Importing to FCP from sony HDR-SR12

Hi all,
I just received an SR12 for Christmas and shot some random footage just to test it out. I'm going to use it for a month-long trip to Ghana in about a week.

I'm having a lot of trouble trying to figure out how to import video files onto my MBP.
I'm running 10.4.11 on my intel MBP, and I've got Final Cut Express 3.5.1 and iMovie 6.0.3
Personally, I hate iMovie, and Final Cut Express is just bearable for me, but I don't have the money to get Final Cut Pro. I plan on upgrading to Snow Leopard when it comes out this year, but I'm not going to upgrade to Leopard before then.

The log and transfer method won't work for me because it's not an option in Final Cut Express (at least the version I have. It came with the MBP) FCE isn't recognizing my camera either. Is there some trick to that? I'm really interested in getting some of my video files into FCE before I leave so I know that I can do it when I get back.

I shot the footage on the default setting on the SR12. Didn't change anything.

I am asking if anyone out there can tell me whether this is even possible with the setup I have, and if so, walk me through it. I would greatly appreciate any help you guys could give me.

One way is to import your footage using iMovie, and then edit the resulting QT files with FCE.

This is how I do it from MemStick cards from my Sony TG1 and CX7:

1. Load up iMovie

2. Take MemStick (MS) out of camera and put in USB card adapter that is already attached to computer.

3. Thumbnails of MS footage will appear on iMovie. You can set the "Manual" button on the iMovie screen in order to select which MS footage to ingest. ("Automatic" setting imports all footage.)

4. Once you have chosen the footage, a window will come up asking you if you want to import in full HD or 960x540 which is only slightly lower quality and uses much less disc space, and is faster. I found no problems with 960x540. However I don't play my footage back on a big screen TV via HDMI.

5. iMovie will also ask you where you want to store the footage (which is all divided into "shots" that is when you turn on and off the camera), whether it should be split it into days, and what to call it. Make these choices (I usually store on an external drive preferably firewire). E.g. you can store it as Home Movie in external drive E: I think iMovie will put this all into a folder called "iMovie Events".

6. Once import is over, the footage will show in iMovie. You can scroll through it.

7. Close iMovie.

8. Open FCE. In FCE, import the QT files, in our example, from E:/ iMovie Events/ Home Movie.
Note that the footage is divided into all the "shots" designated by date/time and it will all be in the folder.

9. When you import the QT files, FCE might tell you that the clips have not been optimized for FCE (I use FCP which tells me this, I assume it's the same in FCE)and that you need to recapture or use Media Manager. It's best to import and then do the "optimizing" with Media Manager on your final cut.

There are other methods to the above such as connecting your camera via its cradle to FCE. This should work (it works in FCP but as you point out it doesn't seem to work in FCE - but is this the case even with the camera cradle?)

However I found the iMovie>FCP a workable solution for slower computers or if you don't use the camera cradle.

i don't have a memory stick currently, and I was hoping to find a way to do it so that I wouldn't have to transfer everything from the Hard Drive to the Memory stick then to iMovie and then finally to FCE.

As it is now, when I connect the camera, both on the cradle and off, to my MBP, the hard drive pops up, and has some cryptically named folders that contain files with the suffix of .CIP or CPI or something like that. The picture is a dark grey rectangle with some small green symbols that in my experience with other things, are files that are prewritten and can't be changed or opened. There's nothing that looks like it would be compatible with my version of iMovie (7) or FCE 3.

Also, when the camera is attached (on cradle and off) both programs don't recognize it, even though you can see the hard drive on the desktop.

I'm very accustomed to using FCP at my school, but I want to be able to edit things on my laptop as is. I've heard some things about Voltaic and Toast, but I'm not familiar with either.

Would transferring to a memory stick somehow change the files into something iMovie would recognize? It doesn't seem like it should, but I'm just really frustrated that I got this really nice new camera, and I can't do anything with it. Any other suggestions?

What camera do you all suggest then since this one seems to have many issues? Looking for something similar but works well with FCP

Now we've got our SR12 cameras working, could anybody tell me what the audio quality is like please? Mine has a definite hiss over the audio track. If I connect another source to the MIC in the hiss is even worse. I'm using Soundtrack Pro to remove most of the noise, but I'm interested to hear some other experiences.

Cheers

Travis27

I have an sr12 and just purchased FC Express with my MacBook. THe camera is hooked up via USB. I am trying to use the Log and Transfer tool but when the transfer seems complete, a red exclamation mark appears and it says there is no data...I am able to view all of the clips from my camera in the preview window, but the transfer never seems to be able to complete???

Is log and transfer the only way? because if it is, then i'm gonna have to use premiere pro cs4.

Log and transfer means it has to go through and conversion process, that means there will be a loss of quality, I cannot risk that. can you tell Apple to do something about this?

True or False:

You can use Toast 10 to convert AVCHD files from the Sony HDR-SR12 for editing in FCP 5.0.4 on a non-Intel Power Mac G5.

Jason,

The system requirements for Toast10 specify OSX 10.5.
However Toast9 should run on OSX 10.4 and do what you want.

Frank

Thanks, Frank. I have not interest in moving to Leopard right now with all the issues that seem to be plaguing people. Toast 9 it is.

Frank

The next generation of sony camera is the Sony HDRXR520VE which is a 240GB device. Have you any knowledge of this particularly if it could work like you have done successfully with the SR12?

cheers
John (Belfast)

Hi John,

I have not seen this camera but from reading the reviews it looks to be a souped-up version of the SR12. If this is the case, it should work successfully with FCP.

Frank (Dublin)

Thanks Frank,

this is a link to it
http://www.sony.co.uk/product/hdd-avchd-hard-disk-drive/hdr-xr520ve#

let me know what you think please?

Kind regards
John

Message was edited by: Johnny Sharman

Hi John,

According to the link you provided the xr520ve has neither an external microphone input nor a headphone jack, both of which are available on the sr12.

While the video quality of the xr520ve may be superior to the sr12 due to the new camera's larger sensor and other electronic tweaks, the audio limitations would dissuade me from purchasing.

For info, the on-camera mic on the sr12 is very prone to wind noise so I generally plug in an external mic. You also need to be able to monitor your audio for any serious work.

However if your main concern is whether the xr520ve would produce footage which could be edited with FCP6, then I can see no reason why it wouldn't.

Hope this helps!

Frank

Curiously [this link|http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogI d=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665736672] for the Sony HDR-XR520V (not the European version I think) seems to contradict the information in the previous link. Something you should definitely check out in a Sony store before you buy!

Frank