Aspect problem using FX1 to capture 16x9 footage shot on panasonic dvx100a

[Stick Tully]

Hello all, ive recently offered to colour correct a couple of friends projects, both were shot in dv on Panasonic dvx100a's in the 16x9 mode. im pretty sure the 16:9 mode on this camera (100A) is stretched and not a true widescreen image

using premier pro2 the footage has always captured at 4:3 with borders at the top and bottom. The picture looks good but its not widescreen and if i drop it into the widescreen comp it has black borders both horizontal and vertical

has anyone else found this with the FX1 or am i going wrong somewhere?

ive had a look at the menu options but everything appears to be how it should be and i cant seem to work out how to capture in 16:9

i hope someone can help

Stick

[Carlos E. Martinez]

I am not familiar with Premiere, but capturing is capturing in all systems, and you don't mess with 4:3 or 16:9 then. Only in editing, when you order the program to correct the video image if in 16:9.

But if you are converting from HDV to DV you may be doing letterbox, with the black stripes up and below. That is set on the FX1 for output.

[Stick Tully]

Thank for the reply, the footage was originally shot in on a dv camera so theres no down conversion, i'll keep trying but i think im going to have to work on it 4:3

Thanks again

Stick

[Ervin Farkas]

I have a tape I shot 16x9 on a Canon GL2. If I can dig it out, I will try capturing it with my Z1U (FX1's big brother) and see how it comes out. My suspicion is that the tape was not captured in 16x9 mode in the first place, otherwise it should show up with the right aspect ratio. Try capturing with another software, then start a wide screen project in premiere and it all should fall in place correctly if the tape has been shot 16x9.

[Stick Tully]

Thanks a lot buddy. I previously tried a widescreen project in premier but the captured footage just sat in the middle of the timeline window with borders both vertically and horizontally

perhaps they were shot in 4:3... just strange that they came off the tape with borders, using my old sony dv camera anything shot in 4:3 came a full square (ish) image 720x576

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Stick Tully

The picture looks good but its not widescreen and if i drop it into the widescreen comp it has black borders both horizontal and vertical

IIRC, the DVX100s are not 16:9 native (which is why I went Sony). Therefore 16:9 mode will be a simple letterbox (black borders top and bottom) of a 4:3 image UNLESS you use an anamorphic lens adaptor and shoot in 4:3 mode (putting up with the squished image in your viewfinder). When you ingest, the aspect ratio would get corrected and you'll get true 16:9. But as you're seeing both black borders top and bottom (original footage) AND getting pillarboxing left and right (e.g. 4:3 into 16:9 comp), I don't think the image is really 16:9 after all...

So... I'd take the footage in as 4:3 and work with it as 4:3 throughout to avoid quality issues with scaling.

[Stick Tully]

Thanks so much Matt... I was just a bit thrown as everything i shot in 16:9 on my old sony was stretched not just cropped at 4:3

thanks very much :) ive been working on it as 4:3 and its going nicely, ill upload it when im done

Take it easy and have a great weekend

Stick

[Carlos E. Martinez]

The DVX100 can shoot in 16:9, but the quality would be less than in 4:3.

To shoot real quality 16:9 in the DVX100 you should need an optical adaptor up front, which is quite expensive.

Then you would capture as 16:9 and go on.

[Ervin Farkas]

Stick, unfortunately I no longer have the tape I promised to test... sorry...

[Stick Tully]

No worries everythings been cleared up for me and im happy

thanks again everybody, love this forum :)

Stick