Final Cut Express vs Pro for Cineform
 

At time, I am using iMovie fora rough cut and then using XML import to prevent rendering the files.

I do not foresee using any effects, and the Cineform Color corrector is fine for me.

Hence, I would like to stick with FCE.

Are there gotchas about working in FCE with Cineform ? I will simply export the iMovie XML and open it in FCE to preserve the iMovie basic edit and then use FCE to render.

I don't believe FCE works with any outside codecs -- camera native only.

So FCP is the only option for MAC Cineform-native editing ? Is there any other NLE ? PPro ?

On Mac OSX Media 100 is native CineForm, and PPro CS5 support is only week aways with betas in a few hands already.

Hi David. So the only options on OSX for native CF editing are CS5 Premiere Pro, CS5 After Effects, Final Cut Pro and Media 100.
Am I missing something here ?

That is pretty good already, but it also works in tools from iMovie to Iridas Speedgrade, and just announced at IBC DaVinci Resolve now has native CineForm support (2D and 3D.) The only two tools not supported are the intentional closed Apple apps, FCExpress and Color.

Hi David. iMovie transcodes to AIC irrespective of the codec that the raw footage is in. iMovie definitely does not have a Cineform workflow.

There is way to make iMovie work, I seen it working without a transcode. Although it may not have been the latest iMovie, maybe 08 or 09 worked. If iMovie is important to you (really?) contact support.

You can leave the clips in CineForm format in iMovie '09. When you import a movie, uncheck "Optimize video..." and just "copy" the files. After copying the files iMovie creates a motion JPEG thumbnail, but the source is still CineForm. I just tried a clip which was in 3D. On a 13" Macbook Pro, it drops frames under QuickTime, FirstLight or FCP, but plays smoothly in iMovies since iMovie requests a lower resolution decode.