Final Cut Pro X - Import AVCHD?

Try importing using Import using Camera option which is in the File Menu

You need to click on Open Archive then navigate to your camera/HDSC card/Folder on hard drive

I have been able to import files from my Panasonic by connecting the camera by usb to my iMac

Placing an HDSC card in the card reader

Copying the entire contents of an HDSC card to a folder on a hard drive.

Hope this helps.

I was confused too, with my Panasonic AF-100. Don't use the Import Files command - use Import from Camera. You'll see the interface that shows all the clips visually, scrubbable, the whole nine yards.

So is it correct that you can import directly from the camera, but it isn't possilbe to import individual .mts files? This is a pain if this is correct. I would imagine that if you have archived the files from the camera (which preserves the file structure) that it would still be possible to import.

Can anyone please confirm this.

No, you can do individual files, you can see any and all files that you have on the card and import them all at once or one at a time or any combination in between - you just need to do it through the camera interface. It sees the memory card as a virtual camera, but the camera interface is still just a fancy file browser.

I have a US-purchased Panasonic GH2. When I select 'Import from Camera', the GH2 does NOT appear in the list of cameras - all I see is my iSight camera. It doesn't matter what order of connect/poweron/import I try, it *never* appears.

The same camera and cable works perfectly in iMovie, every time. Choosing 'Import from Camera' in iMovie opens the familiar dialog where all the clips are visible as described above, and the user can select whichever they want to import.

So, as far as I can tell, Final Cut Pro X does NOT import AVCHD files from the Panasonic GH2 using 'Import from Camera'. Unbelievable.

Additionally, it is impossible to access the camera's MTS files by copying the card to the mac and then using 'Import File'. After copying, 'Import File' lets you traverse the file structure, but FCPX consistently says that no files or folders can be 'opened'. If you point 'Import File' from FCPX directly to the root folder on the camera's memory card while that card is in the camera and mounted in the Finder, the root name of the card is visible but greyed out, and its contents cannot be viewed.

So... only way to get AVCHD movies from my GH-2 into Final Cut Pro X is to import them via iMovie, then open the iMovie events in FCPX. :-0

Could other GH-2 owners please confirm this, or suggest a workaround? Hard to believe....

Thanks - Chris.

PS - as far as I know my installation went fine, and I've run the software update that added the 'additional' files.

In detail:

Drag 'Private' folder from SDHC card to HD

Launch FCPX

File>Import From Camera>Open Archive (bottom left)

Locate 'Private' folder

Import

Hi - my difficulties with FCPX not 'seeing' GH-2 video content on the card or in the camera were fixed by safe rebooting then re-installing the ProAppsQTCodecs.dmg files.

Before then neither the camera card, the 'Private' folder, or any other approach to accessing the files on the GH2 worked in FCPx, but all worked in iMovie (as they always did work).

Now it works fine in both FCPx and iMovie - no matter which way I import the files.

So it was an installation stuffup on my part somehow (or an installer glitch).

Works fine now.

Chris.

Read this thread, wasn't sure about the ProAppsQTCodecs since I don't have that. So, tried putting the GH2's SD card in the USB reader I have while FCPX was up, and the camera import automatically opened. I was able to get my clips of two cards from a recent trip without problems.

Nelson

It since you installed the ProAppsQTCodecs...would you mind trying my archive for the hdr-560v sony. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/33209268/HDR-CX560V.zip

???

They are 1080 / 60p files.

Best regards,

Noah

For a list of supported devices go here: http://help.apple.com/finalcutpro/cameras/en/index.html The GH2 IS supported.

I am also a GH2 owner and unfortunately we [AVCHD users] only have 2 options of importing into Final Cut Pro X and iMovie '11 if we'd like to avoid converting the .MTS files; Either import directly from the SD Card, or import from a saved archive of the "Private" folder using the Import window.

Noah

Regrettably I can't import the 1080p60 footage from your Sony hdr-560v into FCPX. Details:

Using the Import Files dialog, it imports the Premiere MP4 version fine, and opens a dialog listing all the other files (including the MTS) that says they cannot be imported.

If I clipwrap the MTS it will play in QuickTimeX. If I try to import this mov into FCPX, a blank clip appears in events, the Background Tasks gets stuck on making thumbnails for the clip (and never completes), and I cannot play the clip or use it. I can't stop the background task without FCPX crashing or force quitting FCPX.

I finally made a disk image, gave it the same name as your archive, and moved your files to it, so that it should mimic a loaded memory card. Unfortunately FCPX didn't recognise this as being a mounted camera so I couldn't import anything from it.

Basically - no go, at least not on my system.

PS - to correct any misconceptions arising from my earlier posts, I now can easily and quickly import 1080i30 from my GH2 since reinstalling FCPX, so there must have been some issues with my particular installation first time around. It is quite fast and works as expected.

I've been advised that Media Converter works just fine (you have to download the AVCHD rewrap plugin) - it's all free!

I also have Perian installed - I think that matters. Anyways, I used it to be able to edit the files in iMovie...surely if iMovie can do it, then fcpx can as well.

- N

I'm using a FZ100 that also creates MTS movie files. I have used MTS/MT2S Convertor to convert the files, then importing into either ScreenFlow or iMovie 11.

Curious about the image quality of the clips coming straight out of the camera into FCP X? Are you satisfied with the quality?

If the AVCHD files are imported and edited 'as is' (ie without creating and editing a Separate ProRes version) then you're working on the original h.264 mts data and there is no change in the image quality.

If you 'convert' them on import or externally to some other file format before placing those files on the timeline there may be some loss of quality, depending on the nature of that conversion. Obviously you'd convert them to a minimum loss format, eg ProRes, and the format would be fast to edit (eg ProRes).

The benefit in converting to a ProRes format on import (there is a simple checkbox that does all this in the background for you), rather than working in the timeline with (say) MTS originals, is that ProRes versions are easy for the computer to decode and to display, so scrubbing, playback and editing requires much less processing and is much slicker. The downside is that it takes time to do the conversion (even if it is done in the background now), disk space requirements go up (and currently it's not so easy to tell FPCX where to put these large intermediary files), and there may be some loss in image quality (though with ProRes formats I see no problem at all).

In contrast, working with unconverted AVCHD (h.264 / MTS) formats ensures no image quality loss and minimises disk utilisation, if you can tolerate some delays in display, slower renders, etc.

Your choice may depend a bit on whether you have lots of disk space or a fast CPU/GPU (or both).

You'd have to get advice from elsewhere on this forum as to the extent to which the ProRes intermediary is associated with IQ loss. My understanding is that it is minimal.

FCPX does a great job in relation to color management, intermediary file options, and gives us the ability to edit the original unconverted AVCHD material if we like - these are all features I value greatly.

Chris.

Can I use compressor to batch convert files to prores?