[Devinda Fernando]

*** If you scale full HD up by 100 percent it actually quadruples the pixel count to 3840×2160. ***

No it does not… you are confusing 4K footage (which is 3840×2160 pixels) with 2K being scaled by 100%…

[Devinda Fernando]

I’m shooting using a Canon 5D MK III on the 1920×1080 ALL-I setting. The codec is H.264. in the .mov or mp4 container.

Does anyone know how the scaling/zooming is handled by the software? i.e – if for example the zoom is 100% then am I to assume that the software doubles the number of pixels of the frame: 1080 x 1920 = 2 Million Pixels (approx) and thus a 100% scale would double the pixels to 4 Million Pixels and therefore resolution would be reduced to 50% of the original?

Am I making any sense on this?

[Devinda Fernando]

Gosh that’s so easy even I can answer that… well first you have to download the video from YouTube.. You most likely need a program or plugin for your browser… Google “Youtube Downloader” and you should get some results. If you’re using firefox and a mac (like me) there is a plugin that works nicely that gives you file options on your download – like 360p Mp4 or 720p Mp4 or 240p Flv… Install the program then down load the file, then import the file as you would any other file in Premiere.

[Devinda Fernando]

I have a Hero 3 – must have totally missed that part about the ProTune stetting…will definitely check it out. Once again…really appreciate your knowledge on that Ryan.

I’m looking at the footage and it looks like mostly saturation and gamma manipulation in color grading, but who knows? I’m no expert. I just thought if they are using H.264 mp4 compression then there are real limits to what can be done being that its such a small sensor and a really lossy codec?

I’m guessing they used different lenses and Polarizer and ND filters on their GoPros… You can see towards the end of the video that there is a camera man in the surf filming and he has some sort of large housing for the goPro which must be to accommodate the add-ons outside of the standard housing of the GoPro.

I’m also guessing they used twixtor for those slow to freeze-frame holds for the jumps by the skiers and snowboarders.

*** It also doesn’t hurt that they have steadicams, helicopter, etc to add motion to shots! ***

Yeah… I tried attaching the goPro to helmets for bikes and wake-boarding… you get a very shaky shot no matter what… I’m guessing there’s some stabilization being done in post too.

By the way, I’m taking your advice and switching to Davinci Resolve Lite (till I have enough money to get the full version)… I was using Apple Color for 3 years and I got really familiar with it but the work flow is just too much effort now. Its a nice program, but as usual Apple’s futile attempt to control the market by being restrictive and proprietary with their software, is forcing me to look elsewhere.

[Devinda Fernando]

*** By the way, you’re not gaining resolution or quality by converting to ProRes. What you are doing is allowing FCP/Color to work correctly as they are centered around a ProRes workflow. h.264 files tend to cause errors in legacy FCP. ***

Thanks Ryan, This is pretty much what I have gathered from various blogs, I just needed confirmation.

*** But if you just like using hard drive space, you’re welcome to use ProRes (HQ)!***

Oh Gosh no! Hard drive space is what I have in the forefront of my mind when trying to work this out.

*** The clip cannot exceed the quality at which it was shot at…so transcode accordingly.***

This seems plainly logical, as you can’t create detail from thin air… But I wonder sometimes – for example… have you seen the GoPro demo video?

Here it is in case you have not:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3PDXmYoF5U

The raw footage taken by the camera (1080p H.264 mp4) looks nothing like what is shown in the video, but the final output is fantastic, with really rich colors and detail… I’m wondering how this was achieved in post production? I’m assuming they converted the files to Apple ProRes and did a great job color grading it? Any idea?

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[Devinda Fernando]

Hi Walter,

Just to clarify the work flow steps…

From what I have gathered so far is as follows:

1). Rushes from Camera (H.264 AVCHD mp4) convert to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
2). Import to Adobe CS6 Premiere
3). Export to FCP XML
4). Send to Apple Color from FCP
5). Re-import back to FCP
6). Export as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)
7). Re-import back to Adobe CS6 Premiere

If so, then just have a quick question.

If the camera footage is H.264 Mp4 (AVCHD) (I use a Canon 5D MK3) then do I need to first convert it to Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) before importing it to Adobe Premiere, then export to FCP XML, then send to Apple Color, then Back to FCP, and export again as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and then re-import back to Adobe Premiere? Or can I just import the H.264 Mp4 footage to Adobe Premiere and go through the same process without any loss of resolution?
I guess to ask the same question another way, – does exporting Adobe Premiere files to FCP XML automatically convert the files to the same higher quality as Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) – and therefore eliminating the first step of converting the raw camera footage from H.264 to Apple ProRes 422(HQ) ?

[Devinda Fernando]

Thanks George… I actually had read that article earlier and then I read the comments for that article and the comments correctly stated that I was MORE confused after reading the article than before!

Also I think I’m getting it, but still a bit murky on the details about Raw and Compressed. I think I understand that raw is cetainly better for post production, but the two types of footage both have the same lines of resolution, therefore Raw does not give you any greater detail on the footage than H.264, and I guess it really comes down to the size and capability of the Camera’s sensor… i.e. a RED EPIC’s sensor is going to capture greater detail (Color Space) than a 5D MK3’s sensor… But again… there is no greater magnification capabilities between both cameras if the output is the same?

Does that sound right to you?

[Devinda Fernando]

Oh wow! Then you can’t even compare the two in that case… the PDW-F350 is a far superior camera to the 5D Mk II DSLR and that reflects in the huge price difference between the two.

[Devinda Fernando]

***while continuing to use our XDCam for the real work.***

When you say XDCAM do you have a Sony Ex3? I have a couple of those and the 5D MK3 footage is far superior to the EX3 footage. With the exception of the annoying moire effect (aliasing) on the 5D, I’d say I’d use that for pretty much every professional shoot over the EX3.

*** I’ve tried different shutter speeds using the Time Value setting and a 500th of a second looks about the same as a 60th. So what gives? Am I missing something basic, or is it just the way it is with this camera? ***

As someone who uses a 5DMK3 intensively I have always found a huge difference in shutter speeds 50/60 and 500! For one thing you should notice the difference in the darkness of the image when on 500 Shutter speed when compared to 50 or 60?

*** Any “ideal” settings for shooting video in terms of ISO under different conditions? ***

Personally I try to keep it ISO 640 or under. In editing you can really push the 640 or less footage much more than anything higher. This means I have to somehow light the scene to bring the exterior conditions to that 640 ISO. If no additional light is available I then increase past 640 ISO as a last resort. I usually choose not to shoot anything ISO 2500 or more… (even though the camera can go to ISO 12,500). After 2500 there is just too much noise to be acceptable for the work I do.

For Green Screen and chroma keying I try to have lighting conditions bright enough to shoot at ISO 160, but again if not possible I still try to keep it at 640 or under.

[Devinda Fernando]

*** The 5D sensor is full frame 35mm still negative about the size of Vistavison. the FS700 is super 35mm about the size of an APC sensor. ***

Thanks for clearing that up Warren. Is that a rule-of-thumb for larger sensors, or could a smaller sensor deliver a better quality image if it was the better technology?

I guess my only question further on that is whether the footage captured on the larger sensor (5D) is better quality – and in what way?… perhaps better image quality under higher ISOs/and Low light settings, because its seems illogical that if the output footage of either Sensor are both 1080p HD H.264, that they would differ on aspects like lines of resolution?

I totally understand about the difference between 8 Bit H.264 HD and Pro Res and even Raw. I guess my confusion still lies with whether 2K Raw comes in different ‘flavors’ – i.e. is there a 10 Bit Raw, a 12 bit Raw, 14 bit Raw etc…?

Would love to meet up and do a side by side, but unfortunately I’m literally on the other side of the world from you in Sri Lanka. I shoot mostly on the 5D MKIII which has become the industry standard in this country, but just ordered the Sony FS700 with the Odyssey 7Q for 2K Raw recording. Its coming from Singapore so its going to take a couple of months since it has to be firmware and hardware upgraded by the Sony agent there since we have no Sony Agent in Sri Lanka 🙁 .

I definitely plan on doing some test shots with the FS700 – especially the Slo-mo capabilities and will post them on youtube when I get the chance.