H.264 off a Canon Vixia HFS 200A

I am about to be overrun by twenty billion hours of H.264 shot on a Canon Vixia HFS 200A.

Question #1: Will FCP 6.0.6 explode if I attempt to edit in H.264?

Question #2: Other than ProRes, is there some other smaller sized format in which I can edit this Tsunami of footage?

By the way, all things considered, I am astonished at the quality of the original material. I guess it's those Canon lenses. I was told once that "it's all about the glass". Maybe that's true.

Hugs,

Harry.

Explode? no.
It MIGHT do something much worse. That is, shift shots on you when you export, but only on export, when you play the sequence everything is fine. So you have to check every export very carefully and with a sinking sensation in your stomach that eventually you're going to miss one.
That one I have seen with my own two eyeholes. 5 formats, 15 minute sizzle reel, no H264, almost locked. Last minute shot change, new footage from training camp arrives. Needs to be in NOW. The Suits are pacing the hallways like simpleton wolves with smartphone capable thumbs. I wing it, import the H264. Cut it in, suits come in, hem haw, previously approved shots are trimmed, fonts are adjusted, new shots are barely discussed. Everything is fine. Suits sign off and head to parking lot. I export and scan the result and leave the assistant to make DVDs. Next morning, messages pouring in. Everyone is freaking out. I come in check the DVDs and every single place the H264s occurred, the shots were off by random amounts. Sound was fine. Everything else was fine. Convert H264 to ProRes. Re-insert. Re-render. Re-hand off to assistant. Apologize to all concerned. Learn lesson.

Is there another Codec you can convert to. Yes but why? ProRes is a pretty good container for the amount of info in those H264 sources. If it's just going to the web DVCProHD is smaller but you lose some quality.

Look into 5Dtorgb for a good conversion of Canon files.

ak
Sleeplings, AWAKE!

Wow!

What a horror story.

I guess I had better get this mountain of material into ProRes before a nuclear event occurs.

Thanks very much for the advice, Andrew.

Best etc

Harry.

I agree re cutting with H.264. You can, but don't. I have also personally had skipping, stuttering, random replacements and audio glitches on stuff that wasn't transcoded. Not worth the pain at the end of the day. Take the pain in the morning when you're fresher. ProRes it.

Thank you both very much for the advice.

Best

Harry.