FCP Plugin for 5D mark III’s new REC.709 color space

I’ve received the following info from Canon inc. Japan:

The movie color conversion matrix (RGB -> YUB) for the EOS-1D X and 5D mark III has been changed to BT.709 (sometimes referred to as REC.709) for Full HD and HD movies (On previous EOS products it was BT.601). SD movies remain as BT.601.

Therefore it is recommended that editors use the new version of the EOS MOVIE Plugin-E1 for Final Cut Pro (Ver. 1.3) that supports a BT.709 color conversion matrix when using Final Cut Pro 6.x/7.x for editing.
What does this actually mean?
BT.709 is a broadcast color space that uses RGB values of 16-235 (rather than 0-255 as per a still image). It is the standard colour space for HD footage.
The downside is that if not properly converted (i.e. converting 5D III footage to ProRes for editing) footage will be more susceptible to gamma issues with NLEs than the 5D mark II was. This will result in “crushed” blacks (dark areas without detail) and a darker gamma on a computer screen which uses a 0-255 color space. If transcoding with software other than the EOS-movie plugin (such as 5DToRGB) set the gamma to 1.22 to get the correct display of tones.

Basically so far Canon HDSLR’s did not conform to the BT.709 standard which is “recommended” for HD. While color spaces are mostly confusing and a cause of trouble for less broadcast experienced editors the fact that the 5D mark III now conforms to this standard makes it more easily acceptable for HD broadcasters.

Download the new EOS MOVIE Plugin-E1 V1.3 here: LINK
More info on REC.709/BT.709: Wikipedia

Shrink Ray X – tilt shift plugin for Final Cut X – free

Every now and then a deal comes along that has no catch. That’s the case for a new plugin for Final Cut (Pro) X called “Shrink Ray X” which will help you create the effect a tilt shift lens usually has on the image.

This is especially useful when you’re either looking for that miniature feel effect or dealing with footage that has too much depth of field and you’d like to add some in post.

The plugin is free for 1 week. It will cost $75 after that. No it’s not a trial, you can keep it after the week.

Download and see more samples here:
Shrink Ray website.

XML update and 30-day free trial for Final Cut Pro X

via Macrumors:

“Apple has released a major update to its Final Cut Pro X software, making a number of improvements and addressing some of the strong criticism that has been levied against the revamped video production software.

One of the major features included in the update is support for XML

(…)
This adds the option to both import and export projects in the XML format, meaning users can take XML formatted projects from Final Cut Pro 7 and other non linear editing software and work on them in Final Cut Pro X.

(…)
Other additions in Final Cut Pro X 10.0.1 include support for events and projects through Xsan, support for media stems, custom starting time codes, full-screen view for OS X Lion, and GPU-accelerated export. Apple has also released a new software development kit in order to help camera manufacturers create plug-ins to make their latest cameras compatible with Final Cut Pro X.

(…)
Apple is also promising another update to bring multi cam editing and broadcast video output support, but that update isn’t expected to launch until next year.

One other important change for Final Cut Pro X is the addition of a new 30-day free trial for the software, giving users the opportunity to test out the software before committing to a $299.99 purchase.”

Here’s the Final Cut Pro X link to the Appstore
And here’s the 30-day free trial

Who will sue Apple for Final Cut Pro X first?

Final Cut Pro X is going down!

More…