Video Editing Workflow – Canon XA-10

Source

Camera settings depend on the type of recorded video. The Canon XA-10 has only two full HD (1920×1080) recording modes: FXP and MXP. Based on these, most of my videos are recorded in FXP mode as it is a good trade-off between quality and file size.

Recording Modes of Canon XA-10

Edit and Archive

For video editing I use Adobe Premier Elements 10. Editing is done without changing codec (H264), resolution, interlacing, etc. As I have the PAL version of the XA-10, the Adobe project settings are AVCHD Full HD 1080i 25 under PAL. Once the video is edited, I  render the clip with the highest quality settings (2 Pass VBR, Render at max. depth, Macro block Adaptive Frame-Field Coding), and a maximum bitrate corresponding to the source (FXP: 17 Mbps) for archiving. In Adobe Premier Elements 10 and for XA-10 FXP mode the settings are:

Archive settings in Adobe Premier Elements 10 for XA-10 FXP mode

Target Media

Depending on the target media the clip to be published is adjusted in codec, resolution etc. I have predefined settings for:

  • Standard clips to be watched on a PC:
    MP4 – PAL DV Widescreen SD – HiQ (576p, VBR 3/6 MBps)
  • Tablet/phones:
    MP4 – PAL DV Widescreen SD – LoQ (576p, VBR 1.3/2.6 Mbps)
  • Youtube as basic HD clip:
    MP4 – HD 720p 25 (720p, VBR 2.5/5 Mbps)

Calculation of Video Bitrates in Excel

I use a simple excel template to calculate the bitrate for the target medium. As input you simply select:

  • Codec (H264, MPEG-2)
  • Standard (PAL, NTSC, FILM)
  • Definition (VCD, SD, HD 720, HD, full HD)
  • Channel (PC/Web, Disk/TV)
  • Action/Motion (low, normal, medium, high)

and as a result you get the recommended bitrate for rendering your video clip.

Comments and feedback are welcome!

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4 thoughts on “Video Editing Workflow – Canon XA-10”

  1. So I have the Xa10 and Adobe premiere elements 10, and I have really no idea what to do to fix a problem.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FURKWWOPsqM&list=UU7AAwvEZHlo-5Bgwofmo6mw
    This video shows what’s happening, there are these streaks that are on all the edges of things, like the guitar. It is really annoying because my canon t3 has better image quality on the computer. Can you give me an easier workflow on what settings to use for the camera then onto the editing software please.
    Jeremy

    1. Hi Jeremy,

      Don’t believe it’s a problem of the camera, but of the project settings in Adobe. Do you have PAL or NTSC? I mostly use the FXP of the XA 10 ( PAL 25 fps: 25 i, NTSC it should be 30 fps). Premier El usually automatically detects the correct import mode. If you upload to youtube, use the standard youtube export settings in PE (HD 720p).
      Regards, Klaus

  2. Hi is there anyone that can help me with a serious project. We are having difficulty setting up our Canon XA10 with Adobe P CS6? This is a very special project intended to help lots of people. Right now we are in need of help and dont want to fail people that are depending on us.
    Thank you,
    BG

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