24PscnA vs 24P Recording

[Jon Fordham]

I searched for a thread about this and was unable to find what I was looking for. So if this topic has been covered in another thread, please feel free to point me in that direction...


After spending some time getting to know the Z5 for a documentary I'm about shoot, I've discovered that there seems to be two different ways of shooting 24P for a 23.98 workflow. Using 24PscanA looks like it records the 24P signal with flagged frames into a standard 60i recording. After it's captured in FCP, FCP puts it on a Pro Res timeline where it plays back properly at 23.98fps. Everything works fine. Upon output FCP renders the sequence as Pro Res.

Then there is 24P. Which looks like it records straight 23.98 fps to tape. After capture FCP puts it on a straight 23.98 HDV timeline and it plays back properly at 23.98fps with no rendering required.

Now I'm confused! The 24P recording will not play back in the Sony GV-HD700 HDV deck. Which leads me to believe that the camera is not recording something recognizable as an HDV signal. It's obviously not conforming to any 601 HDV spec. Yet FCP has no problem capturing, sequencing, and playing the footage at the correct 23.98 frame rate with nothing funky.

Looking at the same scene recorded in both ways, there doesn't seem to be any image quality or motion signature difference. So what's the deal? Is there any reason not to shoot in the straight 24P mode? Am I going to run into trouble with either workflow in post if I'm sticking with a 2398 timeline? And how the heel is the Z5 recording a straight 24P signal to tape without pulldown using the HDV format???

Jon

[Boyd Ostroff]

I find this really confusing myself. There's an explanation which may help if you look at page 10 of the z7 brochure here: http://ws.sel.sony.com/PIPWebService...re_rev8-08.pdf

[Jon Fordham]

The Z5 brochure and manual uses the same vague description of the process. I get the 24PscanA recording and how it's handled in FCP. But I don't understand how the Native 24P mode works as an HDV signal!

The only logical recording method I can think of that still bears any resemblance to the HDV format would be if it is using pulldown into a 60P recording. Like what the Varicam does. But then why not include 60P as a Progressive option?

On one hand I would imagine it doesn't much matter as long as it works. And with the exception of not being compatible with the Sony GV-HD700 HDV deck, it does work. But I'm just not comfortable entering into a project shooting a mode that isn't fully explained by the manufacturer. Seems risky for the project and shady of the manufacturer. At the same time, I'd hate to miss out on any possible advantages of a true progressive recording!

I will state again that I can't see any visible difference in viewing the same scene recorded in the two different modes. And the 24PscanA mode coming in on a Pro Res timeline seems like an obvious advantage for post.