anyone LOVE their A1->macbook pro->final cut images + workflow?

[Tom Kubicki]

I have captured footage in 24f and 60i in iMac, MacBook Pro and PowerMac G5 using Final Cut Studio. All the presets are there in Easy Setup. It's fairly intuitive. Output is fast and simple as well.

[Shahryar Rizvi]

Originally Posted by Takashi Doscher

...
Here is my latest work for reference in HD: http://www.vimeo.com/754479

cool vid, and the picture looks awesome.

I myself am an HC1 owner, but am thinking of upgrading my camera. I'm jumping around different threads seeing what a good camera to consider would be. I'm mainly a Mac user so knowing people have had good experience with A1s and Macs is a good thing. I'm also interested in a Panasonic AG-HVX200, but think that might be a bit too much out my price range (at least looking at B&H Photo, there's a $2k price difference there).

I just bought an HV30 when there was a pretty spectacular deal over on b&hphoto today (the deal may be too spectacular though as many have said it may be a price mistake). But if it falls through, that's ok. I think getting an HV30 would be a bit of a lateral move. I want to move forward. I'm mainly going to be recording stand up with my next camera (I'm a stand up comic myself, and a good benefit of recording stand up is that you can record stand up for other people and make some money back w/ your camera). I'm also hoping to start doing some independent film stuff too (short films maybe).

[Bill Pryor]

I saw that deal on B&H. It looked too good to be true, but there it was. However, if you found the HV30 through the normal means, the price was still $899. Weird. Makes me a bit nervous, because their site has been down for the week due to their holiday. For that $650 price, it's too good a deal to pass up if you need one.

One nice thing about that camera, if you get an XH A1 later, you can use the HV30 as a deck.

You mentioned the HVX200. It's a nice camera and I like it because of the 60fps slo mo capability. However, I couldn't get my arms around the workflow--ie., the extra time and hassle of having to download everything and check it and back it up every night at the end of a shoot before the next day's shoot. Unless I had been willing to spend over $10,000 on P2 cards, that's what I would have had to do. Plus the expense of another computer and backup drives to take on the road. But the camera itself is very nice. Even though it has lower resolution than the Canons or Sonys, it cranks out a very nice looking image. Closeup people shots really look good.

[Shahryar Rizvi]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

I saw that deal on B&H. It looked too good to be true, but there it was. However, if you found the HV30 through the normal means, the price was still $899. Weird. Makes me a bit nervous, because their site has been down for the week due to their holiday. For that $650 price, it's too good a deal to pass up if you need one.

One nice thing about that camera, if you get an XH A1 later, you can use the HV30 as a deck.

You mentioned the HVX200. It's a nice camera and I like it because of the 60fps slo mo capability. However, I couldn't get my arms around the workflow--ie., the extra time and hassle of having to download everything and check it and back it up every night at the end of a shoot before the next day's shoot. Unless I had been willing to spend over $10,000 on P2 cards, that's what I would have had to do. Plus the expense of another computer and backup drives to take on the road. But the camera itself is very nice. Even though it has lower resolution than the Canons or Sonys, it cranks out a very nice looking image. Closeup people shots really look good.

Yeah, let's see about the HV30 deal. Definitely does seem shaky. The price I paid is the deal I was looking for on an HV20.

But I had a few qestions if you (or anyone else) doesn't mind answering.

You said if I get the XH-A1 later, I can use the HV30 as a deck. Couldn't I also do that with my current HC1? That's what I was looking to replace by getting an HV20/HV30, before deciding that I shouldn't be making a lateral move, I should be making a forward move.

but now you got me thinking that if I get another camera, I perhaps shouldn't part with my Sony HC1 and keep it for these types of activities in addition to having the consumer camera for consumer needs?

And about the HVX200, that's a bit of my unlikely choice because the price of it seems pretty high ($5k+). But I was curious about what you said about workflow. So the HVX200, though it has a minidv, it can only record HD to the P2 cards right? This is why I was interested in options where you could do both a CF card and the tape.

I'm pretty new to the pro video world so I'm browsing and came across this thread:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...130#post863130

They were discussing the FX7s and recording to both CF and tapes on there so I chimed in to get some info. The person right before me apparently had a problem with me, but ignoring him, that was a pretty nice thread.

I def don't want to drop $10k on P2 cards nor am I sure I want to get a hard drive thing for $1k just yet so perhaps the HVX200 is something to definitely not consider right now.

[Dom Stevenson]

Slightly OT but here's a great FCP6 tip for those unaware.

A good way to speed up the render times when working in HDV or XD cam or the new Sony EX model is to change the render options in the sequence settings in FCP.

Go to Sequence>Settings>Render Control. then click on the Codec which by default is "same as sequence codec", and change to pro res 422.

This will speed up your render times by about 30% when working with long GOP media.

Enjoy.

[Shahryar Rizvi]

Originally Posted by Dom Stevenson

Slightly OT but here's a great FCP6 tip for those unaware.

A good way to speed up the render times when working in HDV or XD cam or the new Sony EX model is to change the render options in the sequence settings in FCP.

Go to Sequence>Settings>Render Control. then click on the Codec which by default is "same as sequence codec", and change to pro res 422.

This will speed up your render times by about 30% when working with long GOP media.

Enjoy.

Thanks for the advice. I'm a little more on the amateur side with owning only Final Cut Express 3.5. I'm still yet really to work with it though. Perhaps this advice applies to that to?

[Hoy Quan]

If you really want to speed things up a bit, try the cineform codec at 720p - (trial download available). We just completed several short film projects and that codec saved a tremendous amount of time. The footage from the A1 was converted down to 720p cineform before editing. We found 1280 x 720 was more than adequate and 1080 took a lot more time and disk space

[Shahryar Rizvi]

Originally Posted by Takashi Doscher

...
Here is my latest work for reference in HD: http://www.vimeo.com/754479
...

Hey Takashi, do you have a blog post or anything on this short film? How you made it and stuff? I'd love to read it and share it with a few friends of mine who are also looking to make a short together.

Also, I had a bit of a newbie question for vimeo. I was looking at some of your other vids and saw this:
http://www.vimeo.com/829015

You say you shot it in SD but I can turn the HD on or off. Does that mean that the HD is not really literal but more so just added sharpness?

[Dirk Bouwen]

I'm not a pro, but a very passionate video amateur.

I've been working with the A1, HV20 on both Mac Pro (2,66 Xeon quad core) & Macbook Pro (new 2,4 Penryn).

Amazing how fluent FCP is running on such a small size laptop - you're editing HD, after all! Ofcourse, the rendering to final formats cannot be compared with the Mac Pro.

But in more mobile situations, the MBP is working perfect!

A few years ago, I was still using PC's and PPro, but in a last months of this era - when I went over to HD - I suffered so much from all kind of issues, that I went over to Mac...I didn't regret this one second.

[Thomas van den Berg]

I'm working on a Mac Pro (2x 2.8 quad core intel xeon) with 2 gb ram, Final Cut Studio 2. Capturing and editing is a relief compared to the hell I went thru using a Windows (Vista) computer with Adobe Premiere. I have nothing to complain about and wouldn't know anything that should make you hesitating.

[Alex Plank]

I'm editing on an MBP in Final Cut Pro. Haven't had very many problems.

[Jo Potts]

Me too...all good. MacBook Pro (2.6Ghz with 4GB RAM) and final cut studio 2. Not had a problem with my A1. I was previously using a PowerMac G5 2 x 2ghz with 2GB ram and a canon xl2 and as long as you plugged the firewire cable to the front of the mac it was fine.

HDV is a dream to edit on the MBP...not noticed a huge different to the DV on the G5...if anything it's quicker. Certainly editing DV on my MBP is lightening quick!

[Robert Phillips]

I have been happy with the connection until recently when the Firewire 400 port on my MBK died. I have no real info as to how or why it died, one time it worked fine, the next the camera did not exist to FCP. Tried two cables then went home where it worked perfectly on my G5 powerMAC. Haven't seen any other threads on fragility of the firewire port.

[Pavel Tomanec]

I found MBP (2.4 duo, 2MB RAM - soon will upgrade to 4GB) with 1TB FW800 Raid disk set to 0 just great. FCS2 is smooth as silk, very pleasant to work. Minimum crashes, easy capture. Would recommend to people.

Regards,
Pavel

[Jo Potts]

Originally Posted by Pavel Tomanec

I found MBP (2.4 duo, 2MB RAM - soon will upgrade to 4GB) with 1TB FW800 Raid disk set to 0 just great. FCS2 is smooth as silk, very pleasant to work. Minimum crashes, easy capture. Would recommend to people.

Regards,
Pavel

I assume you mean 2GB RAM - you might stuggle otherwise! :)