5D2 Raw Video using Quicktime 7 Image Sequence & Final Cut Pro X

[NitromanX]

Hi !

I'm just starting to play with raw video in my Canon 5D2 but need a little advice on post processing.

After converting the .dng to jpgs (or tifs), I'm importing "Image Sequence" into Apple Quicktime 7 and then saving .mov file. Problem is, the raw video looks great in the on screen QT viewer but loses quality when output / saved and compressed.

I'm editing in Apple Final Cut Pro X - so wonder if there is an easier / better way to process the raw video ?

I don't have Adobe After Effects or Premiere and would rather use the software I have if possible.

Any advice ?

Much appreciated  ...

[reddeercity]

Hi !

I'm just starting to play with raw video in my Canon 5D2 but need a little advice on post processing.

After converting the .dng to jpgs (or tifs), I'm importing "Image Sequence" into Apple Quicktime 7 and then saving .mov file. Problem is, the raw video looks great in the on screen QT viewer but loses quality when output / saved and compressed.

I'm editing in Apple Final Cut Pro X - so wonder if there is an easier / better way to process the raw video ?

I don't have Adobe After Effects or Premiere and would rather use the software I have if possible.

Any advice ?

Much appreciated  ...

Hello 
I edit on Final Cut Pro X and i have been using it with Raw.
I would not use Jpeg, for its only 8bit  image, and you are in 14 bit DNG's
I would use Tiff, it's 16Bit  and the closest to what you started with.
There is a few options for you,
1st, i would encourage you to use Adobe Products to Process the file , this seems to me the Best way.
I'm in the Adobe Creative Cloud, so i have access to all the latest Software, the cost in minimal (About $55.0 per mouth)

If that's not a option, Photoshop Elements will read the DNG's and you can do your conversion there.
And of course Photoshop its self. Blackmagic Resolve is also an option, there a free version.
Just remember you can import Tiff,Png image sequences in to FCPX , make sure you set the image to 1/24 of a second to make 24 frame per second.
But you will need a 800 MB/s Raid to read  or write.
There is Mac app to convert DNGs to ProRes but it has its problems.

My Work Flow is this:
Raw2DNG>DNG's>Photoshop PreGrade & or WB/Color Correction recover hi-lights>export>16bit tiff
import A.E.>Sharpness,Adjust Level>export 32bit float ProRes4444
Import FCPX>edit .
I Could just import to A.E. with the ACR plugin, but i like using Photoshop 

[NitromanX]

Thanks for your reply reddeercity ! 

I only have Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 3.6 and prefer to edit in Final Cut Pro X as i've bought it ! 

So can i just import the huge number of 25 fps tif files into FCPX and convert to a video file that way ? I'm not too familiar with FCPX and when i tried it, my system seemed to hang due to all the image files.

Any advice is always appreciated !

Thanks in advance ...

[reddeercity]

Thanks for your reply reddeercity ! 

I only have Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 3.6 and prefer to edit in Final Cut Pro X as i've bought it ! 

So can i just import the huge number of 25 fps tif files into FCPX and convert to a video file that way ? I'm not too familiar with FCPX and when i tried it, my system seemed to hang due to all the image files.

Any advice is always appreciated !

Thanks in advance ...

You have Photoshop that's the first step,
though the Script command you can process all DNG's to Tiff's
do all of you adjustment there export as 16 bit tiff.
If you have apple compressor 4.0 you can import tiff and make a .mov in there
I hope that helps 

[NitromanX]

Thanks reddeercity

Not tried importing in to Compressor 4 but will give it a go.

I've been using QT7 Image Sequence and have played with MPEGStreamchip by squared5.com - but neither can batch process folders of tifs (or jpgs).

Can i batch folders in Compressor 4 ?

If not ... what does everyone else do to batch process the folders of images on Macs ? 

[reddeercity]

Hello All
For all the people who work in Final Cut Pro X
I have being working on ways to retain the 16bit workflow to Edit, Grade Raw Files.
With out going out of the app.
There are to ways to do this, i only did one of the two
First, when you  have your Raw files you can work in 2 file formats
Cinema DNG's (support for blackmagic) of Tiffs.
I choose Tiffs from now,(will try CDNG's later)
I used Photoshop to convert the DNG's to 16bit Tiffs, WB, Hi-light recover etc...
once i have the Tiff's processed you need to import to FCPX,
Make a New Event in the Event Library  import the folder that holds the image sequence.
then start a new project, set it up to the Resolution you Like,
Hi-light all the images, Drag & Drop on the time line.
Now FCPX by default will set the duration per image to 10 seconds .
you need to to change that to 1 frame per image, hi-light all the file on the time line
right click if you use a microsoft mouse, an select "change duration " to 1 frame then
make a "new compound Clip" and the way you go.

Please Note : you will have to have a Hi-Performance Computer with a Raid 5 or at lest a Raid 0
The tiff's are 11.5 MB per-frame, i notice a little lag on my Raid 5 @ 450MB/s
I have just finish building a overclocked i7 Hackintosh to handle this, on Gigabyte Components.
This was a upgrade for me from my Mac Pro1.1, i just transferred raid & Capture card over
and start working.