Re: Canon 550D videos don't sync to iPhone 4

[makmac999]

So here is the scenario:

1) a Canon 550D Digital SLR (T2i Rebel) latest firmware + 8GB class 10 SD Card
2) a 2010 iMac 21.5" 3.2GHz with latest Mac OS X, iLife 11 (iPhoto 11)
3) an iPhone 4 and an iPad both with latest iOS
4) iTunes latest version

I shoot HD videos with the canon camera and take the SD card out of the camera, plug it into the iMac and I import the photos and videos into iPhoto 11 (iPhoto 11 import utility comes up automatically when I plug the SD card in)

I move the photos and videos to a new album in iPhoto 11

I connect my iPhone 4 to the iMac and iTunes starts automatically. I make sure the iPhoto album mentioned above is checked to sync with my iPhone. Then I sync the phone.

result: the album is synched to iPhone & the iPad but only the photos are copied, none of the videos shot on the canon 550D are synced to the devices.

as a work-around. I am able to import the videos into iMovie 11 and created a project then export the movie to 720p HD format and then import that movie back into iPhoto and move it to the album then sync down to the iPhone/iPad! insane round trip

I tried shooting in different resolution types (the canon T2i can shoot H.264 .mov HD videos in 1920 x 1080 (HD 30/25/24 fps), 1280 x 720 (HD 60/50 fps), 640 x 480 (60/50 fps))

It just seems like the iPhone 4 and iPad do not support these original HD videos despite the fact that they are stored as H264 and in a .mov file.

The workaround I described above is not really a useful or convenient solution. finding it hard to believe all this latest and greatest hardware isn't capable of supporting a simple task like this!?

been searching for an answer, but it seems like no one is asking the question. so either the solution must be really simple and I'm over complicating things, or no one has a need to do what I'm trying to do here.

Haven't tried pulling the videos off the camera through USB wire instead of taking the SD card out. not sure if that makes any difference.

If the iPhone doesn't support those videos period, anyone has a better/simpler workflow? Many thanks
help please!

 

[makmac999]

Update

quick note here, I'm still learning video formats and encoding, much of that is still a mystery to me.

based on apple's specs, iOS devices support H.264 videos up to 720p @ 30 fps. and I assume that 720p is 1280x720 based on definition I found online. I also assume that 720p can be shot at 30 fps or at a higher 60fps...

It looks like the T2i doesn't shoot 1280x720 at 30 fps, but it does support 1280x720 at 60 fps (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_eos550d.asp). question: would those videos (shot at 1280x720 60 fps) playback natively on the iOS devices?

If not, and I'm stuck with converting the video to an iOS supported format, Any thoughts on how you'd simplify this workflow (from camera to iPhone). The way I'm doing it right now seems like overkill. I wonder if there are fewer steps to get the same outcome!

many thanks!

 

[zblaxberg]

quick note here, I'm still learning video formats and encoding, much of that is still a mystery to me.

based on apple's specs, iOS devices support H.264 videos up to 720p @ 30 fps. and I assume that 720p is 1280x720 based on definition I found online. I also assume that 720p can be shot at 30 fps or at a higher 60fps...

It looks like the T2i doesn't shoot 1280x720 at 30 fps, but it does support 1280x720 at 60 fps (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_eos550d.asp). question: would those videos (shot at 1280x720 60 fps) playback natively on the iOS devices?

If not, and I'm stuck with converting the video to an iOS supported format, Any thoughts on how you'd simplify this workflow (from camera to iPhone). The way I'm doing it right now seems like overkill. I wonder if there are fewer steps to get the same outcome!

many thanks!

H.264 is a codec, not a format. Here is what I pulled off of the apple tech specs website;

Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

Personally I'd bring the footage into compressor and use the iphone preset.

 

[handsome pete]

H.264 is a codec, not a format. Here is what I pulled off of the apple tech specs website;

Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

Personally I'd bring the footage into compressor and use the iphone preset.

I may be wrong, but I'm guessing he doesn't have Compressor.

I would look into a free option like Handbrake or MpegStreamclip to convert the footage.