Video image vs stills at DVinfo.net

Jack Davis · November 29th, 2007, 01:40 PM

My video images look sharper and more distinctive than stills. Are there any effective ways to optimize the stills. hvx-200 , canon 1dsmkII.

Thanks

Ray Bell · November 29th, 2007, 04:09 PM

Then there is something wrong with your 1Ds or you need to invest in better
lenses for it....

Jack Davis · November 29th, 2007, 04:39 PM

This was my thinking also. If I read your reply correctly, the still image should be sharper, with better contrast, and have a greater dynamic range than the video.

Tim Polster · November 29th, 2007, 05:19 PM

Yes, on any given day.

Kaku Ito · November 29th, 2007, 06:26 PM

I had few digital SLR camers and some of the zoom lenses, to me there were some focus issues and I started using prime lenses and issue was solved.

Chris Barcellos · November 29th, 2007, 06:55 PM

Are you just dragging to a time line and expecting the editor to maximize the still in the video time line. You don't say what you are editing in-- or is this a general question about image before it goes into video time line ?

Ray Bell · November 29th, 2007, 07:35 PM

Jack, Could you posibly be compairing a preview low res still from the 1Ds
versus the high res original??

Are you shooting raw and not processing the raw still??

But wow, I'd give a bunch of mula for a video camera that could match a 1Ds
in quality, frame to frame... that'd be one heck of a video camera...

lets just say if you could find a video camera that would shoot in progressive mode as well as the 1Ds then Canon couldn't sell a single 1Ds as everyone would be shooting with the video cam and just extracting the frame...

Jack Davis · November 29th, 2007, 07:37 PM

Thank you Chris! I am editing in fcp6 and yes dragging the still image to the time line. I have gone back and brought some razor sharp still images in and they are soft in comparision to video. When I over sharp the images and increase the contrast, they start to match up with the video. I photograph stills with either med. format or high end digital 35mm and the images are smooooooth and not in any way pixalated. Lower end digital cameras and point and shoots over sharpen images.
My goal is to make the stills look as "video" as possible so that motion can be put into the images. I am looking for suggestions.

Chris Barcellos · November 29th, 2007, 07:42 PM

Jack, on the PC side, I will try to resize my stills as close as possible resolution wise to the project settings, in my photo editor. That way, the editor won't do much changing to the image to size it to the project. I don't know if that will work for you in FCP.

Edit: I also know that in Photoshop, they have a filter called video to help the process.

Jack Davis · November 29th, 2007, 07:44 PM

Actually Ray, I have a canon 1dmkIII and am looking at how to shoot and compile the images (I think 11 frames per sec. at high resolution) up to 35 frames and 11 frames per second at med resolution up to 100 or so frames. These are just raw estimated but in the ball park. Any suggestions.

Ray Bell · November 29th, 2007, 08:09 PM

Jack If your using Photoshop to process the stills then I'd suggest you go to the help file and search under video....

Then see if any of the numerous articles can help you out...

As Chris has said, Its best to resize the stills to the timeline first....

Unless you are going to use keys for pans and zooms....

Kaku Ito · November 30th, 2007, 12:41 AM

ah that is what your doing. Yep, I would recommend resizing of the Photoshop or even iPhoto and bring in to FCP.

Since you have the hires stills then it would be nice if you bring them in little larger and do some subtle motion effects then it will be nice!

November 29th, 2007, 01:40 PM	#1
Jack Davis Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Wilmington, North Carolina Posts: 63	Video image vs stills My video images look sharper and more distinctive than stills. Are there any effective ways to optimize the stills. hvx-200 , canon 1dsmkII. Thanks

November 29th, 2007, 04:39 PM	#3
Jack Davis Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Wilmington, North Carolina Posts: 63	video images vs stills This was my thinking also. If I read your reply correctly, the still image should be sharper, with better contrast, and have a greater dynamic range than the video.

November 29th, 2007, 06:55 PM	#6
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Are you just dragging to a time line and expecting the editor to maximize the still in the video time line. You don't say what you are editing in-- or is this a general question about image before it goes into video time line ? __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

November 29th, 2007, 07:37 PM	#8
Jack Davis Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Wilmington, North Carolina Posts: 63	still vs video Thank you Chris! I am editing in fcp6 and yes dragging the still image to the time line. I have gone back and brought some razor sharp still images in and they are soft in comparision to video. When I over sharp the images and increase the contrast, they start to match up with the video. I photograph stills with either med. format or high end digital 35mm and the images are smooooooth and not in any way pixalated. Lower end digital cameras and point and shoots over sharpen images. My goal is to make the stills look as "video" as possible so that motion can be put into the images. I am looking for suggestions.

November 29th, 2007, 07:42 PM	#9
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Jack, on the PC side, I will try to resize my stills as close as possible resolution wise to the project settings, in my photo editor. That way, the editor won't do much changing to the image to size it to the project. I don't know if that will work for you in FCP. Edit: I also know that in Photoshop, they have a filter called video to help the process. __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

November 29th, 2007, 04:09 PM	#2
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	Then there is something wrong with your 1Ds or you need to invest in better lenses for it....

November 29th, 2007, 05:19 PM	#4
Tim Polster Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arlington, TX Posts: 2,231	Yes, on any given day.

November 29th, 2007, 06:26 PM	#5
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	I had few digital SLR camers and some of the zoom lenses, to me there were some focus issues and I started using prime lenses and issue was solved.

November 29th, 2007, 07:35 PM	#7
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	Jack, Could you posibly be compairing a preview low res still from the 1Ds versus the high res original?? Are you shooting raw and not processing the raw still?? But wow, I'd give a bunch of mula for a video camera that could match a 1Ds in quality, frame to frame... that'd be one heck of a video camera... lets just say if you could find a video camera that would shoot in progressive mode as well as the 1Ds then Canon couldn't sell a single 1Ds as everyone would be shooting with the video cam and just extracting the frame...

November 29th, 2007, 07:44 PM	#10
Jack Davis Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Wilmington, North Carolina Posts: 63	stills Actually Ray, I have a canon 1dmkIII and am looking at how to shoot and compile the images (I think 11 frames per sec. at high resolution) up to 35 frames and 11 frames per second at med resolution up to 100 or so frames. These are just raw estimated but in the ball park. Any suggestions.

November 29th, 2007, 08:09 PM	#11
Ray Bell Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,414	Jack If your using Photoshop to process the stills then I'd suggest you go to the help file and search under video.... Then see if any of the numerous articles can help you out... As Chris has said, Its best to resize the stills to the timeline first.... Unless you are going to use keys for pans and zooms....

November 30th, 2007, 12:41 AM	#12
Kaku Ito Trustee Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Posts: 1,382	ah that is what your doing. Yep, I would recommend resizing of the Photoshop or even iPhoto and bring in to FCP. Since you have the hires stills then it would be nice if you bring them in little larger and do some subtle motion effects then it will be nice!