Once again: import 1080/50p from panasonic

Question

Level 1

58 points

Once again: import 1080/50p from panasonic

Hello

I know, the question has been raised more than once and though, no definite answer comes out from the reading I've done about it on this site and elsewhere. How to properly import 1080/50p files from a 2009 SD-card-only Panasonic camcorder ? The problem is as follows:

1) it seems the SD card should be devoted (Videowise) to 1080/50p files only for them to be seen in the card. I had HD files and HD 1080/50p files on the same card and deleted what had to be deleted to only have 1080/50p files now. No change: the camera is not even recognised by FCPX now, i.e it appears in the device column where the "Private" folder breaks down into a greyed out AVCHD mention... and that's it. When the non-1080/50p files were there, the camera was recognized for what it is and those files appear, but no trace whasoever of 1080/50p in the list.

2) Copying the full structure of the cam's card to my HD gives the same result: the import window does not see the 1080/50p files, whether mixed with other file formats or not.

3) The only apparent workaround : Finder > Copy of the cam's structure on my HD> Private folder> AVCHD Show package content > BDMV Show package content> Stream. There, the mts files are visible and I can drag them onto FCPX's browser or timeline. But: is there any quality loss via this route ? Will I not get into trouble since many say that you should never import 1080/50p files other than through the import window diret from the camera card ? Should I create either optimized or proxy files ?

This warning Final Cut Pro X, iMovie: Some Panasonic camcorders that support 1080/60p and 1080/50p require mounting the SD card with … advises the use of an external SD USB card reader (my computer is not natively equipped) which I don't have. Will it make the process smoother and warrant a maximum quality for the files or will I spend the money for nothing ?

One last thing: I am an absolute ignoramus with Video.

So, many thanks if anyone can help me.

Posted on May 25, 2018 1:30 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,950 points

May 25, 2018 3:18 PM in response to joelle184

1) "I had HD files and HD 1080/50p files on the same card" Can't tell what this means exactly 1080 is HD, so guessing HD here means something else, codec or format. No, you should never shoot different formats or any type on the same card. Really, shouldn't even shoot different specifications of the same format on the same card. You can do anything on the card using your computer without basically messing up the card. Everything one there is media embedded in databases. Change the content and the database becomes worthless, which makes the content unrecognizable by applications.

3) There's no quality loss, but there will be considerable performance loss. You might also have problems with the audio because of the compression and sample rate. Don't have information about your media. Normally when you import from the camera card the .mts files are rewrapped to QuickTime and the audio converted. This happens for many formats, again guessing here because I don't know the specs of the media you're talking about. By rewrapping by files are in a production format that works well in applications on the computer. Using the raw .mts files is harder for the computer to work with and process in realtime.

In the article you link: Are you using one of the three listed cameras made before July 2011? Or are you using something else?

If you don't have a card reader, what are you using now? The camera? How does it appear on your computer? You said you copied it, so I guess it does. Making a copy of the complete contents, the entire contents of the card, into a folder will be the same as the card itself. You can also use the FCP camera archive function to make a bundle copy of the card.

Reply

Answer 2

joelle184 Author

Level 1

58 points

May 25, 2018 4:29 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

Thank you, Tom, for responding.

Yes, the "something else" is HA, HG, HX or HE as appears in my camera's menu. When these files were on the card, the camera connected to FCPX was recognized as a camera and those files only appeared in the list and were loadable. I copied the whole structure of the card to some external drive, then erased the HA etc. files from the card to leave the 1080/50p files only. Then, once reconnected with it, FCPX does not see my camera anymore, and puts it in the device list as "NO NAME". There, Avchd appears greyed out.

Excuse my crassness, but I don't know what you mean by "information about the media". They are 1080/50p files shot by my own Panasonic camera that is a HDC-SD700, very much a downscale "Panasonic 900" without the internal memory. The camera appears as "NO-NAME" in my Finder, with the normal structure DCIM MISC PRIVATE inside. Then, with the path I told before, I can access the .mts files. That's currently the ony way I can do it. But is it the best one...

I am beginning with shooting and FCPX. So I've used nothing so far, just planning to use that and going for tries. I would like to make the most of what I have and not ruin the 1080/50p by some stupid import procedure.

Thank you again.

Reply

Answer 3

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,950 points

May 25, 2018 5:03 PM in response to joelle184

I have no idea what those Panasonic designations mean. Every manufacturer uses their own codes. The manual will say that each means.

I didn't know what your camera is. Now I know, but I can find little information about it online. It may be discontinued. It looks like it's an AVCHD format camera. I think that's what it says on the side of the camera. It doesn't seem to do other formats. It's probably post-2011. Looks like it's doing the 1080/50 in AVCHD and not some other format, so it's the later AVCHD revision.

"then erased the HA etc. files from the card to leave the 1080/50p files only"

Don't do that. Once you've done that you've effectively ruined the database structure of the cards content. The application can't read what's supposed to be on the card.

Using the raw .mts files doesn't do anything to the quality, it just makes it harder for the computer and the application to work with.

Reply

Answer 4

joelle184 Author

Level 1

58 points

May 25, 2018 6:10 PM in response to Tom Wolsky

My camera is a 2009 model. After a little research:

HA is 1080/50i. The other modes (HG, HX HE) are described as of lesser quality by users of this camera. They say they may go for HA instead of 1080/50p because of it being precisely more easily accepted by softwares. The side of the camera reads "Full HD 1920x1080 progressive AVCHD SD XC".

When I said "Erased the files from the card to leave the 1080/50p only", I mean I did it from the camera's own controls. Is it not the right way to do it ?

Last: if there is no other way but dragging 1080/50p files from the card's copy onto FCPX's browser, should I:

-"Leave files in place" or copy them in the Library (through preferences > import) ?

- Work with Proxies of the files and toggle on Original files on final rendering or work with the original files ?

Thank you.

Reply

Answer 5

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,950 points

May 25, 2018 6:21 PM in response to joelle184

If the camera’s 2009 and shoots only AVCHD it can’t do 50p only what they call 50i it’s really 25i, but that doesn’t matter. Hate interlaced video myself but that seems to be what the camera does.

You should be able to delete files inside the camera without changing its ability to be imported

If you import from camera cards you have to copy to the library location. You can’t leave in place. Make sure all processes all fully complete before you close the application or disconnect the camera. Don’t do proxy on import or optimized. Don’t know what your computer is but you shouldn’t need proxy media if your files are stored on a fast drive.

Reply

Answer 6

Alchroma

Level 7

23,809 points

May 25, 2018 11:58 PM in response to joelle184

There should be a dedicated button on the camera for shooting 50p???

Have you tried another SDXC card formatted in the camera with only 50p on it?

I have similar cameras that shoot 50p and never have issues as you describe.

I do however use a Card Reader for importing to FCP X.

I'll try a direct from camera import to see if that will actually work.

Al

Reply

Answer 7

Alchroma

Level 7

23,809 points

May 26, 2018 2:33 AM in response to Alchroma

Just test a TM900 Panasonic @50p.

Cannot get it to import to FCP X directly from camera.

However, using an appropriate SDXC card reader makes it easy as it should be.🙂

The reader used was a SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II SD reader/writer.

https://www.videoguys.com.au/Shop/p/33188/sandisk-extreme-pro-sdhc-sdxc-uhs-ii-c ard-reader-writer-sddr-399-sddr-329-q46.…

Al

Reply

Answer 8

May 26, 2018 9:59 AM in response to Alchroma

I have a Panasonic TM700 that will shoot 1080/60p and also use a card reader when bringing video into FCP X, wit no problems. To be on the safe side, I will make an exact copy of the complete card to back up to an external drive, then do a Camera Archive from FCP X and keep that on another drive. You can import from the card or the Camera Archive.

Reply

Answer 9

joelle184 Author

Level 1

58 points

May 28, 2018 8:41 AM in response to Mike Sastre

Wow, sorry for wandering away while some of you kept responding. I thought it was a one-on-one with Tom.

@Alchroma: yes, there is a dedicated button for shooting in 1080/50p but those files are stored on the same card with no partition that I know of (?). Thank you for this purchase reference you give me.

@Mike sastre: I understand you make these copies to your hard drive via the card reader and the finder, not from plugging your camera through USB as I can do it. But is there a difference ?

Thank you all and though my question remains: will there be any difference (quality, workflow, transcoding ...) between buying and using a sd card reader as yours, and doing what I currently do: break the PRIVATE folder of my camera into its components in the finder and drag individual .mts files directly onto FCPX's browser and timeline? Or is it only a matter of missing metadata with no influence whatsoever on playing, editing, quality etc?

Reply

Answer 10

May 26, 2018 10:18 AM in response to joelle184

Rather than erasing the non-1080/50p files from the card, you should have a button on the cam (open display) from the cam that record to the card only in that mode .

Reply

Answer 11

Tom Wolsky

Level 10

150,950 points

May 29, 2018 3:24 PM in response to joelle184

"Using the raw .mts files doesn't do anything to the quality, it just makes it harder for the computer and the application to work with."

Reply

Once again: import 1080/50p from panasonic

Similar questions