Sony XDCAM
Sony XDCAM refers to a family of cameras that record to optical disc or SxS flash memory cards. Most of the cameras in the XDCAM and XDCAM HD lines record to optical disc. The XDCAM EX1 and EX3 models record to SxS flash memory cards.
In addition, XDCAM MXF (for more information about the XDCAM format, see this PDF document on the Sony website. ) footage is not the native format for Adobe Premiere Pro. So the best way to import XDCAM MXF to Premiere Pro (CC, CS6, CS5, CS4) no matter where the XDCAM MXF is from is to transcode XDCAM MXF to MPEG-2, DV AVI, ProRes and other. If you have CS5 you don't need to use XDCAM Transfer. You import via the PPro Media Browser. Set the File Type dropdown to XDCAM EX or XDCAM HD and you should be able to drag your clips right in. The Apple codec support does not always port over to other applications, unfortunately.
You can remove the optical disc from your camera and place it in a deck attached to your workstation, or you can insert the SxS flash memory card into an SxS card slot in your workstation and read it as a flash drive. In either case, it's recommended that you copy the files from the optical disc or SxS flash card to your local hard drive for best performance, rather than attempting to edit directly from the source media.
Sony Xdcam Transfer Adobe Premiere Software
Adobe Premiere Pro offers native support for optical disc XDCAM content recorded as standard-definition DVCAM and for all high-definition XDCAM HD formats recorded at 18 Mbps, 25 Mbps, and 35 Mbps. Adobe Premiere Pro doesn't currently provide native support for standard-definition IMX and the new high-definition MPEG HD422 50 Mbps codec. However, you can play content in those formats in an XDCAM or XDCAM HD player with SDI or HD-SDI I/O and bring it into Adobe Premiere Pro through a compatible third-party capture card.
Adobe Premiere Pro supports every XDCAM EX format variation except for 1440x1080/23.98p SP mode with 3:2 pulldown. As an alternative, Adobe Premiere Pro offers native support for 1920x1080/23.98 HQ.
Sony Xdcam Manual
A typical workflow for XDCAM EX media is as follows:
Sony Xdcam Transfer
- Shoot onto the SxS card in the camera.
- Move the SxS card to your workstation, and copy the files to your local hard drive.
- Edit the files natively in Adobe Premiere Pro.
- Export the project to Blu-ray disc, to DVD, or to the Web.