How to shoot
in RAW on a canon DSLR
Hello together.
I have done a simple and quick video tutorial how to shoot in RAW,
in order to spread the magic lantern idea :-)
Introduction In this tutorial, I'll explain you how to use a canon DSLR to capture 14bit RAW footage.
First of all, the RAW feature is not fully implemented and unless you have a 5D Mark III,
it is not possible to shoot RAW in all resolutions.
But even if you shoot RAW on smaller resolution,
you get more sharpness and detail in your picture,
than the standard canon 1080p footage.
1. Camera + Magic LanternThe most canon DSLR cameras should be able to have magic lantern and the RAW feature. You can visit the magic lantern homepage and check out your camera support. If you don't have magic lantern, you can grab it there. All necessary links are posted in the description.
2. RAW ModuleOnce you have magic lantern installed, you might need the „raw_rec“ module. The module should be implemented, but if you don't find it, you can download the module direct from the nightly builds.
3. SD CardYou also need a good SD card to record the RAW Footage. I have a transcend SDHC Level 10 card for my 550d. The only important thing is, that your card use the full write speed of your camera. If you do not know your card write speed, you can search for benchmarks on the internet.
I have a simple list for you to find the writespeed of your camera. I will link an even better list in the description.
4. ShootNow lets get some footage.
Assure you shoot in 1080p mode. Load up the RAW module and set your fps overwrite to your desired framerate. I use 24 fps, to keep the write buffer of the camera small. Then enable the RAW module. Set your Resolution and Ratio and you are ready to go.
I've done several recordings. One of them should be fine.
5. RAW2DNG Its not simply possible to import your recorded footage directly to after effects, therefore I use a tool from the magic lantern forums called RAW2DNG. This program allows you to simply drag your files on the executable and this file will convert your RAW file to a readable .dng sequence. You don't have to do anything beside that.
Maybe I should write a GUI like the Online Arts HDR gui, for being able to mass
convert your files. Post this in the comments.
I have also done some demonstration footage to test the current RAW features: