Summary: If for some reason FCPX doesn’t work with Nikon D800/D810/D800E footage, you can consider using third party converter utility to transcode D800/D810/D800E video to Apple ProRes MOV, the favorite editing codec of FCP X. Go to find a guide explaining how to process D800/D810/D800E video to QuickTime conversion.
Import Nikon D800/D810/D800E video into FCP X problems
“I can import and play D800 video into Aperture 3 without difficulty, but FCP X import of the same video files is very very slow and then crashes. I’m working on 10.8.5 and all software is up to date. Hardware is 15″ Retina Display with 32GB RAM. Is there a way to make FCPX work smoothly with Nikon D800 H.264 MOV clips?”
The H.264 is not a good editing format, it is an industry standard for video compression. Taking advantage of today’s high-speed chips, H.264 delivers MPEG-4 quality with a frame size up to four times greater. If you have import issues or crash issues while loading Nikon D800/D810/D800E video to FCP X for further editing, you will need to convert D800/D810/D800E footage to Apple ProRes, the best suited editing codec of FCP X, which FCP X reads quickly without rendering and works smoothly.
To be able to transcode D800/D810/D800E video to ProRes for FCPX, you will need to use third party converter software like Video Converter for Mac. The Video Converter for Mac, which works well as a Nikon Video Converter for Mac, is a converter program designed for transcoding HD media, including camera and camcorder videos files to whatever format you need with best video and audio synchronization. It supported camera brands include Canon, Sony, JVC, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Pentax, Red, Blackmagic, Sanyo, and so on. With this little tool, you are able to create editable files for NLEs like iMovie, Final Cut Express, FCP X, FCP 6/7, Avid MC, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro CS 6, Sony Vegas, etc. and export playable files for iOS devices, Android devices, HD Media Players, Game consoles and more.
Download a free trial of Video Converter for Mac
How to transcode Nikon D800/D810/D800E video to Apple ProRes for Final Cut Pro X editing?
Follow these steps:
1. Free download the Nikon D800/D810/D800E Video Converter for Mac. Install and run it. The main interface appears as below:
2. Click on ‘Add File’ to add your Nikon D800/D810/D800E footage from your camera or from a card reader, or from an archived folder that contains your source media.
3. From the Format bar, choose ‘Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov) as output format from ‘Final Cut Pro’ column.
Important: If you’ve loaded a number of video clips to do batch conversion, please do remember ticking off ‘Apply to All’ option before you start.
4. (Optional) If you intend to modify video and audio settings in your own way, you can click on ‘Settings’ to do so. On the popup ‘Profile Settings’ panel, you are allowed to adjust video and audio parameters such as video codec, video bit rate, frame rate, audio codec, audio bit rate, sample rate and audio channels (up to 6 channels)
5. When ready, click on ‘Convert’ to start transcoding Nikon D800/D810/D800E video files to Apple ProRes 422 – the best suited editing format for using within Apple FCP X, and Final Cut Pro Version 6, 7.
6. When the footage transcoding process is complete, click on ‘Open Folder’ button to get the generated ProRes 422 QuickTime files for use in Final Cut Pro X.
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