How to add timecode to RAW video from Canon 5D Mark-III with Magic Lantern Hack
I’ve been shooting RAW video with my Canon 5D Mark-III for a long term project and it’s simply otherworldly.
If you haven’t heard of this yet, the Magic Lantern firmware hack for Canon cameras allows you to shoot 24 1080p raw pictures per second now. Think of it as a continuous 24fps burst mode of raw pictures.
You batch convert those raw pictures into TIFF files and then change the image sequences into super-duper high quality video. Your Canon DSLR can now hold a candle to the RED camera or Black Magic Cinema camera. (Minus the professional workflow of course).
You have the same quality, dynamic range, colour control and exposure latitude as normal RAW still photos but with video!
The only downsides are file size (90MB/sec!), the need for expensive 1000X CF cards and processing time.
A hidden downside is the lack of timecode and metadata for your processed video.
So here is my current workflow….
Step #1
Step #2
Step #3
Step #4
I’ve put the Applescripts used in this tutorial into a zip file you can download here. Feel free to share with credit.
The TIFF to ProRes422HQ script will need to be modified before you run it on your computer. Launch the AppleScript Editor app on your mac and open the file. Change the file path of the “.set” settings file to match the location on your hard drive. There is also a small Applescript to create a new settings file if you don’t want ProRes.
I couldn’t have done this without the fantastic resources of MacScripter and the Apple Forums. Enjoy!
Well done Ryan! I am just getting my feet wet with ML raw on the 5D mark3 and have shot a few tests in the studio and it really is remarkable. I am really new to this but I have been wondering about a work around for syncing audio so off the top of my head it looks like this will help. Again, great post and thank you!
Awesome! This tip (tho a little buggy) has helped me fix all the time codes in some MLV recorded videos and allowed me to sync with FCPX multi cam with other (non-ML) dngs.
Just wish the QTchange app was newer and a bit more convenient to use. It has trouble on batches for some reason, had to do it a number of times for it to actually change the TC.