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Had a very good day yesterday and as a result am able to go and get new HD camera tomorrow and a lap top!

So my question is what editing soft ware do people recommend - I want something thats not rediculously complex but that will enable me to do a good quality finish and any hints on good cameras at around ?600?

Cheers guys

Masie x

I can help you babe...
jayce xx

I use a Macbook Pro (although a cheaper Mac would be ok too) and use iMovie. I have Final Cut Express for when I start mucking about with HD content but at the minute iMovie works fine.
Can't help you on a camera though hun, my Panasonic was ?1700 but it was worth every penny as the footage we shot is so clear, you look amazing in it
Hope you don't go crazy looking at specifications etc, it can be a nightmare!
Take care you sexy thing, chat soon.
Big Matty P xxx

We use macbook pro aswell as an Imac and also use Imovie aswell as a couple of other programs, but Imovie works well enough.

Melodyx

Hi Masie

You should definitely consider a Macbook (Pro)

Macbook is ?849 and includes iMovie, so no software to buy although I'd get some extra RAM (aroun ?80)

Macbook Pro is from ?999

Go to an Apple store and take Satine with you to show her student ID - they do student discounts worth several hundred on a machine with 3 years support.

shop around, look on ebay, gumtree etc. I picked up a Macbook Pro 17" 2.4 GHZ, 3GB RAM, 500GB hard drive fully loaded with the latest Adobe suit, the latest Final Cut Pro studio with a tonne of pluggins and pretty much every other worthwhile peice of software you could think of, still with 11 months of Apple-Care for ?1200. After using Final Cut Pro, I could never go back to using something like Imovie. Final Cut Pro, in my opinion, is pretty much the best editing software you can use.
As for video camera's I use Sony Z1's and Z5's and are fantastic but if you want something abit smaller (and smaller budget too) but still amazing quality I would recommed the Sony HC1. I use one for most of my on location shoots and the best thing about it is that although its a smaller camera, you can still add wide angle lenses, on camera lighting, shot gun mics etc to it and the content shot on it matchs up perfectly with content shot on Z1's and Z5's. Once again if you shop around (infact I dont think you can buy these from Sony stores anymore), you should be able to pick up a used/re-conditioned/ex-display one for around ?500-600, if you can find one new it will probably be around ?1k-1200.
And for lighting, you can get a starter set of 3 Redheads (most sets come with gels and clips, barndoors, stands, spare 650 or 800w lamps, carry bag) for around ?350-500. These are pretty good lights as they are affordable and easilly transportable and can light even pretty large areas very well. The only downside to them is they burn pretty hot.

Hey Holly hun.
I have Final Cut Pro as well but I find it really tricky to use. Where did you learn to use it or did you find a decent help site anywhere?
I love Mac though and would never go back to a PC!
How are you doing though gorgeous? Keeping ok?
Big Matty P xx

Final Cut looks pretty complicated and daunting when you 1st look at it but in reality it is so user friendly and simple to use. You can buy tutorial dvds but whats probably even easier than that (and deffinatly cheaper) is look on youtube for tutorials.Theres tonnes on there that will talk you through the very basics right up to the advance stuff.

Im doing great, thanks hun, just been keeping very busy recently. Hope you are good too.

Holly D
xxx

Youtube! Of course lol, thank you hun, didn't think of that!

I am glad you are doing ok hun, thats really good
Things are ok with me, just taking it slowly

Take care gorgeous

Big Matty P xxx

Masie

Looks like Ebay might be your best place to try source a cam. But, I guess that you're looking at a decent consumer level cam for about ?600.

I might be the only one to suggest this, but.... thought about getting a good Canon (consumer/pro-sumer level) like the HV20 (or HV30 or HV40).

For a long time, the HV20 seemed to be the best consumer level HD cam available - and it still seems to be quite popular and highly regarded. HV20s turn up very regularly on Ebay; you should easily get on for less than ?600 which would leave ?? for other things, like lights.

If you are looking at getting a HDV 1080i cam, you might want to think about tethering it to a laptop running OnLocation - just a thought. Unfortunately, I have an AVCHD Canon (so no firewire port) so I unhappily can't use my cam with OnLoc.