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Why is FCP7 Log/Transfer cropping video?
I.
Can anyone tell me why my FCP7 is cropping my HVX200 video upon import (Log/Transfer) – and better yet, how to stop it? The crop is very minimal, but noticeable, both vertically and horizontally.MY SOURCE FOOTAGE (according to P2ViewerPlus and/or how I remember shooting):
Video Codec: DV100_720/23.98 (DV100 same as DVCPro HD, right?)
Frame Rate: 23.98p (I had set camera to shoot 720pN24)MY LOG/TRANSFER SETTINGS/WORKFLOW:
1. copy (and backup!) P2 folders/files to computer
2. FCP7 > Log/Transfer > Add Volume > Navigate to and Select copy of P2 card (which properly populates the Log/Transfer Browser)
3. Set Log/Transfer’s Import Preferences (leave “Remove Advanced….” checked; Nothing else applies here to do, as DV100/DVCProHD doesn’t appear as a Source Format)
4. Complete Logging fields (i.e. Reel, Clip Name, etc).
5. Click “Add Clip to Queue”RESULT (and the PROBLEM!): a new .mov file (960×720, says Get Info in the Finder) that shows less of the image around the edges (in FCP7, in Finder’s “QuickLook” and in QuickTime Player) than what I can see of the camera original in P2ViewerPlus!
I’ve been researching forums a lot, reading previous Posts, viewing videos – I can’t find anything on this. Anybody have anything to offer on this?
MY SYSTEM (if it matters):
MacBook Pro, OS10.7.5, FCP7.0.3, 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB memory———-
II.
In addition to figuring this out, I’d like to figure out why my Sequences’ Canvases aren’t equally populated/filled-in, despite the Sequences a) having all the exact same Settings and b) having copies of exact same Timelines/Edits made up of Clips (which populate the Viewer equally/properly) referencing same Media Files!THANKS!
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21 Replies
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What you are seeing is normal! DVCPro HD is 960×720 (anamorphic). FCP scales it to 1280×720. No problems, nothing to worry about.
Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Vice President
Chicago Creative Pro Users Group -
Hi Steve, thanks for your reply!
In my case, FCP is NOT scaling my 720pN24 .MXF/DVCPro HD footage to 1280×720.
What FCP is doing in my case is converting my 720pN24 .MXF files/DVCPro HD footage to 960×720 .MOV files (as I can see when I Reveal the resultant Clips in the Finder), which are lacking some of the cropped-out edge imagery (as I can see in Finder, FCP and QT). So, scaling to 1280×720 is not the explanation in my circumstance – so the problem remains.
By the way, even if the footage WERE being scaled from 960×720 (1.33:1) to 1280×720 (1.77:1), that should only cause a cropping in one dimension (not both both a vertical crop AND a horizontal crop, as I’m seeing in my situation), right?
Finally, whatever the reason for the cropping, in no case is it “no problems, nothing to worry about” that FCP is cropping my footage. I don’t want to be dealt footage to work with that is different than the way I chose to shoot it (does anyone?).
Thanks again,
Ted -
[Ted Coakley] “What FCP is doing in my case is converting my 720pN24 .MXF files/DVCPro HD footage to 960×720 .MOV files”
FCP doesn’t convert…it re-wraps. It is a direct copy, only the container is changed from MXF to MOV. The footage was shot 960×720…and the QT file is 960×720. DVCPRO HD is an anamorphic format. FCP will SCALE it to fit a 16:9 window…1280×720. Unsqueeze it if you will.
How much is being cropped? Are we talking a small fraction…or a HUGE chunk? Camera Viewfinders are set to OVERSCAN…so you can see all of the image. And several broadcast monitors have this option too, so you can see all the way to the edge. I’m wondering if FCP’s and QTs interface crops a little of those edges. Since I rarely shoot the stuff I edit, I never notice.
There are several solutions for viewing MXF files natively in QT, and QUickview and FCP. You can see if they offer free demos, and then install and look at the raw files to see if they match what you saw in the camera.
Know that TVs and Computer displays will crop that edge anyway…and you cannot plan to have the full image seen. This is why there are ACTION SAFE and TITLE SAFE zones.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Hi Shane, thanks for your reply!
[Shane Ross] “It is a direct copy, only the container is changed from MXF to MOV”
When I view the camera original footage on computer (an editor can use a MXF/P2 viewer like P2ViewerPlus, don’t need to be the shooter) what I SEE that FCP has made is clearly NOT a “direct copy” of what I see that the HVX200 made. I can see this by the fact that there are outer/edge image elements in the camera-original footage that are seen in P2ViewerPlus, that are NOT seen in FCP’s Log/Transfer .MOV files.
Despite being a shooter for 20 years, and an every-blue-moon editor (going back to “The Cube” and Razor if you remember those! plus FCP 2-7 and various Premieres), I don’t fully GET scaling/anamorphic/squeezing/containers/codecs. I know how to frame/compose/block/light/expose/direct, but I’m no tecchie and it’s always a struggle for me to keep up with the changing formats/technologies!
What I DO know is that this HVX200 DVCPro HD camera original shows outer/edge parts of the image that the FCP .MOV files don’t.
Regardless of the explanation, it IS happening.
Not much is being cropped, yes a small fraction, no not a huge chunk.[Shane Ross] “Camera Viewfinders are set to OVERSCAN…so you can see all of the image. And several broadcast monitors have this option too, so you can see all the way to the edge.”
I hear ya, I think about that, too! But, regardless of camera viewfinders or broadcast monitors being set to overscan, I’m looking on a computer screen in a P2ViewerPlus window that shows all the camera original MXF/HVX200/DVCProHD image – which does NOT show up in the FCP Log/Transfer .MOV files.
[Shane Ross] “Know that TVs and Computer displays will crop that edge anyway…and you cannot plan to have the full image seen. This is why there are ACTION SAFE and TITLE SAFE zones.”
I do know that many TVs will crop the edge (albeit mostly older models, tubes and the like), but computer app windows (i.e. QT, VLC, FCP, etc) don’t typically crop image files. Even if some TV or app DOES crop the image, I don’t want FCP Log/Transfer (or anything else) pre-cropping my camera-original in the first place! Otherwise, there should be a FCP-LOG/TRANSFER CROP zone in my viewfinder in addition to ACTION SAFE and TITLE SAFE, right?
[Shane Ross] ” I’m wondering if FCP’s and QTs interface crops a little of those edges.”
I’m wondering that, too 🙂 It appears it does do that – and not just on the display, but FCP maintains the same cropped image on Export (as I can see the same cropped image exported in Finder). Is it doing that? If so, then a) is it supposed to? b) Is there a way to get it to NOT destroy part of my image, or are we to be stuck with that edge destruction (cropping) as an inherent quality of FCP Log and Transfer? I’m thinking those are the questions I need answered, if anyone here knows those answers.
Thanks!!
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Since you can view both on your computer…can you take screen shots of the P2 Viewer VS QT and FCP? So we can see?
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Shane Ross] “can you take screen shots of the P2 Viewer VS QT and FCP? So we can see?”
…..looking up how to do screen shots (despite having done it umpteen times over the years, I never remember, just don’t do it often enough) …. back in a bit…..
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Got it 🙂
Notice the top image (HVX200 DVCProHD 720pN24 camera original showing in P2ViewerPlus window) shows in ITS top right corner 3.5 white columns on building to the right of the tree….
AS OPPOSED TO….
the lower image (QT display of the 960×720 image created by FCP7’s Log/Transfer of aforementioned cam original) shows in ITS top right corner only 3 of those white columns.The difference is subtle, and there are other indicators of cropping you can see around all the edges of the windows, but the crop is definitely there.
Does this help?
(And, curious question: Does seeing this screen grab help anyone understand my scenario/issue/questions in a way that my previous phrasing and rephrasings of did not? I’d just like to know, because I thought I’d explained it fairly well, without the image, and I’d like to know where my explanation fell short and didn’t represent what the screen grab does.)
Thanks!!
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Shift-Command_4…draw a box around what you want to take a picture of.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
Ahh…thanks. This helps. I to think that the size of the image missing is very miniscule. But it is missing. That is odd.
Shane
Little Frog Post
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
[Shane Ross] ” I to think that the size of the image missing is very miniscule. But it is missing. That is odd.”
Miniscule, and insignificant in this instance, but maybe significant in other instances – and thus the cropping is not only odd, but unacceptable (unless one must just get used to framing with the impending crop taken into account).
Anybody know if there is a way to avoid the cropping?
Thanks!
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