Distortion when Using Log and Capture

Question

Distortion when Using Log and Capture

Hi everyone, I was wondering if you could help me out with a question that is probably dumb but I can't figure it out.

I received footage shot on a Panasonic AG-AC160 AVCCAM. I used Log and Transfer to bring it into Final Cut 7 from the SD Card and everything seemed to work well except there is a slight distortion on the imported footage. The shot is scaled up ever so slightly, but enough to make my subject look like I am shooting through a fish eye lens and to cut off about 1/3 of her forehead. I have matched up the imported footage to my raw footage and there is a noticeable difference.

The footage was shot 1080/60i. I didn't change any settings on the Log and Transfer screen and have never had this problem before.

My Sequence settings are:

Frame Size = 1920x1080

Aspect Ratio = HDTV 1080i (16:9)

Pixel Aspect Ratio = Square

29.97 FPS

Compressor is Apple ProRes422

Those are the settings FCP made when I dropped a clip into the Timeline.

For the record this is only my 3rd time working with HD footage so I'm not that experienced. I'm sorry if this is a dumb question.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Posted on Apr 26, 2012 9:15 AM

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Answer 1

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Apr 26, 2012 9:25 AM in response to sharpshooter1324

Drag a clip of the footage into the viewer, click on the Motion tab in the viewer, is the scale for the clip set to 100%?

MtD

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Answer 2

Apr 26, 2012 9:38 AM in response to Meg The Dog

MtD,

It's set at 100% which makes me think it's something with the transfer or settings, but I have no idea what it could be.

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Answer 3

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Apr 26, 2012 9:40 AM in response to sharpshooter1324

And it does not matter if you look at the Log & Transferred clip in the viewer, on the timeline, or if you open the transferred file from the finder in a Quicktime player, this odd enlargement of the frame occurs?

Have you successfully transferred from this camera before?

MtD

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Answer 4

Apr 26, 2012 9:44 AM in response to Meg The Dog

Correct, I looked at the imported footage in the Viewer and Canvas as well as exporting it and matching it up with Quicktime Player and on all three occasions the Log & Transferred clip was scaled up.

This is the first time transfering from this camera.

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Answer 5

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Apr 26, 2012 9:59 AM in response to sharpshooter1324

I don't have a solution, but can you post a screen shot of what you are seeing?

Also, what was the 160 set to shoot -

MtD

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Answer 6

Apr 26, 2012 10:15 AM in response to Meg The Dog

It was set to shoot in PH Mode: 1080/60i

The first screenshot I posted is the raw footage and the second is the export from FCP. The two main places I can see the scale issue is how much of the door is missing in the FCP clip and how much the top of her head is cut off in the FCP one compared to the original. You can also see the red fire alarm above the door is in the original but not in the FCP verison. Both are taken from Quicktime Player at 8 seconds.

Thank you so much for taking you time and helping me!

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Answer 7

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Apr 26, 2012 11:09 AM in response to sharpshooter1324

Open the Log & Transferred file in Quicktime 7 - not Quicktime X - you should be able to find Quicktime 7 in your Utilities Folder, called Quicktime Player 7.app.

When the file is opened, In Quicktime 7 go to the menu Window > Show Movie Properties.

When that opens, at the bottom, click on the tab for Presentation, and check and change the Conform aperture to: anything other than Clean, does that resize the image correctly?

MtD

Message was edited by: Meg The Dog to fix typo

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Answer 8

Apr 26, 2012 11:55 AM in response to Meg The Dog

I looked in my Utilities Folder but dont see Quicktime Player .app. This computer is still running Snow Leopard, I don't know if that matters.

Would that change the fact that it's still scaled up within FCP before being exported?

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Answer 9

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Apr 26, 2012 2:15 PM in response to sharpshooter1324

OK, just open it in Quicktime then and check if changing the Conform Aperature helps or not.

MtD

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Answer 10

Apr 27, 2012 9:39 AM in response to Meg The Dog

MtD,

Sorry for responding so late. I'm looking in Quicktime Player and I can't seem to find where to adjust the Conform Aperature. I don't have the option to open Movie Properties under the Window tab from the top bar.

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Answer 11

Apr 27, 2012 10:54 AM in response to sharpshooter1324

Sounds like you're using QuicktimeX. If you don't have Quicktime 7 in your utilities folder you can find it on your Snow Leopard install disc in optional installs.

DM

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Answer 12

Apr 27, 2012 2:03 PM in response to David Mclaine

I just downloaded Quicktime 7 and when I change the Apeture to Clean it does scale the video down a little, but its the original video. I am still missing the sides that I was missing with the original export from FCP.

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Answer 13

Meg The Dog

Level 6

13,561 points

Apr 27, 2012 2:34 PM in response to sharpshooter1324

Now that you have Qt7 installed, retry a Log and Transfer and see if the clip comes out correctly.

MtD

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Answer 14

Apr 28, 2012 3:22 PM in response to sharpshooter1324

Something odd here, look at the girls left shoulder and the gap between it and the staircase on the first clip. In the second clip there is no gap, as if it is from a different angle. Are you sure this is exactly the same timecode in both clips?

DM

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Answer 15

Apr 30, 2012 7:54 AM in response to Meg The Dog

Hey Guys,

Sorry for not answering all weekend. I was on a trip and didn't have my computer. I hope you both had a good weekend and thank you for helping once again. I tried the Log & Transfer again with QT 7 installed and am having the same issue. Here are two new screenshots. The top one is an exported .mov from FCP and the bottom is a .mov converted from the original file using MPEG Streamclip.

The three reference points that I see the different scale are on the left side of the picture where you can see more of the wall columns, the light above her head which is clearly visible in the raw and barely visible in the FCP, and the corner of the stairs on the right side. Any other ideas?

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