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EX1R-video formats
I have just purchased 3-EX1R’s which I am thrilled with. I am trying to decide which format to record in on a daily basis. Is there a good reference which can help me understand the difference between the 8 billion different formats I can record to?
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12 Replies
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There are also 8 billion reasons for using each, some technical, some aesthetic.
For example
720p60 or 1080i60 for sports. 1080i60 is also a bit more light sensitive if you need it.
1080p24 for cinematic frame rate and easy conversion to PAL 25 or NTSC i60 with pull down
720p24 for easy integration for over/undercrank such as p24/60
1080p30 for progressive look but with better temporal motion than p24 and it’s easy integration with other NTSC compatible work.
720p30 seems a mildly odd bird but that also works for NTSC integration (without pull down) and still integrating with over/undercrank. I’ve actually used this for digital signage work.Standard Def DV – almost useless to me unless you’re doing ENG SD delivery and have no time to do a downconvert.
There’s the XDCAM HD compatible format if you’re integrating with that.
HDV is another almost useless thing to me but you’ll stretch the card record times a bit and if you need HDV firewire out if HDMI or HD-SDI isn’t possible in your workflow, it’s there for you.
All my subjective opinions and you’ll get many more from others.
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Maybe I should clarify a little…I am definitely shooting HD NTSC. I am trying to decide whether to record 1920/60i, 1440/60i, 1920/30P, 1440/30P, 1280/60P or 1280/30P. I understand that the camera really refers to 1080 as 1920 or 1440 and 720 as 1280 for whatever reason. I would also consider 24P although I don’t really understand it. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? I would really like to read something that can explain these to me as the manual is no help. I will be editing on FCP 7 and storing and distributing with Final Cut Server.
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Please do read my post in which I state some (of many) reasons to use any of the settings.
The same setting can be good in one situation and bad in another. There’s a huge number of variables so it’s hard to give a blanket answer.
If you asked a question specific to one of my statements I can certainly expand on it. I included basic reasons to use them. You have to be specific when you ask for “more.”
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Craig,
Any idea why Noah Kadner said in another post, “Why 30p? Very inflexible format in post.”
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30p is a real problem if you want to go to PAL broadcast. That’s the only downside. It can be a big one for some people though.
What I like with 30p
Better temporal resolution than 24p yet still has progressive look.
Works well on web. One can debate 24p vs 30p on this but I prefer the temporal resolution.
Can work with 60i but remains 30 temporal resolution.24p easily converts to 25p with speed change and 60i with pulldown
Good for web as well as Blu-ray
Fast pans can have issues though so you have to be careful about your shooting technique. -
Thanks Craig,
I think I’m finally catching on. I’m assuming that 24p would be a better choice if going to Blu-Ray as 30p is not supported, correct?
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30p would be sort of 60i in Blu-ray. 24p would probably be “safer.”
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Shoot 1080/24p with 720/24p for any slow motion/ fast motion shots. Nearly all TV shows and home movies are mastered at 1080/24p because from that format you can derive just about any other format with minimal fuss.
Noah
Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
Watch Formosa- My indie movie shot with the SDX900 and finished with Final Cut Studio. -
What kind of shooting do you do? If you shoot high speed, such as sporting events, 60i or 30P, If you shoot weddings where you have a lot of slow motion in your editing, 30P, (24P doesn’t look as good in slo-mo).
24P gives you more of a film look with less frames. It has that film stutter (not the best word to describe it).
If you have a lot of panning, 24P doesn’t do so well as the higher film speed of 30P or 60i.
If you don’t deal with PAL, then I would narrow down your choices to 60i, 30P, 24P. Practice shooting a mixture of scenes repeating the same shots with each frame rate. Give yourself verbal cues on the frame rate or with a slate at the start of each shot. Then make the same edit with all 3 frame rates. This will give you a good understanding on how each look differs.
If you need to save space, then choose the smaller size HD.
Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Video.comSony EX-1, V1U
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut StudioHP i7 Quad laptop
w/ Adobe CS-4 Production Suite, After Effects
& CS-5 Production Suite. Window’s 7Manfrotto Tripod’s & Heads
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Thank you Brent for understanding and answering my question. Oddly, I shoot male and female shaving for 80% of my work (hey, everybody has to do something). It is important for me to shoot close-up and the razors do move fairly fast and it would be nice if I could see them with out lag and without lines. I think I have a Sony tech coming to work with me in the near future so I will work it out with him. I was sort of hoping there was a written reference somewhere that I could read. Maybe some should write one.
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