This can't be right

[Tom Gresham]

Okay, I admit that I am inexperienced with NLE and such, but this just can't be right.

I'm (still) trying to get files from my Canon XF105 and XF100 into FCPX.

I've spent 8 hours today trying to get the files from two (32G) cards into a form I can use. Each card is less than half full.

About half this time has been spent looking at the Mac spinning beach ball.

I just can't believe that others are putting up with this in their work flow, so it's just gotta be a problem here.

I'm trying to use FCP7 Log and Transfer. Sometimes it seems to work, and other times I can't get it to look at the folder where the files are.

I've tried using Foxreal, and I get the spinning beach ball of death.

I thought that it was my Macbook Pro, and that the three-year old notebook just didn't have what it needed, so I bought a brand new iMac (16gigs of RAM. 1 TB storage, 2.8 gig Core i7).

I still get the spinning beach ball.

This is insane.

Oh, I also have XFCPX and can't get that to work, either.

Bad computer?

Bad operator?

Bad system and need to get Premiere Pro?

Any help would be a blessing.

Now, I can't even look at the videos using the preview feature in Finder.

[Simon Wood]

Canon and Apple aren't playing nicely together. Neither company has released a plug in that will allow FCPX to work with Canons XF codec, so basically FCPX can not read the files you are creating.

Do some searches and you will find this is a common problem, but there are seemingly some work arounds that will suffice until either company decides to release the software to make them compatible.

Otherwise FCPX does work quite well, and your new iMac should work with just about anything you throw at it (except the Canon XF codec)!

[Simon Wood]

BTW have you tried using the XF utility?

Canon Professional Network - Software compatibility options for Canon?s XF-series camcorders

And see this thread for some solutions:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-xf...ion-issue.html

[John Nantz]

Tom - I feel your pain! There is something about computers, software, programs, and etc. that drive me nuts. The problem lies with all those little ones and zeros. Get just one of them messed up and the whole thing doesn't function. And there is nothing you can do about it until one gets those little critters right.

For me, I'm very happy that I found this forum just now. I have looked on dvinfo before and never came across posts about fcpx and this evening I had a little time and took a stab at the search function ... then... voila! There is a whole forum on fcpx!

Like you, I've just upgraded my computer last week from a MacBook White to an older Mac Pro A1186 1,1 model (free from a relative) which I believe is a 2006 version and pre OpenCL capable. Hence, I ordered a new ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card. According to all my research this, when it arrives sometime next week, should make this computer capable of running FCPX. I can't wait.

In the mean time my little MacBook had some corrupted files according to the tech at the Apple Genius Bar (this is a very handy resource). Lately the screen seems to be flickering more than it used to during start-up and I'm very concerned about the age of the hard drive (this is a 2006 machine) or something with one of the other components - mother board? While searching for computer items I happened across a MacBook Pro 2.53 (late 2008) that is OpenCL compatible for cheap and bought it.

Unfortunately, when buying the MacBook Pro 2.53 I forgot to enquire about the Administrator name and password. This weekend I have a Genius Bar appointment to try and re-install Lion because when trying to rename the Administrator as myself I screwed things up. They already told me that I will have to buy a new copy of Lion because of what I did. This isn't the way it used to be. One got CDs of stuff. Not any more. It's "in the cloud".

Once I get either of these machines running the first purchase will be FCP X so I'll see how it goes.

Isn't video fun?

[Les Wilson]

Originally Posted by Simon Wood

Canon and Apple aren't playing nicely together. Neither company has released a plug in that will allow FCPX to work with Canons XF codec, so basically FCPX can not read the files you are creating....

It's up to Canon to make the software for it's camera that allows it to integrate with the various NLEs and platforms. For FCP 7, responsibility for compatibility is squarely at the feet of Canon. Use the XF Utility.

[Simon Wood]

Originally Posted by Les Wilson

It's up to Canon to make the software for it's camera that allows it to integrate with the various NLEs and platforms. For FCP 7, responsibility for compatibility is squarely at the feet of Canon. Use the XF Utility.

Not sure its that simple though.

Canon made the codec work with FCP7. Normally when Software is upgraded it is backward compatible with previous editions (and thus with codecs).

This was not the case with FCPX - they redesigned everything and did not let anyone know what was happening in advance, hence companies that have long supported the software were left out in the cold (consider companies that make Plug Ins like Red Giant, or companies that make hardware like Matrox, or companies that rely on specific codecs like RED) - they are still trying to catch up. Hell, FCPX does not even work with older FCP7 projects.

This has been a fairly unique case; certainly I think people would be surprised if Premiere or Vegas suddenly stopped supporting codecs that worked with previous versions of the software. So I think in this instance it comes down to Apple more than Canon.

[Tom Gresham]

"Use the XF utility" doesn't get me anywhere.

I do that. At least, I try to. When it works, I now have a folder full of MXF files. So what? I still can't edit them. I can't even SEE the videos. With VLC, I can see that there is, in fact, video, but it won't play. I guess the files are too large, or the bitrate is too large, or something. It starts, stops, and when it does play, I don't get the audio. So, VLC doesn't help.

It is very Mickey Mouse for us all to be creating workarounds to produce professional work.

So far, I have Foxreal, Final Cut Pro 7, VLC, FCPX, and I still can't see or work with the files I produce with the Canon cameras.

I need to be able to see the videos, edit some of them, relabel the files so I can send them to other editors (this means I have to be able to view the videos, of course), and convert them to Prores so that the editor who gets them doesn't have to spend hours (which I pay for) doing the conversions.

So, will Premier Pro for the Mac do this? If so, I'm all in. We're spending six figures a year on video production, so buying PP is nothing, if it will work.

[Bart Walczak]

Originally Posted by Tom Gresham

So, will Premier Pro for the Mac do this?

The most sure way to know is to download the trial version and see for yourself, however from my experience Premiere Pro will import Canon XF footage without any problems.

[William Hohauser]

Originally Posted by John Nantz

Unfortunately, when buying the MacBook Pro 2.53 I forgot to enquire about the Administrator name and password. This weekend I have a Genius Bar appointment to try and re-install Lion because when trying to rename the Administrator as myself I screwed things up. They already told me that I will have to buy a new copy of Lion because of what I did. This isn't the way it used to be. One got CDs of stuff. Not any more. It's "in the cloud".

Once I get either of these machines running the first purchase will be FCP X so I'll see how it goes.

Isn't video fun?

You can get the Lion install file on a flash drive from Apple.

[William Hohauser]

Originally Posted by Tom Gresham

"Use the XF utility" doesn't get me anywhere.

I do that. At least, I try to. When it works, I now have a folder full of MXF files. So what? I still can't edit them. I can't even SEE the videos. With VLC, I can see that there is, in fact, video, but it won't play. I guess the files are too large, or the bitrate is too large, or something. It starts, stops, and when it does play, I don't get the audio. So, VLC doesn't help.

It is very Mickey Mouse for us all to be creating workarounds to produce professional work.

So far, I have Foxreal, Final Cut Pro 7, VLC, FCPX, and I still can't see or work with the files I produce with the Canon cameras.

I need to be able to see the videos, edit some of them, relabel the files so I can send them to other editors (this means I have to be able to view the videos, of course), and convert them to Prores so that the editor who gets them doesn't have to spend hours (which I pay for) doing the conversions.

So, will Premier Pro for the Mac do this? If so, I'm all in. We're spending six figures a year on video production, so buying PP is nothing, if it will work.

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

Don't know if it works but it is free.

[David Dixon]

I've found both of these to work with no issues:

1. Log and Transfer to ProRes (or leave it as native) in FCP7, then point FCPX to the Capture Scratch folder and import any clip or multiple clips. If you captured them into a folder named as you wish, you can select the entire folder for import and FCPX will add the whole folder to the Event Library.

2. XFCPX does work for me. You have to use Canon XF Utility (make sure you have 1.1, not 1.0) to backup your entire CF card, then point XFCPX to the backup and it will rewrap it so that FCPX can import it.

I've read more than one report that the Foxreal converter is not ready for prime time.

I've also read (can't remember where, and it may not be reliable) that someone has been told that Canon is finally working on a plugin and that it will be available in January.

[Ryan Douthit]

I haven't used the same cameras you mention, but I have edited with footage from the Canon XF300 without any real issues. I used XDCAM transfer (which only ships with the camera, apparently, not available online) to transcode the footage to ProRes.

[David Dixon]

The XF100 (and XF105) use the same codec as the XF300. However, after trying twice, I never could get the XDCAM Transfer Utility (from Sony) to work for me. It keeps telling me it requires a codec that is not installed. However, I don't think it came with my XF100, I had to download it from Sony.

[Morten Carlsen]

Originally Posted by Tom Gresham

Okay, I admit that I am inexperienced with NLE and such, but this just can't be right.

I'm (still) trying to get files from my Canon XF105 and XF100 into FCPX.

I've spent 8 hours today trying to get the files from two (32G) cards into a form I can use. Each card is less than half full.

About half this time has been spent looking at the Mac spinning beach ball.

I just can't believe that others are putting up with this in their work flow, so it's just gotta be a problem here.

I'm trying to use FCP7 Log and Transfer. Sometimes it seems to work, and other times I can't get it to look at the folder where the files are.

I've tried using Foxreal, and I get the spinning beach ball of death.

I thought that it was my Macbook Pro, and that the three-year old notebook just didn't have what it needed, so I bought a brand new iMac (16gigs of RAM. 1 TB storage, 2.8 gig Core i7).

I still get the spinning beach ball.

This is insane.

Oh, I also have XFCPX and can't get that to work, either.

Bad computer?

Bad operator?

Bad system and need to get Premiere Pro?

Any help would be a blessing.

Now, I can't even look at the videos using the preview feature in Finder.

Did you check the options "Create Optimzed Media" and "Analyze/Fix" - if you did that will take a long time. Dont check that on import. You can do that later, I.e. when you go to bed and sleep for a few hours.

I basically copy my CF card to the Finder. Then Import to FCP X (without copying to event lib.)

I just imported 770 canon 5dmkII clips (without copying to event lib or creating opt. media) in under 20 seconds.

[Eugen Oprina]

Tom,
Canon released their utility to import XF and C300 files into FCP X.
Better later than never :(
The good thig is that it works perfect.
Imediately after I insert the card, the import from camera screen pops up and I can select each shot or parts of the shots that I want to import in the event.
Good luck,
Eugen