Premiere elements 4 question?

[sandik17]

I have just tried to use some 'video' footage from my still camera (Canon S3IS) and it would not work in premiere elements 4...
So, my question is....I am thinking about upgrading my photoshop elements 4and premiere elements 2 bundle to the new ones out.
If I had Premiere Elements 4, would I be able to use the 'video' footage from my camera in it by downloading it through a usb...just like photos.
Because when I go to use the footage in photoshop in a slide show it works...but I much rather use premiere as there's so much more flexibility.
Thanks in advance.

[Barb O]

1 - What happened when you attempted to use the S3IS video in Premiere Elements 4?

2 - Have you ever successfully used the S3IS video on the same PC in your current Premiere Elements 2 - by that I mean use that video directly in Premiere Elements instead of in the Photoshop Elements slide show?

In Premiere Elements 2 and 3, a common symptom when trying to use S3IS video (or any Canon still camera video which is MJPEG format) is that you hear the audio but the video is black. It can be circumvented by downloading and installing a MJPEG codec - or - it can be circumvented by reading the the Canon .avi file (which really is MJPEG and no DV AVI) in to Windows Movie Maker 2 and saving from there as a DV-AVI file which is then i.

If you have the same symptoms in Premiere Elements 4, then I suspect that the same solutions will work and we can provide you more details.

[efarnstrom]

In Premiere Elements 2 and 3, a common symptom when trying to use S3IS video (or any Canon still camera video which is MJPEG format) is that you hear the audio but the video is black.

I've been using video clips from my camera since I first got the camera 1-1/2 years ago. I have never had this symptom. I use an SD card in an internal computer card reader. Also have used the card reader in my printer to load onto the computer. Maybe I am one of the lucky ones?

[Barb O]

I also have never had the problem with my Canon still camera video either. However, it has been a common problem posted on the Adobe Premiere Elements forum for multiple Canon still cameras and specifically for the S3IS.

Most likely it is caused by a conflicting and higher priority codec on that individuals computer - so I think that its occurrence will be variable.

There also is an interesting comparison that has been done by a few people on the Adobe forum. The two circumventions

- downloading a MJPEG codec or
- saving as a DV-AVI file from Windows Movie Maker

actually cause an improvement in the final video from Premiere Elements - even if the problem of black video image did not happen!

Someone then tried each of the 2 circumventions on the same video file and concluded that the quality improvement was basically the same for either of the methods. This is a case where I think the "your mileage may vary" applies - but I have found it worth consideration.

Now I am not sure if the same consideration does apply to Premiere Elements v4. However, since it has been impacting people across both v2 and v3, it seems worth considering if the symptom is the same.

Hopefully the originator will post additional info about exactly how it failed in version 4.

[efarnstrom]

However, it has been a common problem posted on the Adobe Premiere Elements forum for multiple Canon still cameras and specifically for the S3IS.


In thinking back, I have also used a friend's video clip from her S3IS with no trouble. I don't know how she downloaded it since she uses Photoshop and not Elements. She give it to me on a flash drive. I'll ask her tomorrow.