[Dean Longfield]

Hi,

i found a good entry on the Ken Stone site regarding fitting 4:3 footage into a 16:9 workspace. Thought I’d share it here in case it’s beneficial to anyone:
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/faking_it.html

[Dean Longfield]

I’ve tried 4:3 video footage and TIFF images in a 16:9 timeline by Image & Wireframing them to fit the 16:9 Timeline. However this seems to degrade the quality of the image somewhat.

When we all first switched over to Widescreen I noticed that some historical documentaries mixed 4:3 and 16:9 footage in their natural state; but then everyone started to make everything fit the 16:9 screen even with some quality loss, (and obviously the original framing was now compromised. (I wonder if broadcasters requested or required this…?)

Does anyone know of a way to not have, or minimize the quality loss of a 4:3 image, (photo or video image), when placing it in a 16:9 Timeline to fill the screen, (with no mattes) ?

Or….. If we want the quality of the original image not to be downgraded, we must fit it in the 16:9 Timeline with borders, (mattes stc) ?

Any comments appreciated. Thanks.

[Dean Longfield]

I’m running FCP 7.03 on OS 10.6.8, (on two computers) and FCP 7.0 and 10.8.3 on another computer. I occasionally run into an issue on the FCP 7.0 on the OS 10.8.3 but for the most part that seems OK as well.

Aside from the good suggestions that others have given you…

Are you working with footage from an external hard drive? It might sound silly but sometimes problems are caused by something as simple as the external hard drive is not turned on, or the firewire connector is loose or is starting to go. If so try connecting into a different port or changing the cable with a new one.

It sounds like you’ve done a lot of work recapturing the footage etc…
Have you tried restarting from a new project? Sometimes it’s easier to to that than trying to back track and correct…

If it’s not that, I’d also guess the incompatibility of the OS with FCP 7 may be the issue. Has this happened with other projects since the OS was last upgraded?

Best of luck.

[Dean Longfield]

Thanks everyone for your responses. The TIFF file is not in widescreen.
I did Image and Wireframe a clip and will burn a DVD with the 16:9 video and the TIFF file on the same timeline to see how it works out.

Thanks again.

[Dean Longfield]

Did you update the FS700 to the FS700R? (It costs $400 and needs to be done at a Sony service center). That activates the 4K capability, but only through the SDI Out, not the HDMI out. Right now the cheapest solution is the Odyssey 7Q, but then one has to purchase SSD cards and the Odyssey 7Q only uses proprietery SSD cards I believe….which are expensive.

That said, Sony just announced the PXW-FS5. 4K internal recording.
XDCAM line. $5,599 with out lens.

[Dean Longfield]

…and now Sony introduces the PXW-FS5…$5,599 or so w/out lens.

Thing is, I have an FS700 and don’t have the need to shoot 4K yet.
By the time 4K jobs start rolling in, ( 3 years from now? ), they’ll be phasing this camera (FS5) out and introducing the new version.

If 4K work was here now, I’d get the FS5 or FS7 because it records 4K internally. To record 4K with an FS700 I’d have to get an Odyssey 7Q with FS700 capability activated and that would cost around $5,000 or so when you factor in buying an SSD card starter kit, (plus I’d rather have the internal recording)….BUT no one is offering 4K video work right now, so I’ll hold onto my FS700 and wait for all the above to come down in price.

[Dean Longfield]

It’s here and apparently it overheats in 4K mode. (A7R II).

Sony is hinting that a camera is coming out that would fit between the FS700 and the FS7. I’m hoping it is an A7R II clone in a larger body with proper heat sinks & XLR inputs…..

[Dean Longfield]

Thanks for the Konova Stability Arm suggestion. Did not know that item existed. The monopods are also an option, (and I already have quite a few variations of monopods and will try it out).

My concern is when I neeed to move fast, I won’t have time to set up the stability arm or the monopod, which is why I was looking for a sturdier tripod.

All good suggestions though. Thanks for taking the time to help out. It’s good to have these different options to choose from.

[Dean Longfield]

Thanks for taking the time to share those good tripod, (for using with a slider), options. Very much appreciated !

[Dean Longfield]

FCP7.03