Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

I have copied the card intact to an attached hard drive; also used shotPut Pro and copied to same.
FCPX will not read. Also attempted to download from mounted card reader (no problem in FC Studio) and FCPX will not read.

I understand the integrity of the entire card must be preserved, but am at a loss right now; Any thoughts are appreciated.
Larry

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Does FCPX support the XF codec? I'm told it doesn't.

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Apple has not implemented the XF100, 105, 300 and 305 codec recognition.
On their website it says something like: 'You need software from Canon'

So it's the old story again. Nothing works until we get an update from Canon and hopefully the system can work with the files without encoding.

I'm also working with Production Premium CS5.5 and that software can work with almost any TV materials made between 1948 and the present. I'm amazed by the choices Apple made with this software......until now. I hope they will improve it soon.

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

I have found a workaround; Foxreal Video Converter for $35.00 available from the Mac App store or from their website. Time consuming, but it works well. You can try the trial version, which has a watermark, and then if you purchase the program you need to uninstall the trial version and download the program after you purchase it.

It will have to do until Canon addresses the compatibility issue.

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Canon's flavor of MXF has been out well over a year now, other NLEs handle it natively without any trouble at all, Apple is known to have not shared information during development with many if not most 3rd party vendors, and FCP X is a brand new app that is unable to support MXF. I'm not understanding how the responsibility gets laid at Canon's feet?

Here's a link to Canon's XF 305 page that includes a FCP plug-in in the Downloads area:
http://usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/p...ersAndSoftware
I'm not a Mac user, but I'd assume this doesn't work in FCP X so I guess you'd use your old version to convert.

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Hi,

I already posted this is another thread inhere - but well, here it is again :p

I made a solution for the problem, that's both fast, free and lossless - and works for a sensible workflow for me...

You can read the blogpost, including download link on my blog: XfcpX – From Canon XF100 to FCPX – a working flow! – PikaBlog'en - Fotograf Rune Espensen


/Cheer

Edit: And no, this is not just another spam post about the Aunsoft/Foxreal Best Converter that is currently cluttering up the internet :-)

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Hello Rune-

After the application of your utility to the files, can the .mov files be imported natively by FCPX? Or are they required to be imported as prores 422 files? If they can be used in their native format, must they be copied into the events folder, or can the vids in the events folder be linked to the vids in the master folder? (no duplication of media)

Thanks, this sounds as if you have done Canon and Apple's job for them. No longer a need for the plugin to work with the cameras...

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

I'm going on heresay here; but I have heard that the free Sony XDCAM MXF to MOV converter works for XDCAM, Nanoflash & Canon XF codecs.

PDZKP1 XDCAM Transfer Software Version 2.12

Sony | Micro Site XDCAM EX

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Simon, I was told that the audio has syncing issues when the canon files are converted with the Sony software...

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Hi,


Sorry for the slow reply here - I thought I would be getting emails when people posted in a subject I replied to. Oh well, guess I have to watch manually.

First off - the Sony XDCAM utility will not play nice with your Audio from the XF100 - I have tested it, and it works fine for video though - so if you need no audio (or record on an external device, like the Zoom 4HN) you could use it.

I suggest my program though - it's better ;-)

In response to Dan's Question:
Once you have processed your MXF's through my program, you'll have a bunch of mov's in your destination folder. They can be read directly into FCPX (New Event -> import files -> select the directory). You could leave it like that - and indeed, FCPX will play nice with them and you can start editing right away. I would recommend, however, that you let FCPX Analyze & Transcode the imported media files - ProRes422 is simply better for NLE than the original mpeg2 stream. The good thing about FCPX though, is that you can start working right away, and it will be transcoding in the background and automatically start using the 422 files, once it is done transcoding.

Be sure you download the latest version, as there are already a few bugfixes in it - like a fix for the audio problem that breaks the Sony software - difference is, I am handling it ;-)

Link again: XfcpX – From Canon XF100 to FCPX – a working flow! – PikaBlog'en - Fotograf Rune Espensen

Enjoy.

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

I don't have this camera but I am trying to convince my superiors to get one...

Anyway, I'm also trying to figure out how to bring the XF codec into Final Cut Pro X natively. The XfcpX programs sounds good but what if you don't have the card structure? Well I found a company that developed a MXF plugin for Quicktime. ( http://www.calibratedsoftware.com/MXFImportDownload.asp ) You can view the MXF files in any Quicktime compatible player. You still can't pull them into FCPX but you can rewrap them in MPEG Streamclip. The plugin does cost $180 (it's on sale now, regular cost is $250) but it has a demo mode. I download a couple of sample clips that I could find and it seems to work well.

You could also do batches through MPEG Streamclip as well.

-- Omar

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Hi Omar,

I see no reason why you would not have the card structure to be honest - that's all about your workflow, which, if you are a professional, is going to be the same each time you do anything. Well, except if you download sample clips and want to test it of course ;-)
If you want to test your sample clips for comparison with XfcpX you can just create the structure around the files you download. That way you can compare the quality and the workflow between XfcpX and the 180USD program you refer to.
In order to test it out, create the following folders somewhere on your harddrive (case sensitive):
Masters -> 20000000000000 -> CONTENTS -> CLIPS001 -> Test
then copy your downloaded test files into the "Test" folder and point XfcpX to the "Masters" folder.


Personally, I would not mind spending 180 dollars if that meant a workflow that would let me get to the important part - editing - as fast as possible. To be honest, the 180 dollars solution sounds like it adds more steps to the workflow, including a transcoding in Streamclip you'd have to wait for. With the XfcpX solution, the final transcoding to ProRes422 is, if you choose so, handled in the background by FCPX - but let's you start editing right away.


In the end, you should choose the tool that fits your personal workflow the best, even if it costs you money. If you're a pro, the money spent on utilities should earn itself by having a proper and repeatable workflow.

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

For some reason I can't get the process to go. I did everything you said but it doesn't seem to do anything. It detects the card structure and I select and click on 1...2...3... Go! and it just moves it over to the left column. I must be missing something... I saw that it created in the destination folder, a folder with the card name (20000000000000) but nothing is inside of it.

With the MPEG Streamclip program, it can transcode but you don't have to. You could just "Save As" and save them as MOV files, which just rewraps and doesn't transcode.

--Omar

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Hmm...strange - TBH I just wrote the above from memory ;-)

Could you post a listing of the contents of the "Test" folder?

(Start "terminal" from spotlight, type "cd <the complete path to the Test folder>" hit enter, then type "ls -la" and copy paste the output - no quotes in the above commands)

Re: Canon XF100 & FCPX recognition issue
 

Macintosh:Test omarquinones$ ls -la
total 1071912
drwxr-xr-x 11 omarquinones staff 374 Aug 24 10:18 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 omarquinones staff 102 Aug 24 10:18 ..
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 82043464 Aug 15 18:09 AA001601.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 52859452 Aug 15 18:09 AA002101.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 59072060 Aug 15 18:09 AA004801.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 49749564 Aug 15 18:09 AA005001.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 55965244 Aug 15 18:09 AA005301.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 56009276 Aug 15 18:09 AA005701.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 52892220 Aug 15 18:10 AA005801.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 84230216 Aug 15 17:32 AA026401.MXF
-rw-r--r--@ 1 omarquinones staff 55971900 Aug 15 17:35 AA028101.MXF

Also, after testing out MPEG Streamclip a little bit more, I noticed that on some clips it introduced some artifacts so I suppose that wouldn't be a good option...
Edit: I take that back... Seems it must be a framerate issue or something. All of the test clips I have are 25p or 50i. When I play back the native MXF I get these artifacts as well. When I go frame by frame they don't appear...