Equipment & Software Suggestions

[roadtorhode]

hello - i have some experience shooting video with low-end cameras (think Powershot, etc) and editing with iMovie. I have a budget now of around $1250 and looking to purchase a better camcorder (for action video & interviews) and software. I was wondering if you have recommendations. I realize it's expensive to get a nice camera AND nice software, so I wonder if it's better to invest in one over the other. For example, maybe go with a Panasonic HDC-TM700K Hi-Def Camcorder ($750) and then upgrade my iMovie to iMovie '11? Or go with a low-end camera ($200-300) and invest $1000 or so in software. I have an iMac. thank you for your advice.

[yoda313]

I think your main problem will be working in the mac environment. I'm a windows guy but from everything I've read on this forum doing any high def on a mac is problematic at best.

The imovie is the weak link from my understanding. I have read that it uses an intermediate form before exporting. So if you are doing avchd or hdv or something like that it has to use some propreitary apple codec and then reeencodes to dvd or whatever your end use is.

And as far as I know there isn't bluray support for mac yet - at least not without some major tweaking. I also don't know if you can do avchd on a mac. THat would seriously cripple your options for camera support on the lower end of the spectrum.

That said I'd look to install windows on your mac if you have an intel processor and can do bootcamp. That way you have access to the vast software support for virtually any video format in windows.

I don't have camera recommendations but I'm just warning you about the problems you may run into on a mac. Don't believe me then search the forum on converting video on a mac.

Also do you have at least a dual core processor? if not doing anything with a high def camera will be painstakingly slow if its possible at all. Also I don't know what kind of support imovie has for high def footage. I'd look into that as well.

[johns0]

Thread moved to the mac forum where you can get more help.

[terryj]

roadtorhode,
please fill out your computer spec when you have time, in your profile.
that will helps us determine from that standpoint how to go forward.

For now, i will say if you are going High Def, you'll need Final Cut Studio.
If you want to author in Hi-Def to Blu-Ray DVD you will of course need
Toast Titanium 10.08 or higher as well.

Post back what you want to do from start to finish, along with making sure you have your computer specs in your profile,
and we can further help you.
A start to finish would be something like this:
Start: Ingest HD video from a HD camera into my iMac, edit it to a proper runtime length of 2 hours
Finish: Export said edited footage to Blu Ray DVD or make SD DVD-5 one offs for clients, and post the full length HD on the Web.

[roadtorhode]

Thanks guys - just added the computer specs to my profile. My project will go like this:

Capture video of people running and interviews using an HD camcorder. Import footage into iMovie on my iMac. I currently have iMovie 9 but will upgrade to iMovie 11 for some of the newer effects. Edit footage into 2-5 minute video clips promoting a sporting event. Export to a file compatible for uploading to YouTube/Vimeo to embed on Web sites. No need to play these on DVD/Bluray. Again, budget's around $1250 so just wondering if I should go for higher-end camera vs. lower-end editing software or vice versa. thx

[Herve]

you will work with "progressive output" (aka web purpose) and for short wovies in final

so 1st, use a progressive camcorder
ans 2nd (my advice) use/buy a photo camera and not a real camcorder, you will find a lot of good video recorder (canon, nikon, …) and they are "ready to use with your purpose"

PS: iMovie will be ok for your use

bye

[roadtorhode]

Herve - can you tell me what you mean by "photo camera" vs. a "real camcorder"? Do you mean like a Rebel vs. the Panasonic HDC-TM700K Hi-Def Camcorder I mention in my first post?

[Herve]

eg: a Panasonic lumix camera, a canon EOS, a nikon, etc
…yesterday I received an advertising about a cheap canon (powershot) that shoot videos at 720p (AVC) for a cheap price…

today you don't always need a real camcorder to shoot (in France a lot of reporters -from national television channels- use cameras for their final broadcasting )

bye

[mass223]

eg: a Panasonic lumix camera, a canon EOS, a nikon, etc
…yesterday I received an advertising about a cheap canon (powershot) that shoot videos at 720p (AVC) for a cheap price…


bye

I'm curios to know about the price.How much is it?

[Herve]

I'm curios to know about the price.How much is it?

I throw the ad
but usually a Lumix (with 720p abilities) cost less than 300€ (=420$)
a powershot, something like 350$
(all prices inlude a french V.A.T. = 19,6% )

I don't know real prices in your country
usually this sort of camera is cheaper than a camcorder (and great for simple output like youtube/vimeo)

bye

[roadtorhode]

The only thing I notice with Powershot and those types (which I have) is they don't have good stabilizers - so if you're in a car shooting it tends to be bumpy footage. Unless there are some of these cameras I'm unaware of?

[Herve]

right, bad stabilization with these cheap camcorders (but you only talked earlier about shooting in a car)
A stabilization software can help you (iMovie owns one)
Do not hope for miraculous results with an optical stabilizer and a car (or shooting while running)

so take a look to more expensive camcorder (and remember that you finally should use a software stabilizer more)

bye