Downsizing Image Deterioration

[harmon11]

Hi, I use a lot of stills as part of my video work but I find that downsizing images (I use a Canon EOS 400D) to the video dimensions of 720 x 576 in Photoshop really degrades my images leaving them looking very pixelated. Is there a plug-in I can use other than PS's inbuilt algorithm for this procedure.

Any info much appreciated, thanks

 

[LeMort]

Hi Harmon 8))

When does the downsized picture appear pixelated?
When you look at it in photoshop afterwards or in your videoediting-software / on your videoscreen?

Pixel-ratio might be one of the explanations here....

Mrten

 

[harmon11]

Hi, Thanks for replying

I think you could be right, because it is when the images are in the video editing software (Adobe Premiere).
Pal is 720 x 576 but the pixels are rectangular and not square right? Do you know how I can compensate for this in PS pior to importing the stills into Premiere?

Thank-you

 

[LeMort]

You can adjust the Pixel Aspect Ratio under the Image-->Pixel Aspect Ratio menu.
I do hope it helps

Mrten

 

[harmon11]

Yes, I just discovered that - only now it leads me to another question (sorry!) - I have been using the image processor function in PS to change the images sizes to the video dimensions because I literally use hundreds of stills at a time so to change them individually would be a nightmare. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be an option to change the pixel aspect ratio when performing this - any ideas on how I can get around that?

Thanks again, I really appreciate your advice

 

[Sean]

I don't know how Premier handles imported images, but in AE or FCP images are resized nondestructively. So if you just import the images as is and then fit them to the correct title zone, then you can zoom in and out and pan freely, if thats what you intend to use the images for.

 

[LeMort]

I'm not sure, actually, but I'm pretty sure Premiere imports the pictures non-destructively also.
Although Afx and Premiere are getting closer in some functionalities I would not use Premiere for the stuff Patrick describes. If you want to animate still images I think Afx would be a far better choice

Have you tried Actions in photoshop? I think that would make your life a whole lot easier.
The Actions-function is surprisingly easy to use too!

Make a new action (press the "new" symbol at the bottom of the Action-palette), give your action a name, do all the stuff you want to do, press stop and voila, Photoshop remembers.

Search it up

Mrten

 

[harmon11]

Ah-ha! - Actions will be my new best friend from now on - thanks to both of you for the info, it's much appreciated. 8))

 

[LeMort]

Any time

Mrten