FCP X vs Premiere Pro

[elmerlang]

Hi Folks
I have FCP 7. I would have happily continued using FCP into the next millenium. Unfortunately, I just bought a Pana GH2, an avchd cam and the files created by by transcoding to ProRes are huge. I also have PP 5.0 which can handle .mts files so have been learning, a little hassle, but not much.

I see FCPX can handle .mts files natively. But my understanding was that X was somehow just a stepup from FCP Express and saw much frustration about its capabilities. Also, there's that sense among some that Apple is no longer interested in vigorous development of its NLEs and is mostly focused on its iPhone, etc line.

So, my questions:
What is your opinion of X, is it a complete professional package, will it be backed vigorously by its creators, how different is it from FCP7 and how much of a hassle would it be switching?
Is there a site that explains the capabilities of X and its differences from FCP7?

[cgbier]

What do YOU need in an editor. FCP X is all about media management and speedy editing. Apple has a solid 10 year plan with it, and when you look at how much they have they have done to improve it you'll be amazed.

I'm using it from day one. Having been skeptical at the beginning, I don't even bother with FCS anymore. There's also a CS5.5 installation on my machine that's never been used. Too clumsy with a lousy UI (at least they cleaned that up a bit with CS6).

Download the trial version and play around with it. I've never seen an editor that was that fast to learn.

What differences are you looking for? Both do the same thing: editing video... Just in a different way.

Check further down in this sub-forum. I've posted some links to tutorials.

[elmerlang]

Hey, thanks! I appreciate all the info. Dude!

[cgbier]

Any time!

However, keep in mind that there are some shortcomings (depending on your needs).

While I think the Color Board is a great tool for quick color correction, the tools for secondary correction are rather limited. Resolve is free though.
There's no DVD authoring anymore. FCP X can burn DVD/BD directly from within the app, but these are rather screeners without any menu (just a "play" button). Roxio Toast comes to the rescue here.
Audio mixing is pretty awkward. You can pan (stereo and 5.1), but that's about it. However, Apple has audio mixing on top of their priority list. You can export XML to ProTools or Logic though.

Apple said from begin on that FCP X was a pure editor, no more Studio. All the more complex color, audio and authoring stuff was to be handled by third parties.