Editing Nikon D90 Footage in Final Cut
If you know what you’re doing, the footage from the D90 comes out spectacular. It’s the perfect companion to any filmmaker’s workflow. However, when I purchased the D90, I was under the impression that the Motion JPEG video files created would work with Final Cut right off the card.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple.
Footage is imported as letterboxed 4:3 clips, and is accompanied by the dreaded orange video render bar—meaning subpar editing performance unless you render first.
It turns out that Final Cut (both Express and Pro) don’t fully support the version of Motion JPEG that the D90 is using in AVI files, so the footage needs to be converted to Apple Intermediate Codec or Apple ProRes before editing. 1
If you have an extra $30 laying around, you can pick up a copy of QuickTime Pro (which I highly recommend), but you can only convert a single file at a time, and there’s no way to save presets.
Enter MPEG Streamclip, a free, cross-platform conversion utility, that won’t be winning any beauty contests, but gets the job done. After tinkering with it for a couple minutes hours, I’ve configured the ultimate preset for making Nikon D90 footage work smoothly with Final Cut.
Essentially, you are converting the Motion JPEG AVI file to an Apple Intermediate Codec MOV file with uncompressed stereo audio (as opposed to the mono audio from the D90). This will allow you to edit the footage natively with Final Cut with both right and left channels of audio.
From my experience on an older MacBook Pro, the conversion process was real-time—meaning that a 3 minute clip takes about 3 minutes to convert. The file size does take a jump as well, usually by a factor of 1.5—meaning that a 100MB AVI file will convert to a 150MB MOV file. It’s also worth noting that the conversion process usually underexposes the footage by 1/3 of a stop.
The secret to MPEG Streamclip are the presets: choose your settings once, and call them up for all your D90 footage. You can also batch process your clips all at once by hitting Cmd-B and dragging all the clips you wish to convert into the popup window.
After awhile, the process becomes second nature. Right click on your D90 footage, open in MPEG Streamclip, hit Cmd-E to export it, load your Nikon D90 preset, and hit enter to begin the conversion.
It’s disappointing to see this trend grow among consumer and prosumer video cameras. We want to record HD footage on tiny flash chips, and want them to take as little space as possible. The same issue plagues the newly released Canon 5DMKII. While it records in the more commonly used H.264 codec, it can’t be easily edited due to the compressed nature of the footage.
How about giving us a choice? We have RAW and JPEG options for photos, why not for video? Apple Intermediate Codec or ProRes for those that plan to post-process their footage, and H.264 for those that want to upload or share their footage right off the card.
- If you’re not in tune with these codecs, basically, they are designed for editing, as opposed to compressed footage which is difficult to edit. ↩
‘Stop Thinking About Thinking, and Start Doing Things‘ -
I don’t want to post my commentary on other people’s ideas. I want to go out and create my own.
Patrick Rhone on Speaking the Truth -
The truth is hard. It can sometimes be hurtful to those we wish not to hurt. More often than not it exposes and highlights things we rather be left in dark corners. There are many who would rather not hear it and would seek to knock you down rather than have you speak it. Speaking truth, in the face of any consequence, takes courage beyond belief.
Best way I can describe Patrick’s weblog is Seth Godin-like, but slightly deeper.
A new talkshow-esque photography podcast from Dan Benjamin and James Duncan Davidson:
In our inaugural episode, we take a look at the ongoing battle between Nikon and Canon to build the best dSLR in the business. Other topics include prime vs. zoom lenses, and some ways to address getting good white balance in bad light.
It’s like The Talkshow for photo geeks. I’ve subscribed and listened to the first episode. It’s quickly becoming one of my favourite new podcasts.
And if you don’t know what The Talkshow is, where have you been?
Nikon D90 Is in the House
The Nikon D90 is in the house, and I can already say it’s the best camera I’ve ever used. The above picture was taken at ISO 1000. Yeah, now you see why I was so excited about this camera. I’ll be putting it through the paces over the next week or so, and will publish an extensive review in due time.
PS: I have big hands.
10 Megabytes
After installing the iPhone 2.2 update, and spending a whole 15 minutes playing with the new podcast downloading features, I went out for the night. And it so happened that I felt like listening to a podcast on the bus.
You know the drill. Check your iPhone podcast folder: empty.
That’s okay, I can just download a new podcast. Wow, this feature is already coming in handy…
“This item is over 10MB. You must connect to a Wi-Fi network or use iTunes on your computer to download this item.”
It seems that every time a company tries to do something new and exciting over the Internet, there are self-imposed limitations in place because of an ISP/cell phone company. The trick in offering “unlimited” bandwidth is that it’s extremely marketable, and they know you’ll never reach the top. Then again, they didn’t expect you to be downloading 150MB podcasts from your phone.
The 10MB cap for the AppStore is workable. Most non-gaming apps that I need to download on the go are under 10MB. But podcasts are different. Even an hour-long audio podcast is 30MB+, rendering iPhone podcast downloads next to useless over 3G.
But there’s a workaround—streaming. And while it may sound like a less than ideal solution, the way it’s been implemented makes you wonder if Apple deliberately made it this easy to get around the cell carriers arbitrary limitations.
On a 3G connection with two to three bars, streaming starts instantly. Not only that, but you can quit Mobile iTunes and continue working on the phone or browsing the web while listening to a streaming audio podcast. It just runs in the background, and doesn’t even take a noticeable hit on performance.
Most surprising though, was when I walked onto the underground subway. I took my seat and continued to listen intently to the episode of This Week in Media. What?! I pulled out my phone and checked to see if I had any service. None.
Apparently, the iPhone was able to buffer enough of the podcast to allow me a seamless switch between the bus and the subway. Between 3G, Edge, and no service.
Why would a cell carrier allow me to stream a large podcast, but not download it? The same bandwidth is being used, if not more if I decide to re-stream it at a later date.
It feels like local performance, when it’s really just streaming. And then it dawned on me: I have every single podcast in the iTunes directory available to me with the click of a button. My iPhone just changed from a 16GB iPod to a limitless portal to whatever form of information I so desire to listen to.
Nice try cell carriers, but I think Apple outsmarted you on this one.
UPDATE: Shawn notes that the obvious downside to streaming is that it isn’t controlled by the iPod app, meaning that you can’t double-tap the home button or use the niffty earbud remote to pause and play the stream.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of photojournalism, which is why one of my favourite new blogs of 2008 is Boston’s ‘The Big Picture‘. The mix of the pictures viewed large with a small description make this one of the most powerful photo blogs I’ve seen to date. Today’s article on the Congo Crisis reminded me, once again, how much I love this blog.
And they were so close to doing it right…
A series of hyperlinks led me to re-read the excellent interview Shawn Blanc did with Cameron Hunt earlier this year. When asked about how cameron.io has changed from it’s original conception to where it is today, Cameron responded:
I’m not sure how to answer that question. In my mind, cameron i/o doesn’t change. I change. This website is a representation of myself on the internet, my endeavors and passions. I change over time, and my website reflects that, but my website will never change in it’s extension of me.
I think the same can be said about michaelmistretta.com.
REDmas – The day that RED totally shook and redefined the film industry. Still overwhelmed by the announcement? Dorkman’s got a good write-up.
Stu Maschwitz on video-capable DSLRs, like the D90 and the Canon 5dMKII -
Along come these video-shooting DSLRs, with enourmous sensors, the wrong form-factor for video, and none of the features that turn an DVX100 into a battle-ready companion. They make awesome images, but they do so at the expense of the operator. When you only see the images, these cameras seem like they must be the best thing going. But the images are the result of a process, and that process is painful. It’s up to you to decide if sexy DOF is worth giving up control.
It’s a sensitive topic among filmmakers. Which camera is better—the one with sexier images or more control? That’s not to say a D90 is unusable for shooting a movie (Judson Collier and a couple friends are shooting a short movie for a film festival on it), only that it isn’t ideal. And when we get into the world of professional videographers, ideal is everything.
There is a reason there haven’t been a convergence of video and DSLRs until the last few months. Not because of a technical limitation, but because it’s impractical. The form factor for photography is completely different than that needed for videography.
Photography is more than simply image quality. It’s about capturing an image on the spur of the moment that says something. And that takes a photographer that is completely in control of their camera.
This Thursday, when RED reveals their new cameras, I’ll be looking at features and specs along with everyone else. But I’ll also be evaluating whether these cameras seem to be filmmaking companions that allow me to craft an image intuitively and effortlessly. The camera should disappear, leaving only me and the images that, for better or worse, I created.
I’m intrigued as to how they will overcome the challenges that Nikon and Canon are facing, and how their products will work for professional photographers and videographers.
There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what GTD is—people are mistaking the culture that has sprung up as a true representative for GTD. A lot of times that is just not the case. I’d like to get back to the fundamental concepts of this methodology as well as other productivity ‘systems’. I hope I’m not beating this dead horse, but if we can help people improve their habits instead of their systems, than reduced stress should be a result.
And that’s why I hesitate to mention the term “GTD” on this site—not knowing whether it represents a cult-like following of tinkerers, or people that just want to be productive.
I like the new direction we’re seeing from Chris and others like Merlin.
