Well, I ran some tests today right before my trip and it turns out that Final Cut Express HD (v3.01) isn't compatible with the 24F mode on the new Canon XL-H1 HDV camcorder. This is a bit of a disappointment since I was looking forward to doing some editing in the field. As one of the commenters below notes, this is a known non-feature - it's clearly stated on Apple's comparison chart between iMovie, FCX, and FCP5.
The good (?) news is that Final Cut Express does work with the 30F mode (and of course the 60i mode). I'm curious to see what would happen if I get the PAL upgrade in Japan, which would give me selectable 50i and whether those would work. If I can get 50i and it works with Final Cut Express HD, I might just tape everything in 50i since it's trivial to telecine to film.
Or, I could assume everyone will be digital soon enough and not worry about ever going to film. Thoughts?
final cut express has never supported 24p.
pro 5 will get hdv and 24p.
News! Check my recent blog entry, iMovie HD (5.02) now supports progressive frame modes: http://www.photoethnography.com/blog/archives/2006/05/info_imovie_hd.html