Final Cut Pro X vs Adobe Warp Stabilizer (After Effects)

A comparison between Final Cut Pro X's stabilization and rolling shutter removal filters with Adobe After Effect's Warp Stabilizer.

Which one produces the better result for stabilization and rolling shutter?

Judge for yourself after taking the blind test!

Sample footage was shot on a Panasonic GH1 with hacked firmware and a Lumix 20mm lens. There is no hardware based stabilization with this camera system.

Sample footage is 720p, 60 FPS, 250Hz shutter speed. Captured in AVCHD, converted to ProRes, and final output in H.264.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• AVCHD
• H264
• ProRes
• video editing
• video stabilizing

[TheTessellator]

How much rolling shutter correction did you apply in FCPX?

(FCPX has 4 settings as well as none for pro cameras (CCD) which generate no shutter roll)

This other thing worth noting is that you can change that after you analyze (the correction is not baked in) You can even change it -WHILE THE CLIP IS PLAYING!! (Yeah I know dropped my jaw to the floor as well)

You can the setting by selecting the (analyzed) clip then go the the video tab in the inspector window, scroll down to Rolling Shutter.

[AibalReview]

@TheTessellator I used the maximum setting for RS removal in FCP X.

[TheTessellator]

@AibalReview

How do you know you weren't over correcting?

Did you realize that while in AE you have to re-render the clip, every time you modify or tweak a setting, in FCPX you can actually change the setting as the clip is playing (a HUGE advantage to getting the half dozen (or more) parameters that pertain to stabilization (amount of "float", roll resistance ect)

Seems you mis adjusted the rolling shutter correction in any case, but I don't think that is a FCPX problem (TBEBKAC)

[AibalReview]

@TheTessellator I tested FCPX's RS filter extensively; what you're seeing in the video are the best results possible with the filter. Yes, I tried all 4 settings.

Also, the stabilization settings do not affect RS image distortion, only its noticeability.

I appreciate your skepticism, but I'm a bit disappointed that you've jumped to the conclusion that I've "mis adjusted" things rather than challenge your own presumptions.

[LemonMerigueTie]

adobe wins, hands down. not even a fucking competition haha

[ThatMW3guy123]

mine always seems to go in slow motion and blury? any ideas

[lafanfafra]

Mocha Pro.....ofcorse.....



[kope7777]

I wonder what results you can achieve with The Foundry Rolling Shutter for nuke on this footage.

[Patrick2by4]

nice, I will upgrade when Adobe CS6 comes out

[d1353lp0w3r]

adobe is the clear winner

[Knoptop]

I'm curious of the render time of each of the two software?

[atishshrestha]

@noisyboyuk Yes there is an option for not scaling. apply warp stablizer plugin and under Border>Framing option you can select stablize only, or stablizer crop. Default setting is Stablize,crop and autoscale but you can change it. i hope it make sense

[noisyboyuk]

@TheTessellator I totally get your point on it being an advantage being able to change your settings as you go in FCP but even if After Effects took me a WEEK longer to rescue footage that I couldn't re-shoot, AE would win hands down if it simply gave me a better end result. However... is there a way in After Effects to make it adjust only the position and rotation (without the scaling, which sucks balls) so it's not (in some circumstances) making my footage stretch/zoom in? Thx!