thlbeal

Much Resolve love!  I might have to give it a try.  The thing is, I have a hackintosh that I can't update past 10.7.4 (I'm scared to touch the thing, because if I mess something up I most likely won't be able to fix it).  Can I use an older version of Resolve that will work with the specs below?  Maybe Resolve 9, will that be good enough?

Also, I originally planned on exporting to ProRes, but when I use MlRaw Viewer I get these nasty highlights that I don't get when using crd2hdr.  Am I doing something wrong?

 

Thanks again guys!

 

 

I looked into this!  I can install it fine, but unfortunately it won't run?  I think it's because of that fact that at I'm on 10.7.4

Hey Guys,

 

Wondering if anyone who still shoots ML RAW would like to discuss and give suggestions on their workflow?  I've been shooting RAW on my 5d2 with a VAF for a while now, mainly for personal projects.  It's so much work but it's fun for me because there's so much more to play with.  It's intimidating, but that's why I only use it for my own projects, not for any of the freelance work I do.  Right now, I've been using MLRawViewer to view files, and cr2hdr to export to .dng files.  I don't use Resolve, so my workflow is importing each sequence into AE where I grade/apply LUTs, export to ProRes and edit in Premiere.  It's a pain, because once I start sequencing together I notice the subtle differences in the grades.  Then I have to go back to the clips in AE and re-export.  Is there any way to speed this process up?  I tried using dynamic link to edit my first test below, but playback in Premiere with a ton of linked sequences was almost impossible.  Also, what LUTs would you guys recommend?  I've been using visioncolor and they seem to be pretty nice.  I just have a hard time being consistent with my grade when I have to go back to ACR and make subtle tweaks (not knowing what the result will be once the LUT is applied).

 

Thanks for any help!

 

I bought one a couple months ago and I absolutely love it.  I got a 5d2 around a year ago (mainly for work) and wanted to start shooting RAW so I picked up a VAF on eBay for a very fair price.  I switch between video and stills a lot and the biggest problem is remembering to take the thing out when I take pictures.  When I first got a card fast enough for ML RAW, I figured I could "shoot around" the moire and aliasing, but I quickly realized that I NEEDED the VAF if I wanted an acceptable image with RAW on the 5d.  I know some people don't need or use a VAF with a 5d because they use the crop mode which essentially removes the problems.  I don't want to shoot everything with a 3x crop since I use mostly tighter lenses.

Here's my first ML RAW test video with my 5d and the 5D2b, I think it turned out decent (note, I'm not very good at the workflow/color grading) - 

 

-Tom

 

Javier, this is just so cool.  It would be a dream project for me, traveling, filming, music.  So excited to see it!

I would recommend a hackintosh, if you are willing to spend a little extra time to set everything up.  When I graduated two years ago I needed to upgrade from my laptop.  A mac pro was definitely out of budget so the only option was an iMac.  I took the leap and spent about $800 of parts.  I got my build from http://www.tonymacx86.com/section/295-customac.html and the people on the forum even helped me through the build.  There were a few small problems along the way but within a week I had an $800 machine that would have been $2500 through Apple.  I've had it for over 2 years now and not a single problem yet, it really has been an amazing machine.  I can edit RAW and 4k video extremely well.  Building a hackintosh isn't for everyone but I was very satisfied after I got it up and running.  I had never built a PC before this but there are so many helpful resources on tonymacx86 that it made the process fairly simple.  At the same time, you have to realize the risk involved.  I inspired two of my friends to build hackintoshes after they saw mine.  One was extremely successful, the other not so much.  He couldn't get OSX to run and was left with a Windows PC (always a last resort).  I'm not sure if he screwed something up or didn't buy the right parts, but if you use the guide on tonymac the compatible parts have all been tested in successful builds.

Dear all! I realize I'm late to the party... but I bought a Nikon 1 v2 immediately after I came across the original article on EOSHD and seeing the amazing results in this thread. I read all these 18 pages with great excitement. The video's of Tom Beal are my favorites and I really see myself using this kind of shooting during my study exchange to Singapore and while traveling in general. I think it's actually really cool to 'document' a trip in this way. You have nice moving images to show friends and family and you can still enjoy your trip and the nature surrounding you without loosing much time fiddling with a camera (all the time gained here is lost in post of course... but it's a fair trade off)

 

I have two questions though. Andrew, did you ever upload any Nikon 1 4k raw footage? I'm curious to see how you put it to use and I don't think I've come across anything from you yet.

 

Second question is regarding the post processing workflow. Some people already mentioned a few bits and especially that post processing this footage is killing. I typically ignore these comments since I just want amazing footage :) (same reason I bought a 50D for Magic Lantern raw) Now that I'm processing it though, it is killing me. I already have a fair amount of experience with Premiere Pro, After Effects (including Twixtor) and Adobe Camera Raw but I was wondering if anybody could help me with the workflow.

 

I just imported a single burst from 40 raw frames (graded in ACR) into 16bit comp at 4620x3084 resolution and 24fps into After Effects. I applied Twixtor, changed the speed to 33.33% and the input framerate to 24fps. The result is a 5 second clip which I rendered out at half resolution (2310x1542) to a lossless AVI to see how Twixtor performed on my test burst. The problem is, it took me 25 minutes to render this out... I'm on a first generation i7 920 @ 2.67 GHz with 16GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 285 graphics card. During rendering the CPU is at 100% constantly and RAM is at about 12GB usage. I'm not using the fastest hardware, but what are you guys using? How many hours did it take you to render out your final video's? Any suggestion to how I should be working? I'll probably buy a new MacBook Pro in the near future but I think it shouldn't have to take 10 hours to render a 2 minute video (which is a rough calculation of what it would take using my current workflow). I also can't seem myself cutting together a video in Premiere when the preview speed is so low. Did any of you use proxies? If so, how? Never used/needed them before.

 

Any workflow tips will be most welcome!

 

I have an i7 hackintosh with similar specs and that time sounds about right, but I export to full 4k and convert to ProRes 422 instead.  Maybe ProRes might help, instead of going to AVI?  Twixtor takes me a while to export, especially the longer you re-time (I've only gone up to 4 seconds, but you can probably pull it off since you're working with 40 frames on the v2).

 

Two things I might recommend.  One, is to batch render.  Create 10-20 sequences of re-timed 4k clips, put them all in the render queue, export, then go to bed.  Another thing is to actually not use Twixtor.  My latest project I've yet to use Twixtor on my clips.  I do batch exports with AEs built in time remapping to re-time all my clips to 4 seconds.  I then look through all the clips and if any have problems, I use Twixtor on those clips.  It saves a lot of time, the clips export WAYYYY faster when using the built in time remapping.

 

Hope this was somewhat helpful.

Still can't beat the Nikon 1 v1 shooting 4k for only....$250! (yes, it's limited to one second but so much fun)

 

 

I still use mine to this day and I actually just licensed this video ^ to Samsung to use for their 4k displays.  Best $250 I ever spent!

My vote goes for 5D Mark II

Was hesitating between BMPCC , Canon 5D Mark II and 7D since they have similar prices if you buy 5D used.  Wanted to taste RAW video without investing a lot of money. Got 5D Mark II. Happy with my choice. Canon colors are fantastic and easy to get, RAW video workflow was relatively quick to learn and master.

 

For me 5D Mark II is like having 4 different cameras in one.

-          It is a full frame photo camera. Quite capable and good one by the way

-          It is an OK 8bit Full Frame video camera

-          It is a spectacular 16mm RAW camera

-          And a good FULL FRAME RAW camera

 

Reasons to choose over 7D:

1.       In scenes where you want most objects in focus crop mode could be used. For 5D it is 1:3 or 1:2.7 depending which aspect ratio you choose to work with and the length of the clips.  This is approximately the sensor size of Blackmagic Pocket  Camera. But with better low light performance and 0 moire and aliasing. Beautiful sharp image without using antialiasing filter!  There are lenses that cover wide angles for this aspect ratio, like Sigma 10-20.  Own and use Tokina 11-16 f/2.8.  It becomes 30-44mm or 33-48mm in crop mode.

Crop mode on 7D is something like 1:4.48 (1.6x2.8).  You won't be able to find decent wide angle lenses. Same Tokina 11-16 becomes now 50-70mm !

2.       5D Mark II is better in low light.

3.       You still can use 5D in full frame mode. You may need antialiasing filter for the purpose. I use it without the filter and like the results. Moire and aliasing are tolerable with good post processing.  At least for some scenes they are not a problem for me. In scenes with narrow DOF some part of the frame is out of focus, so aliasing and moire are even less of a problem. Full Frame gives you unique DOF and field of view. I like it. Combining crop mode and full frame you can get good to pristine image even without antialiasing filter. That’s my experience.

4.       So far better support from Magic Lantern - 5D Mark II is supported in nightly builds (all new development) while 7D as far as I know is not yet.

5.       It is easy to find good and cheap lenses for full frame. Had a 28mm f2 old Canon FD lens which was adapted without a problem for EOS mount. Total cost was less than 100$.

 

7D with its dual CPU achieve a little higher speed of recording.  Advantage is for crop mode only. But as already said, wide angles are definitely a problem for 7D crop mode.

 

Can post some sample clips in full frame and crop mode if you like.

 

Stephen,

 

Thank you so much for the reply.  You bring up some great points, things I've never thought of like the 3x crop compared to the BMPCC.  I can buy a mk2 for extremely cheap around here, so I figure I might buy it with a VAF and a couple cards.  That'll put me around the GH4 in price.  There's something about the mk2 RAW stuff that I really get excited about.  I swear it does have it's own unique look and feel to it.  I keep coming back to these videos - 

and this video -  .  A lot of people seem to be turned off by the energy spent dealing with RAW, but for me it's exciting.  I also do some photography, so having a full frame (compared to my 600d) would be an awesome bonus as well. 

 

I would love to see some crop comparisons, though.  I've seen some online, but for some reason I thought it was a 5x crop, which would be a lot harder to use the majority of the time.  Also, do you have any card recommendations?

 

Thanks again.

Hey Guys,

Wondering if I could get some insight about which would be a better camera for RAW.  A month ago, I was set on the GH4 as my next camera.  I love the images and resolution, but I've yet to see anything that really captures the cinematic look I'm going for.  It's still an option, but if I were to use it I would have to invest in lenses and a focal reducer.

 

Recently, I've started working for a local company that allows me to use all their lenses (Mostly L series and Zeiss stuff) so I'm considering switching game plans.  I was thinking that maybe a 7d/5dmk2 (mk3 is a little out of budget) would be the best best, considering all the lenses I have at my disposal.  I mainly do music videos, so I don't need super long shots or a full 1920x1080 resolution (I know 7d/5dmk2 is vertically cropped a bit).

 

I really wanted to get the 50d a while back, because that was all I could afford, but now these new options are within reach.  I just don't see many people talking about shooting 7d/5dmk2 RAW and was wondering if I could get some feedback from those of you who shoot with these setups.

 

Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

Arthurr I use them both in different situations.  Whenever I'm around water or very fast motion I use the 60 frame/.5 second mode because Twixtor has more to work with when creating new frames.  I'd say just stay away from birds/flying bugs and low light situations.  The regular 30fps works well 80% of the time.  When I use twixtor, I drop my 1 second sequence of RAW files into a 3 second timeline. right click on the sequence -> frame blending -> pixel motion.  Then I use the time remapping in AE to stretch the sequence out to 3 seconds, without actually moving the slider for time remapping (this gives Twixtor a blank slate to work on).  Then I apply Twixtor, change the input frame rate to 30 and the speed to 33.33% (and turn on smart blend).  I usually don't touch the other settings unless the exported clip doesn't look good.  Hope this helps!

My go at the Nikon V1's raw burst abilities in 4K (check Vimeo description for more info):

 

http://vimeo.com/72247280

 

How did you apply twixtor?  The motion looks too choppy to have gone through Twixtor?

Absolutely first rate. Badass with a cherry on top. 

 

You're too kind!  It's a pain in the ass to make a video this simple, but it's exciting, for me, shooting footage so crisp, even if it's only a second at a time.  It's a good travel companion camera, I can carry it around my neck all day and forget that it's there.  It's so simple to use, you really do just point and shoot.  A lot of people don't like that it's full auto in the burst mode, but I kind of like it, considering the type of videos I shoot with the v1.  It lets me run and gun in the simplest form, but kicks my ass in post.

Very impressed by your videos, may I ask what lens you used to shoot the V1 footage? Cheers.

 

For all three videos, I just used the 10-30 kit lens.  It seemed to work fine, until it got even somewhat dark.  The thing crumbles at dusk.  So much noise is added and it won't focus at all.  It'll lock in the focus fast, and seem correct, but then later when you see the pictures on your computer they'll be incredibly out of focus.

 

 

VERY beautiful, but it is distracting with all the frequent scene changes ;)

 

Yeah it is kind of rough trying to make videos that are paced well with the v1.  Before I edit anything I have to twixtor every single burst out to around 3 seconds (this takes days).  I then take a couple hundred of those files and try to edit them together.  3 seconds seems to be the sweet spot, any longer and twixtor seems like it doesn't work as well.  It is pretty jolting sometimes.  

My latest (and last) 1 v1 RAW video.

 

Basics matter :-) Exposure is made of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. If we work in automatic what can we expect for?

 

V1 is basically, in burst mode, an automatic point and shoot camera. Buy the V2. V1 is a waste of money for burst shooting IMO.

 

I understand the basics of shooting, I just didn't know if it would lock in the settings through the burst or not.  95% of the time it works flawlessly, then the other 5% it goes crazy.  I'm happy my v1 at this point as I mostly capture scenery with it, which it is perfect for.  I didn't buy the v2 because I still shoot with a Canon for most video situations, and because I bought my v1 with little to no risk (I bought it used from B&H for $250 with a 30-day warranty).  To upgrade to a v2, I would have to pay $500 more.

Just finished up a new little music video.  All footage was shot through a plane window.

 

https://vimeo.com/69594975

Has anyone else had trouble with the exposure changing throughout the burst?  I know the camera has a hard time with artificial light, but sometimes even when I shoot outside it seems the levels go up and down at complete random throughout the burst.  It ruins that shot, because when I try to Twixtor it, the inconsistant frames make Twixtor go crazy.  Is it a feature on the camera that I can turn off?

Hey guys, this is my first post on the forum but I've been keeping up with this topic for a couple weeks.  I decided to snag a used 1 v1 myself (B&H for $250) and I have to admit, I'm kind of in love with it.  Yeah it has many limitations and the workflow is sluggish, but after working with Canon DSLR video (not any of the new RAW stuff) for years, it's truly a breath of fresh air to work with video that looks this good!

 

I made a little test video of some shots over the past week and a half and I'm very pleased with them.  I used Twixtor to slow down the clips to 2-4 seconds.  It worked pretty well about 80% of the time.  You can notice some weird Twixtor motion problems here and there, but I don't really mind because they're not too in-your-face.

 

https://vimeo.com/67656132