Basic Question

Hi Guys,

Basic question,
I'm a Nikon D800 user and I've just uploaded footage to Final Cut Pro X. To get the footage into the right format I used "Mac Video Converter" converting it to apple pro res 422. Having uploaded it though it's very juddery and FCP is telling me I'm dropping frames. This is what I wanted to avoid. Can anybody tell me what I've done wrong ?

Are my preferences wrong in FCPX - I ticked 'Create optimised media ?

Any help is very gratefully received

thanks

Neil

You don't need to convert the media and should not convert the media using Mac Video Converter. Optimization should be sufficient and may not even be necessary. Playback is a function of the computer and drive specs. ProRes is a high data rate format that quite demanding on drives.

Ok thanks for the reply though I'm a little confused.

Nikon DSLR shoots H.264 footage which apparently isn't very good for FCP to work with. Therefore you are advised to convert footage to Apple 422 Pro res. I realise the files would be large but I thought doing this conversion would solve the rolliing quality (didn't have a rolling problem before) and frames dropping out problem.

Are you saying that the FCP Optimisation should be enough (though we I did this in the past you lose frames which is what I'm trying to avoid) ?

thanks

Neil

"Nikon DSLR shoots H.264 footage which apparently isn't very good for FCP to work with."

Nothing wrong with H.264 if your system is fast enough. You can optimize the media on import or in FCP. No conversion is necessary.

"conversion would solve the rolliing quality (didn't have a rolling problem before)"

Don't know what this means. If you're talking about rolling shutter that's a camera problem and can't be fixed by importing or converting. If you mean dropped frames on playback that's almost always a drive problem, either the drive or the bus is not fast enough for the media.

"(though we I did this in the past you lose frames which is what I'm trying to avoid)"

Never seen or heard of this. It sounds more like playback dropped frames.

Yes

The optimisation in FCP converts H.462 to 422 so it looks as though I may of wasted £30 in buying the Converter software.

FCP informs me occasionally that I'm dropping frames but I think this is just in playback rather than it affecting the final film.

I think I'm sorted

thanks

Neil

There is also an option to correct for rolling shutter built right in to FCP X!

You're sorted.

Neil P wrote: FCP informs me occasionally that I'm dropping frames but I think this is just in playback rather than it affecting the final film.

Correct, it is only a playback issue and has no effect on anything at all. I actually advise turning that warning off in the Preferences. Most systems are going to drop frames anyway. And who cares if you can see playback well enough to edit?