Jesse Rosen
Forum Replies Created
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Do you need the cameras to be genlocked, or do you just need matching time code?
If you just need timecode, I’d skip the sync altogether and just run timecode.
If you need genlock (if you’re feeding a production switcher, say), I would highly recommend using a proper sync generator and distribution amp to feed good sync to the cameras – bad sync can really ruin your day (by ruining your recordings).
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc.
http://www.bustedskull.com -
Without knowing how your Varicam is set up, it’s really impossible to answer this question.
That said, pretty much all of the settings that affect the general look of the image in the Varicam are available in the HPX3000. If you use the Varicam in FILM REC mode, put the HPX3000 in FILM REC to match. For VIDEO REC, choose one of the FILMLIKE gamma modes. I would keep detail very low or off. Matrix settings won’t translate exactly – to match a particular look you’d want to put up both cameras pointed at a ChromaDuMonde chart and look at the outputs on a Vectorscope.
If you don’t have a particular look that you’re trying to match, a little more info on how you intend to use the camera would help. It sounds like you want a real “look” coming out of the camera – perhaps to minimize the amount of correction needed in post. If so, I’d use one of the FILMLIKE gamma modes. 1 & 2 will need the least amount of correction (2 will preserve a bit more highlight detail), though 3 will give you a bit more correction range by giving you a flatter image (though not as flat as FILMREC gamma). I’d leave pedestal at 0. If you want to crush the blacks a bit, use a bit of negative black gamma. You could also raise master gamma a bit, perhaps to .50 or a bit higher if you want a contrastier look.
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc.
http://www.bustedskull.com -
Hi Steve,
We had a 27V in late 2001, actually. I know because I remember putting the doubler on a long lens and shooting the World Trade Center out the window from my office. As far as I know the only one that was in use before ours was a prototype that was lent to David Niles.
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc.
http://www.bustedskull.com -
While I concur with Alan’s suggestion to record the HDSDI out of the camera to a format that bypasses the MPEG2 4:2:0 subsampling, I would also highly recommend using just about any other keyer than the plugin built into Final Cut, which is extremely primitive.
If you want to keep it inside of Final Cut check out Conduit from dvGarage. It does much much better keying than FCP’s, and it’s pretty darn inexpensive to boot.
You may find that you get perfectly acceptable keys for your application even with the 4:2:0 sampling once you’re using better software.—
Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc.
http://www.bustedskull.com -
The HDX900 is not controllable, so the question about the IOHD is moot.
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc.
http://www.bustedskull.com -
To elaborate somewhat on the other answers (I agree that it works great) — there is no transcoding to another codec – FCP 5.1.2 can edit the Long-GOP MPEG2 natively – only when effects are rendered does it go into another I-frame only codec.
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc. -
[Atl Cine] “Can the 900 record in SD?”
No – 720P and 1080i only, though it can output SD as either composite or SDI.
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc. -
The camera adds the pulldown on output – what you end up with in Final Cut in this case is a 1080i/59.94 clip with embedded pulldown. You can drag this clip directly into a 1080i/59.94 sequence (in whatever codec you’ve chosen in your capture settings). If you want to edit in 24, you can use Cinema Tools to remove the pulldown, leaving you with 1080P/23.976 clips – ready for editing in a 24P timeline.
As you can see, it’s really much much much more convenient (and higher quality, I might add) to deal with this footage natively. Considering the nominal cost of a FCP 5.1 upgrade, I think you’d be better off going that route.
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc. -
The camera adds the pulldown on output – what you end up with in Final Cut in this case is a 1080i/59.94 clip with embedded pulldown. You can drag this clip directly into a 1080i/59.94 sequence (in whatever codec you’ve chosen in your capture settings). If you want to edit in 24, you can use Cinema Tools to remove the pulldown, leaving you with 1080P/23.976 clips – ready for editing in a 24P timeline.
As you can see, it’s really much much much more convenient (and higher quality, I might add) to deal with this footage natively. Considering the nominal cost of a FCP 5.1 upgrade, I think you’d be better off going that route.
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc. -
Are you capturing directly from the camera, or from the deck? The camera always outputs with pulldown, but the deck can output true 24P (well, PsF).
From the camera, whether you shot 24P, 30P or 60i, you’d set your capture settings to 1080i/59.94.
Also, to get native 35Mb support you’ll need to update to FCP 5.1.2, which I’d highly recommend you do anyway (as soon as you’re done with whatever big project you’re in the middle of, of course!).
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Jesse Rosen
Director of Technical Development
Abel Cine Tech, Inc.