Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 at DVinfo.net

Mike Meyerson · January 20th, 2012, 12:45 PM

Next week, I'm shooting a pretty large corporate project on my XF300...will probably have 10-15 hours of footage. Client is in Europe, wants all the raw footage on a drive sent to them. They edit on FCP-7.03...I'm a PC/Avid guy....I'm not well versed on the workings of FCP, but from what I gather, they wont be able to import my raw mxf files (am I correct?)

Sooooo, any workflow suggestions? I'd love to hear from some FCP/XF users on the best way to handle this.

I'm hoping for a way around having to encode all the footage to mov files.

Thanks

Robert John · January 20th, 2012, 05:02 PM

I would just give them the FCP plugin that came on your Canon utility disc with the raw footage. I have no idea why Canon doesn't have this plugin on there site.

Justin Molush · January 20th, 2012, 05:19 PM

Agreed with above.

At 10-15 hours of footage, you have an option to Log and Transfer into different file formats, but depending on turnaround time, you might not have that luxury. Get in touch with the people who will be handling the footage, and let them know what they will be receiving. I'm sure they are somewhat competent.

Mike Meyerson · January 20th, 2012, 06:27 PM

thanks guys...I was able to copy the canon utilities disk that came with the camera, so I'll just send a copy. Yes, hopefully they are somewhat competent.....but you never know.

Mike Meyerson · January 20th, 2012, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert John

I have no idea why Canon doesn't have this plugin on there site.

is this it??

Canon XF Utility 1.1 Updater for Mac OS X

Robert John · January 20th, 2012, 07:01 PM

No that is the updater for the Canon utilities software

The FCP plugin is in a folder on the utilities disc called:

Canon XF Plugin for Final Cut Pro.

I wouldn't give them the whole disc just the plugin.

Chuck Fadely · January 20th, 2012, 07:48 PM

And make sure to send them the entire card structure from each CF card, with the content folder and everything below it intact.

Mike Meyerson · January 20th, 2012, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert John

No that is the updater for the Canon utilities software

The FCP plugin is in a folder on the utilities disc called:

Canon XF Plugin for Final Cut Pro.

I wouldn't give them the whole disc just the plugin.

I'm not seeing that on my disc....

how about this (looks like it)...Canon XF Plugin for Final Cut Pro

Robert John · January 21st, 2012, 02:02 AM

Yes that is it. Didn't know that had that available on line

Nigel Barker · January 22nd, 2012, 05:04 AM

You guys are confusing the "Canon XF Plugin for Final Cut Pro" & the "Canon XF Utility". The first is available for download. The second is only available on the disc that came with your camera. The Canon XF Utility is literally irreplaceable as Canon will not provide you with another unless you buy another XF camcorder. Trust me I have had the run around from Canon Professional Services over this. They licence the code from a 3rd party & have no mechanism in place to get you another even if you offer to pay.

Stewart Hemley · January 22nd, 2012, 01:40 PM

I must have caught them on a good day. One phone call to Canon Uk , saying i had misplaced my disc after moving house, and how illogical it is to give one away free with the camera but not have it available on the site, and how it's of no use whatsoever to anyone other than a Canon owner, and they agreed. Result, one XF Utility disc in the post the next day. Oh, and no payment offered or requested. All quite friendly and sensible.

Edit: forgot to say, they didn't even ask for my serial number. I had it ready but it wasn't required.

Nigel Barker · January 23rd, 2012, 08:58 AM

Stewart, that's good to hear so perhaps their story has changed. When this happened to me last year I had several heated telephone conversations & they told me that they didn't even have a CD to send me & refused to copy one.

Mike Meyerson · January 23rd, 2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert John

Yes that is it. Didn't know that had that available on line

Thanks....although it looks like it's not available on the US site for whatever reason.

Mike Meyerson · January 30th, 2012, 08:45 AM

grrrrr....and of course, I sent the plug-in w/ all the footage on a drive and they emailed this morning saying they cant get the footage to import. I copied the file-structure from the cards (from the CONTENTS folder on down).

I did create separate folders for each card....would that make a difference? Using the "log & transfer" tool in FCP....they said they are getting a "file structure error".

Any suggestions?

They are now are using Adobe Media Converter to transcode the 10+ hours of footage (I'm sure they aren't happy about that).

Chuck Fadely · February 2nd, 2012, 09:52 AM

I feel your pain, Mike. I wonder if they actually ran the installer for the plugin? I carry the plugin around with me on a thumb drive and have installed it on half-a-dozen FCP setups with no problem.

As long as each card is in a separate folder and they're pointing the Log & Transfer ingest at the top level of the folder, it should work. If they're pointing the L&T at a level down below the Content folder, like at the actual media files, it won't work.

Maybe also check that they're not using a drive that doesn't support big files?

January 20th, 2012, 12:45 PM	#1
Mike Meyerson Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: mahopac, NY Posts: 293	Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 Next week, I'm shooting a pretty large corporate project on my XF300...will probably have 10-15 hours of footage. Client is in Europe, wants all the raw footage on a drive sent to them. They edit on FCP-7.03...I'm a PC/Avid guy....I'm not well versed on the workings of FCP, but from what I gather, they wont be able to import my raw mxf files (am I correct?) Sooooo, any workflow suggestions? I'd love to hear from some FCP/XF users on the best way to handle this. I'm hoping for a way around having to encode all the footage to mov files. Thanks __________________ www.AbsoluteMotionVideo.com Last edited by Mike Meyerson; January 20th, 2012 at 03:36 PM.

January 20th, 2012, 05:02 PM	#2
Robert John Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA. Posts: 41	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 I would just give them the FCP plugin that came on your Canon utility disc with the raw footage. I have no idea why Canon doesn't have this plugin on there site.

January 20th, 2012, 05:19 PM	#3
Justin Molush Major Player Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Montreal Posts: 388	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 Agreed with above. At 10-15 hours of footage, you have an option to Log and Transfer into different file formats, but depending on turnaround time, you might not have that luxury. Get in touch with the people who will be handling the footage, and let them know what they will be receiving. I'm sure they are somewhat competent.

January 20th, 2012, 06:27 PM	#4
Mike Meyerson Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: mahopac, NY Posts: 293	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 thanks guys...I was able to copy the canon utilities disk that came with the camera, so I'll just send a copy. Yes, hopefully they are somewhat competent.....but you never know. __________________ www.AbsoluteMotionVideo.com

January 20th, 2012, 07:01 PM	#6
Robert John Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA. Posts: 41	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 No that is the updater for the Canon utilities software The FCP plugin is in a folder on the utilities disc called: Canon XF Plugin for Final Cut Pro. I wouldn't give them the whole disc just the plugin.

January 20th, 2012, 07:48 PM	#7
Chuck Fadely Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 306	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 And make sure to send them the entire card structure from each CF card, with the content folder and everything below it intact.

January 21st, 2012, 02:02 AM	#9
Robert John Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA. Posts: 41	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 Yes that is it. Didn't know that had that available on line

January 22nd, 2012, 05:04 AM	#10
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 You guys are confusing the "Canon XF Plugin for Final Cut Pro" & the "Canon XF Utility". The first is available for download. The second is only available on the disc that came with your camera. The Canon XF Utility is literally irreplaceable as Canon will not provide you with another unless you buy another XF camcorder. Trust me I have had the run around from Canon Professional Services over this. They licence the code from a 3rd party & have no mechanism in place to get you another even if you offer to pay.

January 22nd, 2012, 01:40 PM	#11
Stewart Hemley Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: UK and Japan Posts: 68	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 I must have caught them on a good day. One phone call to Canon Uk , saying i had misplaced my disc after moving house, and how illogical it is to give one away free with the camera but not have it available on the site, and how it's of no use whatsoever to anyone other than a Canon owner, and they agreed. Result, one XF Utility disc in the post the next day. Oh, and no payment offered or requested. All quite friendly and sensible. Edit: forgot to say, they didn't even ask for my serial number. I had it ready but it wasn't required. Last edited by Stewart Hemley; January 22nd, 2012 at 01:42 PM. Reason: Additional point

January 23rd, 2012, 08:58 AM	#12
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 Stewart, that's good to hear so perhaps their story has changed. When this happened to me last year I had several heated telephone conversations & they told me that they didn't even have a CD to send me & refused to copy one.

January 30th, 2012, 08:45 AM	#14
Mike Meyerson Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: mahopac, NY Posts: 293	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 grrrrr....and of course, I sent the plug-in w/ all the footage on a drive and they emailed this morning saying they cant get the footage to import. I copied the file-structure from the cards (from the CONTENTS folder on down). I did create separate folders for each card....would that make a difference? Using the "log & transfer" tool in FCP....they said they are getting a "file structure error". Any suggestions? They are now are using Adobe Media Converter to transcode the 10+ hours of footage (I'm sure they aren't happy about that). __________________ www.AbsoluteMotionVideo.com Last edited by Mike Meyerson; January 30th, 2012 at 09:36 AM.

February 2nd, 2012, 09:52 AM	#15
Chuck Fadely Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: United States Posts: 306	Re: Need advice...XF300 to FCP7 I feel your pain, Mike. I wonder if they actually ran the installer for the plugin? I carry the plugin around with me on a thumb drive and have installed it on half-a-dozen FCP setups with no problem. As long as each card is in a separate folder and they're pointing the Log & Transfer ingest at the top level of the folder, it should work. If they're pointing the L&T at a level down below the Content folder, like at the actual media files, it won't work. Maybe also check that they're not using a drive that doesn't support big files?