . act fcp . acsr
.: michaelkammes.com -
I have captured test XH-A1s footage in ProRes 422 and also exported a sample 7D clip to ProRes422 in Mpeg Streamclip. When I drop them each into a ProRes 1920×1080 30P (both clips are 30 fps) Sequence in FCP 7, the HX-A1s message window only asks about changing the resolution size from 1440×1080 (which I think is ok). But the 7D clip message window asks to change the Field Dominance from None (which is the original sequence setting) to Upper/Odd.
How can I make sure that footage from both camera sources are matched in ProRes 422?
I would very much appreciate any help on this.
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Why would you shoot one camera in progressive and one interlaced? That can lead to all sorts of issues. I don’t have a 7D, so I don’t know if it can shoot interlaced. The XH-A1 does a really nice job shooting in progressive at either 24 or 30 frames.
I will help you down the road to get this part fixed before shooting anything.
Dave
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I shot material at 24 and 30 frames and when I check my signal set up on the HX-A1s, the only option it seemed to give was 1080i/480i. I really hope I’m mistaken but I thought that was interlaced and 1080p is progressive. The 7D I believe is true 1080P (progressive) which I’m shooting 2 shot interviews along with the XH-A1s. Again, I could be mistaken but I’m coming from an SD background and this is my first project in HD. So I’m trying to understand/resolve the workflow with these 2 cameras.
I appreciate your feedback and any suggestions clarifying this issue are most helpful at this time.
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Okay,
When you turn on the Xha1 to record, first press the menu button. The top item on the list is signal setup. Go into there, and you’ll see the option for frame rate. Select that. Now you’ll see 60i, 30f, and 24f. The F is Canon’s version of progressive (progressive segmented frame of psf). The camera will put up text asking you to confirm the frame rate change. Say yes, exit the menu, and you’re all set.
Dave
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That is how my XH-A1s was set up for recording. Checking the “Comp. Out” item, it says 1080i which I thought referred to interlaced, but perhaps I am wrong.
The difference between the 7D (which I’m pretty sure is fully Progressive) is showing in the Final Cut Pro workflow. Both cameras in my 2 shot interviews (the XH-A1s and 7D) are set to 30 fps. But when I export them each in Pro Res 422 and drop them into a ProRes 422 1920×1080 30P sequence timeline, the Field Dominance from the 7D is Upper/Odd while the HX-A1s is None.
I need to use both cameras (XH-A1s and 7D) in my FCP edit. How do I set up the workflow in Final Cut Pro to match the footage from both cameras?
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Shooting DSLR and shooting with an HDV camera is not going to give you the same colors.
Canon 7D:4:2:2 color space
Canon XHA1 (HDV) 4:2:0
Transcode all of your footage to ProRes 4:2:2 HQ
Cleaner than LT, (I use LT alot) when you capture HDV its a crazy codec that has be adapted to more over years. Its just not great to work with and is highly compressed.
i hope this helps.
*Production*Post-Production*
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No.
7d does not shoot in 4:2:2. It is also 4:2:0. HQ Prores is overkill for these compressed formats. Reguar Prores should be more than sufficient.
Dave
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Originally, I transcoded all the footage with the 2 cameras to HQ ProRes, but was told by some other people also that it was overkill. Because my monitoring system is basically a modified to 16:9 (with Intensity Pro) JVC SD monitor, I can’t really tell between the HQ and regular ProRes resolutions. Upon completion, the doc project is intended to play on large cinema screens.
Further, are the differences showing with the Field Dominance between the 2 cameras when all footage has been transcoded to Regular ProRes and dropped onto a ProRes 422 1920×1080 30P sequence (the Field Dominance from the 7D is Upper/Odd while the HX-A1s is None) an issue?
I really appreciate this feedback and it seems like it’s getting close, and hopefully soon with finality to edit with confidence. I hope there are other people out there who are using the 7D and HX-A1s combo that this thread could help too.
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