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  1. Member
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    I happen to have the opportunity to replace my desktop computer, and I have a good reason to buy my first movie camera. I've played with MovieMaker linking together photos and audio and had a blast, but it seemed like it didn't really do what I want to do very well (especially on an out-of-date computer). I want to be able to process digital pix and video to create DVDs/BDs with good audio control (sometimes done like a music video, since life ALWAYS has a soundtrack of some kind). Looking for advice on how to learn to do this, any shopping advice for configuring my new computer, what to look for in a handheld videocam, and a recommendation for authoring software for someone who doesn't want to make a living creating video BUT wants to enjoy hobby time creating cool videos for personal enjoyment with good control over transitions, timing, audio clips, etc.

    Obviously not short, sweet answer, but would like to pick up some "If I had it to do over again, this is how I would do it" tips. Appreciate help on how to get started!
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  2. Member Soopafresh's Avatar
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    What's your budget for the camera?

    PC - I5 or I7 Proc with 4GB RAM or more. 32bit Windows can only support around 3.2GB, 64bit Windows can support much more. Video card doesn't matter too much. Nvidia GeForce 210 is decent.
    Two 1TB hard drives. Two 23" or larger monitors if you can swing it. Make sure they can do 1920x1080 resolution. It'll make editing a lot easier since you'll be able to spread the editing controls across the screens.

    Editing App - One of the Sony Vegas builds. There are several versions to consider, depending on your desire to get fancy and your budget. Vegas Pro has all of the bells and whistles. Audacity is a free audio editing app which works great. It has more features than many commercial audio editors.

    Camcorder - Canon HV40 or Canon EOS 550D/T2i (the 550D starts shipping Feb 24th). You'll also want some tools to stabilize the footage. This is as important as the camera itself. Velbon VMATE607F tripod is decent and inexpensive. It should be a Fluid Head tripod. Consumer level camcorders have notoriously bad sound, so you'll also want to look into an affordable shotgun mic.

    Well, you've just spent around $2500 - $3000
    Last edited by Soopafresh; 13th Feb 2010 at 16:27.
    "Quality is cool, but don't forget... Content is King!"
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    I'm thinking $500 max for camera (I liked the Sony Handycam hi-def), and less than $2k for 'puter.
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  4. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    LifeShots, in the future please use a more descriptive subject title in your posts to allow others to search for similar topics. I will change yours this time. From our rules:
    Try to choose a subject that describes your topic.
    Please do not use topic subjects like Help me!!! or Problems.
    Thanks,
    Moderator redwudz

    And welcome to our forums.

    EDIT: Most newer camcorders are HD and use AVCHD or similar for storage. Not an easy format to edit. Most times you want a quad core CPU, fairly fast, and a lot of hard drive storage space. I use three hard drives on most of my PCs. One for boot and two for editing and archiving.
    Last edited by redwudz; 13th Feb 2010 at 15:55.
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  5. Member Soopafresh's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by LifeShots View Post
    I'm thinking $500 max for camera (I liked the Sony Handycam hi-def), and less than $2k for 'puter.
    For $500 you can get a pretty good standard def DV camcorder. If you want HD and are interested in point of view shots, you might want to look at the $260 GoPro Hero HD which is primarily a sports camera but can be adapted for regular use. Decent camera, sub par sound, no lcd monitor/viewfinder unless you buy the accessory (LCD attachment is an additional $50)

    GoPro attached to a pole
    Last edited by Soopafresh; 13th Feb 2010 at 17:15.
    "Quality is cool, but don't forget... Content is King!"
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  6. Member ranchhand's Avatar
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    If you really mean it, and you really want to do yourself a serious favor, build your own computer. For less money, you will get a serious monster machine that will chew through any video editing software from Pinnacle to Vegas to Premier. You can purchase your parts online from reputable companies such as Newegg for 1/2 the cost of a retail store, plus you will find components that retail stores don't have. And--when you have problems down the road with a failed component or a corrupted operating system-you won't have to throw yourself on the mercy of a store and pray they know what they are doing. There are tons of "how to" websites, and a lot of knowledge right here on this forum to find help on. Just a thought...
    Last edited by ranchhand; 15th Feb 2010 at 15:53.
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