Hi all,
ML is a great tool and has a great community! I've been researching on how to use my equipment to get high quality video with audio into DaVinci Resolve for editing. I just got everything to work after a couple of days work and just wanted to share my experience.
I'm a journalist with some aspirations to shoot documentary... and wanted a run and gun camera that's rugged and can be used demanding situations, but at the same time deliver high quality files for editing. I'll post the finished list of things that I use to get the .MLV files converted and into DaVinci Resolve 11 for editing, then I'll post some thoughts from my research:
My equipment:
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III
Firmware: 1.2.3
ML version: 1.2.3 (Built on: 2015-04-28 02:13:03 +0200)
Computers: ASUS ROG 751 -> 16GB RAM, Windows 8.1, NVIDIA 980M GTX.
and Macbook Air (mid 2014)
CF card: Komputerbay 256gb CF formatted in exFAT
Lens: Canon USM ii 70 - 200mm zoom lens
USB 3.0 Media Reader — FCR-HS3 (transfer from CF to computer): http://www.kingston.com/en/support/technical/products?model=fcr-hs3
Programs in post production:
Converting .MLV to DNG: RAWMagic (NOTE: only compatible with OSX!)
Editing: Resolve Lite 11
Camera settings:
RAW video (MLV) 1920x1080
Aspect ratio 16:9
Files > 4GB (exFAT)
MLV Sound: ON
Movie Tweaks: Movie logging: ON, Dim rec led: ON
FPS: 23.976
Modules activated in camera:
file_man OK
mlv_play OK
mlv_rec OK
mlv_snd OK
Workflow:
I have two cards in the canon. One SD with the Magic Lantern install, and CF cards that i can record to. I leave the SD card in the camera at all times, and just switch CF cards. I use the Kingston USB CF card reader to transfer the .MLV files that are created in the camera to my Macbook Air computer.
From there, insert the MLV:s into RAWMagic, convert them with default settings. Move the converted files unto an external hard drive, and move them from there to my ASUS ROG main computer.
These files are now ready to be used in DaVinci Resolve.
Problems:
The biggest issue was for me to convert the .MLV files to DNG that DaVinci Resolve could read. I have read a ton of reviews, and blogposts etc to get this working in Windows to no avail. I'll post the research and comments so that others can read and comment to maybe save some time. There might be tweaks and other workflows possible that I do not know about but none that I've found. If you know of something else please comment.
These programs did not work for me:
Raw2cdng 1.7.4:
http://www.phreekz.de/wordpress/2014/04/magiclantern-raw2cdng-1-5-0/
After conversion the clip is broken up in 1 audiofile and several smaller clips in resolve. It's possible to connect them on the timeline and then try to sync the audio via "Auto-sync audio based on timecode" but it's not working all the time.
Raw2cdng 1.6.5:
This one delivers one file complete with audio in DaVinci Resolve but the playback is broken. When previewing the clips, they won't play. If put on the timeline in DaVinci Resolve I can play them and edit them. But the playback does not work. One workflow is to put them on timeline, then export them in some high quality format, and then edit that file again. But that's too much work for me to get non-RAW files working.
MlRawViewer (discontinued)
https://bitbucket.org/baldand/mlrawviewer/downloads/
Does a good job for previews of the .MLV:s! If you want to preview you workflow and watch the quality of the photos you've taken I recommend this software. Can also export high quality mov or DNG. However, it was not possible for me to edit the DNG:s in resolve. The .MOV files works, however.
MLV Mystic
http://secondsparkproductions.com/index.php/blog/8-mlv-mystic-mlv-raw-to-dng-batch-converter
The most promising program. Discontinued as far as I can tell, though. Will deliver two files in DaVinci Resolve, one for the audio and one for the movie. Just add the movie to the timeline and then add the audio to that and link them.
Program I settled with for the conversion:
RAWMagic
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rawmagic/id856514119?mt=12
Not open source and I don't want to endorse this in any way, since I know that the administrators in the forum really just want programs that are open source. The workflow is kind of funky since you'll need OSX to be able to convert. But this is what worked for me - just drag and drop MLV, convert with default settings and import into DaVinci Resolve. Yes, you need a mac for this, but I didn't find another way of doing just what I wanted. Just writing what worked for me.
Thoughts:
Since I wanted audio embedded with the .RAW footage it was not an option for me to record in just .RAW (I used .MLV format) and I also put value in having as neat workflow as possible and not converting between all kinds of programs just to get going with the editing. If you don't have mac and have some other ideas of what's working then do tell. I'd rather not have to do that step as well, and just have everything on my ASOS ROG workstation.
But in the end: Now I can record high quality footage on my Canon 5d Mark iii, and edit it in DaVinci Resolve. The camera is super comfortable to run and gun with, and with the magic lantern hack it's fricking awesome image quality.
I love the work that everyone does in the community, and this is not a shitpost to trash talk anyone in any way. I know that the open source contributors are doing a great work, and I've had really good times trying all of their programs. They are doing an amazing job, and I do hope that more people donate and contribute to the ML community so that they can continue their work of refining the software for recording and conversion and editing.
And I hope that this post can help some others along the way to getting their workflow going.
ML is a great tool and has a great community! I've been researching on how to use my equipment to get high quality video with audio into DaVinci Resolve for editing. I just got everything to work after a couple of days work and just wanted to share my experience.
I'm a journalist with some aspirations to shoot documentary... and wanted a run and gun camera that's rugged and can be used demanding situations, but at the same time deliver high quality files for editing. I'll post the finished list of things that I use to get the .MLV files converted and into DaVinci Resolve 11 for editing, then I'll post some thoughts from my research:
My equipment:
Camera: Canon 5D Mark III
Firmware: 1.2.3
ML version: 1.2.3 (Built on: 2015-04-28 02:13:03 +0200)
Computers: ASUS ROG 751 -> 16GB RAM, Windows 8.1, NVIDIA 980M GTX.
and Macbook Air (mid 2014)
CF card: Komputerbay 256gb CF formatted in exFAT
Lens: Canon USM ii 70 - 200mm zoom lens
USB 3.0 Media Reader — FCR-HS3 (transfer from CF to computer): http://www.kingston.com/en/support/technical/products?model=fcr-hs3
Programs in post production:
Converting .MLV to DNG: RAWMagic (NOTE: only compatible with OSX!)
Editing: Resolve Lite 11
Camera settings:
RAW video (MLV) 1920x1080
Aspect ratio 16:9
Files > 4GB (exFAT)
MLV Sound: ON
Movie Tweaks: Movie logging: ON, Dim rec led: ON
FPS: 23.976
Modules activated in camera:
file_man OK
mlv_play OK
mlv_rec OK
mlv_snd OK
Workflow:
I have two cards in the canon. One SD with the Magic Lantern install, and CF cards that i can record to. I leave the SD card in the camera at all times, and just switch CF cards. I use the Kingston USB CF card reader to transfer the .MLV files that are created in the camera to my Macbook Air computer.
From there, insert the MLV:s into RAWMagic, convert them with default settings. Move the converted files unto an external hard drive, and move them from there to my ASUS ROG main computer.
These files are now ready to be used in DaVinci Resolve.
Problems:
The biggest issue was for me to convert the .MLV files to DNG that DaVinci Resolve could read. I have read a ton of reviews, and blogposts etc to get this working in Windows to no avail. I'll post the research and comments so that others can read and comment to maybe save some time. There might be tweaks and other workflows possible that I do not know about but none that I've found. If you know of something else please comment.
These programs did not work for me:
Raw2cdng 1.7.4:
http://www.phreekz.de/wordpress/2014/04/magiclantern-raw2cdng-1-5-0/
After conversion the clip is broken up in 1 audiofile and several smaller clips in resolve. It's possible to connect them on the timeline and then try to sync the audio via "Auto-sync audio based on timecode" but it's not working all the time.
Raw2cdng 1.6.5:
This one delivers one file complete with audio in DaVinci Resolve but the playback is broken. When previewing the clips, they won't play. If put on the timeline in DaVinci Resolve I can play them and edit them. But the playback does not work. One workflow is to put them on timeline, then export them in some high quality format, and then edit that file again. But that's too much work for me to get non-RAW files working.
MlRawViewer (discontinued)
https://bitbucket.org/baldand/mlrawviewer/downloads/
Does a good job for previews of the .MLV:s! If you want to preview you workflow and watch the quality of the photos you've taken I recommend this software. Can also export high quality mov or DNG. However, it was not possible for me to edit the DNG:s in resolve. The .MOV files works, however.
MLV Mystic
http://secondsparkproductions.com/index.php/blog/8-mlv-mystic-mlv-raw-to-dng-batch-converter
The most promising program. Discontinued as far as I can tell, though. Will deliver two files in DaVinci Resolve, one for the audio and one for the movie. Just add the movie to the timeline and then add the audio to that and link them.
Program I settled with for the conversion:
RAWMagic
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rawmagic/id856514119?mt=12
Not open source and I don't want to endorse this in any way, since I know that the administrators in the forum really just want programs that are open source. The workflow is kind of funky since you'll need OSX to be able to convert. But this is what worked for me - just drag and drop MLV, convert with default settings and import into DaVinci Resolve. Yes, you need a mac for this, but I didn't find another way of doing just what I wanted. Just writing what worked for me.
Thoughts:
Since I wanted audio embedded with the .RAW footage it was not an option for me to record in just .RAW (I used .MLV format) and I also put value in having as neat workflow as possible and not converting between all kinds of programs just to get going with the editing. If you don't have mac and have some other ideas of what's working then do tell. I'd rather not have to do that step as well, and just have everything on my ASOS ROG workstation.
But in the end: Now I can record high quality footage on my Canon 5d Mark iii, and edit it in DaVinci Resolve. The camera is super comfortable to run and gun with, and with the magic lantern hack it's fricking awesome image quality.
I love the work that everyone does in the community, and this is not a shitpost to trash talk anyone in any way. I know that the open source contributors are doing a great work, and I've had really good times trying all of their programs. They are doing an amazing job, and I do hope that more people donate and contribute to the ML community so that they can continue their work of refining the software for recording and conversion and editing.
And I hope that this post can help some others along the way to getting their workflow going.