How to crop 2x footage to 1.5x footage on a SmallHD monitor

[QuickHitRecord]

Many people find that a 2x (3.55:1) aspect ratio is just too narrow for their liking. The good news is that if you are using a 2x lens and you have a DP4 monitor, you can compose and shoot in 1.5x. This allows us to enjoy all the benefits of 2x glass (greater availability, lower prices, more dramatically stretched bokeh) with none of the headache. Here's how to do it:[list=1]
[*]Choose a Preset number so that you don't have to make these adjustments every time (just scroll back to the Preset).
[*]Under the [i]Advanced Menu[/i], go to [i]Scale[/i] and select [i]2.35:1[/i].
[*]Go to [i]Custom Scale[/i] and input the following values:
[/list]
[indent=1]HSTART: 706[/indent]
[indent=1]HSIZE: 94[/indent]
[indent=1]VSTART: 500[/indent]
[indent=1]VSIZE: 600[/indent]

Now you are set to monitor in 1.5x.

I have created an Apple Compressor setting that I just drag-and-drop onto incoming footage that squeezes AND crops the footage to 1.5x before I even begin my edit. It helps keep my render time down and I don't even have to deal with the trimmed footage area if I don't want to.

These values [i]may[/i] also work on the DP6, but I haven't tried it.

[brucker]

that's quite clever!

i might start looking into x2 lenses now cheers!

[Francisco Rios]

Is the apple compressor settings done with compressor 3 from FCP7? I did the same to get 3.55 footage , but I notice some gamma shift if I use compressor to transcode to prores.. A little but there is. Best regards.

[Axel]

Just curious: Do you have FCS3 on Snowleo? Allegedly, the gamma shift-issue is solved since Lion. I am running FCS and FCP X on Mountain Lion, and I still find the Compressor 3 output to be a little 'darker'. Confusing. Besides that, I [i]would[/i] have recommended FCP X as editor for the Studio 3 (via XML-export with [url="http://assistedediting.intelligentassistance.com/Xto7/"]X27[/url]), but right now you can't create custom ARs in FCP X, so for anamorphotic footage (other than 1440) it's not yet fit. This needs to be added.

[QuickHitRecord]

I'm using Compressor 3 from FCP7 in Snow Leopard. I haven't noticed a gamma shift, but I will take a look. Of course the disadvantage for using Compressor is that it cuts out any DR gain that you get from using 5DtoRGB, but the computer that I am using simply lacks the processing power to edit smoothly if I apply the distortion in FCP.