-
5D Mark II import problems. Any advice, suggestions?
-
I had that thought too. And there’s no benefit to using the import dialog here. Just overcomplicates things. I hadn’t ever considered bringing in .movs via the import dialog. From FCP 1.x I have always just dragged and dropped.
-
Fair questions. I find the video stutters more and is less responsive than ProRes. This gets worse with the higher data rate in the Mark III. It becomes even more true once you have a timeline with mixed codecs and even mixed frame rates. There is also no TC in most of these recordings.
I prefer to process externally because I have better control over the media files, which is important if I need to deal with these files outside of FCP X. I like MPEG Streamclip best, because it processes up to 4 files simultaneously and runs a batch. On a multiple CPU machine, this means you process the files faster than in any other encoder. I can also use it to generate DNxHD files if I need to go to Avid.
My SOP is to encode in MPEG SC, add reel ID and TC with QtChange and then append prefixes or suffixes to the file name with Better Renamer. These files then become my camera masters. As a result, I have good performance and the files can be universally dealt with and interchanged via AAF, XML or EDL in apps like MC, Baselight, Resolve, PPro, etc.
Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
I’m with Tangier here. I haven’t had a single 100% successful import from 5D II card archives. But, then again, I’ve always been using the import dialogue. Perhaps next time I’ll drag directly into the event. The benefit of the import dialogue to me is that I can stipulate things like “create keyword from folder” or “create proxy/optimized media.” When you drag directly into an event, does it automatically copy that media to the event folder? Because that’s another behavior I like to control.
Video editor, animator, composer, producer
JustinCrowell.com -
[Justin Crowell] “he benefit of the import dialogue to me is that I can stipulate things like “create keyword from folder” or “create proxy/optimized media.” When you drag directly into an event, does it automatically copy that media to the event folder? Because that’s another behavior I like to control.”
Simply setup your preferences in the application and the drag and drop operation will follow those preferences.
If you want to override the alias or import to Event option, hold the option key.
You will see either a bent arrow (alias) or green ball with a white plus sign (import to event).
You can always transcode at any time too by right clicking clip and choose transcode.
-
Excellent advice, Jeremy. Thanks so much. As much time as I try to devote to getting up to expert level on all my NLEs, I find I still miss little things like this.
I still find it frustrating that the import dialogue doesn’t work, but I may now just switch to this other method.
Video editor, animator, composer, producer
JustinCrowell.com -
I still use FCP7 for my DSLR imports.
I can batch name, add reel IDs and transcode all in one step, then import those files to FCPX.
It’s not the fastest, but it is easy.
Jeremy
-
True…I’ll most likely do that for the time being, especially if I’m going to prores. I just don’t like the whole “only one flavor of FCP can be open at once” thing.
Video editor, animator, composer, producer
JustinCrowell.com -
[Justin Crowell] “True…I’ll most likely do that for the time being, especially if I’m going to prores. I just don’t like the whole “only one flavor of FCP can be open at once” thing.”
Yes, this is true and a potential downside.
We have an iMac that does the mindless transcoding so it doesn’t tie up the edit machines.
-
No strange characters. I tend not to use spaces or strange characters in my file naming. File path was simply:
Volume/folder/reel_folder
I’ve tried going further in the path all the way to the 100EOS5D folder, but get similar error results. The thing is, the process seem inconsistent, but happens always on a MOV clip; nothing to do with .thm or CR2 files.
So I can’t say that FCP X has any issues drilling down through directories and/or ignoring files it doesn’t need, but for some reason there’s always those few MOV clips that cause trouble when importing with this method. Though when I just drag and drop the MOV clips directly into the event, the import process is successful from import to transcode. I’ve done three reels so far without issue. Many more to go.
Tangier
-
[Tangier Clarke] “So I can’t say that FCP X has any issues drilling down through directories and/or ignoring files it doesn’t need, but for some reason there’s always those few MOV clips that cause trouble when importing with this method. “
How big are they?
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up