All I could find on the Canon Powershot A610 is that it saves AVI files and appears to be some dialect of motion JPG compressor. Maximum resolution is 640 x 480.
I found a fairly nice frame grabber to image file utility in freeware that claims to be Win XP and Vista compatible. I tested it in Windows 7 and it does not play nicely, but I have a Windows 2000 running in a virtual box on the same machine and the utility is fine in that environment. Since it's freeware I suggest that you try it to see if it works for you.
It comes as a "zip" file that you just unzip to a folder and run from that folder. There is no installation that I detect.
Once you run the software, you load in your video file, move to a frame you want to extract, and then just press a single button to save the video frame to a BMP files (Into the "My Pictures" folder of the Win 2000 machine). Altogether very handy for a freeware application.
Ziggy -- this is just wonderful. Thank you so much
I will give this a try. I'm running Vista so hopefully Vista will be my "friend" today
I don't like the 640 x 480 image size. Will I be able to print out a good 5x7 print?
... I don't like the 640 x 480 image size. Will I be able to print out a good 5x7 print?
640 x 480 is also called "VGA" resolution and no, it's not very much by any modern still image standard. Worse, many cameras allow some motion blur during video capture, believing the blur allows smoother looking video. The blur tends to make poor looking stills.
Some video is also "interlaced" and you might be able to make better still image grabs using the "deinterlace" setting, although this reduces vertical resolution by half.
The best still images are captured from video that has a high shutter speed and is shot using a "progressive" capture and has high resolution, like 1080 x 1920, and video shot in good lighting with low ISO. If you do all of this you will achieve pretty good 2 MPix still images.
Unfortunately the Canon Powershot A610 has almost none of these capabilities so it's not a good candidate for still image captures from the video files.
Note that the still captures from the Canon Powershot A610 will look fairly good on the computer screen and on a TV screen. Some people also use these low resolution images as part of an image montage.
640 x 480 is also called "VGA" resolution and no, it's not very much by any modern still image standard. Worse, many cameras allow some motion blur during video capture, believing the blur allows smoother looking video. The blur tends to make poor looking stills.
Some video is also "interlaced" and you might be able to make better still image grabs using the "deinterlace" setting, although this reduces vertical resolution by half.
The best still images are captured from video that has a high shutter speed and is shot using a "progressive" capture and has high resolution, like 1080 x 1920, and video shot in good lighting with low ISO. If you do all of this you will achieve pretty good 2 MPix still images.
Unfortunately the Canon Powershot A610 has almost none of these capabilities so it's not a good candidate for still image captures from the video files.
Note that the still captures from the Canon Powershot A610 will look fairly good on the computer screen and on a TV screen. Some people also use these low resolution images as part of an image montage.
I just edited some of the photos from the video. Just what you mentioned is so true. Not good.....no printing that's for sure. As for the motion blur -- I did see that show up in a photo that surprised me. Never knew it did that.
We do want to get a good video cam where I can grab photos from. Thank-you for letting me know what is needed. Just off the top of your head do you know of any video camera's that would be ok?
This Canon Powershot is an old one. What I used before my Rebel XTi. Now I remember why I passed it along to my son
The things that make for good video do not automatically make for good still images. For now I do recommend separate devices for the best in each category.
If your still image demands are just for snapshots to 5" x 7" in good light there are some interesting developments. The JVC Everio GZ-X900, for instance, can take still images simultaneously while doing 1080i video, or it can be used as a still camera with even more resolution. While it doesn't really do stills as well as a good digital still camera, in good light it should be able to produce respectable 5" x 7" images.
Remember I said "in good light". In poor light it fails fairly badly so it really is important to provide adequate and appropriate lighting for both video and stills, and that means continuous burning sources of light. Think Hollywood HMI lighting for best results. Not cheap, not easy, sometimes nearly impossible, and certainly not convenient.
Still, the GZ-X900 has a lot going for it, gets pretty good reviews and doesn't cost an awful lot compared to what it can do in good hands:
The things that make for good video do not automatically make for good still images. For now I do recommend separate devices for the best in each category.
If your still image demands are just for snapshots to 5" x 7" in good light there are some interesting developments. The JVC Everio GZ-X900, for instance, can take still images simultaneously while doing 1080i video, or it can be used as a still camera with even more resolution. While it doesn't really do stills as well as a good digital still camera, in good light it should be able to produce respectable 5" x 7" images.
Remember I said "in good light". In poor light it fails fairly badly so it really is important to provide adequate and appropriate lighting for both video and stills, and that means continuous burning sources of light. Think Hollywood HMI lighting for best results. Not cheap, not easy, sometimes nearly impossible, and certainly not convenient.
Still, the GZ-X900 has a lot going for it, gets pretty good reviews and doesn't cost an awful lot compared to what it can do in good hands:
I just read the reviews you linked to...your right about the low light. Took a look at their samples...yuck.
We just got a new pup and taking videos is much easier to do with a fast moving object So if I could catch a photo or two out of it I'd be happy.
I see what you mean about having 2 separate modes -- video cam for video's and then a good camera for good photos. While I do use my camera my photos are showing I'm lacking in my panning skills :cry
Have you or anyone out there heard of the Lumix. My brother has this brand camera, but I've never seen a photo printed from it.
Here's a link to one, but there are different levels of camera's in the line. I notice the resolution is low on one end.
Panasonic Lumix are fairly nice cameras but not what you need to capture a fast moving puppy. You have a Canon 70-200mm, f2.8L as I recall, and it should be capable and competent on a suitable camera body.
Panasonic Lumix are fairly nice cameras but not what you need to capture a fast moving puppy. You have a Canon 70-200mm, f2.8L as I recall, and it should be capable and competent on a suitable camera body.
What do you have, camera-wise?
I have a 40d camera and yes I do have the 70-200 lens. Camera and lens are capable ... me I'm not I think what I'm afraid of is his sharp little nails. He comes running in at me so fast I'm afraid one of those nails is going to scratch my lens. Oh...I could put a UV filter on it. Just thought of that now...Sleep deprivation.
Granted a better camera would be nice...won't happen for awhile tho.
Hi Ziggy..Speaking of panasonic, is worth picking up the gh-1 as a secodn camera to carry around if walking for long hours, mind you this is a good camera for video but i am not interested.
E.J.W
Great understanding is broad and unhurried, Little understanding is cramped and busy" ..... Chuang Tsu
Hi Ziggy..Speaking of panasonic, is worth picking up the gh-1 as a secodn camera to carry around if walking for long hours, mind you this is a good camera for video but i am not interested.
The micro-Four-Thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus are certainly capable of capturing images every bit as good as the Four-Thirds cameras, and much better than most P&S and advanced digicams. (Lenses still play a significant role and lighting is even more important.)
To be honest, I am still not convinced that they are for me in that low light focus can still be a problem. I am hoping that in the next couple of generations that AF will improve dramatically in the "micro" and other mirrorless designs.
For me, for now, I am using a Canon dRebel and a lightweight standard zoom, along with a flash, in a camera holster as my lightweight "take it anywhere" camera of choice.
I have been looking at the Olympus E-600 (refurbished) and 2 lens kit, along with an Olympus FL-36R flash, to give me a very compact 2 lens kit. I would probably quickly upgrade to the Zuiko 12-60mm, f2.8-4.0 Digital ED SWD for the standard zoom however. That would make the kit a bit heavier but yield better results.
T2i video workflow recommendation request I'm biting the bullet on a t2i body either tonight or tomo along with video software to add some movement to my stills. My confusion kicks in on devising a suitable workflow ahead of time so I can order everything at once. I don't want to get ready to edit only to realize I need to spend more money I don't have. Gotta love that blue collar!
While I would love to pick up cs5, my budget will not allow it right now. I'd like to keep the software expense at or below $200.
My computer is a two year old home built xp based machine running an AMD Athlon 64x dual core 5000+ 2.81 ghz processor, 2 gb of pc6400 ddr2 ram (I have 2 more gb of pc5400 I can add if it would help. I haven't tried), XFX geforce 8600gt 256mb vid card, and several 7200 rpm hdds. I'll be ordering a 40gb ssd hard drive while I'm at it to run winders off of to see if speed improves.
I'm ASSuming my processor will be the bottleneck, making editing in h.264 without first recoding unacceptable. I currently do not have the software to try it. I downloaded several t2i raw files and Streamclip to test. I can play the raw files in Quicktime beautifully with no stuttering as well as recode them to avi files rather quickly for use in nero or windows movie maker, but neither of those support hd output, which I want. Most will be downsized for web, but some will be watched on my 73" hdtv. You can tell the difference in 720p and 1080p on it.
Herein lies my conundrum What is a suitable workflow? Dl to my hd > convert to avi (or whatever type you think is best) > import to ??? program for editing? I'm looking very hard at Pinnacle Studio hd ultimate. It seems to offer a lot for ~$130. Anyone who uses it know if the raw files can be imported directly into it, that is if my pc can even handle it? Any other software and/or workflow reccomendations before I order? Same questions about Adobe Premiere Elements? Workflow tips with either or your flavor of choice for editing software?
Keep in mind, I don't plan on creating the next Terminator blockbuster. My videos will be mostly limited to <5 minute clips of macro stuff, family fun, educational type clips on my animals feeding with text, fades, and transitions, our dragsters and street cars, and maybe the odd short if someone I shoot requests it. The lenses I use most are my 100mm macro, 17-50 f2.8 tammy, and 70-200 f4L IS.
Lastly, what about a microphone recommendation? It will more than likely be a future purchase. A $600 unit is out of the question.
Here is a list of ten editing software that won't break the bank. Most of these have a down loadable trial, and that is something I would recommend.
As far as workflow, I think it depends on the final product. converting to whatever final file type ought to be be fairly easy. Look for Online tutes to go along with the programs you trial or want to buy.
Unless I miss my guess, your biggest frustration is going to be with the old machine you are planning on working from. What it lacks is grunt-power. And video editing and especially rendering can eat a lot of power. That Machine and it's limited RAM is going to be the catch. Because of it's 32 bit base, it cannot put to use more than 3 GB of RAM if it had it. Knowing what I know, I believe I would try to upgrade my PC instead of going for the SSD. The SSD in that machine might not do much for you. Besides that, you mentioned using the SSD to load Windows into. 40 GB, windows will fit, but barely. The SSD if added would be more useful to use just for loading and using your video editing software.
A core i5, 8GB RAM and Motherboard, or even a Q8800, would be my cheapest suggestions, though it is hard to suggest to build older or less powerful stuff. Whatever you build, it should be as powerful as you can afford.
Suggestions for Video editing Canon Mark IV
Not sure if this is a camera question or not. I got my new desktop yesterday with 8GB of Ram and Quad core processor so I'm ready to try out my video feature on the Mark IV.
Of course my computer did not come with video editing software that can handle HD files so I'm starting fresh. I had an old version of Premiere Pro which I haven't tried to download yet.
I was wondering what 7D folks are using to process there files. I have PC not Mac.
I moved this to the Video and Action forum as that's where we currently discuss video software and hardware.
I have a Canon 5D MKII and I am running 1080p video editing on an Intel Core i5 750(2.66GHz, 4-core) processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 7200RPM HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT (PCI Express 2.0 x16), Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
I tried both Sony Vegas Pro and Corel's VideoStudio Pro X3 and I wound up purchasing the Corel software for an intense 4-week long standard definition (720 x 480, DV acquisition to DVD output) marketing video and I'm very pleased at how the machine and the software held up during the process.
While the video itself is not a glory piece (and that is by design and intent), the qualities of the Corel software made it possible using 3 video tracks (2 of which were mostly used as overlay tracks), 2 title tracks, a narrative track and a music track. I also used the Instant Music capabilities (from a previous Ulead version of the software) and some special effects like the Lens effects to spice up the animated open for the video.
I have tested some 1080p video from a flyin at the local airport and I hope to start serious editing soon of that video soon. The testing has been uneventful so far and the Corel software is handling the 5D MKII MOV files natively.
Based on my experience of the last couple of months I can highly recommend the VideoStudio Pro X3 for video editing although the DVD process is not optimal and I wound up using other software for DVD authoring of the SD marketing video. (Partly it was because the client wanted menu-less, auto-start and auto-loop capabilities, which I did not find in the Corel software, or most other DVD authoring software for that matter.)
You can download a trial of the Corel software to see if it meets your needs, and purchase is a very reasonable $60USD:
I recommend getting the trial version because some folks are experiencing video card and driver issues as well as video codec issues, but I had none other than getting the latest video card drivers for my computer, which were also needed for Adobe Photoshop CS4 to display properly.
BTW, Corel has its own automated update system and it requires a high-speed Internet connection but it works pretty well and the updates are substantial and mostly helpful.
Thanks for the info, I will try the trial version and see how it works. My new computer has Windows 7 which is pretty great but it has so many options new to me. It's almost like there is too much "new" stuff I'm trying to learn at once.
Thank you very much for your input and I apologize for my lag replying. It is very much appreciated.
That's pretty much what I figured. I'm actually waiting on ups to arrive now with my cam body. *Checks window* Still not here. Dangit.
I went ahead and installed an ssd for winders to run from yesterday since I had already ordered with two 1.5 tb drives for storage, mainly for the peppy response. 45 second boot times and ~1 minute restart times are nice compared to the 7 to 8 minute reboot times before. I'm not expecting any increase in video handling capability from it.
I've been looking for an excuse to do another computer build but haven't had a reason. If this somewhat dated setup I have now proves to be as frustrating as I expect it to be I'll definately be going to 64 bit Windows 7 with a quad core cpu as budget allows.
I have an Azus p5q pro socket 775 mobo that just needs a cpu and fan. I'm unsure if I'll use it or just wait and get something that uses ddr3 ram and a newer cpu interface. I'm in no rush though. I'm sure it'll be a while before I learn the video side of a dslr good enough that I'll need it. I have enough stuff now to keep me occupied for a bit.
Thank you again. I'm anxious to get my feet wet with hd video.
Video editing software?
I might finally break down and buy some software to edit videos. I don't need anything really fancy, I'm just not happy with the conversions windows movie maker does for the MTS files my LX5 creates when shooing AVCHD.
I'd like something that makes it very easy to cut/trim scenes and move scenes around. A bonus would be being able to change contrast and things like that too.
If there's something out there for free, that's even better. Any recommendations?
Need something that mainly supports these formats:
MTS
WMV
MOV
AVI
Adobe Premiere Elements might be a good one to try as well especially if your comfortable with adobe products. I edit on AVID Media Composer at work, but if I was looking for an affordable package to cut home movies on I would consider Adobe. I have never used Pinnacle, but AVID owns them so I know there is a good team behind the product.
I might finally break down and buy some software to edit videos. I don't need anything really fancy, I'm just not happy with the conversions windows movie maker does for the MTS files my LX5 creates when shooing AVCHD.
I'd like something that makes it very easy to cut/trim scenes and move scenes around. A bonus would be being able to change contrast and things like that too.
If there's something out there for free, that's even better. Any recommendations?
Need something that mainly supports these formats:
MTS
WMV
MOV
AVI
This question is asked and answered many times in this forum. I've merged your thread with this one, which is intended for these types of questions. Please read through the thread and see if you can come up with questions that are more specific and helpful. Vague questions lead to vague answers, and most of the answers are most likely already answered!
Video Noob
I'm not a complete noob. I have done some basic editing and slide shows and then burned them to DVD. What I need now is to take the next step but as most of you know it gets complicated very quickly and I have become frustrated. I want to make an HD video using Premiere Pro 2.0. I shoot video on a 5D and GoPro Hero II. I know the 5D files are supported but need to convert the GoPro files from MP4 to another supported file. What should I use? I also don't know how to set up the video as far as aspect ratios or any of the other technical stuff. I just want to make an HD video that will play on a standard DVD player and an HD widescreen TV. Can anyone get me started?
Look into buying new software or a newer version. I'll take the leap that you want to move forward. Moving forward with your editing software is a component that counts. And read up on THAT software both before purchase and after. When you run into specific problems, plenty of folks can help here I'm certain.
I was hoping to get started with what I have. I made a pretty big investment in the equipment I have. I would like to make the switch to Mac but can't afford it right now. I hate to buy software until I make the transition.
I was hoping to get started with what I have. I made a pretty big investment in the equipment I have. I would like to make the switch to Mac but can't afford it right now. I hate to buy software until I make the transition.
Sorry I know nothing about premiere. Someone should be along to help, though!
I was hoping to get started with what I have. I made a pretty big investment in the equipment I have. I would like to make the switch to Mac but can't afford it right now. I hate to buy software until I make the transition.
If you were choosing Adobe for instance they'll give you license to change system types PC to MAC for instance. Correct me if I'm wrong but that software your trying to use came out in 1992. Not that someone around here isn't using it besides you, but help for more up to date stuff is going to be easier to come by.
Like you said, it becomes complicated quickly. and in that you'll be much happier getting help with ease.
Why not go ahead and download a trial version and see if the software is what you're looking for. You could try Premiere Elements if you don't want the Pro version.
Also above earlier in this thread I linked a list of editing software to check out. And Go-Pro has forums and all kinds of neat stuff to help folks using that system!
Standard DVDs may have either 4:3 or widescreen aspect ratios. Either way, they will contain 720x480 resolution. As David said, HD-720p and full-HD-1080i are limited to Blu-Ray disc or you can play via a very powerful computer from a file in those formats located on a hard drive.
If you want to render to a widescreen DVD, that should be an option with your current setup and should play on a standard desktop DVD player.
Thanks Ziggy. Informative tutorial. I will try to be more specific with my questions as I run across problems. I think the biggest question I have now is what to use to convert the GoPro's MP4 files for best quality in Premier Pro 2.0. Supported file types listed in the user guide are ASF, Type 2 AVI, MPEG, MPE, MPG, M2V, MOV (which is what my 5D saves as), DLX, WMV, and GIF.
Thanks Ziggy. Informative tutorial. I will try to be more specific with my questions as I run across problems. I think the biggest question I have now is what to use to convert the GoPro's MP4 files for best quality in Premier Pro 2.0. Supported file types listed in the user guide are ASF, Type 2 AVI, MPEG, MPE, MPG, M2V, MOV (which is what my 5D saves as), DLX, WMV, and GIF.
Comments
Ziggy -- this is just wonderful. Thank you so much
I will give this a try. I'm running Vista so hopefully Vista will be my "friend" today
I don't like the 640 x 480 image size. Will I be able to print out a good 5x7 print?
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
Thanks again Ziggy
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
640 x 480 is also called "VGA" resolution and no, it's not very much by any modern still image standard. Worse, many cameras allow some motion blur during video capture, believing the blur allows smoother looking video. The blur tends to make poor looking stills.
Some video is also "interlaced" and you might be able to make better still image grabs using the "deinterlace" setting, although this reduces vertical resolution by half.
The best still images are captured from video that has a high shutter speed and is shot using a "progressive" capture and has high resolution, like 1080 x 1920, and video shot in good lighting with low ISO. If you do all of this you will achieve pretty good 2 MPix still images.
Unfortunately the Canon Powershot A610 has almost none of these capabilities so it's not a good candidate for still image captures from the video files.
Note that the still captures from the Canon Powershot A610 will look fairly good on the computer screen and on a TV screen. Some people also use these low resolution images as part of an image montage.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I just edited some of the photos from the video. Just what you mentioned is so true. Not good.....no printing that's for sure. As for the motion blur -- I did see that show up in a photo that surprised me. Never knew it did that.
We do want to get a good video cam where I can grab photos from. Thank-you for letting me know what is needed. Just off the top of your head do you know of any video camera's that would be ok?
This Canon Powershot is an old one. What I used before my Rebel XTi. Now I remember why I passed it along to my son
Thanks Ziggy
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
If your still image demands are just for snapshots to 5" x 7" in good light there are some interesting developments. The JVC Everio GZ-X900, for instance, can take still images simultaneously while doing 1080i video, or it can be used as a still camera with even more resolution. While it doesn't really do stills as well as a good digital still camera, in good light it should be able to produce respectable 5" x 7" images.
Remember I said "in good light". In poor light it fails fairly badly so it really is important to provide adequate and appropriate lighting for both video and stills, and that means continuous burning sources of light. Think Hollywood HMI lighting for best results. Not cheap, not easy, sometimes nearly impossible, and certainly not convenient.
Still, the GZ-X900 has a lot going for it, gets pretty good reviews and doesn't cost an awful lot compared to what it can do in good hands:
http://www.amazon.com/JVC-Everio-GZ-X900-Camcorder-Optical/product-reviews/B001UHMTG0/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
But low-light is sad:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/JVC-Everio-GZ-X900-Camcorder-Review-36765.htm
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I just read the reviews you linked to...your right about the low light. Took a look at their samples...yuck.
We just got a new pup and taking videos is much easier to do with a fast moving object
I see what you mean about having 2 separate modes -- video cam for video's and then a good camera for good photos. While I do use my camera my photos are showing I'm lacking in my panning skills :cry
Have you or anyone out there heard of the Lumix. My brother has this brand camera, but I've never seen a photo printed from it.
Here's a link to one, but there are different levels of camera's in the line. I notice the resolution is low on one end.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/639338-REG/Panasonic_DMC_FZ35K_Lumix_DMC_FZ35_Digital_Camera.html#reviews
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
What do you have, camera-wise?
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I have a 40d camera and yes I do have the 70-200 lens. Camera and lens are capable ... me I'm not
Granted a better camera would be nice...won't happen for awhile tho.
I'll give it another try. Thanks Ziggy
www.Dogdotsphotography.com
Great understanding is broad and unhurried, Little understanding is cramped and busy" ..... Chuang Tsu
The micro-Four-Thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus are certainly capable of capturing images every bit as good as the Four-Thirds cameras, and much better than most P&S and advanced digicams. (Lenses still play a significant role and lighting is even more important.)
To be honest, I am still not convinced that they are for me in that low light focus can still be a problem. I am hoping that in the next couple of generations that AF will improve dramatically in the "micro" and other mirrorless designs.
For me, for now, I am using a Canon dRebel and a lightweight standard zoom, along with a flash, in a camera holster as my lightweight "take it anywhere" camera of choice.
I have been looking at the Olympus E-600 (refurbished) and 2 lens kit, along with an Olympus FL-36R flash, to give me a very compact 2 lens kit. I would probably quickly upgrade to the Zuiko 12-60mm, f2.8-4.0 Digital ED SWD for the standard zoom however. That would make the kit a bit heavier but yield better results.
http://www.adorama.com/IOME600K1R.html
http://www.adorama.com/IOMFL36R.html
http://www.adorama.com/IOM1260.html
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I'm biting the bullet on a t2i body either tonight or tomo along with video software to add some movement to my stills. My confusion kicks in on devising a suitable workflow ahead of time so I can order everything at once. I don't want to get ready to edit only to realize I need to spend more money I don't have. Gotta love that blue collar!
While I would love to pick up cs5, my budget will not allow it right now. I'd like to keep the software expense at or below $200.
My computer is a two year old home built xp based machine running an AMD Athlon 64x dual core 5000+ 2.81 ghz processor, 2 gb of pc6400 ddr2 ram (I have 2 more gb of pc5400 I can add if it would help. I haven't tried), XFX geforce 8600gt 256mb vid card, and several 7200 rpm hdds. I'll be ordering a 40gb ssd hard drive while I'm at it to run winders off of to see if speed improves.
I'm ASSuming my processor will be the bottleneck, making editing in h.264 without first recoding unacceptable. I currently do not have the software to try it. I downloaded several t2i raw files and Streamclip to test. I can play the raw files in Quicktime beautifully with no stuttering as well as recode them to avi files rather quickly for use in nero or windows movie maker, but neither of those support hd output, which I want. Most will be downsized for web, but some will be watched on my 73" hdtv. You can tell the difference in 720p and 1080p on it.
Herein lies my conundrum
Keep in mind, I don't plan on creating the next Terminator blockbuster. My videos will be mostly limited to <5 minute clips of macro stuff, family fun, educational type clips on my animals feeding with text, fades, and transitions, our dragsters and street cars, and maybe the odd short if someone I shoot requests it. The lenses I use most are my 100mm macro, 17-50 f2.8 tammy, and 70-200 f4L IS.
Lastly, what about a microphone recommendation? It will more than likely be a future purchase. A $600 unit is out of the question.
Thanks in advance for any help <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/bowdown.gif" border="0" alt="" >. I am a dSLR video virgin.
Ps. I have read the thread regarding codecs. I honestly think I made myself dumber trying to process all that info!
As far as workflow, I think it depends on the final product. converting to whatever final file type ought to be be fairly easy. Look for Online tutes to go along with the programs you trial or want to buy.
Unless I miss my guess, your biggest frustration is going to be with the old machine you are planning on working from. What it lacks is grunt-power. And video editing and especially rendering can eat a lot of power. That Machine and it's limited RAM is going to be the catch. Because of it's 32 bit base, it cannot put to use more than 3 GB of RAM if it had it. Knowing what I know, I believe I would try to upgrade my PC instead of going for the SSD. The SSD in that machine might not do much for you. Besides that, you mentioned using the SSD to load Windows into. 40 GB, windows will fit, but barely. The SSD if added would be more useful to use just for loading and using your video editing software.
A core i5, 8GB RAM and Motherboard, or even a Q8800, would be my cheapest suggestions, though it is hard to suggest to build older or less powerful stuff. Whatever you build, it should be as powerful as you can afford.
Not sure if this is a camera question or not. I got my new desktop yesterday with 8GB of Ram and Quad core processor so I'm ready to try out my video feature on the Mark IV.
Of course my computer did not come with video editing software that can handle HD files so I'm starting fresh. I had an old version of Premiere Pro which I haven't tried to download yet.
I was wondering what 7D folks are using to process there files. I have PC not Mac.
Thanks for replying.
I have a Canon 5D MKII and I am running 1080p video editing on an Intel Core i5 750(2.66GHz, 4-core) processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 7200RPM HDD, NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT (PCI Express 2.0 x16), Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=163249
I tried both Sony Vegas Pro and Corel's VideoStudio Pro X3 and I wound up purchasing the Corel software for an intense 4-week long standard definition (720 x 480, DV acquisition to DVD output) marketing video and I'm very pleased at how the machine and the software held up during the process.
While the video itself is not a glory piece (and that is by design and intent), the qualities of the Corel software made it possible using 3 video tracks (2 of which were mostly used as overlay tracks), 2 title tracks, a narrative track and a music track. I also used the Instant Music capabilities (from a previous Ulead version of the software) and some special effects like the Lens effects to spice up the animated open for the video.
I have tested some 1080p video from a flyin at the local airport and I hope to start serious editing soon of that video soon. The testing has been uneventful so far and the Corel software is handling the 5D MKII MOV files natively.
Based on my experience of the last couple of months I can highly recommend the VideoStudio Pro X3 for video editing although the DVD process is not optimal and I wound up using other software for DVD authoring of the SD marketing video. (Partly it was because the client wanted menu-less, auto-start and auto-loop capabilities, which I did not find in the Corel software, or most other DVD authoring software for that matter.)
You can download a trial of the Corel software to see if it meets your needs, and purchase is a very reasonable $60USD:
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite/us/en/Product/1175714228541?trkid=NASEMGglDM#tabview=tab1
I recommend getting the trial version because some folks are experiencing video card and driver issues as well as video codec issues, but I had none other than getting the latest video card drivers for my computer, which were also needed for Adobe Photoshop CS4 to display properly.
BTW, Corel has its own automated update system and it requires a high-speed Internet connection but it works pretty well and the updates are substantial and mostly helpful.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Thanks for the info, I will try the trial version and see how it works. My new computer has Windows 7 which is pretty great but it has so many options new to me. It's almost like there is too much "new" stuff I'm trying to learn at once.
That's pretty much what I figured. I'm actually waiting on ups to arrive now with my cam body. *Checks window* Still not here. Dangit.
I went ahead and installed an ssd for winders to run from yesterday since I had already ordered with two 1.5 tb drives for storage, mainly for the peppy response. 45 second boot times and ~1 minute restart times are nice compared to the 7 to 8 minute reboot times before. I'm not expecting any increase in video handling capability from it.
I've been looking for an excuse to do another computer build but haven't had a reason. If this somewhat dated setup I have now proves to be as frustrating as I expect it to be I'll definately be going to 64 bit Windows 7 with a quad core cpu as budget allows.
I have an Azus p5q pro socket 775 mobo that just needs a cpu and fan. I'm unsure if I'll use it or just wait and get something that uses ddr3 ram and a newer cpu interface. I'm in no rush though. I'm sure it'll be a while before I learn the video side of a dslr good enough that I'll need it. I have enough stuff now to keep me occupied for a bit.
Thank you again. I'm anxious to get my feet wet with hd video.
I might finally break down and buy some software to edit videos. I don't need anything really fancy, I'm just not happy with the conversions windows movie maker does for the MTS files my LX5 creates when shooing AVCHD.
I'd like something that makes it very easy to cut/trim scenes and move scenes around. A bonus would be being able to change contrast and things like that too.
If there's something out there for free, that's even better. Any recommendations?
Need something that mainly supports these formats:
MTS
WMV
MOV
AVI
This question is asked and answered many times in this forum. I've merged your thread with this one, which is intended for these types of questions. Please read through the thread and see if you can come up with questions that are more specific and helpful. Vague questions lead to vague answers, and most of the answers are most likely already answered!
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
I'm not a complete noob. I have done some basic editing and slide shows and then burned them to DVD. What I need now is to take the next step but as most of you know it gets complicated very quickly and I have become frustrated. I want to make an HD video using Premiere Pro 2.0. I shoot video on a 5D and GoPro Hero II. I know the 5D files are supported but need to convert the GoPro files from MP4 to another supported file. What should I use? I also don't know how to set up the video as far as aspect ratios or any of the other technical stuff. I just want to make an HD video that will play on a standard DVD player and an HD widescreen TV. Can anyone get me started?
www.clix-photo.com
This can't be done, as DVD doesn't support HD. You'd have to burn a blu-ray.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
www.clix-photo.com
Yes.
Look into buying new software or a newer version. I'll take the leap that you want to move forward. Moving forward with your editing software is a component that counts. And read up on THAT software both before purchase and after. When you run into specific problems, plenty of folks can help here I'm certain.
www.clix-photo.com
Sorry I know nothing about premiere. Someone should be along to help, though!
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
If you were choosing Adobe for instance they'll give you license to change system types PC to MAC for instance. Correct me if I'm wrong but that software your trying to use came out in 1992. Not that someone around here isn't using it besides you, but help for more up to date stuff is going to be easier to come by.
Like you said, it becomes complicated quickly. and in that you'll be much happier getting help with ease.
Why not go ahead and download a trial version and see if the software is what you're looking for. You could try Premiere Elements if you don't want the Pro version.
Also above earlier in this thread I linked a list of editing software to check out. And Go-Pro has forums and all kinds of neat stuff to help folks using that system!
If you want to render to a widescreen DVD, that should be an option with your current setup and should play on a standard desktop DVD player.
This may help:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PremierePro/4.0/WS03BF7479-8C7B-4522-8C75-210AD102524Ea.html
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
www.clix-photo.com
You've seen this, right?
http://gopro.com/how-to-prepare-source-video-files-for-editing-windows-pc/