4 Gb movie limit work around for 7D (MKI).

[Valvebounce]

Hi Folks.
I’m trying to shoot a video longer than 4Gb and have run into problem that the 7D MKI does not just continue with a new file like later cameras. The camera is inaccessible for manually stopping and restarting the recording. (And I’m not putting my 7DII in the risky situation where I’m putting the 7D! )
Does anyone know if there is a work around? I’m stumped.
Does anyone know if I can use a corded remote to start recording, I see I can use an RC1or RC6 if I set the shooting mode correctly, (yep I read the manual) but no mention of a corded remote! If so I can stop and restart the movie at an appropriate time!

Edit,
The “wired remote” is one of those 30m radio remotes with a dongle on a short lead that plugs in and works just as a wired remote would.
End edit.

I’m currently at work and thinking out loud, I will try the remote later, but a fix for the 4Gb limit auto stop would be better!
Thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Joules]

Well, it may not be what you meant with workaround... But Magic Lantern offers an automatic restart feature. It may also offer some better options, but I have not followed development in a while. Especially not for the 7D.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Joules.
Thanks, an automatic restart is pretty much exactly what I was thinking would be the only workaround, never even thought about ML, I tried it a years ago and the boot up and wake up was delayed which for a camera used for wildlife was a pain, recently it has become a time lapse and possibly now video camera so the delay shouldn’t be a problem.
I have thought more about the remote, it might work but I would have no way of confirming stop and start, i would have to rely on one careful press being stop and the next starting it again without verification!
Off to download ML!

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Folks.
Having tried the remote, it will only take a photo, not start or stop video recording.
I have read up on Magic Lantern and it states quite clearly that the auto restart has a gap of several seconds, that will not work for what I am trying to do, however I see that ML. will enable a wired remote to start and stop video recording so I can choose when the several second gap will be and work accordingly.
This still leaves the question of how will I know if I have successfully stopped and restarted the recording and haven’t got out of sync making it a long pause and a short recording!
I will not be able to see the camera and wires are not an option so does anyone have any idea how to tell if the camera is recording in this situation?

While I’m asking stuff, can anyone recommend a free or cheap way to join multiple videos together to make one long movie, I currently have no intentions to use anything other than what the camera spits out, I’m not going to grade or edit etc beyond joining the movies together.

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Joules]

Unfortunate that you require truly continuous recording. Have you tried to see how quick it restarts by filming a clock face for a while? I could see the amount of lost seconds vary epending in the camera and speed of the SD card used.

Depending on the duration and quality of video you want to record, you may also consider filming in Raw Video. That has a few downsides: You may have to go below full HD if you can't adapt the Bitrate (Not sure which bodies support this), files will be huge, so a huge SD / CF card is required for long recordings, and you have to do a conversion step on the PC after the fact. I'm not sure how hard or easy said conversion is with the current version of RAW Video. But there is no hard limit to how long you can record besides your card size. Just wanted to mention it as a way to exceed the duration limits present by default. If you don't have to exceed 30 Minutes you could also just lower the Bitrate according to this section:

faq [Magic Lantern wiki]

wiki.magiclantern.fm

Joining Videos can be done using the VLC Player, a standard free tool you may already have installed anyway. See:

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-use-vlc-to-combine-two-clips

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

For simple edits and merges, use the free Canon Movie Utility. It will let you clip out any unwanted footage as well. Its simple.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Mt Spokane.
Thank you for that, if that comes on the disc I have installed it and forgotten about it!

Hi Joules, I think I have VLC installed already, I know I tried it for playing something a while back, didn’t realise it could edit! The video doesn’t have to be truly continuous, just has to stop and restart during a period of inactivity to appear seamless!
Thanks for the clock tip, I will give it a go.

Hopefully this weekend I will have time to sit down and concentrate on the Magic Lantern installation.

Cheers, Graham.

For simple edits and merges, use the free Canon Movie Utility. It will let you clip out any unwanted footage as well. Its simple.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Folks.
Well I got round to installing ML on the 7D, and doing the clock test, updated my VLC installation and tried to view the resultant files and all I can get is a section of the orange playback bar about 1/4 the length oscillates back and forth at a frequency of about 1 second and the duration shows - -:- - each end.
The recordings will play in Windows Media Player and Quick Time Player without issue.
Just off to look at the Canon player.
The recordings were made at 1280x720 50fps with all default settings.

Computer is a Microsoft Surface Pro 4 i5 6300u @2.40GHz 2.50 GHz, 4.00GB ram with windows 10 Pro fully updated.
Can anyone help me get VLC playback working?

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Folks.
Ok so I tried EOS Movie Utility, it seems the earliest support might be the 7DII, but I pointed it at the 7D *.mov files and it would not see them, but then it wouldn’t see the 7DII *.mp4 files either?
I looked for documentation and I can’t find anything other than the sales blurb,
EOS MOVIE Utility is software for viewing movies shot on applicable cameras and for saving a still image clip from a movie. You can also use View Assist for viewing movies shot in Canon Log gamma.
In addition, you can merge multiple 4 GB movie files into a single file, and save it.
Edit, ok I just found the pdf manual, going to have a read up on the situation. 7D not supported, mp4 not supported! So the long and short of it is I need to use VLC. End edit.

Not a lot of help!
Again, anyone know what is going on here?

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

See if VLC works for you. When you get into video, to me its like a rats nest sorting out what works with which. I have surveillance cameras that save mp4 files and VLC plays them just fine, but some of my other editing software won't open them, that includes Adobe, Cyberlink, Windows, Canon, and more.

It turns out they have a unique codec that is non standard. I use Aimersoft Converter Ultimate to convert them to mp4 but a version that is standard. Then Aimersoft joins and clips out unwanted parts just fine, and allows the final file to be saved in a variety of formats. It was cheap, there are lots of discounts for it, I paid $20 I think. Its more user friendly than VLC, I use VLC to play most of my video, just not to edit it. I paid once a few years ago and have received free updates since. If I want to do more extensive edits, I still use Aimersoft to convert the surveillance video, but can then use any of my commercial video editors.

BTW, I just tried VLC to convert a file from my surveillance camera to a standard format and it worked fine. I did not try to edit it.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Mt Spokane.
Thanks for this detailed input, unfortunately I had already tried VLC and it doesn’t work, some googling seems to indicate another “non standard” codec, this time the *.mov file and the 7D doesn’t have alternatives.
It seems that the 7DII also creates non standard output as I can’t get VLC to play that either!
I did check my downloads folder for the previous install of VLC (not that I know if it worked) but I have deleted it anyway! My next step is going to be uninstall VLC and try again in case something went wrong with the installation, I have to believe that it would play something one of the cameras outputs, I thought I had a breakthrough when the Windows defender popped up interfering with things after another restart but still no joy!

As this is now a software question I think I will close this thread and move over to the software area.

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Joules.
I did the clock test and it looks like the lost time might only be a second, (but without a method of joining files, VLC is not working, I can’t tell for sure) I will try for my application and see if the second really shows up too much, I think it will be more noticeable at higher levels of action, even slow things like a walking person cover a not insignificant distance in 1second!

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Joules]

If you were using VLC 64bit, it may be worth trying the 32bit version. The 64bit is known to have some issues, it is not the main release. VLC was just a suggestion though. There certainly are other programs that should work for this. I just don't know them.

I guess you need the full quality / more than 30 Minutes of recording then? Like I said, lowering the nitrate with ML might save you the hassle of joining files otherwise.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi Joules.
I think I can turn the FPS down to 25 without learning too much about ML, plus I don’t want to end up with artefacts like some of the streamed programmes that I have watched, contrast rings of pixelation on plain walls, very distracting from the story!
I’m reluctant to mess too deeply with a software (firmware?) that has a multiple warnings that it “may break your camera, if it does you get to keep both bits!”

I realise that this is fairly mature software, but my luck seems to tend towards the if it can go wrong it will, especially if I’ve been warned!

Cheers, Graham.

 

[Joules]

I've used the Bitrate control on my 600D (T3i) to go the other way and increase quality. Got not issues doing that. Lowering it I haven't tried yet. But if I understand what you're doing, the camera will be static, right? Lowering the Bitrate shouldn't be noticeable in such a case. Artefacts arise with scenes that have a lot of unpredictable motion and very fine, chaotic detail like grass, water or foliage.

A camera on a tripod filming moving people shouldn't suffer from this nearly as much.

The ML warnings are just warnings. ML does not change anything about the camera. There was a separate version once, that actually could change the camera. Because of that, it was banned from the official ML releases and the guy who made it didn't get any help from the others with it.

But I get your concerns. I was just naming a few more options if the restart wouldn't be good enough for you.

 

[5DIV]

Hi Folks.
I’m trying to shoot a video longer than 4Gb and have run into problem that the 7D MKI does not just continue with a new file like later cameras. The camera is inaccessible for manually stopping and restarting the recording. (And I’m not putting my 7DII in the risky situation where I’m putting the 7D! )
Does anyone know if there is a work around? I’m stumped.
Does anyone know if I can use a corded remote to start recording, I see I can use an RC1or RC6 if I set the shooting mode correctly, (yep I read the manual) but no mention of a corded remote! If so I can stop and restart the movie at an appropriate time!

Edit,
The “wired remote” is one of those 30m radio remotes with a dongle on a short lead that plugs in and works just as a wired remote would.
End edit.

I’m currently at work and thinking out loud, I will try the remote later, but a fix for the 4Gb limit auto stop would be better!
Thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers, Graham.

I might be wrong, but I believe the 4 Gb limit is a FAT32 file limitation. If you use an exFAT formatted SD card, you may get larger and longer video files.

 

[5DIV]

See this link: https://integralmemory.com/faq/what-are-differences-between-fat16-fat32-and-exfat-file-systems

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi 5DIV.
Thanks, that is a good thought, but the ML install says first format the card in camera. The camera then writes log and other files to the card during ML installation, not sure if the camera would write to an exfat formatted file even if ML didn’t require camera format.
I still need ML for the wired remote control to work video!

Cheers, Graham.