video camera?

[Weasel]

One more question before I order it.

Can I use a patch cord to transfer my 8mm analog video from the camcorder to the Canon digital?

[Tom Mussatto]

Weez, if the 50 has analog to digital passthrough you can. You will have to use your A/V outpout connection rather than firewire to move analog. If the 50 has S-Video connection use that instead of the component fitting for better quality.

I'm pretty sure the 50 has this capability but check the specs on the cam to be sure.

If the 50 by chance does not have analog to digital passthrough you can still convert the analog to digital by capturing the footage to your computer (which digitizes the signal) and then returning the video back to your Canon 50. You will need a capture card on your Mac to do this and iMovie software should be able to handle it.

[Weasel]

Done deal.  Should be here by the end of next week!

Thanks, Tom, for your advice.

Weez

[Santiam]

Hey Jerry,

  What kind of editing program are you going to  use?? I hope you are smarter at it that we are...    

 Tom,

 My brother has hi speed and he downloaded Power Directer 5 to play with...Sposed to be a good one for beginners...We shall see...I thought I could hear screams coming from the direction of his house earlier though...  :eek:  

 He better hurry and learn..Next weekend spring bear season opens and its,

LIGHTS,

ACTION,

CAMERA...

   

 

[Weasel]

Originally posted by Santiam:
Hey Jerry,

  What kind of editing program are you going to  use?? I hope you are smarter at it that we are...    

 

I have no idea.  Guess I'll fall off that bridge when I get there.    

Actually, my Mac has iMovie & iDVD.  My computer whiz son says that's all I need.  Hope he's right.

Now I gotta sell a bow and a couple of packs.

[Tom Mussatto]

Bill, I have never looked at that program so have no idea what it can and cannot do. There are several consumer level editing programs available that do quite a bit. Unless you want to get into good audio mixing or special effects you really don't need the high end software.

If PD5 doesn't work well for you I would suggest you download a try before you buy program from one of the better outfits such as Vegas, Adobe, Avid, Pinnicle, ULead, etc. They all run under $100. With these the advantage is that if you ever want to move up to a higher end program they offer good ones that you will already have learned the basics on.
I've tried all the ones mentioned and I think for a consumer program Sonic/Roxio 8 is hands down better as far as what it can do, the codecs it uses, and user friendliness. The downside is they do not make a pro version you can upgrade to down the road.

I settled on high end Vegas programs a couple years ago. Does it all and the best bundled in audio controls.

Weez, iMovie should do everything you need. With a Mac you are pretty limited. If it doesn't work for you try Final Cut.

Let's see. Two guys living in God's country with video equipment. How soon can we expect to start seeing some footage from out there?    

[Weasel]

I have a pc laptop, but it's not the most pwerful thing in the world.  It handles slide shows with music very well (Slides to Exe program).  Do I need a high-powered 'puter to use the Sonic/Roxio 8?

The answer to your question is, "If it ever stops rainin'!"

[Tom Mussatto]

Video editing requires a tremendous amount of computer resources. Working with video will really bog down a system. Some programs, such as Pinnicle, are notorius for locking up even when you have enough computer.

A good rule to use is to look at the minimum requirements each program recommends and then at least double it. Roxio runs great with 512 MB  RAM. I run 4 GIG of Ram with dual 3.2 processors but I do a lot of effects and titling and use several separate programs in conjunction with Vegas.

If your laptop has 512 RAM and 40 GIG of free space on your harddrive you can work with video with Roxio. It's good to use two harddrives, one for your OS and your editing program and one to store and work with the video. Keep your programs and your video on separate drives if at all possible. If not, and your harddrive is large enough, partition it off and keep your video separate from your programs this way. Your system will run much smoother. External firewire harddrives are relatively cheap and a 60 GIG external should be plenty. Your laptop will also need a firewire card, preferably with at least 2 ports.

Or, you can pay an editor $50 to $100 an hour to do the editing for you.    

They make very nice rain covers for camcorders. Hurry up quick and call B&H again.  

[Santiam]

I bought my camera used and Adobe Premier Pro came with it...

But,

 thats like learning to drive at Daytona....Even Windows Movie Maker has us scratching our heads...LOL

 With the PowerDirecter program we managed to edit clips today using the timeline and get them on the story board...Patted ourselves on the back after that..        

  What kind of Oregon video would be interesting??...Maybe some coast range bear hunting?  

[rsbrown43]

I've noticed that a couple of folks have been wondering about editing video footage and burning it to a DVD with a Mac. Somebody also mentioned that your choices for Mac video editing programs are limited. Well, that's true, but what is available (iMovie and iDVD) really do an excellent job and come loaded on your Mac computer when you buy it. And, it's quite easy to get "up to speed" with them. (Apple also produces some "high-end" video editing and DVD burning software, but the learning curve for those is fairly steep.)

As your first step in learning to use these programs I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND buying the book, "iMovie and iDVD, the Missing Manual" by David Pogue. (Buy the version of the book that covers the version of iMovie and iDVD that you have. iMovie and iDVD are up to version 6 now, but the new version of the manual hasn't been published yet.) Read the book while you're playing with the programs. I also recommend looking at the Forums for these programs that Apple hosts on their website. You can see what sort of questions people have about using the programs and ask questions yourself when you run into any problems. You'll be amazed how quickly you can produce and excellent "movie" of your trip.

iMovie is well integrated with other Mac applications so it's easy to add music or other sound effects (which you can download via the web) using iTunes or add still photos using iPhoto. If you want effects and transitions that iMovie doesn't provide there are a lot of "third party" plug-ins available. If you want to do some fancier stuff with your stills, you can use shareware programs such as "Still Life" or "Photo to Movie".

I think that you'll be impressed with the results of your efforts. And, it's always fun to give copies of your movies to your friends who were on the trip with you.

Rod

[Weasel]

Thanks, Rod!!

Jerry

[Tom Mussatto]

Originally posted by Santiam:
   

  What kind of Oregon video would be interesting??...Maybe some coast range bear hunting?      

That would be great. I've never hunted those "jungles" on that side of the state.

I love those beautiful mountains in N.E. Oregon. Why don't you zip over there tomorrow and get some good video. It's Sunday, what else have you got to do? I'll even trade you some video of cornfields and fence rows for some good Blue Mountain footage.  

[Weasel]

Originally posted by Tom Mussatto:

I love those beautiful mountains in N.E. Oregon. Why don't you zip over there tomorrow and get some good video. It's Sunday, what else have you got to do? I'll even trade you some video of cornfields and fence rows for some good Blue Mountain footage.    

You want that with or without the stinkin' ATV's?

[Tom Mussatto]

Don't tell me that Weez. Seriously, don't tell me that.

Have they invaded even the designated wilderness areas?

ATV's are as bad as cornfields and fence rows, but at least the later aren't mobile and don't make noise.