How to convert Canon 5D Mark II H.264 footage to XDCAM EX

Convert 5D Mark II H.264 footage to XDCAM EX for native editing in FCP. This is a very cool workaround to edit 5D Mark II footage natively in Final Cut Pro using MPEG Streamclip (squared5.com) to convert the original footage to XDCAM EX.

(Note: Please ignore the dropped frame dialogue box at the end of the video after the file was converted and played on the timeline. That was caused due to the screen capture software and not the converted XDCAM EX format.)

How to Convert 5D Mark II H.264 Footage to XDCAM EX for Native Editing in FCP from Tyler Ginter on Vimeo.

This approach is reportedly faster than roundtripping through ProRes, and the disk space requirements should be less than the source files. That being the case, this obviously won’t be the most high-quality option for users (though the EX codec is no slouch). MPEG Streamclip also offers a few handy features that users may fine helpful. For instance, you can combine multiple clips into one stream on output. You can also set in and out points in a batch list, and just export the clip segments you need. It’s sort of a poor-man’s Log and Transfer for 5D footage. I’d liken it to Sony’s Log and Transfer software, sans a few automated features. It’s worth noting that Long-GOP XDCAM EX codec isn’t without it’s own gotchas, you may have to wait while your edit conforms upon output. However, it’s another option for those who wish to skip ProRes, and there are a few handy options in MPEG Streamclip to help ingest your footage.