Multiclip "Codecs Incompatible" Error...

[John Reilly]

Hi, Everyone:

I was attempting to do a Multiclip edit of wedding footage shot with a Sony HVR-Z5U and the second camera being the HVR-Z1U.

I operated the Z5 in 30P mode, and then, to take a shot at getting the Z1U to be somewhere in a compatible ballpark, I employed the HD 1080i Cineframe 30 to try and mimick (somewhat) the more "film look" of the Z5, as the Z1U would be employed in "lockdown / medium-wide."

I realize these specs are loose and the cameras are really 2 different animals (CCDs vs CMOS) but it was a "spur of the moment" decision on my part, and, on the sunny day I was shooting outdoors at a winery, the initial test runs on both cameras, per above settings, looked OK to me ( only quickly viewing both LCD screens).

The "error" materialized when I was formulating the "multiclip edit" in FCP 6, when it wouldn't let me proceed, stating that a multiclip wasn't possible as "footage contains 2 different codecs."

Therefore, I had to set the 2 tracks and cut manually from both, respectively....

So, for those of you who may have experience with both of these cameras (I can't get another Z5 anytime soon, and short of "downsizing" the Z5U to non-progressive)... is there any work-around you'd recommend to sidestep the "codecs" issue?

Or, more realistically (i'm afraid), how would you set these 2 cameras to produce what YOU would consider to be the best results possible (i.e., filmic / progressive) on the same wedding/event shoot?

Thanks for your insight,

John

[Leslie Wand]

didn't realise you couldn't have mixed codecs on the same tl in fcp. chalk another one up for vegas ;-)

why don't you transcode to whatever fcp is happy with, then edit as usual? when i get the odd weirdo codec (say from a flip camera), i simply transcode to .mxf. thereafter editing is child's play.

i never shoot progressive (really can't abide jerky pans, and other problems it introduces - if i want a film look i can add it in post, and usually get a better looking result.

i regularly shoot with my z5 and v1, cutting between them isn't a problem (other than low light - which i rarely suffer thankfully).

"downsizing" the Z5U to non-progressive

i would have thought it was the other way around. you're throwing information away when shooting progressive?

[Shaun Roemich]

Originally Posted by Leslie Wand

didn't realise you couldn't have mixed codecs on the same tl in fcp. chalk another one up for vegas ;-)

You can mix codecs in a TIMELINE, just not in Multicam.

[Adam Gold]

Originally Posted by John Reilly

... is there any work-around you'd recommend to sidestep the "codecs" issue? ... how would you set these 2 cameras to produce what YOU would consider to be the best results possible (i.e., filmic / progressive) on the same wedding/event shoot?

On the Z5, shoot in the 30p over 60i mode. Not true 30p but it'll be the same as the Z1.

[John Reilly]

Thanks for the comments, Leslie, Shaun, Adam.....much appreciated!

Hey, Adam-- I thought I remembered you possibly have (or had) both of these cameras; I will try your suggestion on the Z5.

You mentioned that at 30P "over" 60i, it will be same as Z1. How would you have the Z1 set on
this same multi-cam shoot?

I'm excited to get these tweaked best I can....thanks!

John

[Adam Gold]

While most people recommend against using any of the Cineframe modes on the Z1 -- and I'm not a fan of 30p myself -- if you like the look and think it approximates to progressive feel you are after, I'd use Cineframe 30 on the Z1 and 30p over 60i on the Z5: in other words, on the Z5 leave REC TYPE on INTERLACE but set SCAN TYPE to 30. So in both cases you actually have a 60i stream with a 30p look.

I think.

[John Reilly]

Adam,

Thanks for the clarification.....very helpful!

John Reilly