First officially announced in early February, the EOS MOVIE Plugin-E1 is -- like Final Cut Pro itself -- only available for computers running Apple's Mac OS X operating system.. The plugin uses Final Cut Pro's Log and Transfer function to import and automatically transcode videos to a variety of formats, and is said to perform transcodes in as little as one third the time required by Apple's Compressor application.

It's possible to set in- and out-points so that only a portion of a video clip need be transcoded, as well as to embed both user-specified reel names and automatically calculated time code in the transcoded clips. Allowing quick recycling of flash memory cards when shooting a live event, users can create a .DMG-format disk image which can then be mounted and used as if it were the original CF or SD card.

The Canon EOS MOVIE Plugin-E1 for Final Cut Pro is compatible with the company's EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D digital SLRs, and the company has stated its intend to extend support for the EOS Rebel T1i (aka EOS 500D) at a later date. Only Final Cut Pro versions 6.0.3 through 7.0 are supported by the plugin.

More details can be found in the Canon Digital Learning Center, while the plugin itself can be downloaded from the Drivers & Download pages for the EOS-1D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D digital SLRs. (Select "Mac OS X" in the Drivers / Software Selection drop-down menu to see the plugin and its related quick-start guide.)