Lose timecode by stopping camera?

[Don Greening]

[Kevin C.] “Does not the camera stop after a few minutes on pause?”

Yeah it does, but it’s supposed to back up a few frames when it does go into stop mode so you don’t lose timecode. Check it out. Put it into record pause mode, then hit record for a few seconds and then push the record button again so that it goes into record pause mode. You should see the timecode back up a few frames. If it’s doing that OK and if you still lose timecode during capture then it’s something else…..and probably not the camera.

– Don

(where are the forum moderators?)

[Kevin C.]

thanks Don. cool, I’m sure your right on that. But hitting then, the stop button is a no, no? I guess Canon decided no to do the rewind bit for that?

[Don Greening]

You’re correct. When you push the stop button and then want to record more on the same tape you need to back it up a second or two so you don’t break the timecode. I’ve been told for years by others to always keep recording a few seconds longer, even after you’ve got the shot you want for the simple reason of backing the tape up a bit to keep the timecode. These few seconds of footage recorded before and after each important shot are referred to as ‘handles’. I’m sure you’ve run across that term before in FCP.

If you were using iMovie to make your projects you wouldn’t need to worry about handles or broken time code because that program starts a new clip at every timecode break. I don’t think that iMovie even displays timecode. iMovie was made for people that no nothing about video but want to make a DVD of their home movies. FCP and programs like it use timecode exclusively and this is a much more exact way of capturing and editing.

– Don

[Kevin C.]

thanks again Don!