Canon C100 stuck pixel help at DVinfo.net

Marty Hudzik · May 4th, 2016, 08:31 AM

I just shot a very high end interview for a client and the gentleman speaker has a navy blue suit on. There is one annoying hot blue pixel showing up in the suit. I was shooting in Canon Cine mode with and ISO of 850 like I always do so I don't know why this just popped up out of nowhere. So I have 2 questions.

1. Is there an easy way to get rid of this using Adobe Premiere Pro? I have and use after effects but because of the large amount of individual clips involved I stay inside of Premiere from start to finish on this project. So...I need to fix the footage first and foremost.

2. Is there something I can do to remove this hot/stuck pixel myself via the canon menu of the camera? Perhaps an ABB would help. I admit I pretty much never ever black balance the camera so I have no idea if this would work....but I am very busy editing and thought I would ask before trying.

I am aware that I could send it to Canon and they could probably map this out but I don't really have time for that with my upcoming shooting schedule.

Thanks in advance.

John C. Chu · May 4th, 2016, 11:38 AM

I know there has to be plugins to fix a single hot pixel, but just off hand with my very limited knowledge:

Stack a copy of the clip above the original.

Crop the top clip so it shows only a good pixel area slightly to the left or right or it and then shift the top clip over 1 pixel to cover the hot pixel on the bottom clip?

Another time intensive option if you had sensor dust for example is to export the clip into frames and then use Photoshop CC to run a script with the "healing" tool.

On my Canon 5dmk2, I would occasionally get a hot pixel and I ran the sensor cleaning cycle and it "fixed" it.

Jeff Pulera · May 4th, 2016, 12:05 PM

Hi Marty,

If the subject is pretty much stationary, try this - grab a still image from a frame of video in the timeline, then edit in Photoshop. Paint over the offending pixel, or better yet a small area around it if subject is moving a little bit and background is all the same color. Next, delete everything else to leave alpha channel. So you have an image with nothing in it - except for the small "patch" that will cover the bad pixel. Save with alpha (.psd or .png) and put on higher track above video in Premiere.

There is a specific plug-in to fix "bad pixels" - Boris FX Pixel Fixer. You may be able to purchase this by itself without buying the whole Continuum suite.

I have used the Photoshop trick to paint out/replace objects in the background during interviews, when camera is locked down. The result is perfectly seamless, can't tell in finished video! May be a little different in your case since the bad spot in on the subject and may move a little.

I did this little tutorial blog several years ago, hope it helps - Patching a Video Background Using Photoshop | Safe Harbor Blog

EDIT: since it is ONE pixel, maybe just use Adobe Titler, match color, and make a small patch that way, don't even need Photoshop!

Thanks

Marty Hudzik · May 4th, 2016, 02:29 PM

Thanks for the ideas. What I figured out on my own prior to your responses was this. I copied the video and pasted it under itself in the timeline. Then I created an opacity mask on the top layer that and essentially made a small feathered hole in the top layer which allowed the video below to show through. Of course the layer below shows the exact same stuck pixel so I just shifted the bottom layer a few pixels over and the hot pixel is gone. Since this is a navy blue suit jacket it just blends really well especially with a feathered mask.

This will bail me out for now. In all my scrutinizing I thought I saw another stuck pixel but upon zooming it turns out that halfway through the shoot a small speck of dust landed on his collar. It looked like a stuck pixel until I noticed it moves with him ever so slightly. Thanks goodness!

Now....if the client notices I may have to go back in and use a similar technique to remove the dust as I did with the stuck pixel...however this time I can bill the client for the extra time since they should have seen this at the shoot where I wasn't responsible for the continuity.

Thanks. Later I am going to try to Auto Black Balance my camera and see if I can eliminate the hot pixels. Wish me luck!!

Dan Brockett · May 4th, 2016, 08:40 PM

Marty, for future reference, ABB every time you shoot. The C100 can do really weird color things if you don't. This is the only camera I have ever owned where ABB was necessary every shoot but luckily its easy and quick to do it.

Marty Hudzik · May 6th, 2016, 11:55 AM

OK. So I have fixed my existing videos and now I have fixed my camera! Win Win! Thanks for the help. FYI.....I initially tested my camera and there were no hot pixels present. I ran the ABB and it finished and all seemed ok. I decided to leave my camera on for a while to see what happened and as fate would have it a few hot pixels showed up within the hour. Apparently they are heat induced as the camera warms up.

I was able to run the ABB again once the hot pixels were present and it seems to have mapped them out! So far so good. I cannot even see them at 80000 iso which I would never use anyway but was worth the test.

thanks for the help guys. Hopefully this will be a non issue going forward.

Dan Brockett · May 6th, 2016, 08:19 PM

I was told that all CMOS imagers have lit, defective and stuck pixels, it's very common. Yes, the cameras must map them out, what we typically see and refer to as a dead or stuck pixel is typically a whole cluster of pixels. If you think abou the number of pixels in a typical S35 imager, it would have to be multiple pixels to even be visible.

May 4th, 2016, 08:31 AM	#1
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Canon C100 stuck pixel help I just shot a very high end interview for a client and the gentleman speaker has a navy blue suit on. There is one annoying hot blue pixel showing up in the suit. I was shooting in Canon Cine mode with and ISO of 850 like I always do so I don't know why this just popped up out of nowhere. So I have 2 questions. 1. Is there an easy way to get rid of this using Adobe Premiere Pro? I have and use after effects but because of the large amount of individual clips involved I stay inside of Premiere from start to finish on this project. So...I need to fix the footage first and foremost. 2. Is there something I can do to remove this hot/stuck pixel myself via the canon menu of the camera? Perhaps an ABB would help. I admit I pretty much never ever black balance the camera so I have no idea if this would work....but I am very busy editing and thought I would ask before trying. I am aware that I could send it to Canon and they could probably map this out but I don't really have time for that with my upcoming shooting schedule. Thanks in advance.

May 4th, 2016, 11:38 AM	#2
John C. Chu Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Rego Park , NYC Posts: 665	Re: Canon C100 stuck pixel help I know there has to be plugins to fix a single hot pixel, but just off hand with my very limited knowledge: Stack a copy of the clip above the original. Crop the top clip so it shows only a good pixel area slightly to the left or right or it and then shift the top clip over 1 pixel to cover the hot pixel on the bottom clip? Another time intensive option if you had sensor dust for example is to export the clip into frames and then use Photoshop CC to run a script with the "healing" tool. On my Canon 5dmk2, I would occasionally get a hot pixel and I ran the sensor cleaning cycle and it "fixed" it.

May 4th, 2016, 12:05 PM	#3
Jeff Pulera Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Milwaukee WI Posts: 691	Re: Canon C100 stuck pixel help Hi Marty, If the subject is pretty much stationary, try this - grab a still image from a frame of video in the timeline, then edit in Photoshop. Paint over the offending pixel, or better yet a small area around it if subject is moving a little bit and background is all the same color. Next, delete everything else to leave alpha channel. So you have an image with nothing in it - except for the small "patch" that will cover the bad pixel. Save with alpha (.psd or .png) and put on higher track above video in Premiere. There is a specific plug-in to fix "bad pixels" - Boris FX Pixel Fixer. You may be able to purchase this by itself without buying the whole Continuum suite. I have used the Photoshop trick to paint out/replace objects in the background during interviews, when camera is locked down. The result is perfectly seamless, can't tell in finished video! May be a little different in your case since the bad spot in on the subject and may move a little. I did this little tutorial blog several years ago, hope it helps - Patching a Video Background Using Photoshop \| Safe Harbor Blog EDIT: since it is ONE pixel, maybe just use Adobe Titler, match color, and make a small patch that way, don't even need Photoshop! Thanks __________________ Jeff Pulera Safe Harbor Computers

May 4th, 2016, 02:29 PM	#4
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Re: Canon C100 stuck pixel help Thanks for the ideas. What I figured out on my own prior to your responses was this. I copied the video and pasted it under itself in the timeline. Then I created an opacity mask on the top layer that and essentially made a small feathered hole in the top layer which allowed the video below to show through. Of course the layer below shows the exact same stuck pixel so I just shifted the bottom layer a few pixels over and the hot pixel is gone. Since this is a navy blue suit jacket it just blends really well especially with a feathered mask. This will bail me out for now. In all my scrutinizing I thought I saw another stuck pixel but upon zooming it turns out that halfway through the shoot a small speck of dust landed on his collar. It looked like a stuck pixel until I noticed it moves with him ever so slightly. Thanks goodness! Now....if the client notices I may have to go back in and use a similar technique to remove the dust as I did with the stuck pixel...however this time I can bill the client for the extra time since they should have seen this at the shoot where I wasn't responsible for the continuity. Thanks. Later I am going to try to Auto Black Balance my camera and see if I can eliminate the hot pixels. Wish me luck!!

May 4th, 2016, 08:40 PM	#5
Dan Brockett Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,109	Re: Canon C100 stuck pixel help Marty, for future reference, ABB every time you shoot. The C100 can do really weird color things if you don't. This is the only camera I have ever owned where ABB was necessary every shoot but luckily its easy and quick to do it.

May 6th, 2016, 11:55 AM	#6
Marty Hudzik Trustee Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 1,771	Re: Canon C100 stuck pixel help OK. So I have fixed my existing videos and now I have fixed my camera! Win Win! Thanks for the help. FYI.....I initially tested my camera and there were no hot pixels present. I ran the ABB and it finished and all seemed ok. I decided to leave my camera on for a while to see what happened and as fate would have it a few hot pixels showed up within the hour. Apparently they are heat induced as the camera warms up. I was able to run the ABB again once the hot pixels were present and it seems to have mapped them out! So far so good. I cannot even see them at 80000 iso which I would never use anyway but was worth the test. thanks for the help guys. Hopefully this will be a non issue going forward.

May 6th, 2016, 08:19 PM	#7
Dan Brockett Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,109	Re: Canon C100 stuck pixel help I was told that all CMOS imagers have lit, defective and stuck pixels, it's very common. Yes, the cameras must map them out, what we typically see and refer to as a dead or stuck pixel is typically a whole cluster of pixels. If you think abou the number of pixels in a typical S35 imager, it would have to be multiple pixels to even be visible.