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Perfect stabilization - tips & tricks
After running the video analysis and the first playback of the stabilized footage, you may well be
satisfied with the result – but perhaps it is possible to do even better. Check the following points
and you may be able to further improve the stabilization of your video.
• Are you using the correct Stabi-Cam?
Although the Universal profile will improve your footage in all cases, in certain situations it makes
sense to try out a different Stabi-Cam in order to produce the perfect result.
• Camera-Dynamic Yes/No?
Enabling the Keep Camera Dynamic option can have a major impact on your footage. For
instance, if you have shaky footage of a scenery WITHOUT any intended movements of the
camera, it is better to disable this option, in order to eliminate the shake as unwanted camera
movement. You would see considerable improvement in a scene of this kind with Keep Camera
Dynamic on, but better stabilization can be achieved with it off.
So when does it make sense to use Keep Camera Dynamic?
Whenever a scene has been filmed with intentional camera motion, such as panning or tracking
shots or similar movements.
• Cam-Limiter On/Off
Cam-Limiter is a viewing mode that reproduces the original camera movements in the footage.
The deflections of these original movements are then smoothed (limited), making the footage
steadier. With Cam-Limiter enabled, you can adjust the Avoid Border slider to determine the
extent to which this smoothing of the camera movement should contribute to stabilization. When
used in combination with Keep Camera Dynamic, this function produces harmonious results in
footage containing intentional camera movements such as pan shots. The result achieved after
stabilization is thus less sterile, as the aim in this case is not a 100 % steadying of the scene. By
preserving the original dynamics and producing a harmonious camera movement in the stabilized
result, this function positively enhances the overall impression.
• Correct Field Order setting?
In the vast majority of cases, the field order information is stored correctly in the video clip and
can be read automatically by Mercalli. However, some recording devices may incorrectly mark a
video clip as Progressive, although it has been recorded as fields, and vice versa.
But correct identification of the field order is extremely important for a perfect stabilization. Or to
put it another way: an incorrect field order can lead to a result that is worse than the original.
Therefore, it is important to check this point if in doubt, and, in some cases, you may need to set
the field order manually or select Progressive mode and then analyze the scene again.
A reliable sign of incorrect field order identification is a fine zigzag line in the Pan movements
graph.
For Rolling-Shutter Compensation to work correctly, the correct field order for the video must be
used, otherwise the rolling shutter correction will have no effect, or may even produce errors.
