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Varicam – Drop vs.Non-Drop frame
In short, should 24fps and 60fps always be shot Non-Drop w/Varicam?
We typically shoot our Varicam at 23.98, 29.97, or 59.94fps depending on the project. Our camera settings for each of those frame rates are set for Drop Frame timecode. When ingesting 59.94 footage into a 59.94 DVCProHD (Final Cut Pro) project, FCP appears to reconvert each master clip’s timecode to Non-Drop Frame. I guess that seems reasonable as my understanding is that FCP sequences are Non-Drop. The problem is that the ingested clip timecodes no longer match the corresponding tape timecodes, so re-batch capturing would be inaccurate. Should we change the timecode settings on our Varicam to Non-Drop when shooting 23.98 and 59.97? I don’t seem to have this problem at 29.97. -
2 Replies
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Bill,
The only “always” is that 24 (meaning 23.97) is always shot non-drop frame. That’s because there is no such thing as drop frame at that speed. Even if the camera/recorder is set DF it will default to NDF.
The other speeds you mention, 29.97 and 59.94 can be shot at either time code setting depending for the most part if the footage is intended to be used for television broadcast. If that’s the case you’ll want the time code to match the clock so you can be certain of your broadcast’s length. That means DF!
While I’m not a FCP expert, I suspect that your problem is a FCP setting; you should always have the option of DF or NDF when shooting. Perhaps you should take this question to the FCP page?
JS
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You have the option in sequence settings/timeline options to set your sequence to drop or non drop, regardless of your tape format.
jw
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