Dylan - which digital camera should I get?
- Thread starter Ru88ell
- Start date
Ru88ell
Active member
Having obtained said Xacti camera, is there a recommended editing software to use? Is Videopad the way to go?
Lakesailor
New member
I follow these threads with interest as I am using my Canon Ixus to film bits and pieces and whilst it is pretty good for a compact camera it isn't as good as a dedicated video camera.
However I find the screen a very poor method of following action. My bits of vid of low-flying planes were a hit and miss affair.
Are there no video camcorders with a viewfinder these days, without buying a 3 chip top-end camera?
However I find the screen a very poor method of following action. My bits of vid of low-flying planes were a hit and miss affair.
Are there no video camcorders with a viewfinder these days, without buying a 3 chip top-end camera?
Phideaux
New member
I've also just bought one and have the same question regarding what inexpensive editing software to try (I use Photoshop PSCS3 for stills).
dylanwinter
Active member
adobe premiere elements
same navigation and buttons as you are already used to
its the ford escort of the editing world
its reliable and gets you there
under £50
elements 9 is £45 - elements 7 the old one is not £34
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adobe-Premiere-Elements-PC-Mac/dp/B0042D81R0/ref=dp_ob_title_sw
although as an old BBC hack I should point out that other video editing packages are available
Dylan
same navigation and buttons as you are already used to
its the ford escort of the editing world
its reliable and gets you there
under £50
elements 9 is £45 - elements 7 the old one is not £34
http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Adobe-Premiere-Elements-PC-Mac/dp/B0042D81R0/ref=dp_ob_title_sw
although as an old BBC hack I should point out that other video editing packages are available
Dylan
Phideaux
New member
Thanks Dylan,
I've had a quick look and the large number of negative feedback (11 out of 19) about Elements 9 crashing, running like treacle or just not loading, has rather put me off, especially as some of the commentators have CS5 for stills so should have reasonable knowledge and fairly robust PCs with sufficient RAM. I think I'll wait until I've got some video on the PC and then try out a trial copy.
st599
Well-known member
I'm really liking Lightworks:
http://www.editshare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=98
which is free. Also AVID make Pinnacle which is good, Kdenlive is free and FCP is well FCP.
http://www.editshare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=98
which is free. Also AVID make Pinnacle which is good, Kdenlive is free and FCP is well FCP.
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
If you're on a Mac, you've got iMovie for free.
dylanwinter
Active member
trail copy - that is what they are for
dunno about the comments - there is a fair amount of gamemanship goes on in the video editing world.
do you need nine - try 7
If you think there is prejudice when it comes to benes or anchors on here - try the mac/pc editing people
imagine allowing people to offer you feedback on an escort - its an escort
so download the trial and if it is stable and you like it.....you will have you answer
it is be best selling editing software in the world - apparently
or use imovie - which is free on a mac - but edting video is a pretty time consuming business - dunno how you value your leisure time
D
dunno about the comments - there is a fair amount of gamemanship goes on in the video editing world.
do you need nine - try 7
If you think there is prejudice when it comes to benes or anchors on here - try the mac/pc editing people
imagine allowing people to offer you feedback on an escort - its an escort
so download the trial and if it is stable and you like it.....you will have you answer
it is be best selling editing software in the world - apparently
or use imovie - which is free on a mac - but edting video is a pretty time consuming business - dunno how you value your leisure time
D
Phideaux
New member
I guess that video editing will fill those long lonely evenings and wet, windless weekends as well as stills editing
From a very brief skim over a few websites on video editing, I guess the main requisite is to be directly edit AVCH format and forward/backward conversion to MPEG4 (I know nothing about any of the video formats once you move on from 1" and Betamax tape).
Scillypete
Well-known member
For my fairly amateur video efforts I use Cyberlink powerdirector for the editing it has more than I can cope with unless I spend more time at it.
Beware of using a pc without the power to move large files around quickly, although that mostly refers to older models nowadays
Beware of using a pc without the power to move large files around quickly, although that mostly refers to older models nowadays
dylanwinter
Active member
you will be surprised
you will be surprised at how it will really hoover up your time
I guess thats why lots of people don't bother to edit
photoshopping a few stills is quick compared to video editing
but you would expect me to say that
Dylan
I guess that video editing will fill those long lonely evenings and wet, windless weekends as well as stills editing
From a very brief skim over a few websites on video editing, I guess the main requisite is to be directly edit AVCH format and forward/backward conversion to MPEG4 (I know nothing about any of the video formats once you move on from 1" and Betamax tape).
you will be surprised at how it will really hoover up your time
I guess thats why lots of people don't bother to edit
photoshopping a few stills is quick compared to video editing
but you would expect me to say that
Dylan
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Ru88ell
Active member
I'm using Videopad. Not really noticed that many problems with it.
Lakesailor
New member
I have Ulead MediaStudio Pro 7, but it's quite old. I see that Corel have taken it over and I'm not a Corel fan.
But like Dylan says, why do you need the update? At our level anything that chops it and has transitions and titling is plenty.
After a bit of a struggle I worked my way through the output options to get reasonably small files for uploading to youtube without losing too much defintion (which I can't afford to do).
I have actually used Windows Live Moviemaker in Windows 7, which does a job (it actually has a rotate control, which was very handy for a clip a friend took in portrait mode) but isn't easy to do more than a simple edit.
I like Adobe and may trial Premier.
But like Dylan says, why do you need the update? At our level anything that chops it and has transitions and titling is plenty.
After a bit of a struggle I worked my way through the output options to get reasonably small files for uploading to youtube without losing too much defintion (which I can't afford to do).
I have actually used Windows Live Moviemaker in Windows 7, which does a job (it actually has a rotate control, which was very handy for a clip a friend took in portrait mode) but isn't easy to do more than a simple edit.
I like Adobe and may trial Premier.
PeterR
Member
Having finally moved away from VHS C tape to a HD camera I have just bought Adobe Premier Elements 9 as a package with Photoshop. The Photshop is great but Premier Elements is the most unstable bit of software I have ever had the misfortune to come across. Some people seem to get on with it OK but a lot of others also complain about its stability.
On my computer (which is pretty high spec with up to date drivers), it will not open properly if any other programme has been used since starting the computer. When it crashes (thats when not if) the only way to get it working again is to turn the computer off and then restart it. Some times several restarts are required to kick it back into life. The same applies if you want to move from one premier project to another. Its so bad I have given up trying to edit any long projects with it. Its just about Ok for making You Tube clips.
I would be grateful for recommendations on decent amateur priced programmes that work reliably.
On my computer (which is pretty high spec with up to date drivers), it will not open properly if any other programme has been used since starting the computer. When it crashes (thats when not if) the only way to get it working again is to turn the computer off and then restart it. Some times several restarts are required to kick it back into life. The same applies if you want to move from one premier project to another. Its so bad I have given up trying to edit any long projects with it. Its just about Ok for making You Tube clips.
I would be grateful for recommendations on decent amateur priced programmes that work reliably.
Scillypete
Well-known member
Try Cyberlink powerdirector it is a good editing software with plenty there and not expensive http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...=aps&hvadid=7651164080&ref=pd_sl_5oof1lwm4x_b
dylanwinter
Active member
Ram - ram - ram
Rock soild on my PC
can't remember the last time I had a crash
dunno how much ram you have on your computer but video editing is really heavy on Ram - fast ram - 4 gigs minimum
easy to buy on the web - easy to install - find a teenager to do it for you if you are frightened of opening up the computer
it sounds as though all the ram you have is being taken up by the other programmes - so it might be time to clean up your registry
also when did you last defrag your hard disks?
if you are editing in HD you are asking the machine to move 25 images (1920 x 1080) every second - double that if you are asking it to do a dissolve - and some more data if you are adding or moving some audio around
Just because a computer can handle photoshop does not mean it can handle HD video
if anyone else is still following this thread then your video files should really be on a separate drive
your c drive will be working like billio attempting to handle the programme - asking it to also lift data from the same drive is a big ask
just a separate partition is not really going to cut the mustard
ideally the temp files on a different drive again - audio separate as well if you can manage it
you can buy pretty good usb drives from the web - two are better than one - cheapos will do
if the software still seems unstable download a free video converter such as TVC
- run your hd footage through it to make it smaller - say sd or half HD (that would be 720 x 1280) that will give you a quarter of the data rate
then see if the software will run it
the other thing to consider is the display card
asking your comoputer to handle premiere pro, two video data streams, an audio stream and also display HD images - probably scaled down to s amsaller iwndow - all done on the fly.....
if you are going to edit hd video you will have to raise your game
guess I should start some on-line seminars
Good luck amd please post your efforts on the web so that we can all see them
Dylan
Rock soild on my PC
can't remember the last time I had a crash
dunno how much ram you have on your computer but video editing is really heavy on Ram - fast ram - 4 gigs minimum
easy to buy on the web - easy to install - find a teenager to do it for you if you are frightened of opening up the computer
it sounds as though all the ram you have is being taken up by the other programmes - so it might be time to clean up your registry
also when did you last defrag your hard disks?
if you are editing in HD you are asking the machine to move 25 images (1920 x 1080) every second - double that if you are asking it to do a dissolve - and some more data if you are adding or moving some audio around
Just because a computer can handle photoshop does not mean it can handle HD video
if anyone else is still following this thread then your video files should really be on a separate drive
your c drive will be working like billio attempting to handle the programme - asking it to also lift data from the same drive is a big ask
just a separate partition is not really going to cut the mustard
ideally the temp files on a different drive again - audio separate as well if you can manage it
you can buy pretty good usb drives from the web - two are better than one - cheapos will do
if the software still seems unstable download a free video converter such as TVC
- run your hd footage through it to make it smaller - say sd or half HD (that would be 720 x 1280) that will give you a quarter of the data rate
then see if the software will run it
the other thing to consider is the display card
asking your comoputer to handle premiere pro, two video data streams, an audio stream and also display HD images - probably scaled down to s amsaller iwndow - all done on the fly.....
if you are going to edit hd video you will have to raise your game
guess I should start some on-line seminars
Good luck amd please post your efforts on the web so that we can all see them
Dylan
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Halcyon Yachts
Well-known member
I use a Xacti (On Dylans advice!).
I am very happy with it... Extremely portable, great battery life, and good quality images.
It struggles in low light and if you zoom too much it will struggle to focus - but for the price, fantastic! I highly recommend getting a tripod as well - I use a very portable Velbon.
My latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsX9iZ2kQMo
Pete
I am very happy with it... Extremely portable, great battery life, and good quality images.
It struggles in low light and if you zoom too much it will struggle to focus - but for the price, fantastic! I highly recommend getting a tripod as well - I use a very portable Velbon.
My latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsX9iZ2kQMo
Pete
dylanwinter
Active member
very good
very good indeed
it would be hard to argue with the quality of the images, the camerawork or the editing
all round great stuff
Dylan
very good indeed
it would be hard to argue with the quality of the images, the camerawork or the editing
all round great stuff
Dylan
tudorsailor
Well-known member
Really nice video. Nice music and clever touches with the speeded up bits. How did you do that.
I am looking for a video camera to film hand operations that I do. Can Dylon or others advise on a camera with a swivel screen, zoom, ability to screw to a gorillapod and has a remote. I think I need a swivel screen that will allow one to see what is being filmed with the camera pointing so at least 90 degrees. High quality is not essential as will put clips onto the Net. Then I can fix it to the light above the operation, see that it is filming the right area and get an assistant to film when required by using the remote
Thanks
TS
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