C200: FCPX 10.4.9 - "Significant Performance Improvements for Canon Cinema RAW Light"

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brm

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FCPX 10.4.9 - "Significant Performance Improvements for Canon Cinema RAW Light"

Excerpts from today's announcement:
"This release introduces significant performance improvements with new Metal-enabled plug-ins for RED RAW and Canon Cinema RAW Light. Transcoding 8K RED RAW video to ProRes 422 is up to two times faster on Mac Pro, and up to three times faster on MacBook Pro.1 And for the first time, Final Cut Pro editors can play and edit 8K Canon Cinema RAW Light."

Only problem is that the current Cinema RAW Light plug-in (1.5) is not compatible. Is there a ver. 1.6 out there?

News release here:
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020...dated-with-significant-workflow-improvements/
 
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That's interesting.

There is no Cinema RAW Light 8K yet. (The R5 isn't CRL.)

And there is a footnote next to their note, which mentions a prerelease 2.0 plugin.

"Testing conducted by Apple in August 2020 using 2.5GHz 28-core Intel Xeon W-based Mac Pro systems with 384GB of RAM and dual AMD Radeon Pro Vega II graphics with Infinity Fabric Link and 32GB of HBM2 each, configured with 4TB SSD; as well as 2.4GHz 8-core Intel Core i9-based 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with 64GB of RAM and Radeon Pro 5600M graphics with 8GB of HBM2, configured with 8TB SSD. Mac Pro systems tested with an attached Pro Display XDR. Prerelease Final Cut Pro 10.4.9 with prerelease Canon RAW Plugin 2.0 tested on macOS Catalina, using a 33-second project with Canon Cinema RAW Light video, at 8192x4320 resolution and 29.97 frames per second (as part of a transcode test). Performance will vary based on system configuration, media type, and other factors."
 
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Thanks. Fixed link. Just got a ProVideoFormat update alert. Wonder if that'll allow FCPX to "see" .CRM files.
 
For me, FCP X can see the 5.5K RAW .CRM from the 1DX Mark III (and of course CRL from the C200), but I can't get it to see the 8K format from the R5.

There is an "operating environment" spec sheet Canon mentions for the 8K...not sure if my computer is good enough.

What's your system like?
 
From Canon:

*The following environment is required to be able to handle 8K RAW(CRM) clips.
- Mac equipped with AMD GPU with 4GB or greater VRAM
 
FCPX still not seeing C200 CRL (".crm") files. Not really an issue since I typically import using Cinema Raw Development. But strange nonetheless.
 
Did you upgrade FCP X already? The newest version from today probably broke the compatibility and that's what the 2.0 plugin mentioned by Apple will fix...probably officially released by Canon tomorrow or any day now.

If that's the reason then before today the C200's CRL has been working fine in FCP X since 2017. No problem and an amazing workflow straight into FCP X like ProRes.
 
Yes. Yes. Have shot numerous doc's using a CRL workflow. Had only upgraded my laptop to FXPX 10.4.9; not the editing suite. Would be great to be able to manipulate CANON RAW files (white balance, sharpness, etc.) when importing into FCPX.
 
After installing 10.4.9 I've lost the ability to see CRM files from the C200. Looks like we'll have to sit tight until they release the 2.0 version of the plugin.
 
for_mlove said:
After installing 10.4.9 I've lost the ability to see CRM files from the C200. Looks like we'll have to sit tight until they release the 2.0 version of the plugin.
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It’s a little concerning. As 2.0 seems tied to a CRL update to the R5, which canon didn’t include in last nights FW update. (CR has a statement coming saying the R5 update is in the works.. but where does that leave people with CRL based projects waiting for the 2.0 plugin?). Luckily I normally transcode in CRD, (Although I have a couple of raw projects that hopefully I don’t need to get into) but I made the mistake of not backing up 10.4.8, so I’m stuck I guess for now.
 
I am considering switching to final cut pro from adobe premiere, and would like to know why you are transcoding raw footage before editing. I though FCP did that in the background while you edit?
 
FCP X renders in the background (not transcodes) while you edit, but only during light tasks. (It pauses if you are editing something and then starts again when you stop.)

But, yes; no transcoding elsewhere is necessary for CRL as FCP X handles it during import.
 
chris f said:
I am considering switching to final cut pro from adobe premiere, and would like to know why you are transcoding raw footage before editing. I though FCP did that in the background while you edit?
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As Final Cut doesn't have WB and ISO control over Canon Raw Light, I prefer to dial in those metrics in CRD before moving over to FCPX. Also, the PRHQ or XQ files you get from CRD don't require optimized media in FCPX, so that keeps the library a little tidier. I did a few projects with 5.9k raw, and the libraries got humongous quick. Pre-Transcoding doesn't really take any more time, and benefits playback as well. Mostly though, for me, it's about having the ability to fine tune white balance.

Some folks I think have interpreted the marketing to indicate that CRL might get the WB/ISO/Offset control that ProRes Raw is getting in FCPX...but I'm not so sure...we'll see...I guess...whenever v2.0 of Canon's Raw Plugin drops.
 
Barry G said:
It’s a little concerning. As 2.0 seems tied to a CRL update to the R5, which canon didn’t include in last nights FW update. (CR has a statement coming saying the R5 update is in the works.. but where does that leave people with CRL based projects waiting for the 2.0 plugin?). Luckily I normally transcode in CRD, (Although I have a couple of raw projects that hopefully I don’t need to get into) but I made the mistake of not backing up 10.4.8, so I’m stuck I guess for now.
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do you need a copy of the app? I could upload a zipped version but it should also be available in your time machine
Normally FCPX does a backup of your library before updating. Did you check that?
 
Barry - FWIW, I've done a tremendous amount of testing with CRL in FCP X because I too once had your POV about RAW and temperature and ISO changes.

After much experimentation, if you add a 'Color Wheels' as your first layer in the footage and adjust WB there (and tint), there is practically a ZERO difference compared to the adjustment you'll see from CRD, IMO.

Also, if I may ask, how are your libraries that much smaller if you are exporting ProRes from CRD as well? Unless you're using something lower than regular PR422? Or even a different format?

(And I also doubt CRL will receive the controls as it now seems set in stone that Apple is committed to ProRes RAW.)
 
NorBro said:
After much experimentation, if you add a 'Color Wheels' as your first layer in the footage and adjust WB there (and tint), there is practically a ZERO difference compared to the adjustment you'll see from CRD, IMO.
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I'm not sure I agree. I've tried exactly that and gotten very different results. Lets say...unsatisfactory results. When I adjust WB through CRD, It feels like "raw". The white balance slider in color wheels doesn't do what I'd expect it to in a raw workflow, and there's a reason for that...it has no idea what WB setting the camera started at (it defaults to 5000 no matter the camera wb). There's no such thing as an accurate, linear, generic white balance adjustment that works from a random unknown starting point (which is why 10.4.9 needs the raw metadata, that Atomos isn't supplying for most of their PRR protocols, to make the adjustments to PRR)

NorBro said:
.....Also, if I may ask, how are your libraries that much smaller if you are exporting ProRes from CRD as well? Unless you're using something lower than regular PR422? Or even a different format?
Click to expand...

This may depend on how you store your original media. I always have FCPX copy my original media into the library. In the case of CRL, it would store a copy of the raw file, and then also make an "optimized media" version..(which given my settings is a PR422 or HQ). When I transcode to PRHQ in CRD first, that file is what's imported into the Library, and as it's already optimized, it doesn't make an optimized copy...so essentially the base library before renders and analysis is half the size. Also...while I'm shooting in 5.9k raw, I'm mostly finishing in 4k, so again there is a savings as my transcodes from CRD are 4k, rather than having the 5.9k raw plus a 5.9k optimized file in the library. Certainly I could use a proxy workflow...but that's not how I roll. :-) My first mid sized project with the CRL files turned into a nasty big 4tb library that just bogged down. Also when archiving/unarchiving, the pre-transcoded library doesn't need to rebuild the optimized files...so one less step there. Also, I just find CRL slower to work with. I'm getting all the benefits of raw with my workflow, but FCP seems happier to me.
 
Your conclusions about the WB are interesting...nevertheless it all makes sense based on how you work; you make your RAW adjustments first, and then optimize your media for FCP X beforehand, best of both worlds for you.

Just a side note: you can leave your CRL files in place by checking the 'leave files in place' option, which then wouldn't double the size of your library (but you'd lose that ProRes workflow and it's not the 4K you'd like, so it's moot).
 
For FCPX I can highly recommend ColorFinale2.
It has a WB picker but manual sliders also.
The color wheel has a color picker in lift gamma and gain each.
 
The guy behind all of that software (Denver) offers great products.

I used CF1 back in beta years ago (or like the first release ever).
 
NorBro said:
The guy behind all of that software (Denver) offers great products.

I used CF1 back in beta years ago (or like the first release ever).
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ColorFinale is now operated by the former developer Dmitry Lavrov while Denver Riddle runs the second product Cinema Grade. Cinema Grade isn't a professional tool imho but ColorFinale2 has huge improvements compared to CF1. I never do a roundtrip to Resolve anymore. Dmitry is London based and very reactive and helpful. I'm not saying that because I was a beta tester of CF2 :) There is just one thing you need to know: Graphics card with Metal support (Macs with Vega GPUs and Mac Pro 2013) require macOS Catalina. I was forced to upgrade to Catalina.
 
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