Using Strong and Smooth in Image Stabilization

Hi everyone,

I'm new to DaVinci Resolve and am currently working on my first project, a camera test movie. I used a simple pistol grip / shoulder brace combo rig for my Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera for handheld shots. I'm working around to stabilize shaky handheld footage. Iv'e read the parts in the manual which deals with Strong and Smooth, and have understood that Strong controls camera movements and Smooth...eh, something like smoothness to the camera movement, such as wiggling or some sort of thing.

To be honest, I have nor real clue what the actual difference is between Strong and Smooth, what the difference is between camera movement and camera wiggling. Some shots in my project work better with a higher Strong and others with a higher Smooth level, but I haven't figuered out why yet.

Any clues on this matter? Do you, based on your experience with Resolve, have any recommendations what particular kind of shaky footage is best dealt with Strong and what footage is best dealt with Smooth, or a somewhat equal combination of the two?

I probably will learn the difference between the two over the years, but perhaps some of you more experienced may share a though or two on this subject matter?

Thank you in advance,
Tomas

Hey,

You should make your own tests, I did it when wondering about the same...

It appeared to me that what I really needed was strength left on 100, smooth to 0 and "zoom" ticked (don't even know when zoom unticked could be interesting actually), which means you totally stabilize the shot the way 95% of users expect it I guess.
Then, "smooth" should be tested to see if moving from 0 to say 4 or 6 aso... could be more realistic in your eyes, depending on the type of moves in the shot.
So too much criterias, you can't avoid testing...

I Ctrl+F searched Resolve Manual on 'strong'; clicked next a few times.
Found the answer on page 1016.

Thank's for your feedback. The thing is that adjusting Strong and Smooth zooms in the picture (if you click Zoom, which you should). I found out that the zooming is quite heavy sometimes and cropping a image makes shaky image appear enhanced in its... shakiness, obviously. So, according to my experience, setting the levels to high can have the reversed effect. I sometimes had to lessen the settings to reduce the apparent shakiness to the image, until I found a optimal level between where stabilization worked fine and the picture wasn't to cropped to prevent apparent shakiness.

I Ctrl+F searched Resolve Manual on 'strong'; clicked next a few times.
Found the answer on page 1016.

Sorry, reading the DaVinci Resolve 12.5 manual (June 2016 Edition) page 1016 reads something different, the Key Palette. Are you referring to a older manual?

Hey, yeah seems like its frequently updated (one from June for example has mistakes here and there)
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support
Down the webpage, the middle column has all the docs - Latest Support Notes

Hey, yeah seems like its frequently updated (one from June for example has mistakes here and there)
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support
Down the webpage, the middle column has all the docs - Latest Support Notes

O.k. Thank's for the update (I had failed to notice this update). But the wording hasn't changed much and unfortunately the instructions are very simplyfied. Shaky image varies tremendously so it doesn't help much unfortunately.

I suppose one could always start with Strong: 100 and Smooth: 0, the default setting, and then change the settings gradually compensatory, i.e. rasing Smooth as much as one lowers Strong, but that agains isn't always the optimal. It's to complicated and I wish I could find a working formula.

Thank's for the feedback,
Tomas

Yep, that's why I suggested that you test some combinations, from default to what suits you ...

I also find it too random/suspense-like, but 100 - 0 - zoom is what I look for when I'm into stabilization, so I can survive...

I remember plug-ins like Lock and Load X (on FCP) which I was used to, and that seemed more reliable and predictable, but some tests here will quickly make you more comfortable I think

In any case, I'm getting consistently better results with Prodad Mercalli v.4 (Stand alone version). The latest update brought a couple more output encoding options, but still not good enough for serious work in Resolve...

Piotr

I have deepened my understanding of the image stabilization feature using the Tracking Window when working with my latest project, the narrative documentary short The XmasTree Hunt.

I found a working formula of the setting of Strong and Smooth to effectively eradicade micro-shakes to the camera: Always begin with setting Strong to 90 and Smooth to 10. When the resulting image gives a exaggerated “rubbery” or “wavy” characteristic, lower Strong to 80 or 70 until the image stabilises and looks more natural, but don’t change Smooth, with a few exceptions. However, this doesn’t work if the micro-shakes are to strong or if the movements of the image otherwise are to heavy. If so, I started off with a Strong and Smooth of 10 each, and raising them with increments of 10, sometimes (and oftentimes) mostly Strong and sometimes mostly Smooth. At last I have found a pattern and if you look at the images, there are very few which exhibit micro-shakes; and you should be aware that the greater majority had very visible micro-shaking in them. So I must conclude that DaVinci Resolve handles stabilization quite well, after all.

Unfortunately, DaVinci Resolve 12.5.4 chrashed on me three times when doing stabilisations, two of them on one and the same day. Perhaps 12.5.4 is a bit more buggy as compared to 12.5.3 (the version that I used previously with stabilisation), either that or that I created a larger workload in comparison.

Strong handles jitter.
Smooth handles larger movement.