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New FCP 7 User – Need help transferring HDV Footage
Hello everyone, I am really new to video editing on a MAC. I used to have a PC with Sony Vegas and I used that… I just recently bought a 13″ Macbook Pro and bought Final Cut Pro 7 for it. The thing is… I am a total noob when it comes to all of this. I have some HD MiniDV tapes of some concerts (recorded with a Canon HV20) that I have from a friend that I said I would transfer for him because I can obtain a Canon GL2 from my school. I was hoping someone could kind of ease me into this stuff step by step? I do have a lot of questions but for the most part I do have some sense in what needs to be done, just not the settings.
1. Can the GL2 play the HV20 tapes? I am not sure if it matters what the tapes were recorded on because the GL2 can also do HD. I am not very familiar with the GL2 and I tried to just playback the mini DV’s on it today and I got nothing on the GL2’s LCD screen? I was lost and that is when I gave up.
2. I know I will need this cable to go from the GL2 to my macbook pro’s firewire input. https://bit.ly/7WgrH5 (just a picture of the cable on google) and I am not sure if there is a difference in performance between cables? Can I get this cable at like Best Buy or Radioshack?
3. Since I am really new to FCP I am not sure what settings I need to use to import the HDV files into FCP with the full res that was shot on the master tapes? I am guessing you go into HDV (1440 X 1080) 60i for the external setting and then file > log & capture. But from there I am totally lost?
4. Then whatever needs to be done in question 3, for #4 will the HDV files be native to work in FCP? Or will I have to render them to be able to work in FCP? For 1 hr 45 min. concert how much memory will the raw files be?
I guess vegas was pretty straight forward, not a lot of rendering as I could use my mt2s/AVCHD files from my Sony HDR-SR10, but you cannot do that for FCP, what program can I use to make the files native for FCP, and when I do… can I just delete the original MTS files or should I keep them archived? I’ve had a macbook for 4 years but I just never got away from Windows, and now made the full transition but its like learning a whole new language!
I checked the Apple Final Cut Pro FAQ, but none of the thread that were there could answer my questions. So I hope someone can help me out with this as I want to get this stuff back to him ASAP. Thanks a lot people and have a great day.
Ryan j.
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5 Replies
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1. No. DV only.
2. Maybe. There have been reports that Canon cameras do not work well with these cables.
3. Correct if you’re in Norther America.
4. The material will be native Apple HDV in QuickTime.
All the best,
Tom
Class on Demand DVDs “Complete Training for FCP7,” “Basic Training for FCS” and “Final Cut Express Made Easy”
Author: “Final Cut Pro 5 Editing Essentials” and “Final Cut Express 4 Editing Workshop” -
Thanks Tom for the help, so if I get another miniDV camera (like a sony) I can transfer with that? But will it still come out in HD format? I don’t have a HV20 on hand but I can get another MiniDV Camera. I don’t understand why the GL2 will not play the tapes? So it won’t even act like a transfer vessel?
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Sorry, but to capture HDV footage you need an HDV camera. The tapes look the same, but the footage recorded on them is not. DV cameras will not play back HDV tapes. None. You need an HDV camera or deck.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def -
I guess I am lost… why would the GL2 not be able to read these? I thought the GL2 was able to do HDV?
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The Canon GL2 is a MINI DV camera, not HDV. It shoots DV, not HDV. Same tapes, different format.
Shane
GETTING ORGANIZED WITH FINAL CUT PRO DVD…don’t miss it.
Read my blog, Little Frog in High Def
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