Final cut plug in to import footage directly into pro res, with fix to make it work with Rebel T2i/ 550D

DSLR Workflow Tutorials

Canon have released, finally, the EOS E1 plug in for Final Cut Pro. This lets you use the log and transfer within FCP to directly convert your H264 files into all flavours of Pro Res in FCP 7 and Pro Res 422 and HQ in FCP 6. It also adds timecode based on the cameras date and time stamp, let’s you select in and out points to just bring in the bits you want and also lets you create DMG disk image of your card. You can download the file here. For instructions for how to use it click here.

It’s very cool, and nice to be able to skip mpeg streamclip and for it to be perfectly integrated within FCP. Also it is apparently 3x faster than compressor.

I have been using it for a couple of months now as it’s great. Just like importing SxS, P2 or Red.

It’s compatible with the 5Dmk2, 7D and 1Dmkiv.

To make it work with the Rebel T2i or 550D follow Nathan Beaman’s simple instructions here. He simply instructs you to change the .plist list of cameras it works with. Make sure you make a copy of the file before you change it in case you screw it up!!

It works. nice job Nathan!

Personally I like to import as Pro Res LT as disk space is important to me and I think the quality is great. But I know colourists who will kill me for saying that as they always use HQ!

81 comments

  1. The above “hack” didn’t work for me. I did more research and found out that if you officially have a T2i (USA) and NOT a 550D (Euro), you need to input different text in the .plist file.

    In place of this:

    550D

    Canon EOS 550D

    Put this:

    T2i

    Canon EOS REBEL T2i

    Hope that helps…(It did for me!)

  2. I hope Apple adds this in their next update. I have more than a few machines and don’t want to have to add this to every machine each time I update or re-install FCP. Not that I do it that often.

      1. I am now finally coming round to using a converter to convert my h.264 footage but I’ve been editing in h.264 for months and had no issues?

        Also. I am having trouble hacking the plug in on my mac book pro. I select, library-application support but there is no folder called pro apps?

        Any ideas on this at all?

        Cheers,

        Ric

  8. Tried changing this .plist for the Canon 500d, Log and Transfer recognises it but keeps giving an error when trying to convert it. Works fine with the 7D though.

  10. Thanks for the tip, that’ll be handy.

    I have had a little play and it seems pretty good. Do you know a way of overriding its default location for putting the ProRes Files. I like to keep all the media assets in a folder structure for each product but it is putting them in the scratch area which I have on a different drive thats not in my backup list

  14. Anyway to get this to run on Tiger. Tried to install the plugin, but FCP doesn’t see it. Anyone had success at installing the plugin who is still running Tiger?

  16. Hi Phil – ta for this; the ProRes LTs that result for me have Alpha as None/Ignore – so can’t see them in Timeline or Viewer. Changed Alpha to Straight, and can see them, but then with orange render bar. What Alpha setting do your ProRes LTs come out of Log and Transfer with?

  17. I used the tool yesterday importing (720/60) from 7d. It errored on 5 out of 13 clips. I hit the retry and errored on 3 out of 5.

    Brought errored clips into stream clip and they converted just fine. A little bummed about the quirks, curious to see if anyone else has issues.

  19. Canon utilities need to be installed in the machine? because I have followed all the instructions and log and transfer does not have the drop down menu for eos just Red, that I already had

  20. Hey everyone! In your opinion can I get rid of the original video files once I convert to ProRes 422 LT?
    I just don’t have the space to keep all that original video data, but also don’t want to be throwing stuff away that many might say would be foolish to delete.

      1. Hello Philip,

        The .plist file just doesn’t show up my comptuer. There’s no ‘ProApps’ file in the ‘Application support’ file… I tried the Finder research, but still invisible…

        Would you have an idea? Could there be hidden files?

        Thanks !

  22. when i add this my fcp doesn’t see the camera.

    how do you direct it to the camera, if the cam doesn’t show up as an external hard drive (which mine doesn’t).

  23. when i add this my fcp doesn’t see the camera.

    how do you direct it to the camera, if the cam doesn’t show up as an external hard drive (which mine doesn’t)…..

    2. I have found that using iPhoto (please don’t laugh at me) to import gets the job done since I don’t have a reader right now.

      After importing your clips into iPhoto, to access the actual video files, right-click on your iPhoto icon under Applications and select “Show Package Contents.” Navigate to your desired video files and move or copy them to your desired location. This works for me.

      Is there any detriment to doing this, Philip, other than losing “coolness points”? Thanks. 🙂

  28. Is that 3 times faster than compressor when compressor running on one processor? Or when running compressor with a vitrtual cluster with qmaster? Since FCP doesn’t use multiple cores, I’d have a hard time believing that it’s internal transcoding engine would. I hope I’m wrong.

    -Tom

      1. I Lied – or didn’t test before I posted. The requirements that canon list says that it’s for Intel Macs only – But I tried to install it anyway and IT WORKED!

  32. Hey Phillip (and everyone else)

    So I’ve been trying to use the plugin and have found one interesting quirk. I can see the timecode in FCP but when I open the quicktimes it has created there is no timecode. I need to try to make some proxies for my loggers using the timecode that’s added to the clips. Any advice?

    Thanks!

    ~Andrew

    3. Hi Folks,

      I’ve been using the new plug-in to Log & Transfer rushes from my 5D mark II into FCP 7. It is a wonderful improvement on previous solutions, however it’s very slow, I calculated it takes about 3 to 4 times ‘real time’, i.e. a 1 minute clip takes up to four minutes to transfer even at Pro Res (Proxy) resolution.

      MPEG Streamclip was much faster, wondering if anyone else has seen this or better still if anyone has a solution. I’m on MAC OS 10.5.8, I bought Snow Leopard but I’m slow to upgrade mid project..

      Thanks in advance
      Ken

  35. I just DL’ed for use with the T2i and the hack of the plist seemed to work just fine with my few initial tests.

    The one thing I couldn’t seem to do was create the DMG directly through log and transfer as Canon’s page said I could. Not a huge deal b/c I can do it with Disk Utility anyway, but something to note.

    I’d been editing my early footage in h.264, I guess that’s a no no.

  36. This is really great! works well.

    One major question though, Where in this workflow should we conform 50fps to 25 fps for slow motion?

    After ingest/prores conversion? or before?

    Suggestions?

  37. Has the download been removed? When I clicked on the link it took me to the 5D page and there was only one download available which was the new firmware for the 5D. Or am I blind to where it is?

  39. Philip – I saw your tutorial on converting (Importing and Conversion) 5D/7D files using MPEG Streamclip and using the Apple XDCam EX 1080p30 settings. it sounds from some of your posts that you would now rather convert to ProRes 422.

    Which do you feel more strongly about?

    Also – I’ve already imported and renamed orig 7D files and the Canon plugin does not work on these to convert to ProRes. I’ve been using the FCP command File > Media Manager to convert these renamed 7D files to ProRes 422. Any advice/comments? Is this a viable way of converting as well?

    Thanks in advance for your insightful replies.

      1. No – I converted to XDCAM for a project I just wrapped up using MPEG Streamclip. I’m converting to Pro Res for a new project but WOW – those files are big. Thinking about XDCAM again but I’m already halfway through converting to Pro Res.

        What I was talking about is that on import of the current project, I brought the files onto my HD, then renamed them before using the Canon plugin. So now, the Canon plugin will not recognize them to convert to Pro Res. That’s why I was asking about converting the files that I renamed using the FCP command File > Media Manager.

  40. Just a note of a bug I’ve found. If you import 5d footage this way (I can’t confirm for footage from other cameras) – then conform it from 29.98 to 23.98 with cinema tools – you’ll find that you lose your ability to send the edit to color. (Well you can send it – but you just get freeze frames for all the footage).

    Workaround I found is to dupe your source h.264’s before importing, conform them to 23.98 using cinema tools, then drag them out of the 23.98 folder that cinema tools creates and back to the root DCIM folder (with the .THM files) and THEN add them to FCP using the E1 plugin and transfer window.

    The new files will then work perfectly in Color.

  42. I still can’t find the download? I think I’m going crazy? Zachary, where do I select Mac os x? I just land at the product page of EOS 5D

  43. I just bought my 550D/t2i and with no surprise it’s a killer !
    Even after watching all your films, seeing it with my own eyes is awesome.

    BUT

    I can’t import those damn .MOV files to premiere CS4 or media encoder to convert them in 422 mpg2 files !
    (I’m on windows vista)
    In other words, I can’t make anything of those shots I made :'(
    What’s the point of making such great tools if we can’t use them correctly ?

    Does anybody have a (positive) solution to my tragedy ??
    Am I the only one on this planet to suffer from that canon’s betrayal ?!

    1. Ok guyz, I found the solution to convert, import & edit with media encoder & premiere CS4 -lossless quality !- (windows) 😉 –>

      *download and install the latest quicktime version
      *convert your x.MOV file to x.mpg with media encoder
      video settings :
      MPEG2 – 1920×1080 – 23.976 (same as source…) – progressive – profile 4:2:2 level high – CBR – 50mbps (or higher) – M frame=3 N frame=12 – automatic GOP placement)
      audio settings :
      MPEG1 layer II audio – stereo 16bits – 48khz – 384kbps.
      (Multiplexer mpg2 so you’ll have a .mpg file)

      *import to premiere CS4 and enjoy the real time editing, the splendid freedom for grading and adding fx… 😀

      By the way this 550D never stops blowing my mind, the video bitrate is about 45mbps ! Huge !

      I hope it’ll save you all the time I spend finding the best way to not allow technology to stop creativity and to keep the best quality 😉

  46. Hey so I have done everything that each tutorial has told me to do but I can’t seem to get it working still.

    This is compatible with FCP 6.0 right?

    I own a 550D but the hack just doesn’t seem to work.

    I am editing text with text wrangler.

    If you know of any reason why it might not be working that would be great.

    Thanks

  47. Hi mate,

    I have got this sorted on my IMAC but also want it on my mac book pro for when i upload location but when i go into library-application support – there is no file named pro apps?

    Thanks for your help,

    Ric

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