Good camera for FCE 4 up to $600

Hi. I am a teacher and need recommendations for a camera that will easily interface with FCE 4. Middle school students (12-13 yrs) will be using it so it needs to be straight forward and sturdy.
Thank you very much for your suggestions,
Akamai Mom

I have a Sony HD Bloggie as a cheap HD camcorder, that's under $200 at BHPhoto, and uses a memory stick. The reviews say it doesn't work in low light very well, I haven't run it thru a lot of tests yet myself (it's my second camera when I need two angles, I'll know how it goes in a couple days if I get this project working, but initially the video looks good).
Nice thing about this is it's easy and there's not many controls. You flip open the view screen and it's on. Obviously it's not for professional use.

Similar Messages

Good HD camera for FCE - Sanyo? Canon? Sony?

I'm looking for a good HD camera for FCE (1920 × 1080 pixels; no tape, no HDD--just Memory).
Is anyone here using the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1010?
I could only find sample videos of the older HD1000 here:
http://www.sanyo-dsc.com/products/lineup/dmx_hd1000/feature/02/index.html
Is the quality of the HD1010 better?
Or can someone recommend Canon (HF100?) or Sony?
Thanks!

Please have a look at these cutouts of your examples:
http://rcpt.yousendit.com/633305198/9a2d60f9d7f9fc6d3cb974cb9c10637f
During horizontal movements it doesn't look very good too. Why...?
I looked for other 1920 x 1080 sample movies on Vimeo, and most of them looked MUCH better than yours:
(I could only watch the MOVs and MP4s -- no MPGs, AVIs and WMVs -- where can I find the right plugins for QT...?)
========== MP4 ========== :
http://vimeo.com/2066768
http://vimeo.com/download/video:85836840?e=1228936457&h=2d7b989dcf3f726fc880a27a aadff6d1&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/877353
http://vimeo.com/download/video:50936435?e=1228955488&h=df124d3cddca933233288311 75b79139&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/874048
http://vimeo.com/download/video:50539882?e=1228955762&h=9b71b56a5f62f8eced16590f de439e7d&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/942167
http://vimeo.com/download/video:57750895?e=1228955923&h=dd160ef7e478e5be2e50ed81 058a9157&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"Camera Settings: FXP (of course), 24P, Cine. No post processing was done other than inverse telecine to get the true 24p"
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/1579639
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84938054?e=1228959874&h=0c3089fe59bb0df08a40a040 a70b197d&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"This exportation is on Sony Avc codec. Vimeo has problems with this codec upload: the message "holding pattern" appears at least during a few hours."
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/877968
http://vimeo.com/download/video:51008096?e=1228960326&h=0cc7f8fea66894ca44d96177 3aa0e7af&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"convert from MTS to MP4 with sony vegas 8.0"
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/861101
http://vimeo.com/download/video:49260260?e=1228961001&h=a1083709d6cd6bc2e48cd07d e536e317&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"1080p 30p 17MBps FXP mode - converted from MTS to MP4 with sony vegas 8.0"
PLAYS FINE!
http://vimeo.com/1514388
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84825675?e=1228962554&h=a80ca03d041ef53e919d7ea7 9ed8e744&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!!!
http://vimeo.com/1864942
http://vimeo.com/download/video:85474329?e=1228963133&h=2573a3eb8c5ae7d576196388 802e2aaf&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
PLAYS FINE!!!
http://vimeo.com/2154180
http://vimeo.com/download/video:86001721?e=1228959239&h=cb519c4feb867880ba79a9b5 68dc7053&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
QT CRASHES!
http://vimeo.com/894341
http://vimeo.com/download/video:52665086?e=1228961606&h=2a4710fe92e4dfa00c6484ae bfef21a1&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"This was Auto W/B and 30p. I'm finding that I like 30p over 60i. Tried 24p cinema, and it just looks washed out and lower frame rate - not very 'cinema'."
("like the 30p mode better than the 60i. My preferred mode is 24i in "cinema" setting, which gives a very "film-like" look."
=> "The file is not a movie file")
========= MOV ========== :
http://vimeo.com/2378443
http://vimeo.com/download/video:86419131?e=1228958152&h=1cb1ef84ed244b96b4576ffc d90bd02c&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
"Filmed in 30 P mode, 17 Mb/sec, Auto WB (a bit off sometimes) - Imported with Voltaic, edited with iMovie HD 6.0, exported to quicktime"
PLAYS FINE!!!
========== MPG ========== :
http://vimeo.com/899186
http://vimeo.com/download/video:53171708?e=1228931308&h=df2d4c269528ffc673bc3d02 2ae3104c&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/894555
http://vimeo.com/download/video:52681869?e=1228931474&h=7a395d836a0906269c4ac3d7 eff8d00c&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1292168
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84425502?e=1228943723&h=8885d04465f053b9afc447a1 1d430766&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1520726
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84836028?e=1228962415&h=46517f95818fea61e06956f4 d6b1dea7&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
========== AVI ========== :
http://vimeo.com/1503128
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84805116?e=1228935141&h=805d18efa32ec220d7467637 f465ab1a&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1503232
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84805245?e=1228935912&h=2ea157e92bad012e97049785 e63f94af&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1106220
http://vimeo.com/download/video:74189151?e=1228942452&h=a6aae713f083231390a259a6 14ec95aa&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1503565
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84805739?e=1228957994&h=95884c6895ded635aa897780 4f257560&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
http://vimeo.com/1411052
http://vimeo.com/download/video:84641392?e=1228961508&h=743a1989a3f1ff9efc7b528c b32fbfa5&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
========== WMV ========== :
http://vimeo.com/1826169
http://vimeo.com/download/video:85400735?e=1228961889&h=98c5a8978f25f37975cbc963 d93fbef5&uh=caa1c7c9d562c96ad50ce7a8454a1de1
So the Canon HF100 seems to be a really good camcorder,
but it may be difficult to find the best export settings in FCE...?

Good Camera for sports & action

I am a photographer for a independent wrestling company and looking to invest in a new camera that matches the quality I need to take quite a few Action shots and fast speed photos I need advice with what would be a good camera for sports or alot of action I need something that will be capable of taking photos when there is alot of movement and not blurr the picture. also that will be good with keeping battery power that wont need to be charged as often or have batteries replaced frequently because these shows can be 1-3 hours long and I dont have time to rotate batteries or worry if the photo is blurred out. if someone can suggest or guide me to a camera that might be affordable or fit the description I will greatly appreciate it I would use this camera often so its got to be something that will be reliable with the job I have

+1 for the D90. Or if a Canon interests you, Canon's T1i is about the same class as the Nikon D90. You'll need to handle both to see which one appeals to you. Or if you are thinking of semi-pro/pro class bodies, look for a used Nikon D300 (can be found used for around $1100) or a new Canon 50D ($1300 @ BB). The 50D kinda falls between the D90 and D300. The 50D and D300 will be bigger than the T1i and D90 physically so if you have smaller hands these may be easier.
Lenses. Since wrestling events I've been too (yes I'll admit I've gone to a WWE event a couple times) the rings are pretty well lit. You may get away with a straight f/4.
Canon has a nice 17-40 ($840) but that may be a bit wide IMO. Maybe start with a 24-105 f/4 IS USM($1250). Only experience I've had with Canon lenses is when I play with friends Canons.
Nikon really doesnt have much for a straight f/4 lens in a range like Canon does (which irks me since theres times I dont need a f/2.8 nor in a shoot where the lense could get damaged). Also Nikon lenses arent exactly cheap and are a bit more $$$ than its Canons counterparts. But the glass IS extremely high quality. For fast action I wouldnt use 3rd party lenses for a Nikon. Nikons AF-S (focus motors are built in the lens) snaps instantly into focus. A screw drive lense (Nikon AF-D) uses the focus motor in the body and is slightly slower. Even my Nikon AF-S 600mm f/4 literally snaps into focus on 550mph jets at airshows. I have a few 3rd party lenses and even though the IQ of the lens is near Nikon quality, focus speed isnt as fast (even Sigma's HSM lenses dont focus as fast as AF-S in my experience).
Which ever brand you get, Canon or Nikon, they are both high quality equipment. I always recommend only these two brands of cameras for DSLR's. These are the two top dogs.
King of the World...

Best HD Camera for FCE 4.0.1

I am looking at the Panasonic HDC TM700k vs Canon VIXIA HF S21.
I have read a lot of puzzling information about folks having trouble importing footage from some cameras into FCE, including problems with the 60p on the Panasonic.
Any truth to this? Will I have trouble in FCE with either camera?
Message was edited by: BigOrange1

No experience with the Panasonic, but here's a recent thread of someone's problems with it:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=11457489#11457489
The Canon I can vouch for-- not that model in particular model, but Vixias in general all use an FCE-friendly form of AVCHD as far as I know.

Good camera for Aperture?

Hello. I am looking for a good camera that is not a DSLR. I have found a Sony that has 12.1MP and would like some opinions before I make the purchase. Any help would be appreciated. Here is the link to the camera at Sony's site: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=1055 1&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=20008504

There's only 1 'compact' camera that I'm aware of that still supports RAW which is where you would get most of your advantage with using Aperture. The camera in question is the Leica D-Lux 3 which is a superb camera although a little pricey. I've borrowed one once and it took pictures that were quite frankly unbelievable when compared even with some pictures from a D200 Nikon. Have a look at http://www.leica-camera.co.uk/photography/compactcameras/d-lux3/ and try not to make your decision too much on the price. If you really want to get the best from Aperture and your Camera then the Leica would be my choice. If you're not hung up on the size, then Panasonic's mentioned here are also superb but the later ones such as the FZ-18 aren't supported which is Apertures downfall against Lightroom but that's a whole new topic.

What is the best simple prosumer camera for FCE?

What is the simplest high quality camera to shoot, import to FCE with the least amount of conversion of footage time? Currently have Canon Vixia and all the conversions to get a simple output for the web are wearing on me! Your experience and expertise is appreciated. I work on PowerMacs, no intel processors.

Depending on your needs a DSLR might be a good way to go. You can get a Canon T3i for around $600. It's a great camera, I've outlined the pros and cons I've found after working with everything from bottom-of-the-line Rebels to the 5D Mk III. I love them for what I do, but you'll have to try one out and see for yourself.
The cons:
Battery consumption. My canon battery lasts about an hour of shooting at the most. Buy lots of batteries and keep them charged!
Overheating. They do warm up quick and they will overheat in sunlight. Have some sort of shade for them and you'll be fine!
12 minute record time. Shooting at the highest quality, you cannot shoot more than 12 minutes at a time. If you're doing an interview, you will be taking lots of breaks.
No autofocus. If you shoot scripted material this is no problem, as you should be manually focusing anyways. However, keep in mind that most DSLR's do not have proper autofocus during recording. Those that do have a LONG way to go before they will really be useful. These cameras are just not made to do it.
The benefits are:
Shooting MOV format, though it is compressed in H.264 which is not very edit friendly. You can do it, just make sure that once you finish editing your sequence, change your sequence settings to Apple Intermediate Codec and re-render the whole sequence before you export.
Interchangeable lenses. You get the whole lineup of Canon lenses to choose from, plus any other companies lens with an adapter.
Depth of field. The larger image sensor lets you blur out your background for cinematic looks that add another level of professionalism.
Low Light performance. Large sensors also are great in dark conditions as they capture much more light, giving better colors and lower noise.
SD card recording. They're fast, reliable and cheap. You can buy 10 and just keep switching them out once they're full, no dealing with tapes or discs.
Plus, you can shoot stills too! I know its a lot of information but I hope it helps!

Can't find the list of supported cameras for FCE

Found the one for Final Cut, but not FCE.
Anyone have a link?
I'm looking to get a new video camera and I don't want to go through my last FCE-camera debacle. I had bought a DSLR with HD movie capability and FCE didn't like the camera's best format. I couldn't find a codec that would work properly. Only an iMovie >>> FCE workflow would do the job with a quality loss.
Eventually, after some trial and error, I found that one of the camera's other video formats would work with one of the Apple codecs. Only problem, I have to shoot at a reduced quality.
Looking to avoid a repeat.

Meg The Dog wrote:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2948
good list ... thanks

Best Camera for FCE under 3K?

I produce semi-professional videos for the corporate world. fifteen to twenty minute shorts designed to convey engineering details for commercial real estate. I'm going to use FCE as the NLE to put it all together. My question is, WHICH CAMERA IS BEST to use if FCE is going to be the editor. I'm not looking for a BestBuy camera, but I don't need a $10,000.00 Sony either. I want to get as many professional features as possible thought for around $2K to 3K. Furthermore, I've heard that many codex are not compatible with FCE.
Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Presumably you are looking for something like the Canon GL2 ......
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=165&mo delid=7512

Boss wants to get Sony HDR-FX7 - is it a good camera with FCE HD?

I don't want to get stuck with a camera that doesn't do justice to the software.
I've heard on this forum that the Panasonic Dvx 100B is one of the best choices but is not HD. The boss says he is willing to go for HD because it will be implemented more in the future and he wants to be ready for it.
Can any of you give your experienced comments on this?
Thanks,
Ken

All Hail,
From our company to you, thanks for each response here. The boss says he is appreciative of the input and is holding off on the purchase of a camera until he is sure he is getting the right one, that maybe the FX1 is the right one.
He sends his thanks, and I thank you too.
As my own personal request, I must repeat the above question for the FX1, I notice it produces mpeg2 format, which I assume needs to be processed through Streamclip before it can be read by FCE HD?
Ken

Good tutorials for FCE HD please?

books mainly and i know our own Tom is an author of a few
so i was gonna go and grab a couple books today re FCE HD, i wanted one to cover some basic stuff, and the other more advanced SFX etc like cloning, green screen techniques etc
(have been messing around and managed to make some cool scenes with light sabers, laser blast etc )
was looking at 50 Fast Final Cut Express Techniques but its dated 2003 so as i have FCE HD 3.5.1 would this be outdated please?
thanks for any suggestions including toms own books!

You can get it from Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Class-Demand-Educational-Training-Tutorial/dp/B000JJ3Y6Y/r ef=sr113?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1218821521&sr=8-13
or directly from Class on Demand
http://www.classondemand.net/ClassOnDemand/final-cut-training/fcehd.aspx

A good miniDV camera for footage capture for FC6?

I've got a Macbook Pro and FC6 and I'm looking to buy a miniDV camera just for the purpose of capturing my footage. I'm looking for a cheap camera, like the Samsung SC-D382, but don't know what sort of specifications to look for. Can I use a USB cable to capture footage, or does it need to be a 6 pin firewire cable? Also, does anyone have any recommendations regarding cheap but good cameras for capturing? Thanks!

look for a camera that also has A/V inputs and will pass them through to firewire. That way, if the need arises, you can capture from an analog source such as a VCR (archiving, perhaps). This is a great budget solution, as dedicated D/A converters can cost as much as or more than a cheap miniDV camera.

Need New Camera for Vacation (Please Read)

This summer I am going out West and going to Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. As you may know there is plenty of beautiful sceneries, and wildlife to enjoy in this part of the U.S. So I am wanting to take some of it back with me and show my family some of the great pictures I took. Last year I went and got to see many things that my old camera couldn't focus or zoom in good enough. So I have made the decision to go camera looking again. I'm looking for a camera that can zoom fairly well that doesn't get all fuzzy. I'm a pretty big guy and my hands are quite large, so I'm not looking for one of those little cameras that fit in the palm of your hand. I need something that where I push down the button and everything will remain steady, and I'm looking around in the price range of $200-$250 dollars. If anybody can help on giving some recommendations, I will be forever thankful.
Thanks

No, I actually don't know anybody that has a DSLR. I've decided that's not what I needed. I'm by far no professional photographer and for me to spend that much money for a used or older camera, when I only will use it once or twice a year would be ridiculous. I took some pretty good pictures last year when I went out west and even won a picture contest with the little Canon Powershot my aunt had given me when she bought her new camera. I was just thinking about possibly getting something new because 1) I have lost my old camera 2) I was wanting something with a little more zoom. I have been researching and CNET and alot of other reviews that I have read say that the Sony Cybershot DSC-H20B is really good camera for my price range. Anybody got any comments on the Sony Cybershot DSC-H20B?

Need a good flash video camera for use with my Mac...Suggestions?

I have been looking at these things for weeks, and have heard remarks about different cameras not converting over to a mac very well. There is so much noise out there about different Cameras. At this point, I think I have it narrowed down that I want one with removeable/replaceable memory cards, and an HD Model. Looking to spend not much over a grand for a basic starter kit (bag, filters, lens covers, chargers, etc) and camera with a 2 year over factory warrantee, with ample memory. I am driving Cross-country with my brother who is getting out of the military and want to be able to make use of the footage I get. I want a good camera that I can easily make work with the Mac editing programs without having to purchase a bunch of extraneous programs, etc.
Suggestions?

I have the Panasonic HDC-SD5 and it works well.
Be sure to pick a camera off this list:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1014

Just wrapped a project with the F55. Good camera. Pity this place has basicaly become a selling list for it.

I bought a used F55 3 months ago for a doc project where I needed a global shutter camera and didn't want to put up with the Blackmagics. I paid 15k for it. I just sold it again for the same 15K, so basically it was a free rental. The camera was perfect for the project. The global shutter really made a difference and it is small enough for some run and gun. All together it's a very good camera. Not even close to the drag that is using a FS7.Although the F55 is not a camera I would say makes cinematic images like the Alexa or F35 and if I was shooting a narrative project I would proabably not go with it, for this project I couldn't have choosen a better camera. For anything else other than narrative I would have no problem using it again. It is very very flexible. It's a real pity that this forum has become basically a selling list selling F5s, F55s and recorder instead of discussing how to get the best out of these cameras. If not a for sale post it's generally some rant or complain about what Sony is not doing. The camera is great. Enough said.

ghupka wrote:
..not to mention that the whole concept of buying a camera for a single shoot and reselling it is more of a producer/accountant approach. Most of us who buy cameras want to use them for multiple projects over a longer term, and/or get supplemental rentals from them. It's that environment where the F-55 shines - You want 4K raw files? Sure. You want HD MPEG 422/50? No problem. Etc. etc. One camera that can shoot anything from a feature film to a news story.
Even though I have my share of things I would like to see improved, I've said before that the F-55 earned its purchase price back faster than any other camera I've owned.What if the whole concept of buying a camera for a single shoot and reselling it is more of a producer/accountant approach? How is that a problem? The reason I sold the F55 again is because I don't need it! This was a special project where it's abilities made everything easier. But for the record I also used a F3 mixed with the F55 for some shots where the rolling shutter was no problem and it cuts just fine too. If I had enough jobs that would use the F55 and no other camera would do I would have kept it. But to be honest I don't. Even this docu is being finished in HD and 4K was never even brought up. The global shutter and real pro features is what brought me to the F55 for this. But leaving it sitting in a closet till the next eventual job that would need it didn't make sense. By the way I couldn't care less if people are selling their F55. Yes, this ****** massive selling trend is what allowed me to get a very good deal on a F55 with LCD viewfinder for only 15K. From a person who wanted to get rid of it to buy an Amira. Good for me, yes. My complain is not about people selling. Is about people using this forum as a selling list. Use Ebay or a forum that has a classifieds section instead of polluting this forum with your for sale adds. Every other thread is a for sale. Just in the first page now we have 8 for sale threads! This forum is to discuss the camera. When I got the F55 it was an annoyance to look through threads for tips with every other thread being somebody pimping the camera sale. Sony, please open a classified forum and prohibit people from advertising on the normal forums, like every other civilized camera forums does. Keep things much more clean and organized.

One good use for a PC

Found one good use for my vaio laptop.
I had a problem that went like this:
Adventures in Sony Mini DVD land....
Original Message ( Posted Oct 11, 05 7:49 am )
OK...
I've read & digested all the good advice 'round here regarding getting DVD into FCE.
SCENE 1, Act 1:
Customer gives me Sony Mini DVD's recorded on an NTSC cam, and wants an edit deleiverd in DVD NTSC. I live in a PAL country. And I own a cheap camera that doesn't appear to have any kind of NTSC playback or recording option. I use this to digitize. So recording the analogue output of my DVD player is out.
Paid my money and got DVDxDV..
YAY! working well EXCEPT!!!......
SCENE 2: ...these DVD's are dual sided. the contents of side 1 show up as what I assume are chapters. These I converted to NTSC for Final Cut and everything is rosy. However the final chapter thingy seems to be an fast forward silent montage of the contents of side 2 of the disc.
The other side of the disc placed upwards in the DVD tray gives me no joy in either DVDxDV or in Macs DVD player. The superdrive won't touch it.. Both sides play on my domestic player.
Anyone got any experience/advice/ideas/condolences to share?
Tearing my hair out, and if you've seen my picture (think Yoda but pink) you'll understand why that can't be a good thing...
Pete
Then..
UPDATE:
the superfast forward montage thing is stills captured to the disc.
I used disc utulity to make a new disc image (.cdr) which has a ts_video folder and a DCIM folder which has stills in it.
No idea of whether or not I'm getting anything from side two in amongst all those chaptery thingos I converted.
Now I have a Video TS folder I might try opening THAT with DVDxDV.....
+ + + + +
Well no joy with side 2 till I had this flash...
Sony Laptop, sony proprietary stupid format. Maybe if I...
Then bingo! The vaio recognized the files, I copied them to a cdr, and i carried the disc over to my uncooperative mac.
So the whole thing is laid out here for anyone who ever gets lumped with this kid of edit job.
BTW Google was totally useless on this topic (where the dual sided version of these dumb sony 8cm DVD's was concerned)
So, as it turns out, this info could be worth somethin'...to someone...

Thanks for the feedback Master Y.
PCs do come in handy. I use one every day for various duties.
I still love my Mac, even thoug hit's done quite a few laps.
Al

Good camera for FCE 4 up to $600

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