how to import video from canon xa10

What happens when you connect the camera and click on import from camera? Is the camera set to playback video? Computer mode or whatever they call it.

Tom is on the right track. Here's a few details that might help ... I have the HF G10 which is identical to your camera minus the handle and xlr inputs. When you connect the USB cable, you must put the camera in playback/preview mode with the switch on the inside of the LCD cavity. Then, the camera's LCD screen will ask you which of the three memory locations you want to connect to the computer. Choose either SD card slot or the internal memory. Until you are both in playback mode and have selected the location memory, the camera will not show up in Final Cut Pro X. I will bow out now.

Can you actually then edit the AVCHD in fcpX or do you need to transcode them first. my last tests were with a panasonic 700 and it took so long to transcode from avchd to proress that i had to return the camcorder. i wonder if the G10/XA10 file format is actually usable when editing in fcpx.

I have an XA10 and do this all the time.

As Tom said, you just need to connect the camera using the USB cable and then do an "Import from Camera" from within FCPX.

And yes, once you choose which clips (or which portions of clips) you want to import and then close the import window, FCPX has to transcode them. However, you can begin editing while it is working on transcoding the files.

However, if you disconnect the camera before FCPX has finished the transcode, the media won't be there the next time. This stuff isn't magic. It still has to transcode. The only "magic" of FCPX is that you can start editing the footage before the transcode is complete...assuming, of course, you leave the media connected.

Copying files over first and then trying to import does not work. You have to do it from the camera.

The difference would be if you were recording to an SD card (which the XA10 will do), instead of the camera's built-in flash memory. You can disconnect the camera and just connect a card reader (and the card, of course). But the same principle would apply. You could start editing while FCPX is transcoding, but don't expect it to all be there if you disconnect the card reader or shut down FCPX before finishing the transcoding process.

Hope that helps.

If you copy the Canon AVCHD folder onto a hard drive intact, you can then import it into FCPX or FCP7. The advantage of this approach is is gives you a backup of the files. Don't mess with the files within the AVCHD folder, just copy the whole folder.

I too am struggling with the FCPX importing capabilitities with my new Canon XA10-A. I have absolutely no problem importing into Final Cut Express using the Log and Transfer option. Everything goes south when I try to import into FCPX, however... The software does not recognize the camera. If I pull out the SD card and try importing from there, the card will be immediately recognized on the desktop, but FCPX does not see it and will not import it. But wait... it gets worse. I can import these files with no problem into iMovie, but again, FCPX does not see anything. I'm beginning to lose faith in FCPX and Premiere is looking better every day. Has anyone seen this issue - and is there a work around other than 'import it into iMovie and then re-import into FCP." That's a productivity killer that I can't live with.

Please give the exact specifications of the media you recorded on the card. Do you have mixed media, different formats of media, on the same card?

OS 10.7.X , Canon XA10-A, FCPX [latest version], no different formats, mixed media, etc. Recording to 32 gb SD card. Nothing out of the abnormal - and as I said, works fine in Fincal Cut Express. I am getting SO FRUSTRATED with FCPX... Please provide any help you can - and it's greatly appreciated.

Please give the exact specifications of the media you recorded on the card.

Along with that, you might tell us exactly what you're doing. Does the card appear on the desktop? Does the card appear in the upper left of the camera import window? What happens when you select the card in the upper left? What happens when you click Open Archive and select the card (not its contents)?

I'm merely shooting interviews of people for a branding video. The card does appear on the desktop - and no, the camera does not appear. It will flash for a split second [displays Canon 01] and then disappears. I even tried copying the .mts files over onto the desktop - but they are grayed out. But, the mts files can be imported into iMovie. Hopefully this helps.

I even tried copying the .mts files over onto the desktop - but they are grayed out.

How are you copying the files onto the desktop if the card isn't appearing on the desktop? How is the card connected to the computer? Card slot on the coomputer? Card reader? USB? Is there a hub?

Once more please, must know exactly what format you shot on this camera. Many camera shoots multiple formats of video. What did you shoot?

Huh? I told you the card WAS showing up on the desktop [just like it should]. With all due respect - I do this for a living and have shot with FCP and Canon for years. The camera is connected via usb cable to the computer [with the AC power plugged in. I am shooting the Canon in MXP mode [the highest resolution that outputs to .mts format files].

I have tried both using the card reader on the side of my Macbook Pro, as well as reading from the camera. Both of these options work fine in Express. I had to use a file translator to convert to .mov files for iMovie, but once converted, those files worked in iMovie. Again, even though they are .mov files, FCPX will not read them. What have you changed from FC Express to FCP? Where is the log and transfer feature that worked flawlessly in Express? Did anyone test this with Canon XA10 at Apple? It's definintely not the camera as it is performing well.

Apologies. I misread the email.

There is no log and transfer function in FCP. There is a camera import function.

Have you opened the camera import function? What do you see? What happens?

I know this is a side rail to the topic, but I might be a little confused. AFAIK, the XA10 uses the AVCHD format, outputs the clips in H.264, and FCPX imports them as H.264. Then I can edit in H.264, or at least that is what shows up in the information menu. How then is FCPX transcoding these clips if I don't tell it to? I may well be missing something.

Thanks!