-
Better resolution > Better keying.
Hey guys,
Okay, it has to do with After Effects since I will be keying my shots in After Effects with Keylight. Okay, now that’s said;
I’ve searched a lot in the COW’s Archives and I didn’t found exactly what I was looking for. Thing is, I’m looking to buy a new camcorder that will help me key easier in After Effects (that said, the zoom will be uncessary). For 2 years I’ve shot with a cheap DV cam’ in front of my perfect green painted wall, for 2 years I struggled (if that can be said) to get perfect keys, but it was just impossible. I mean, I’ve came up with some impressing results with Keylight, but never as good as if it has been a professionnel camcorder.
My current camcorder is a cheap Sony Handycam that I paid 499$ two years ago.
This year, I’d like to buy a cam’ for about 3K$ with a higher resolution (and like 3CCD, that could enhance the green color, or not?). I’m playing a lot these days with my Canon Powershot A630 7.1 Mp and when I’ve imported my picts in AE, the keying is so easy and pretty, I’d just like to have a camcorder that would allow me to film with that kind of resolution. About 4:2:2?
I’ve looked for hours on the net and I just found out that I knew nothing about camcorders’ resolution.
And if you guys could, I’d really really love to have a link of the camera you’ll suggest, if that is possible.
Thx for your time guys, I appreciate it.
Justin Productions
Ta********@*****il.com
Adobe After Effects 6.5 Professional -
11 Replies
-
You should seriously look at the HVX200. it shoots a myriad of resoutions and frame rates from dv tape, to dv50 to 720p to 1080i. DV50 and up has 4:2:2 color sampling and the workflow is tapeless.
You are going to have to spend 10-12 grand to get a setup that’s nice.
This is still pittance for an HD camera.
Jeremy
-
The main thing to look for when keying is important is color resolution. There are a number of factors that determine color resolution. However the main one is the recording format.
DV has a luminance to color ratio of 4:1:1. This means for every 4 pieces of luminance information you have only 1 color. For keying this means your key is using only a quarter of the total screen resolution. Many plugins enhance this information by interpolation but you can’t create the best key based on information that isn’t there.
DV50 (DVCPro 50, D9) has a ratio of 4:2:2 which gives twice as much information as normal DV. There are not many cameras that capture this format that are under $15,000.
However if keying is your focus, I have heard of someone buying an old DigiBeta head used for cheap. He came out of the SDI port and into a capture card that could capture uncompressed. This way he was capturing full 4:4:4 video directly to hard disk.
HD is a whole other ball game but you are mostly dealing with the same issues. HDV is a 4:1:1 format. DVCProHD is 4:2:2 and at this point seems like the best option with the HVX100 from Panasonic. It also may help if you are outputing to SD, this added resolution should give killer keys. However who would want to finish in SD when you’re shooting HD?
Jeremy Richardson
http://www.justjerm.com -
Unless you’re doing a lot of keying, I think you should rent the camera, making sure you can work with the format in post.
For instance, in Toronto, Varicam cameras and Panasonic decks aren’t easy to find. It’s a Sony town.
So renting a Betacam camera for the shoot, then a Beta SP deck for capture could be a good option. Once you capture, you send back the deck and work in AE. This way, a lot of money isn’t tied up in an expensive camera that you own. It depends on how often you expect to use it, realistically.
-
[samtherobot] “HDV is a 4:1:1 format.”
Correction: HDV is 4:2:0.
Jeremy
-
Hey,
I just wanted to thank you guys; samtherobot, your explanations helped me a lot to understand the basics. I never understood the true meaning of the 4:X:X, althought I had doubts 🙂
Thx for the advice Steve but, in fact, I do a lot of keying and..to be honest, I think buying it would probably be a better option, since I shoot often.
Still, I never understood the SD and HD terms. I know HD means High Definition…but SD? All I know is I take my camcorder, take my Firewire wire and export my vids in my PC. But now you’re saying that I could output in SD? As you probably guest, I’m french and I always had trouble with the word “Output”? Output…what..SD? *haha*
Thx for your help guys, I really really appreciate.
Justin Productions
Tangerin01@hotmail.com
Adobe After Effects 6.5 Professional -
Man, the HVX is for you. It’s your little handycam on a healthy dose of steroids. It shoots in HD or SD (SD stands for Standard definition) and the workflow is tapeless so that you don’t have to buy a separate video deck to capture or wear your camera down by capturing from it. It shoots in 4:2:2 in all flavors (except dv is 4:1:1). I would rent one first and see if you like it and the workflow.
Do you use FCP at all? How do you normally capture?
Jeremy
-
Hey, thx for the quick response.
I usually shoot with my Sony Handycam, plug the Firewire wire from my cam to my PC, in my PC I open up Sony Vegas and transfer my videos from there. I don’t think my export settings are wrong (in Sony Vegas) since we have no option to change the export quality, so I assume that I’m exporting my vids corresponding the my cam’s resolution.
That’s it!
I’ll look further for the HVX.
Thx!
Justin Productions
Tangerin01@hotmail.com
Adobe After Effects 6.5 Professional -
Check out the Panasonic P2 forum here at the COW for more info on the HVX200.
-
I am not questioning your workflow, I was just wondering what NLE you use as the HVX is whole different ballgame. You might want to check with Vegas and see if they support native HVX mxf media (my hunch is they don’t) but there are other programs on PC that do. The DVCPRO HD native codec is hard to find on a PC, but there’s programs out there to help you out. Raylight comes to mind. Also, Panasonic provides free P2 viewer software for the PC.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Jeremy
-
this is the best expanation of how to set up for keying that i’ve ever seen… and it’s short.
https://generalspecialist.com/
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up