Ahead of NAB 2011, Canon has announced an update to the EOS Movie Plug-in-E1 for Final Cut Pro. If you aren’t familiar with the plug-in, it aids with importing .mov files from Canon DSLRs. It transcodes the files to Apple ProRes 422 much quicker and easier than using MPEG Streamclip, which is what we used before the plug-in originally came out. The plug-in works with files from the Canon 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II, 7D and 60D.
One of the previously frustrating features of the plug-in is that you have to maintain the folder structure of the CF card on which the files were captured – even if you move the files to your hard drive before you import the footage. The updated version will make this process easier and allow users to import files from any folder “without needing to mirror the folder structure on the camera itself.”
Although many FCP users have developed a consistent workflow to accommodate this file structure when importing Canon EOS movie files, it will be a welcomed change to take this superfluous step out of the workflow.
Version 1.2 of the EOS Movie Plug-in-E1 for Final Cut Pro will be available to download for free on April 25, 2011. Watch the front page for the link as soon as it is available.
Comments: Just a little over 8 months ago, I purchased a Brand New Cannon 50 D DSLR
Camera. Which uses the CF Memory Card. Now, it seems Cannon for what ever reason best
known to them, Released the 60 D Camera that doesn’t use the Same Memory Storage Card.
Why? Is it possible to obtain this new software update to work with the Cannon 50D ? I would be great if you could, given the fact the camera still uses the large CF Card. I
purchased a bunch of them on sale at Staples last month. Because the Manager and a few
employees said This CF Card type would no longer be manufactured. Is that Correct or was
that just a Ploy for me and other customers to spend needless money acquiring more CF
Cards ? I formally had a EOS Xsi camera which I took back to the store within a week
towards a brand new Cannon 50 D. I feel that it was a well worth while investment. Since
the EOS Xsi was physically much too small for my hands, the 50 D is much larger and better
constructed. The CF Card is much better constructed than the SD type cards that Cannon
had designed their new 60 D camera uses. Which is the same size the EOS Xsi used. I dropped one in the Snow in the Winter and wasted time trying to find it as it was too small
to see. The large CF Card is mush better handling in and out of the camera in the field. Less
chance for me to drop it. Would appreciate a reply. Thank you for your consideration in
advance.
~ Mike ~
Thursday, April 14, 2011
First, this plug-in is designed for importing video files. As a result, it doesn’t work with the 50D.
Second, I don’t have an official word on why Canon moved from CF to SD; however, I think it is fairly easy to infer based on a couple of features.
SD cards are smaller. While that can be frustrating for users trying to keep up with the cards, I think it easy to see how that can help camera manufacturers get more other stuff inside a camera. Just look at how much real estate the CF card takes up outside and inside the camera body. Now, compare that to the SD card slot on cameras like the 60D. It’s quite a big difference.
SD cards are also a little more robust in terms of the physical interface with the camera. Have you ever bent a pin inside the camera’s CF card slot. If not, talk to someone who has. It isn’t cheap to fix that issue. With SD cards, this type of accident can’t happen. That’s a win for Canon and a win for the user in terms of customer satisfaction.
Finally, the SD Association has been pushing the specifications of the SD format to the point where real world products are now getting close to rivaling the speed of CF cards. In many cases of current camera models, the difference in speed between SD format and CF format are negligible. The exception being high-end sports shooting where maximum frames per second is required – as in the Nikon D3s and Canon 1D Mark IV. Of course, the 1D Mark IV has a secondary card slot that accepts SD cards.
While I am a big fan of the CF card format (I like the size and speed – and I’ve got a ton of the things), I think it is pretty clear that the industry is moving toward the SD format as the defacto standard. When the street level tech catches up with the current top specs of the SDXC UHS-I specification, I think we’ll see the SD format used in even the high-end sports cameras as well.