The New Final Cut Pro Hooked Me on iPad Video Editing

For the past two weeks, I’ve been diving deep into the newest version of Final Cut Pro for the iPad. Last year’s release left many professionals underwhelmed due to its limited tools. While the latest update doesn’t solve all issues, it has certainly reignited my enthusiasm for iPad video editing.

Introducing Final Cut Camera

The most significant addition isn’t a feature within Final Cut Pro itself, but a brand-new companion app: Final Cut Camera. This standalone iPhone app offers advanced camera controls similar to those found in apps like Blackmagic and Kino, including peaking, manual focusing, and audio metering. However, it lacks the ability to add custom LUTs.

The real magic happens when using Final Cut Camera in conjunction with Final Cut Pro on the iPad. It allows for Live Multicam sessions, streaming footage from up to four iPhones or iPads. As the director, you can monitor and adjust settings like zoom, white balance, and focus mode in real time. This feature is particularly appealing for video podcasts.

Final Cut Camera alerting overexposure issues.

The previews, though compressed, maintain impressive quality. Once the recording session ends, the high-quality files transfer to the iPad for rendering. The process is surprisingly quick—my 10-minute session with three iPhones was ready for editing within minutes. A new transfer indicator window in the UI shows the progress.

External Hard Drive Support and Persistent Issues

This year’s standout update is the long-awaited support for external hard drives. While crucial, it highlights ongoing file management shortcomings. Media files must reside within FCP Library files, stored on either the internal or external drive, preventing media splitting across multiple drives or cloud storage. This often results in constant file duplication.

The iPad Pro M4 supports Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 connectivity, making this feature more valuable, but it's not without limitations. For instance, you still can’t import complete folders into Final Cut Pro—only individual files. Post-import, organizing files into categories like “A-roll,” “B-roll,” “Music,” or “Graphics” remains impossible.

iPad Pro M4's Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4 support.

New and Existing Feature Gaps

A unique feature for the iPad version is Live Drawings, enabling Apple Pencil users to draw animations directly onto clips. While the latest Pencil Pro tricks are supported, they are underutilized. I wish the haptic squeeze could be programmed for more editing functions, like selecting multiple clips or acting as a right-click, which would enhance efficiency.

However, many critical features are still missing: compound clips, folders, adjustment layers, post-stabilization, advanced coloring tools, project sharing, custom LUTs, 360 video support, object tracking, and linear keyframes. These omissions become glaringly apparent when in the editing flow, forcing creative decisions based on software limitations.

Competing Mobile Video Editing Apps

The mobile video editing app market is fiercely competitive. CapCut dominates among TikTokers, DaVinci is gaining YouTube traction, and Lumafusion remains a favorite. Notably, DaVinci’s iPad app already offers three features I desperately need.

Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 on the M4 iPad Pro.

Why I Keep Coming Back to Final Cut

Despite these frustrations, I keep returning to Final Cut on the iPad for one reason: the overall experience. Apple’s “touch-first” approach finally makes sense. Once past the learning curve and aware of its limitations, the app becomes enjoyable and even fun. Apple isn’t replicating the desktop Final Cut experience but creating a new, tactile one.

Editing with my hands feels immersive and tangible, even if it’s not as efficient as using a mouse and keyboard. Apple’s vision of a capable, touch-first Final Cut Pro can truly thrive if it addresses these critical feature gaps.

Conclusion

The new Final Cut Pro for iPad shows promise with its innovative touch interface and new features like Live Multicam support. However, it still falls short in several key areas. For those who can look past its limitations, it offers a unique and enjoyable editing experience. As Apple continues to refine this app, it could become a powerful tool for video editors on the go.

If Apple can deliver on these "easy wins," the vision of a touch-first, capable Final Cut Pro could become a reality.

Written by Kushal Bharat for Tech News