From: Ken Paul Rosenthal (email suppressed)
Date: Thu Jun 25 2009 - 08:09:37 PDT
I extensively tested super 8 HD transfer facilities all last summer and finally found a place I was quite pleased with. However, one year later--on the cusp of transferring 2400 feet--their super 8 gate broke and I was compelled to search anew. I suppose providence interceded, as my latest test is superior to my former favorite.
My only concern is that the entire image shifts--minimally--up and down. So I'd like to investigate the use of stabilization software. I imagine that the tiny portion of the frame that stabilization software 'grabs' to account for this slight vertical shifting will not be an issue, as super 8 transfers traditionally take a tiny bit off the top and bottom anyway. Here are my specific questions/concerns:
1) What is the very best software I can use?
2) Does stabilization software affect sharpness?
3) Should I apply it to uncompressed files, or will Apple Pro Res 422 (HQ) be sufficient? Is the latter a 'lossless' compression scheme, or might some of the pixels have different values than the original ones did? It's been suggested to me that mistakes caused by a codec may be perceived as a loss in sharpness, though more likely perceived as a increased noise (not that different from 'grain' except potentially more distracting because it is being evenly distributed evenly over the frame).
4) If applying stabilization software to uncompressed files is the way to go, is it simple enough to make my compressed files from the former (for editing) via Final Cut?
*Please note: I am aware that some overall image movement partially contributes to a 'film look'. But to what extent may be subjective. In this case, I feel it is distracting and hope to remedy it without affecting the image adversely.
Advice?
Thanks, Ken
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live™: Keep your life in sync.
http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_BR_life_in_synch_062009
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.