Tim Borek
July 27th, 2005, 08:51 AM
I suspected that footage shot in THIN mode could be expanded in my NLE as 16:9. To my eyes, it looks promising! First, I created a new project set to a 16:9 aspect ratio. Then, I imported the clip shot in THIN mode. When I viewed the footage in my NLE, it no longer had the horizonally compressed look that it did in the camcorder viewfinder. So I transcoded the short clip to DVD MPEG2 and burned a disc in DVD MovieFactory 2SE (which didn't let me choose an aspect ration, BTW). I made the clip a first-play/autoplay with no menus so it would start playing as soon as its inserted into the DVD player. When the DVD started playing, it looked great -- the DVD player letterboxed it so I could view the full "widescreen" frame on my 4:3 screen.
How can I measure to know if I am looking at a 16:9 image? All the vertical resolution is there (unlike shooting in the GS120's Cinema mode), but the frame is much wider. Has anyone else tried this? I normally don't mess with in-camera effects, but to me shooting 16:9 video isn't an effect -- it's more of a broader palette on which to tell our stories. I don't know if the THIN mode creates a squeezed image at true 16:9, but it looks good and saves the expense of a 16:9 converter lens -- I think the Century Optics 37mm lens costs around $350. I was so thrilled that I shot my mother-in-law's birthday party in THIN mode. I can't wait to start editing that. It will be nice to give people 16:9 video, especially with digital widescreen TVs now mainstream.
Too bad my DVC80 can't do this :( To give my wedding clients widescreen video, I need to use the $700 anamorphic adapter.
How can I measure to know if I am looking at a 16:9 image? All the vertical resolution is there (unlike shooting in the GS120's Cinema mode), but the frame is much wider. Has anyone else tried this? I normally don't mess with in-camera effects, but to me shooting 16:9 video isn't an effect -- it's more of a broader palette on which to tell our stories. I don't know if the THIN mode creates a squeezed image at true 16:9, but it looks good and saves the expense of a 16:9 converter lens -- I think the Century Optics 37mm lens costs around $350. I was so thrilled that I shot my mother-in-law's birthday party in THIN mode. I can't wait to start editing that. It will be nice to give people 16:9 video, especially with digital widescreen TVs now mainstream.
Too bad my DVC80 can't do this :( To give my wedding clients widescreen video, I need to use the $700 anamorphic adapter.