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Serghios
Serghios
Known Participant
April 30, 2022
Question

Big Problem with zcam e2 f6 zlog2 footage and premiere

  • April 30, 2022
  • 3 replies
  • 6271 views
Hi guys, I need your help because I just don't understand how to get out of this problem.
Well, in a few words I can not edit the footage with the zcam e2 f6 in premiere, the magenta macro blocks that come out do not go away, any option I put, any conversion lut zcam to rec 709, even with the zcam plugin checking the option to remove the magenta blocks... and even noticeable in the original flat file of zlog2 without convert the file in rec 709.
 
So far I have done only one job with the zcam, and I did it by shooting in ProRes Raw converting to cdng and working the files in davinci, no problem, in fact soon I will post the clip to have your opinion (it was practically the first real test of the zcam and I took advantage of an "easy" job to do it).
But I need to work for the 80% of the time in Premiere, my general workflow is there and I can't work in this way.
I don't understand why it does this while in Davinci the files are read correctly.
What do you Premiere users do to avoid this? It's really frustrating.
 
 
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3 replies

mattchristensen
mattchristensen
Legend
May 9, 2022

Hi @Serghios could you let me know what type of system you are using? Mac, or Windows? If Mac, is it using an Apple or Intel processor? Thank you.

    Serghios
    SerghiosAuthor
    Known Participant
    May 9, 2022

    Hi Matt,

    macbook pro 16 m1 max.

    Serghios
    SerghiosAuthor
    Known Participant
    May 10, 2022

    @Serghios Thanks for that information. We are working on a fix for the issue you are seeing. It has to do with how ProRes is decoded on M1 Pro and Max systems with the hardware-based ProRes decode. Until we have the fix out, you can follow these steps to see your footage without those magenta blocks:

    1. Preferences > Media turn off (uncheck) "Enable hardware accelerated decoding"
    2. Restart Premiere Pro
    3. In your Sequence Settings (Sequence > Settings), turn on "Maximum Bit Depth"

     

    I tried the above steps in a project with your sample media and they worked around the issue.


    Thanks Matt,
    so doing it gets a lot better, the macro blocks disappear but the magenta halos remain although much less.
    But still it's better than nothing, if I playback the timeline the magenta macro blocks are there if I pause the cursor it works, as if I render or export. The zcam is a fantastic camera, even if we are few compared to sony etc etc have it properly supported would be great.
    After all it is among the cameras that atomos supports, even with raw prores. I look forward to new updates

      chrisw44157881
      chrisw44157881
      Inspiring
      May 3, 2022

      you might need davinci to render out to prores HQ for premiere to work. maybe make an XML edit out of it and use that XML in resolve to grade out the RAW. just a thought.

      Serghios
      SerghiosAuthor
      Known Participant
      May 3, 2022

      yes i am working in premiere, export xml and finish the color in davinci. But I don't feel that's the case and it doesn't seem fair either, I'm paying monthly for a program that works worse than one that you buy the license once and it's for life. Having to pass the clips in davinci to create prores and then work them in davinci is madness, in time, in management and it doesn't make any sense...if premiere doesn't wake up soon I think there will be less and less filmmakers who will use it. Slowly I'll try to get used to the total edition on davinci to get ready for the big step, I have no other choice there are always only problems.

      R Neil Haugen
      R Neil Haugen
      Legend
      May 3, 2022

      And there are codecs like XDCAM that Resolve is piss-poor at, that the BM forums users say export a ProRes from Resolve and go to Adobe MediaEncoder to get the specific export needed.

       

      Both of them have their areas that make us users do what we think are stupidly unneeded workarounds. They both have the strengths and their weaknesses. And yea, again, I work both of them.

       

      And both, to many users, are racing for the YouTubes.

       

      Adobe sells software as a service. But the software is the point. It's their only income source.

       

      BlackMagic provides free/cheap software as a total loss-leader to get you to buy hardware. And being as that hardware always, only works with BM software, it's used to lock you into using their system. And eventually needing to buy more hardware.

       

      I don't see either approach has any superiority over the other. And they're both simply tools.

       

      Neil

      Everyone's mileage always varies ...
        Ann Bens
        Community Expert
        Ann BensCommunity Expert
        Community Expert
        April 30, 2022

        Turn off max render and mac depth and comp linear color, turn off plugin and use Prores files.

        See how that goes.

        Serghios
        SerghiosAuthor
        Known Participant
        April 30, 2022

        does not change anything, two frames example of how the macro blocks of magenta come out in premiere while in davinci there are not. (unitled is davinci frame).

        It's a bug I've encountered since purchasing the zcam in December and has remained so in all versions of premiere.
        Practically unusable with this camera.

         

         

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