Final Cut Pro is not natively compatible with the T2i's .MOV files. A while back I downloaded the firmwire update for the 7D, and performed the simple hack which allowed it to work for the T2i as well.

This works fine, if I want to use Final Cut Pro, to immediately capture the footage once my card is full. However, what should I do if I am working on a long form project and I'd like to save all my footage onto an external hard drive to edit later? Do I need to import the files with Final Cut Pro first, then transfer them to an external? Or can I simply load the .MOV files onto my external, then using File>Import in final cut pro, import them at a later date?

I'm unaware if it's okay to import the .MOV files, or if one must Log and Transfer directly from the camera.

Thanks.