FS7: Best way to get the best screenshots out of footage

P

Publimix

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Any other ways to get the best stills from FS7?
I use Catalyst prepare, make screenshot with windows cutting programme. This is OK, pictures are usable, but there has to be another and better way to get the best pictures for photoshop out of xavc material.
 
Thanks Sam, that I was looking for. (slightly different keys though on PC). Going to test now.

No doubt this is better, files are bigger jpeg.
from Resolve: 900 kb
Catalyst screendump 100 kb

Files good enough for simple brochure.

I wonder what the maximum photoquality/resolution is with 4K material picked from XAVC-I.
 
Thanks Liam,
Tried that too, now file size jpeg is 1190 kb it getting better. Pitty my subscription for premiere ends.

File from premiere pro cc 2015 is 15 x 8 cm 700 dpi so good enough for magazine.
Screendump windows cutting app is 15 x 8 cm 180 dpi
From Resolve 15 x 8 cm 320 dpi also good for most magazines
 
Publimix said:
Thanks Liam,
Tried that too, now file size jpeg is 1190 kb it getting better. Pitty my subscription for premiere ends.

File from premiere pro cc 2015 is 15 x 8 cm 700 dpi so good enough for magazine.
Screendump windows cutting app is 15 x 8 cm 180 dpi
From Resolve 15 x 8 cm 320 dpi also good for most magazines
Click to expand...

here's the correct math:
a 4K UHD image has 3840 × 2160 pixel. This is absolute.

If you want to print it in a magazine in good quality you need 300dpi. dpi = dots per inch. A dot is one pixel.
That means you end in
3480/300 = 12,8 inch = 32,5 cm
2160/300 = 7,2inch =18,29cm

The maximum print in a good quality from a 4K video frame is 32,5x18,29cm

If you want a bigger print you have to interpolate the image.

You NLE should be able to export the full size = 3840 × 2160 pixel
For a 4K image you will need a 4K timeline to get the full resolution in export.

The file size in kb or mb is also depending on the compression during the export.
In FCPX you can choose JPG, PNG, PSD and TIFF as file format. It's a pretty decent quality.

Feel free to do the math with HD 1920x1080

hth
 
Hi Liam, correct, thanks for the math.
Only I didn't calculate but exported files from premiere and resolve and opened the files in photoshop. Looks like the different programms handle the same file different. Time line was 4K. Filesize does not correspond with the calculations I didn't get the full 4K out of them. Maybe it is the compressed jpeg that messes it up. Will try with tiff also.
 
I always use the Tiff output in Premiere and it gives me the exact frame.
I've never had it output JPEGs so I don't know if maybe that where it did the re-sizing. But check there.
 
Publimix said:
Any other ways to get the best stills from FS7?
I use Catalyst prepare, make screenshot with windows cutting programme. This is OK, pictures are usable, but there has to be another and better way to get the best pictures for photoshop out of xavc material.
Click to expand...
i use fcpx or resolve to pull stills from 4 and 5K files...to get best quality make sure in resolve to set your render settings to best quality and full 4K (UHD for free resolve version i believe) fcpx always gives you the full size...
i frequently pull stills for magazines and a client just made very large prints for trade show display, i was a little worried about that one but it worked out great, they were happy.....i think they even made the prints from jpegs i sent....but i highly recommend TIFF which interpolates much better then jpeg in PS or other image manipulation software...
to get the best quality possible you have to make sure you shoot it right and prepare it right when grading....be really careful when it comes to sharpening.....what might look right for HD output on youtube will probably completely fall apart when you try to blow it up for print....
in general native file size for 4K (only considering the height) is 2160 pixels divided by 300 (dpi for print) provides a 7" tall print....most stuff is actually printed at 180 or 240 dpi (but printers usually say 300dpi to make sure they have a good enough file) and as a general rule blowing up less then 100% should not be an issue (unless there is a problem with the file, banding, artifacts, over sharpened....) so regardless: one can easily get a nice 14" tall print out of a well shot and not over processed file....
 
Tiff from resolve 4K file size 47,5MB (4K 3840 x 2160)
15 x 8,5 cm = 650 dpi
Tiff from premiere pro file size 25,3 MB !! (4K 4096 x 2160)
15 x 8 cm = 693 dpi

Strange difference in file size 47,5 MB and 25,3MB (difference in 4K resolution cannot explain this difference.)

I wonder if difference between filesize jpeg and tiff is worth the difference in quality almost 1MB vs 47 MB.
 
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Checking now, there it is, Resolve output is 16 bit and premiere pro is 8 bit output per channel. Explains file size.

I think for normal use (brochure, magazine) and no blow ups jpeg is enough, and saves a lot of disk space.

Most colorprinters and presses are 200 dpi or 240 dpi. 8 bits colordepth is mostly enough.
 
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If you're just doing a simple screenshot (using PrntScrn) then you're possibly being limited by what you've set your screen resolution to.
 
resolve should let you choose between 8 and 16 bit tiffs, if you are using the files as they are with minimal work in PS, 8 bit is fine....16 bit comes in handy if you are making major color and tonal adjustments (you can see what levels or curves can do to a 8 bit vs 16 bit file in PS)
 
If you're using Quicktime to preview footage you can just Command-C to copy whatever frame you pause at, and it will copy the full resolution still to then paste into Photoshop, even if your screen resolution is much lower.

Cheers -
 
When imported in Indesign the 45MB file gives a document with total file size 2MB, The pdf file is also 2 MB (high quality for print).
(I used a Page setup of 1000 x 1000 mm) so the file went in unchanged. Size will grow when used CYMK.
 
In premeire, drag the footage to a an empty timeline so that it creates a sequence that adheres to the footage specification. Then use the frame grab export button and select DPX file if you want to retain the high bit depth of the original footage.
 
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