XH-A1 and Stop Motion Animation at DVinfo.net

Michael Rabasa · June 10th, 2008, 10:34 AM

I really like the XH-A1 and am narrowing down my decision. I'm leaning toward the XH-A1.

The question I have is: Although the camera can be used as a still camera, can it capture one frame at a time for stop motion animation work? I understand it does not have a time lapse feature on it but can you manually shoot one frame at a time?

I called Canon. The lady said you can take single frames and then combine them in post however in the way she was describing it, it sounded cumbersome. And she also didn't sound very confident in the answer she gave.

Has anyone done stop motion with the XH-A1?

Thanks!

Mike

Annie Haycock · June 10th, 2008, 11:26 AM

I think you can only do it when shooting tethered. I've tried it with both premier elements 4 and with ScenalyzerLive recording straight onto a laptop. Otherwise, get a stills camera that can be set to take a photo every second or so and use the stills as individual frames. Tedious, but it works

Jerome Marot · June 10th, 2008, 03:35 PM

But why would you use a VIDEO camera to shoot stop motion, when a STILL camera would do the same job, better, for a fraction of the price?

May I suggest that you watch carefully the "making of" of "Wallace and Gromit"?

Mark Fry · June 11th, 2008, 03:43 AM

Some miniDV cameras will take single frames, but I don't know of any HDV cameras that will. Something to do with the long-GOP structure of MPEG, I expect.

Petri Kaipiainen · June 11th, 2008, 05:49 AM

Tape mechanisms can not be used for single frames.

(Late) DVRack and similar PC-based programs can use video camera (without tape) to capture stills or speeded up video at any frame rate slower than 30/25 fps.

By far the easiest method with best quality (any resolution even above HDTV, actually, and good control of DOF) can be had with a dSLR. All better editors take numbered stills sequences and turn them automatically into a video. I have done dozens of those with both PPro and FCP.

June 10th, 2008, 10:34 AM	#1
Michael Rabasa New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Sugar Hill, Georgia Posts: 5	XH-A1 and Stop Motion Animation I really like the XH-A1 and am narrowing down my decision. I'm leaning toward the XH-A1. The question I have is: Although the camera can be used as a still camera, can it capture one frame at a time for stop motion animation work? I understand it does not have a time lapse feature on it but can you manually shoot one frame at a time? I called Canon. The lady said you can take single frames and then combine them in post however in the way she was describing it, it sounded cumbersome. And she also didn't sound very confident in the answer she gave. Has anyone done stop motion with the XH-A1? Thanks! Mike Last edited by Michael Rabasa; June 10th, 2008 at 05:50 PM. Reason: Typo

June 10th, 2008, 11:26 AM	#2
Annie Haycock Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales Posts: 734	I think you can only do it when shooting tethered. I've tried it with both premier elements 4 and with ScenalyzerLive recording straight onto a laptop. Otherwise, get a stills camera that can be set to take a photo every second or so and use the stills as individual frames. Tedious, but it works __________________ Canon XH A1; Canon XF100; Nikon D800

June 11th, 2008, 03:43 AM	#4
Mark Fry Major Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 425	Some miniDV cameras will take single frames, but I don't know of any HDV cameras that will. Something to do with the long-GOP structure of MPEG, I expect. __________________ Steam Age Pictures - videos in aid of railway preservation societies.

June 10th, 2008, 03:35 PM	#3
Jerome Marot Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Munich (Germany) Posts: 107 Images: 4	But why would you use a VIDEO camera to shoot stop motion, when a STILL camera would do the same job, better, for a fraction of the price? May I suggest that you watch carefully the "making of" of "Wallace and Gromit"?

June 11th, 2008, 05:49 AM	#5
Petri Kaipiainen Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Espoo Finland Posts: 380	Tape mechanisms can not be used for single frames. (Late) DVRack and similar PC-based programs can use video camera (without tape) to capture stills or speeded up video at any frame rate slower than 30/25 fps. By far the easiest method with best quality (any resolution even above HDTV, actually, and good control of DOF) can be had with a dSLR. All better editors take numbered stills sequences and turn them automatically into a video. I have done dozens of those with both PPro and FCP.