Canon C200 Cinema RAW Lite Clips – PC Users

[Terry Hogan]

I really think the way that Canon Cinema RAW Development works for Windows is unacceptable. It takes one Canon Cinema Raw Light file that you can make some RAW adjustments to and then outputs numerous small DPX files and puts the audio in numerous WAV files. Then in a program like Resolve you have to import all the numerous DPX files from just one Cinema RAW Light clip and line them up on the timeline. Then line up all the audio WAV files under the corresponding DPX file. Then render that to a DNxHR file to get just one usable clip that can be further edited and graded in Resolve or in Vegas Pro. Canon has always seemed to disregard the Windows PC user vs MAC users. Canon should make Cinema RAW Development output a DNxHR or DNxHR HQ file directly. I can’t imagine doing this process for a project where I have a hundred clips or more to edit.

[Aaron Star]

Processing the Canon DPX files through FFMPEG:

ffmpeg -i A001C007_171001QB_CANON_000000%2d.DPX -vcodec dpx A001C007_171001QB_CANON_%d.dpx

Vegas will read the output dpx format just fine. There is something up with the way canon is writing their dpx format. It could be more updated, or there is an error in the header that the other NLE have just done a work around.

When you import the dpx image sequence into Vegas, set your project to 32-bit FP FULL (View transform ACES RRT sRGB). Then on the import screen/media properties choose frame rate, and color space Sony S-log or s-log2 f65.

From here you can create proxy format for the main image sequence, or render to a new intermediate like Cineform or XAVC-intra.

Rendering to XAVC-intra gives a file 10-bit 422 image:

General
Complete name : C:\Users\Aaron\Desktop\avc-intra-test.MXF
Format : MXF
Format version : 1.3
Format profile : OP-1a
Format settings : Closed / Complete
File size : 3.27 MiB
Duration : 83 ms
Overall bit rate : 330 Mb/s
Encoded date : 2017-10-20 12:06:18.000
Writing application : SONY Vegas 13.0.0.453
Writing library : Sony MXF Development Kit (Win32) 4.8.0.113.1

Video
ID : 2
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High 4:2:2 Intra@L5.1
Format settings, CABAC : No
Format settings, GOP : N=1
Format settings, wrapping mode : Frame
Codec ID : 0D01030102106001-0401020201323001
Duration : 83 ms
Maximum bit rate : 240 Mb/s
Width : 4 096 pixels
Height : 2 160 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 1.896
Frame rate : 23.976 (24000/1001) FPS
Standard : Component
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:2
Bit depth : 10 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Color range : Limited
Color primaries : BT.709
Transfer characteristics : BT.709
Matrix coefficients : BT.709

[Neblackshirts]

Thanks Aaron for the information! Very helpful. The Canon RAW processing is far too many steps for us Windows users.

1. Process RAW files via Canon software and export .DPX sequence
2. Import .DPX sequence into FFMPEG
3. Export another .DPX sequence from FFMPEG
4. Import FFMPEG .DPX sequence into Vegas for editing

As Terry said, that process is NOT feasible if the project has many clips and is still too time consuming even if it doesn’t. There’s not enough time in the day to wait for all of the processing of the files just to GET them into Vegas for editing. I’ll be sticking to editing the .CRM files in Resolve until either Canon or Magix come up with a better solution for Windows users. Only downside is we can’t export full 4096 x 2160 from the free version of Resolve.

[Aaron Star]

Magix should support native editing of RAW formats, or simply a utility that conforms RAW formats/image sequences to EXR 2.0. Exr 2.0+ supports various mathematically lossless compression formats. EXR with or with out compression would be the intermediate format. Then we could edit RAW footage in the ACES color space.

Vendor agnostic RAW (means support all, figure it out, there are not that many) -> EXR 16-bit or 32bit Linear Float -> Output to desired SDR/WDR formats, or back to EXR sequence to maintain information and future proof.

->Proxy if needed – but improving playback of EXR would be better due to the way sub-sampling is support to work with EXR.

This would be a great Vegas workflow and up the game. Probably the only way Vegas would gain an edge over the competition.

Better ACES capable effects would be needed as well. There are a host of 32-bit float effects in the drawer, but when deployed they clearly are effecting standard video levels or 8-bit. There are threads on ACES workflows in Vegas, but all use a kludge method of working around the main CC interface.

Sound would be handled separate, in a similar float format fashion.

[Aaron Star]

1. Process RAW files via Canon software and export .DPX sequence
2. Import .DPX sequence into FFMPEG
3. Export another .DPX sequence from FFMPEG
4. Import FFMPEG .DPX sequence into Vegas for editing

Actually 2 and 3 are the same, so its really only a 3 step process.

I agree that Canon or Vegas should allow direct import of RAW, or vegas to support Canons DPX sequence.

There is a software DEV kit on the Canon site, can’t imagine Vegas dev’s would not be able to resolve this quickly.

One other thing to note is that the RAW exports should be worked in the ACES, or 2020 color space to maintain the information from RAW format. Otherwise you are clipping information by squeezing it into the 709 color space.

Here is an interesting ratings article showing % of color space coverage by monitor type.

https://www.rtings.com/tv/tests/picture-quality/wide-color-gamut-rec-709-dci-p3-rec-2020

Of course your monitor cable supported level, GPU/video output device capabilities, and monitor input supported levels all need to align. Your Vegas project settings also needs to align to the correct project mode.

[Tom Gomez]

I don’t suppose those CRM files are still available for download somewhere? 🙂

================================================
TOMDURHAM.COM
Writing, Indie Filmmaking
Sci-fi, Fantasy, Anything Else That’s Cool

https://www.95ers.com
https://www.SpaceAceMedia.com

[Terry Hogan]

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B5bgT6TyHVt6cjlWaWRfNFZDcG8 I believe 4k shooters still has a Cinema RAW Light file for download available at this link.

i7 5930k 3.5 GHz overclocked to 4.0 Ghz water cooled processor, 32 GB RAM, Nvidia Geoforce GTX 980 4GB RAM, C: drive and render to drive are SSD, project and media drive is WD Black.

[Tom Gomez]

Thanks!

================================================
TOMDURHAM.COM
Writing, Indie Filmmaking
Sci-fi, Fantasy, Anything Else That’s Cool

https://www.95ers.com
https://www.SpaceAceMedia.com