DSLR timecode

[Michael Sacci]

The cameras do not put TC on the clips. One of the things that the Canon plug-in for FCP7 did was to take the time of day and generate TC from that.

Grinder also adds TC but that starts everything clip at 0.

[Jeremy Garchow]

QtChange can do it.

https://www.videotoolshed.com/product/42/qtchange

[Jeff Kirkland]

Magic Bullet Grinder can add time of day as timecode, as long as you still have the .thm files available.

I’m still working out my Canon DSLR workflow but right now I’m thinking I’ll convert with Grinder (adding timecode) and then import (without copying) into FCPX.

[Tom Brooks]

So, I assume Grinder can modify the files in Camera Archive form–leaving the original folder structure intact? In the case of the 5D, I don’t see why not–since the movie files are .mov. You’re just changing the contents of the .mov’s within the folder.

[Stephen Bakopanos]

[Jeff Kirkland] “I’m still working out my Canon DSLR workflow but right now I’m thinking I’ll convert with Grinder (adding timecode) and then import (without copying) into FCPX.”

That’s the workflow I’ve been advocating since day one. Either that or use the free E1 plugin for FCP7. Until Apple introduce proper import support for the Canon DSLRs it’s the only sensible way to go. Just make sure you keep it all on the same drive as your event and projects.

[Jeff Kirkland]

[Tom Brooks] “So, I assume Grinder can modify the files in Camera Archive form–leaving the original folder structure intact?”

Grinder makes a copy of your original files, transcoding them to the format of your choice – usually ProRes.

[Jeff Kirkland]

[Stephen Bakopanos] “Just make sure you keep it all on the same drive as your event and projects.”

Or take it one step further… if you create an event in Final Cut X then go to that event in the finder and manually create a folder called “Original Media”, you can import your grinder footage to there and FCP will see it in the event library next time it opens.

Probably doesn’t make a huge difference functionally but if you really want to keep everything tidy…

[David Friedman]

Has anyone on this thread actually been successful at this? Getting time-of-day timecode with DSLR footage in FCPX? I’ve tried using QTChange to add a timecode track to my QT files (and the resulting timeocde track does show up in QuickTime Player 7, etc.), but then no matter which of several import methods I’ve tried into FCPX they all end up with 00;00;00;00 starting timecode once in FCPX.

[Jeff Kirkland]

No problem here using Magic Bullet Grinder. I can assign either time of day (if I have the .thm files) or assign continuous timecode. i import my clips into FCPX and the timecode shows up as expected.

Jeff Kirkland | Southern Creative Media
video * audio * post * production
Melbourne, Australia

[David Friedman]

Thank you Jeff. That solves it. Not sure why the timecode track added by QTChange would be any different than the one added by Magic Bullet Grinder, but apparently it is. I just tried adding time-of-day timecode to my h.264s with Grinder (without any transcoding in Grinder)and those DO keep their timecode when imported into FCPX. Grinder it is! Thanks.