Today, Apple (finally) released their new update for Final Cut Pro. Here at AdeptPlus, we’ve been using the Final Cut Studio for as long as we have been editing media. However, with Apple’s new update which is showing what they want to target in the future when it comes to post, we are having thoughts of switching. Here’s why:

1) Goodbye, useful features – In the new FCP X, there are a list of features that we had in FCP7, but are gone now. Features like multicam viewing/editing, exporting videos in specific formats and sizes (now, you must do that in compressor), and FCP X only exports low-resolution JPG files.

2) RED Native Support - A huge chunk of the media we edit comes from RED cameras. Most of those files are .r3d files. Now, the new FCP X does not have redcode native support. So basically, forget about editing anything shot on your RED camera if you get FCP X.

3) Where’d you go, Color and Soundtrack Pro? From what it looks like, Apple just threw in some of the features of Color and Soundtrack Pro right into the new Final Cut. We have heard rumors that Apple is redoing Color right now, however. We do know that the new Final Cut does not have all the features that Color and Soundtrack Pro had. Imagine combining three different software programs into one.

Not to say that FCP X doesn’t have some awesome features, but it seems like these would give us enough reasons to drive us away. I suppose we will wait a couple of weeks to see if Apple can sort this out (and if Steve Jobs will reply to our email). If not, we will definitely keep Adobe’s Premiere Pro in mind.

What are your thoughts?

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Update (June 21st, 10:47pm CST):

According to MacRumors.com, Phillip Hodgetts posted on his blog about some of these common questions. Here are a few of them:

• “Multicam will come in a future release, when Apple decide[s] how best to implement it within the new application and architecture.”
• “As of Version 1 and today’s release there is no direct import capability for [Final Cut Pro 6/7] projects. My understanding is that there will be an Apple-provided utility for importing XML from older projects to Final Cut Pro X.”
• “the Apple folk made it abundantly clear that the ecosystem was very important to them, and that there will be a new, and much improved, replacement for the current XML workflow.”

Check out his blog post for more in-depth Q&As.