C200: MP4 Files

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binba

Active member
Shot a first project with a couple of (rented) C200's, and I'm processing the footage for post now (in Premiere CC2018). The reality of having to choose between RAW and MP4 just hit me...

Is it really true that these are the only options? Massive RAW that's excessive for many projects and workflows... and consumer-grade MP4 files with no metadata?

By "consumer-grade" I'm not referring to the picture quality, but to that realization that there's no CANON XF structure or metadata, and that there's no support for long, spanned clips. The camera just spits out a new MP4 file after every 4GB. Premiere definitely doesn't see anything spanned, and there was nothing on the card besides those files, so I'm not surprised it had nothing to go by.
Does the Canon XF utility support combining those clips?

Don't you find it a bit ridiculous that a $7,000 pro camera released in this day and age wouldn't have better support for long clips?
 
Can’t speak to Premiere but at least in Final Cut X I have imported a single, 45 minute clip. Also, I’m guessing the cameras didn’t have the latest firmware but XF-AVC is now a supported codec (my last shoot was shot in it).
 
You probably used the "wrong" sd cards only when using sdxc cards formatted in camera in the exfat formating the camera is able to record files longer than 4GB in one file.
when using older formated sd cards the videofiles will be split into multiple clip0001-1,clip0001-2,clip0001-3,etc

With the new firmware you'll have xf-avc support with 24bit audio and all the metadata goodness

So the camera does support long files just fine but you have to use the right formating/cards.
 
binba said:
Is it really true that these are the only options? Massive RAW that's excessive for many projects and workflows...
Click to expand...

Errr... maybe my brain doesn't work like other people, but I find the discussions about the C200 recording options are really a bit weird.

You can't complain about the raw file size when that's the entire purpose for the camera's existence (it's clearly a raw + proxies camera). If raw is excessive for many of your projects then it's the wrong camera for those projects (try a C300 or C100).

Sorry, just had to comment.

But yes, you need to do a firmware update.
 
I also am 99% sure you've used the wrong SD cards. I've never had a split, even for some larger 70-80gb single files, they copy and import over just fine.

And I approach the project as do I end up putting the video online- then shoot mp4. Is it possibly going elsewhere and will it possibly be viewed in full 4K, then shoot in raw.
 
Thanks for all the responses - happy to be wrong in this case, and glad to hear there are many possible ways to improve my situation, because I might do the same shoot again in a month.
Not sure what would be "wrong" with those SD cards, they were Sandisk Ultra SDHC Class 10 32GB - but I'll double-check next time they're formatted properly. And will check the firmware, and the XF Utility.

Matt, the C100/C300 have always been fairly versatile cameras, I think it's fair to expect that from the C200 as well. This isn't an ME20 (or a Mobius 2.0 :-) ). But it sounds based on the responses that it can do just fine in debayered mode too.
 
If I’m right, 32gb cards will always format FAT32 in camera. Only SDXC cards (64gb and up) will format EXFAT. Not sure what would happen if you formatted a 32gb card as EXFAT using a computer and then sticking it in camera with no format. Might work, worth testing.
 
for_mlove said:
If I’m right, 32gb cards will always format FAT32 in camera. Only SDXC cards (64gb and up) will format EXFAT. Not sure what would happen if you formatted a 32gb card as EXFAT using a computer and then sticking it in camera with no format. Might work, worth testing.
Click to expand...

It's being done (formatting 32gb cards as EXFAT using a computer) for Canon still cameras when using Magic Lantern. It works fine.
 
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