FX1 Film Transfer

Daniel Moloko · May 14th, 2005, 10:28 AM

I need to know how was your setting, export final resolution of 2016 X 864 ?

how you did the strecht vertically?

ciao

Jerry Waters · May 15th, 2005, 10:04 PM

Maybe I'm dense or something but I read all this stuff about progressive mode, Panasonic and JVC, but doesn't Panasonic use interlace ccd's and do a pulldown in the camera software? The way I see it Sony captures more information in the 1080i in the FX1 and Z1 and then uses Vegas software to putll that down and it is working with higher resolution images. What, if anything (and I don't see anything), makes pulldown in the camera superior to pulldown in the computer?

At NAB I saw beautiful 24p footage played out frame-by-frame with no artifacts. Each frame was clean and clear 24p footage. Now to hear that it can be put to film better than other DV cameras doesn't suprise me at all. I'll be the first person to admit I'm not a techie. Am I missing something?

Barry Green · May 15th, 2005, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Waters

but doesn't Panasonic use interlace ccd's and do a pulldown in the camera software?

No, they use genuine progressive-scan variable-frame-rate CCDs.

Quote:

What, if anything (and I don't see anything), makes pulldown in the camera superior to pulldown in the computer?

Because it's captured natively, progressively. It's not some sort of interlace blending thing going on in the camera, it's genuine discretely-captured progressive frames.

Radek Svoboda · May 16th, 2005, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maheel Perera

How about sending the film reel to you?. I hope you will be able to view it at a theatre and report your findings.

Did anyone projected these film strips to large theater screen, compared them to regular feature films for quality, or digitally produced films by Lucas, Rodriguez, etc.?

Who cares how compares to DV. What is important is how it looks on theater screen.

Radek

Jeff Baker · May 16th, 2005, 05:42 PM

I understand that shooting with an anamorphic lens would allow one to skip the stretch to aspect ratio step since the lens would be doing that instead.
Would that yield a better quality result since no generation loss would be necessary?

Maheel Perera · May 19th, 2005, 09:49 AM

I offered to send a copy of that transfer to some one who has access to a film projector. But I receive no request from any one. How ever I posted a copy to Eric Bilodeau a while back. Recently he has informed me that he has not get a chance to view it yet.

Comparing this to films produced by Lucas, Rodrigues..? Usig CineAlta?

Maheel Perera · May 19th, 2005, 09:53 AM

Jeff,

Using a 16:9 Ana on the FX1 would give you Cinemascope AR. It will defenetely be superior to the cropped and stretched image. But the problem is to find a suitable 16:9 adaptor to handle HDV resolution.

Kevin Walton · May 28th, 2005, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maheel Perera

I have transferred several clips from FX1 to 35 mm film.

Cool; maybe you could help me then with something that I thought should have been much simpler! :-/

I've got the Sony HDR-FX1E HDV Camera and a very nice and extremely expensive Dual CPU 3.2Ghz Pentium Xeon system running Windows XP and it has a couple of OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 ports.

Ok, so, I've gone and shot some nice footage in HDV format with my camera; now I want to digitize into my PC in HDV format. This is where the big 5 mile thick, 10,000 foot tall solid titanium wall gets thrown up in my face!

Windows XP will only recognize my camera if I switch the "i-Link Conv" menu option to "HDV -> DV" in which case it will only capture at DV 720x576 resolution. If I have the "i-Link Conv" option set to "Off" so that it will output as HDV, Windows Device Manager lists the camera as "Other Devices - AV/C Subunit" and it can't find any drivers for it anywhere.
I've search the net high and low looking for the existence of any drivers for the camera to connect at HDV, but none seem to exist!
I've even tried using Sony Vegas 6.0a which clearly specifies the FX1/FX1E as a supported product! But NO! It absolutely refuses to work in anything other than DV mode!

Can you possibly help me solve this problem?????????

Douglas Spotted Eagle · May 28th, 2005, 01:42 AM

Install the drivers by doing one of two things:
1. Download Service Pack 2. (I wouldn't)
2. Right click in AVCSubunit in Control Panel/System/Hardware
Choose Update Driver
Tell Windows you'll find the driver
Browse to Sound, Video, Game Controller drivers
Choose Sony/Sony DVHS device.
You'll be good to go.

Vegas can only rely on the driverset specified by Windows. Once you've done this, Vegas 6 will see the cam and capture. Be sure you are using the INTERNAL capture app for HDV

Maheel Perera · May 28th, 2005, 09:45 AM

Kewin,
If you have read my post you would see that I did not capture any footage from FX1. I transfered some footage posted on DV Info site and some clips from the Sony HDV Info,com.

Kurth Bousman · May 29th, 2005, 06:19 PM

Maheel - Having been to Sri Lanka , I'm really impressed you're doing this there. I was just interested if you're doing this for the local ( SL and S. India ) film industry and if that's the case , what are your thoughts about your transfers , in terms of projected quality for professional features ? Most people don't know that most of the films currently made in the world come from your region , so that's got to be a good reason for developing the software but hasn't the digital projection tech begun to overtake the traditional film projection systems , esp. in smaller venues ? thanks Kurth

Maheel Perera · May 30th, 2005, 09:51 AM

Kurth,

Really glad to know that you have been to Sri Lanka. Yes , we are doing it here because we had to. You would know that the number of prints required to cover the entire island do not exeed 15, and the budget for a major theatrical production rarely exeeds US$ 100,000. So we had to find a system to keep the costs to a minimum.

We have transfered several commercials and two feature films since our inception in 2004. The quality,...... not trying to blow my own trumphet.... We did not get any complains. visit us @ www.dcinemanetworks.com

In SL we do not have any digital projection. In India, it is tatally a different story. But even in India there was a major feature released recently which was shot using a DVX 100. see www.mumbaixpress.com

Daniel Moloko · May 30th, 2005, 10:30 AM

Michael,

great to know the third world cinema is getting strong.

im from brazil.

i have a short entirely made on HDV. 20minutes. how much it cost to do a transfer to 35mm cinemascope?

ciao

Jerry Waters · May 30th, 2005, 01:28 PM

For the instruction "Right click in AVCSubunit in Control Panel/System/Hardware" where is this in XP Pro?
Then browse in what directory to find "Sound, Video, Game Controller drivers" and the Sony driver?

Gary McClurg · May 30th, 2005, 01:37 PM

Maheel,

I'd be interested in what a feature would cost to transfer also.

Thanks

Gary

May 15th, 2005, 10:04 PM	#17
Jerry Waters Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 136	Why the surprise? Maybe I'm dense or something but I read all this stuff about progressive mode, Panasonic and JVC, but doesn't Panasonic use interlace ccd's and do a pulldown in the camera software? The way I see it Sony captures more information in the 1080i in the FX1 and Z1 and then uses Vegas software to putll that down and it is working with higher resolution images. What, if anything (and I don't see anything), makes pulldown in the camera superior to pulldown in the computer? At NAB I saw beautiful 24p footage played out frame-by-frame with no artifacts. Each frame was clean and clear 24p footage. Now to hear that it can be put to film better than other DV cameras doesn't suprise me at all. I'll be the first person to admit I'm not a techie. Am I missing something? __________________ Jerry Waters Arize Productions

May 16th, 2005, 05:42 PM	#20
Jeff Baker Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northampton, MA Posts: 184	I understand that shooting with an anamorphic lens would allow one to skip the stretch to aspect ratio step since the lens would be doing that instead. Would that yield a better quality result since no generation loss would be necessary? __________________ Canon C100, 5D3

May 28th, 2005, 01:42 AM	#24
Douglas Spotted Eagle VASST Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Stockton, UT Posts: 5,648	Install the drivers by doing one of two things: 1. Download Service Pack 2. (I wouldn't) 2. Right click in AVCSubunit in Control Panel/System/Hardware Choose Update Driver Tell Windows you'll find the driver Browse to Sound, Video, Game Controller drivers Choose Sony/Sony DVHS device. You'll be good to go. Vegas can only rely on the driverset specified by Windows. Once you've done this, Vegas 6 will see the cam and capture. Be sure you are using the INTERNAL capture app for HDV __________________ Douglas Spotted Eagle/Spot Author, producer, composer Certified Sony Vegas Trainer http://www.vasst.com

May 30th, 2005, 01:28 PM	#29
Jerry Waters Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 136	Capturing HDV For the instruction "Right click in AVCSubunit in Control Panel/System/Hardware" where is this in XP Pro? Then browse in what directory to find "Sound, Video, Game Controller drivers" and the Sony driver? __________________ Jerry Waters Arize Productions

May 14th, 2005, 10:28 AM	#16
Daniel Moloko Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Brazil Posts: 124	I need to know how was your setting, export final resolution of 2016 X 864 ? how you did the strecht vertically? ciao

May 19th, 2005, 09:49 AM	#21
Maheel Perera Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sri Lanka Posts: 128	I offered to send a copy of that transfer to some one who has access to a film projector. But I receive no request from any one. How ever I posted a copy to Eric Bilodeau a while back. Recently he has informed me that he has not get a chance to view it yet. Comparing this to films produced by Lucas, Rodrigues..? Usig CineAlta?

May 19th, 2005, 09:53 AM	#22
Maheel Perera Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sri Lanka Posts: 128	Jeff, Using a 16:9 Ana on the FX1 would give you Cinemascope AR. It will defenetely be superior to the cropped and stretched image. But the problem is to find a suitable 16:9 adaptor to handle HDV resolution.

May 28th, 2005, 09:45 AM	#25
Maheel Perera Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sri Lanka Posts: 128	Kewin, If you have read my post you would see that I did not capture any footage from FX1. I transfered some footage posted on DV Info site and some clips from the Sony HDV Info,com.

May 29th, 2005, 06:19 PM	#26
Kurth Bousman Major Player Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: san miguel allende , gto , mexico Posts: 644	Maheel - Having been to Sri Lanka , I'm really impressed you're doing this there. I was just interested if you're doing this for the local ( SL and S. India ) film industry and if that's the case , what are your thoughts about your transfers , in terms of projected quality for professional features ? Most people don't know that most of the films currently made in the world come from your region , so that's got to be a good reason for developing the software but hasn't the digital projection tech begun to overtake the traditional film projection systems , esp. in smaller venues ? thanks Kurth

May 30th, 2005, 09:51 AM	#27
Maheel Perera Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sri Lanka Posts: 128	Kurth, Really glad to know that you have been to Sri Lanka. Yes , we are doing it here because we had to. You would know that the number of prints required to cover the entire island do not exeed 15, and the budget for a major theatrical production rarely exeeds US$ 100,000. So we had to find a system to keep the costs to a minimum. We have transfered several commercials and two feature films since our inception in 2004. The quality,...... not trying to blow my own trumphet.... We did not get any complains. visit us @ www.dcinemanetworks.com In SL we do not have any digital projection. In India, it is tatally a different story. But even in India there was a major feature released recently which was shot using a DVX 100. see www.mumbaixpress.com

May 30th, 2005, 10:30 AM	#28
Daniel Moloko Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Brazil Posts: 124	Michael, great to know the third world cinema is getting strong. im from brazil. i have a short entirely made on HDV. 20minutes. how much it cost to do a transfer to 35mm cinemascope? ciao

May 30th, 2005, 01:37 PM	#30
Gary McClurg Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Springfield, MO, USA Posts: 389	Maheel, I'd be interested in what a feature would cost to transfer also. Thanks Gary