Support for Canon MXF from xf100 in FCP X?

hey Scottfrombakercity

Ok have found away around all this ... i have used Adobe Media Encoder CS5.5. I converted the .mxf into a .movand it works with FCP X and FCP7. quality looks ok at first glance. i will let you know if i have any problems with it.

Have you got access to Adobe Media Encoder?

Will

hmmm... my version of Adobe Media Encoder (5.0) doesn't like the compression type of the .mxf files that is generated by my Canon XF100.

but alas... I'm not having any luck upgrading to Media Encoder 5.5.1.

if I actually got that upgrade and managed to get it to work, that would be #3 in my go-to conversion utilities...

my normal workflow involves conversion to .mov in Sony's XDCAM Transfer, or XfcpX.

Mitch

I have a Canon XF105 and I have tried Xfcpx and another program called FlV crunch (also free) which converts to all sorts of other formats. Just rename the MFX extension to MPG and drop it into FLV crunch and pick the window. They both have the same ffmpeg engine.

The video output is great on both programs Xfcpx, however, outputs a mono file and FLV crunch one channel louder than the other still in a mono format.

So my solution - and it it doesn't interrupt my workflow as I am already using field recorders as backup - is to play the original MFX file through the Canon XF program but rip the audio and then resync it with DualEyes. It works and the audio is top quality.

As I do a lot of videoing of conferences and speeches it's really important I get the best sound. Pity the stereo doesn't encode but, hey, it's a workaround for now. My workflow is not that time dependent at the moment but I could really do with a codec that does the audio properly!

eyebeams: Are you sure you are using the latest version of XfcpX ? The mono-issue (or 'a mono-issue') was fixed a while back.

/R

Dies XfcpX split up the footage into 2GB files? Or did I do something wrong?

Re those 2G files... I'm not of the why of it, but the XF100 limits each shot to 5 minutes in 1080/24p (maybe slightly different times in different formats, but maybe 5 minutes in any format). You have to reassemble them in your NLE once you get all those shots together. It becomes a huge PITA and I try to keep any individual shot less than 5min, which is sometimes challenging on a documentary shoot.

The limit has to with the archaic flash media card file systems (2GB).

Normally not an issue, but this was a seminar shot - set the cam, run it and pray that 2x64GB cards will be enough.

Well, ok.

Still thank you for this plugin, Mr. Pika.

Thanks for the clarification that it's a CF limit. BTW, the way I deal with this in FCPX is to make a new compound clip in the Event Browser (not the timeline) and then just consecutively dump all the 5min clips into that compound clip. That way, the compound clip of the entire program is available as an Event to any project you might be working on. It's seamless and works quite well.

Yes and no. As mentioned above, it's the camera that splits up in 2GB bits due to limitations in the filesystem used by the camera.

XF utility and other imports are assembling these to one big clip for you on import - so will XfcpX in the near future.

And, you are welcome.

I am considering to buy the Canon XF100 of pan. ag hcm 151 but prefer the Canon most.

I am a fcpX user. (and very pleased with it after using fce4!)

But all the difficulties about importing MXF flies make me afraid to make the wrong choise.

Three burning questions:

1. Is it at the moment easy to import MXF in fcpX (without time- and memory-consuming and quility loss) with the Pika-"solution"?

2. what about the max. rec.time for 5 min.? My takes are longer, sometime an hour. (services, concert etc) Is there a gab of seconds in the soundtrack or something? Does the mentioned solution (compound-clip) realy work properly?

3. there are a lot of users with this cam. What important feature good be better in your opnion to think over?

Thanks!

bruce

I'm shooting with the Canon XF100 and editing with FCPX here in Washington DC.

I'm quite happy with the camera (I recently added a $300 tele-photo lens), and easy editing in FCPX.

The workflow process involves Sony XDCAM or XFCPX (a 2-step ingesting files using the Canon XF Utility). My original objective was to get a camera that would capture broadcast-quality footage, but since then I've always shot in more reasonable sized settings. Both of the utilities above deliver H.264 files in almost no time at all.

My honored associates here in this forum could shoot holes in this process... I couldn't actually tell you if I'm losing any quality (audio or video) through this FREE file transcoding (.mxf to .mov) process.

It works well for me.

1. yes. as far as I can tell.

2. not a problem. card relay allows for infinite recording with no gaps.

3. zoom.

Mitch

Thanks for this hopefulliy reply Mitch! No problems anymore with importing, good news. Do I understand wright; do I have to download another (free) software plus or juist only the Canon XF Utility? (I am not wellknowned by the process you described)

OMT; because the zoomfunction is important for me.

A variable, smooth "start and stop" and slow from start to max speed must easy be done. And of course, continue in sharp focus. So, is this possible and what do you prefer to better it as it is now?

The telefoto lens, i assume it is a lens with adapter. (you can 't change lenses i think?)

Thanks again!

bruce

@Webfandango: Small correction... XfcpX does not deliver a h.264 output. It leaves the original MPEG2 stream (and thus, the original quality) intact. This was one of the prime goals for this utility.

@Bruce: Check out http://pika.dk/?p=406 It gives a full description of the process.

thanks Pika!

I knew this convo would be enlightening.

so, we're keeping our files non-compressed by transcoding via xfcpx, as opposed to knocking them down to h.264 via the XDCAM utility.

that makes sense.

I'll keep Sony's XDCAM utility as a backup option (especially when I know the edited piece is being further compressed for web). I could see both files (1 transcoded with xfcpx and another transcoded with xdcam) were the same size and I was unable to tell a difference between the two.

the mpeg2 file is original quality.

Bruce:

the xf100 and 105 have a 58mm thread for accepting filters.

the canon tl-h58 is only 1.5x, but for $300 it will move you a couple of rows closer... and that means you won't have to block the view of the CEO.

You're welcome.

I actually have no clue what XDCAM does - whether it leaves the quality or converts it... after I realized it had issues with the sound, I never looked at it again. (Actually, that triggered the creation of XfcpX ;-)