Camcorders/Video Cameras recommendationsfpr FCP or FCE

I wish to buy my daughter a Camcorder/Video Camera suitable for use with Final Cut Pro/Final Cut Express. She is doing Film Studies A level at the present, and her school uses FC Express. The Uni she wants to do Film Studies at, uses FC Pro. She is also keen to have something that takes stills, is HD and uses SD cards. We are looking to spend between £100-250 (approx $140-300 ish). Any suggestions... I have been poring over lots of Amazon entries, spoken to Apple, and also combed through the forums - and I hav'nt found anything yet I'm confident is the correct choice. Please can all you experienced FCE and FCP Gurus out thier give us some advice - Cheers !!

Well, on a Mac that's running 10.5.2 and probably QuickTime 7.4.5 or later, I would lean toward FCE 4 for stability into the future. I'd remove all vestiges of FCE 3.5 from the machine and then install FCE4. (ps You don't have to remove SoundTrack if you are using it and want to keep it). And you only need to purchase the FCE4 upgrade; you will enter both the v3.5 and v4 serial numbers when you install FCE4.
The basic editing capabilities are the same and FCE 4 added support for AVCHD on Intel Macs plus some FXPlug filters.
As for FCP, if your target is YouTube videos, I can't imagine what you would need FCP for.

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FCE: Possible to Capture SD footage from digital video cam?

Ok, probably a daft question this. Don't laugh...
I'm thinking of purchasing a digital video camera that uses SD cards. I currently use a MiniDV cam and connect via Firewire.
Is it possible to capture footage shot on SD cards into FCE?
And, if so, should I use USB from the camera, or insert the SD card into my card-reader?
The camera I'm looking at is able to record HD footage to a 2gb SD card (about 40 mins worth)
Thanks for your time!

Cheers Tom, I think you just saved me a small fortune..
Here's the camera: http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/camcorders/0,39029967,49263047,00.htm
(is it ok to link outside of the forums?)
In case the link get removed by a moderator, the model is the Sanyo VPC-HD1

I have Video camera movies that are HD format.. I am doing editing work on them using Final Cut Pro, but using DV PAL format for the projects I am editing. When I then tried to copy my work done in FCP Project that's originally DV PAL , into a new FCP Pro

I have Video camera movies that are HD format.. I am doing editing work on them using Final Cut Pro, but using DV PAL format for the projects I am editing. When I then tried to copy my work done in FCP Project that's originally DV PAL , into a new FCP Project that is HD, and tried reconnect media with original HD movies (video), the sequence project got distorted for all the text, shapes used and all.. everything changed its orientation and scale.. Is there a way by which I can preserve my work done on DV PAL and switch it preserving its proportions, scale and orientation, but on a HD project sequence?? Appreciate your help and advice..

Yes. A couple of ways that might work.
First Way
What you need to do is load one of your hd clips in the viewer and edit into a new HD sequence. Does it display correctionly?
OK, select the clip in the hd timeline and copy (command-c). Now go to the HD sequence with the material that's distorted. Select all (command-a) and paste attributes (option-v) and choose basic motion and distort. That should maek things work. What won't work is anything that you've adjusted as far as basic motion or distort in your PAL sequence. That I'm pretty sure you'll have to redo.
Second Way.
Choose your original PAL sequence and do a Media Manage changing the sequence preset to the appropriate HD paramenters with the media offline. You then should be able to reconnect these clips with your original HD media.

Re: Best video camera to work w/ FCP

Hi All!
I need a video camera that is easily compatable w/ FCP. My husband bought a Panasonic SDR-H85 and
I would need a $99.00 video converter...and I don't like the camera..not crisp...too grainy.
So I am looking for a family video camera ranging from $300.00-400.00. We shoot basketball games,
ski trips and baseball games. And we have imovie, which is fine, but my job has FCP and I have a copy on my imac here at home, so I would like to have my home videos in FCP because then I can
add effects and make them sing!
Thanks for all your help!

Seriously - you think X was being rude?
I think he politely told you everything you need to know. Really - this question comes up a LOT. Search is your friend:
http://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?objID=f939&search=Go&q=bestvideocamera
That turns up almost two hundred posts in the last 90 days alone. Granted, not all of them will be what you need, but some of them will be. X was just trying to show you how to fish...
If you have questions after doing that level of investigation, you can ask specifics...
regards,
Patrick

Video Camera that is FCE friendly?

I have a JVC Everio GZ-MG37U. It records using .mod files.
Can anyone recommend a video camera that works well within iMovie and exports to Final Cut Express well?
Currently mine will import to iMovie just fine, but when exported to FCE all the pictures and video is zoomed in (ie: picture or video of girls face is zoomed into her nose).
Thanks,
Phil

Although it is possible, it is not a good idea to capture in iMovie and transfer it to FCE.
You should stick to one or the other.
Regarding cameras for FCE, any tape-based DV or HDV camera will be fine. AVCHD cameras using memory cards etc. will also work with FCE 4.

Flip Video Camera Compatiblilty with FCE 4.1

I was wondering about the Flip video camera's compatibility with my Mac set up. I have a PowerMac G5/Power PC, with Tiger 10.4.11. I'm using FCE 4.1. I also wondered about after dumping video into the Mac, and putting it in FCE, is there (the dreaded red line) RENDER time for every single clip put in a sequence. I know there are different versions of these cameras after viewing them online. Some say they are compatible with Power PC G4 or better. Others say you need the Intel based Mac. Any info. much appreciated!

Any suggestions on another small video camera like this that video will not have to be converted?
All these small video cameras use highly compressed delivery (or proprietary) codecs to record the video. There is no way around it - even when using Final Cut Pro, which has a much wider degree of latitude with regard to editable formats.
My advice, just develop a work flow that ingests and converts as standard practice. Create a batch process and go have something refreshing to drink while you wait for it to complete.
Have fun,
x

FCP compatibility with Everio & new HD, HDD video cameras

Hey, I have this beautiful list of hard drive/DVD+R hi def video cameras below. I'm set on the JVC Everio series, but i want to know from my fellow FCP users on how well these new AVCHD based cameras work in Final Cut. And is the 1920x1080 HD footage compressed or uncompressed and will I need to format the footage to DVCPROHD to reduce render times? I currently shoot with a Sony A1U, HDV based video camera and I am editing the 1080i based footage in native HDV on a Dual Core MacBook Pro. I have also converted the footage to DVCProHD on several occassions to reduce render times.
1. Panasonic HDC-SX5
2. Sony HDR-UX7
3. Hitachi DZ-BD7H
4. Canon HR10
5. Samsung SC-HMX10
6. Sony HDR-CX7
7. Panasonic AG-HSC1
8. Sony HDR-SR5
9. Canon HG10
10. JVC GZ-HD3
11. JVC GZ-HD7
12. JVC MG255
13. JVC MG155
14. JVC MG130

HDV is highly compressed, probably compressed more than any other format any camera shoots. The format is an MPEG stream. (takes a long time to render effects etc with it, however FCP 6 improved it a bit. You can capture native via firewire, then render to ProRes faster... it's a setting found in the sequence's settings.
There is a list of qualified devices for FCP here: http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/resources/devicelist.php
Might take a peek there if no one can confirm that your camera of choice works.
Jerry

Video cameras compatibles with iMovie6 or FCP 5 ???

Please: which is the link which gives the list of the video cameras
compatible with iMovie6 and CPF 5 ???
thank you for the answer.

Apple's original compatible camcorders page was never kept properly up-to-date, as Apple just couldn't test every single camcorder which was produced.
So now Apple just refers people to the camcorder makers' own pages ..in that link (above) posted by Kirk.

Can recommend a slim/mini video camera that is compatible with FCE ?

I have some technical problem.
My video camera is too big in size to film in between spaces. My friend has build a model of a few cluster of flats. He wants me to help him film the spaces between the flats from the bird's eye perspective. By bird's eye perspective, he meant to say he wants me to record what the bird can see if the bird fly surrounding the flats & between the flats & then make turns surrounding the buildings.
My present video is too bulky to squeeze into those small models.
I think the only way is to purchase a video camera that is so slim like a shape if pencil so that it can go in between the blocks.
Where can I buy this ? Will this type of video (if exist) records video in good quality & compatible with FCE4 ?
Thanks

Hi(Bonjour)!
You should look in Radio-Controled airplane model equipment. There are mini camera that mount on the model and broadcast the video on the air to a receiver that can be connected to a camcorder. You can connect them on any VCR
See example:
http://www.vimeo.com/2189945
one of the supplier of the KX-171 :
http://www.rangevideo.com/index.php?mainpage=product_info&productsid=96
Other models:
http://www.trendtimes.com/camera.html
http://www.wonderhobby.com/smmiwicospyc.html
Google with "how to install a mini camera in a model airplane?"
Michel Boissonneault
Message was edited by: Michel Boissonneault

Is there a preferred Video Camera in the forum for use with FCE?

I am on the hunt for a new HD camcorder in the 800 to 1200 US dollar range. Is there a preferred recording format or anything specific to look for that will help my camera work best with FCE or better yet are there things I should try to avoid?
I am looking for something compact so that I can carry it with me on trips easily, but still give a good quality HD image. Thanks

The main consideration is that AVCHD is a hard drive based format whereas HDV is tape based. The nature of tapes is that they're relatively inexpensive so it's not such a big deal to save your tapes as backups in case you ever need to restore your project from the original footage. For AVCHD on the other hand, you'd need to make a backup by copying the whole file directory to an external drive for safe keeping, and if the drive fails or gets corrupted then you are out of luck.
There are other less important things to keep in mind. AVCHD can reach a maximum resolution of 1920x1080, whereas HDV by comparison reaches its peak at 1440x1080. I've heard some say that AVCHD cameras generally work less well in low lighting conditions, but I personally haven't noticed too much of a difference. Finally, the market seems to generally be moving away from a tape based workflow. Not that AVCHD is exactly the format of the future (and you'll certainly be able to purchase DV tapes for a while to come), but it's something to keep in mind. FCE deals with the two formats differently as well, and it might be wise to skim over both the section in the User Manual about capturing and the one about the "Log and Transfer" process.
As far as bugginess is concerned, I wouldn't say that one format is prone to more problems than the other. As long as you read up on the capture or ingest process before attempting anything you should be fine.
Finally, keep in mind the fact that FCE transcodes both HDV and AVCHD into the Apple Intermediate Codec upon capture or ingest. AIC usually runs at about 41-50GB per hour, so you'll want to make sure that you have a fast external firewire drive to use as a scratch disk when editing to store your media.
Sasha

Recommendations for Semi-Pro or Pro HD Video camera to use with fcp and Mac

Recommendations for Semi-Pro or Pro HD Video camera to use with fcpX and Mac with auto settings and ability to override, need to add external mic or 2. Am one person crew so needs to be easy to use.

And check out the Panasonic AG-AC90. Very good specs for a prosumer unit. Everything in the semi-pro area will involve trade offs for sure. Key thing is to study up enough to know what your needs are vs what trade off are involved in the various models. The ag-ac90 trade off (one of them) is diffraction limited sharpness.

FCP 7 compatible video camera ?

Interested in knowing the most compatible video cameras with FCP7 ?

we can go back and forth on this at a semantic level:
So was it the footage and codec that were incompatible?
Or are we talking about machine control? (the inability of the computer to connect to the device, in this case a camera, and control it via rs 422 or firewire?
Or is it AVCHD which is incompatible.
There are a number of codecs and formats that are not "native," to Final Cut, or any of the editing systems. In which case a rather large number of consumer level cameras will have to considered incompatible, as well as a number of professional devices. I really believe that it's a matter of workflow: there are some that work and some that do not. There are definitely incompatible workflows. These do not, it is my belief, condemn the cameras involved to the status of incompatible and therefore not useable. Incompatible is a highly charged term in my estimation.

HD cam with FCP 5.1.4 ?

Hi everybody, as I encounter big problems with my DV Canon XM1, I plan to buy a new one maybe HD cam.
I saw that most of those cams have USB connection and no more FW, will I be able to capture an HD cam from FCP ?
I doubt of it but can you tell me how could I do, would be very nice.
Thanx
Steve
Message was edited by: bullit_steve

Most if not all of these camcorders record AVCHD. You can import these files through USB to ProRes or the AIC.
Depending on what you shoot though, I'd consider HDV tape cameras if you shoot with a lot of motion... the AIC codec isn't very clean, and ProRes is fine if there's not tons of movement in the shots. HDV will transcode to ProRes HQ which takes care of that, and it is supported natively in FCP (no transcoding works much like DV captures).
Also if budget allows, there are other choices here which are better video formats than HDV or AVCHD... P2 comes to mind, and just around the corner (say at NAB in April '09) there will very likely be a watershed of new cameras... RED is planning a whopper for example. Will just BLOW away anything in the price range. These cameras are shooting RAW photography... better than HD, can be transcoded to HD for delivery, but look like 35mm film. I gotta say, there are very big changes on the horizon in this area. Course, they will be likely in the 3-5k range in price though probably. Check out http://www.red.com for more if you're interested.
Jerry

I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD.

I do video productions for a small local TV station. I use Final Cut Express to edit. I need a new video camera but am at a loss as to what to buy. I know I will get a digital camera but do not know the difference between just digital and digital HD. Also, I can not afford an expensive camera and need some advice on which of the available cameras would be best and also work well with a Mac. One last issue, I currently use a Panasonic #CCD camera that takes a tape. When I load video to Final Cut the audio and video are out of sinc. Go figure. Can anyone help with these questions. Karen

Hello Karen,
If you are using Final Cut Express, then look for camcorders that are AVCHD camcorders. Look especially for the AVCHD logo and specific mention of AVCHD in the specs. Most of the major manufacturers produce good quality camdcorders - Canon, Sony, etc.
Also, be aware that there are a lot of "not quite AVCHD" camcorders on the market (sometimes they say they record video as MPEG4-H.264/AVC) - buyer beware!
Most everything you are going to find on the market today is HD, which stands for "high-def".
Regarding your question about the Panasonic camcorder, it's best if you post that as a separate question, and please identify the specific model camcorder and the Easy Setup you are using in FCE.

What video cameras are compatible with Final Cut Express?

I live in Japan and was thinking of buying a Victor " Full High Definition" video camera (1920x1080). The only thing I was warned about by the salesperson is that unless I have a Blue-Ray DVD recorder/player, I will never be able to enjoy true Full HD after burning my video to a DVD. I guess regular DVD recorders/players can't support it yet.
I have searched to find a page that tells me what video camera is compatible with my iMac G5, but no luck. Any ideas on how to find out before buying a video camera? I would appreciate anyone's advice.
Thanks, Larry in Japan
iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.9)

...snip...
You want to stay away from recordable-DVD and hard-disk camcorders,
...snip...
Hope you don't mind me asking why? - As long as they've got a F/W connector how does the source media make any difference? - In fact, I would think that shuttling around would be faster with HD's or DVD's.....
I also believe the salesperson was trying to say that he's going to need a BluRay deck in order to be able to view his HD material on an appropriately equipped TV - Which is correct, no?
Thanks in advance for any comments,
Cheers,
Ian
MBP 2.16G / 2GB FCE 3.5 Mac OS X (10.4.9) etc etc

Camcorders/Video Cameras recommendationsfpr FCP or FCE

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