Hi Rob, I'm still a novice at shooting and processing video, so I'm not sure that I complete understand your explanation. I'm trying to learn, specifically for nature and wildlife, so, if you don't mind, could you clarify which parts of your explanation are talking about what you do in camera and which parts are talking about post-processing?
Thanks.
Ha Ha I am a novice too. I will do my best. The in camera is fairly simple. You start off with what you want to shoot in HD, 4K, 7K etc. This will give you the options available for each in terms of the codec you choose. This is where you choose the FPS along with the codec. Examples of what is available on the C50 ( other camera will have slight variation but similar )
Raw: 12-bit Cinema RAW Light (7K60p). (If I choose this it tops out at 30fps)
XF-AVC (Intra/Long GOP): 10-bit 4:2:2 (up to DCI 4K 120p).
XF-AVC S (MP4): 4:2:2 10-bit / 4:2:0 8-bit.
XF-HEVC S (MP4/H.265): 4:2:2 10-bit / 4:2:0 10-bit.
Slow/Fast Motion: Up to 4K 120p and 2K 180p. (if I use Super35 mode I max out at 60 FPS)
The above is all done in camera.
For post processing that is when you talk timeline and speed duration ( called that in premiere pro ). Usually if you shoot say at 60fps in camera then the timeline will open the sequence in the same 60fps unless you change it.
When talking about slowing the footage down when in 60fps or 30fps that is done in post. So when I said the 30fps will drop to 15fps and may see some jerkiness, that would be done in post.
Think of fps as words on a page, if you have lots of words then you have lots to edit with, the fewer the words the few the ability to edit. 120fps being the most words.
If you want the most fluid movement with wildlife use 60fps or 120fps. Start with that in camera first. Then processing you can put that 120fps in a 30fps or a 60fps timeline and have very smooth footage.
120 fps footage is best placed on a 60fps timeline for a blend of smooth motion and easy, high-quality 2x slow motion, or a 30fps timeline for ultra-slow 4x motion.
I tend to like the speed of the 60fps timeline when using 120fps, that is a personal choice. 30fps seems a little slow to me at times. Stay you want to capture hummingbird wings then 120fps on a 30fps timeline might be very nice for the intended purpose.
In post you can also slow down or speed up each clip per taste. So let's say you want to see your 120 clip in normal speed you can do that too. That is what is meant by Slow and Fast on the cinema cameras.
Canon's Cinema Slow & Fast (S&F) mode is one that allows for the creation of slow-motion or fast-motion video directly in-camera. It achieves this by shooting at a higher or lower frame rate than the final playback frame rate, and typically records the video at the final intended rate (e.g., shooting at 60 fps but playing back at 24 fps), eliminating the need for post-production speed adjustments.
Hope this helps a little, any questions ask away.
Feb 21, 2026 at 07:04 AM
Previous versions of RobAmy's message #16990738 « Canon video thread for hybrid shooters... »
