Are you sure you can't export via HD SDI, I can do it from my BMD Extreme card and they have no easy setup for XDCam HD too. I simply create an XDCam timeline then change the easy setup to anything with 1080i output and I get output in real time.

You make a good point Steve. I'm working in 24p so I guess i could import via XDCam Transfer in "35mbps 1080p24 VBR", make sure my sequence settings match then when I'm ready to export, choose a Kona 3 output that has 1080p24. Hmmm, seems too simple but I'll try it. Am I taking a quality hit by transcoding the native XDCam HD codec to the Kona HD-SDI output?

1080p24 export on the Kona can mean one of two things. It can be a preset where the Kona is adding pulldown to bring the timeline up to 1080i60 on the fly, OR it could be switching the HD-SDI output to 23.98PsF. Check the manual.

Going from any timeline to any flavor of SDI (HD-SDI included) is a lossless conduit. Remember, HD-SDI is uncompressed. Of course your signal is recompressed to the codec in the deck you're going to (DVCPRO HD or HDCAM or XDCAM HD)

Actually, come to think of it, it's not adding the pulldown. Before FCP 5.1.2 we worked with Sony XDCam HD at 35mbps/ 24p and imported it into FCP via Kona 3 using Kona 1080p/24 Easy Setup (created huge files but worked). Exported finished product via same Kona Easy Setup in FCP to Sony F-70 deck via HD-SDI in real time and all worked flawlessly (except of course for the massive file sizes resulting from the "Uncompressed" material. Good thing we had a big ol' XServe Raid). Sony deck was in 24p mode frequency and accepted the signal from the 24p timeline (If it was in 24p system mode and I was trying to feed it 60i material, I assume it would have rejected it just like it does when you try to put a 60i disk into it when it is in 24p system mode). If logic holds here, we should be able to export Kona 1080p/24 material (regardless of its original codec) from a Sony XDCam HD 24p timeline without a problem... Famous last words... More to come tomorrow...

Greg,
Are you saying the F-70 Deck allows for faster
input for an Apple then going thru the Camera's firewire port
into the Apple?

Is there a chart out there that shows typical transfer/conversion
times between the XDCAM and a Mac Pro Tower, Etc?
thanks, rob

My experience with the F70 is that the transfers are just a little faster than direct from the camera, but not by a huge amount. That said the F70 is more responsive when navigating through the proxies.