Buy FCP 7 as backup?

[Noah Kadner]

7 does offer some subtle but nice upgrades to 6 and would serve you well when you upgraded your computer. But it’s a completely different universe compared to X. So those are really two separate decisions to make.

FCP 7/FCS 3 is no longer directly available from Apple right now. So if you do decide to make that move you should do it as soon as possible before remaining retail stock disappears completely.

-Noah

Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Panasonic GH2 and GoPro HD Hero.

[John Chay]

I think it depends on what kind of work you do. If you have no need to import/export XML, EDL, or OMF, multicam, output to tape I would consider FCPX.

If you need any of these features I would switch to Premiere or Avid.

http://www.john-chay.com

Editor/Videographer

[James Mortner]

It seems like you may need those features at some stage. And when you need them, you’re going to need them very desperately to deliver for client/further finishing.

Otherwise NO PAYOLA !

[John Chay]

Apparently, there will be third-party vendors to help the FCPX community achieve whatever it is they desire sometime in the future. I read that somewhere.

http://www.john-chay.com

Editor/Videographer

[Scott Sheriff]

[Bruce Wittman] “Now that FCP X is out, should I purchase the FCP 7 upgrade as a future backup? Will I be missing opportunities if I upgrade to FCP X from FCP 6.06, like Motion 4? Just wondering?!?!?”

Bruce,
You missed the boat if you wanted a NOS copy of FCS3. Apple told all the resellers to send back all the unsold units a week before the release.

Ebay, black market, or gray market copies are your choices.

Scott Sheriff
Director
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com

I have a system, it has stuff in it, and stuff hooked to it. I have a camera, it can record stuff. I read the manuals, and know how to use this stuff and lots of other stuff too.
You should be suitably impressed…

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” —Red Adair

[Chris Kenny]

[John Chay] “I think it depends on what kind of work you do. If you have no need to import/export XML, EDL, or OMF, multicam, output to tape I would consider FCPX.

If you need any of these features I would switch to Premiere or Avid.”

XML export is coming in a few weeks. Third-party OMF export is here now, and there will certainly be cheaper options later. Third-party EDL export is virtually guarantied to emerge shortly after XML export.

Apple hasn’t explicitly mentioned XML importing, but there are hints of it already in the FCP X code, and it’s hard to imagine it will take too much longer after they deliver exporting. XML import will allow third parties to implement EDL import. (Which, it’s worth noting, is required by a small fraction of people who need EDL export.)

Output to tape is already trivial via apps that ship with most video interface hardware. The real place where NLE integration matters with respect to tape is if you want to be able to recapture/relink the media used by a specific sequence from tape. Conceivably third party tools could offer this once Apple’s APIs are available, but in practice I hardly see anyone still doing this. The ratio of the cost of deck time to the cost of hard drive space has shifted so much that the workflows this feature supported don’t make much sense anymore.

Telling someone who’s still on FCP 6 and who seems reasonably happy there for the time being that they should jump to Adobe/Avid now because it might take Apple a little while to get up to speed with FCP X doesn’t make a great deal of sense. Probably everything except multicam will be here in six months, and multicam will be in the next major release.

—
Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.

You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.

[John Chay]

What’s the difference of moving to Premiere or FCPX? He’s moving to a whole new platform either way. My guess is that Premiere may actually be more beneficial for him since he can open old FCP 6 legacy files which FCPX cannot. Plus, Premiere has all the other features of XML, OMF, and EDL support already working natively. And you can output to tape.

I’m trying to give him advice on the best scenario. I said he should buy FCPx if he doesn’t need any of those things.

http://www.john-chay.com

Editor/Videographer

[Chris Kenny]

[John Chay] “What’s the difference of moving to Premiere or FCPX? He’s moving to a whole new platform either way.”

Yes, but if people who wait a little while will be able to choose which new platform they like best, instead of being forced to pick Premiere because Apple is still working on filling in feature gaps.

—
Digital Workflow/Colorist, Nice Dissolve.

You should follow me on Twitter here. Or read our blog.

[John Chay]

Well then your advice to him is wait a little while and see if Final Cut Pro X will deliver.

My advice to him is that Adobe Premiere already delivers everything you need and you can make the switch sooner than later to keep up with the changing times. Did I mention that there is a seamless workflow from After Effects and Photoshop and Premiere?

http://www.john-chay.com

Editor/Videographer

[Scott Sheriff]

[Chris Kenny] “Telling someone who’s still on FCP 6 and who seems reasonably happy there for the time being that they should jump to Adobe/Avid now because it might take Apple a little while to get up to speed with FCP X doesn’t make a great deal of sense. Probably everything except multicam will be here in six months, and multicam will be in the next major release.”

Actually it makes perfect sense. It is foolhardy to count on the future with apple. To look at their past performance, and loyalty, and come to the conclusion they will follow through as promised, or even have the slightest interest in the professional market is delusional.
Avid has already extended the $995 MC offer through September, but has also announced a July 13th meeting in LA to give editors access to top executives.
https://community.avid.com/blogs/avid/archive/2011/06/30/making-great-products-to-serve-professionals-is-our-lifeblood.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AvidInsideOut+%28Avid+Community+Blogs+-+Inside+Out%29
And in the same space of time apple has done what?
An FAQ that was a joke, full of non promise and apple-speak.
Oh, and they put the updates back on the web site.

The difference in customer service and commitment to the professional market here is as clear as night and day.

Scott Sheriff
Director
https://www.sstdigitalmedia.com

I have a system, it has stuff in it, and stuff hooked to it. I have a camera, it can record stuff. I read the manuals, and know how to use this stuff and lots of other stuff too.
You should be suitably impressed…

“If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.” —Red Adair