video cam/software recommendations??

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

hey all, wasnt sure which forum to post this in...i think its related to gear.

anyway im lookin to cop a digi video cam after xmas, hopefully catch a nice deal or somethin.
lookin in the 100-200 range. nothin too fancy but something nice and easy w/ good video and sound quality, line/mic input would be nice.

recommend away! lookin in the direction of yous demoers out there.

oh n while you're at it, recommend me some dope video editing softwares as well!

says thanks

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

dang no one?? cmon what do yall use to recorrrrrd your pedal demos with???

[frankz00]

I use Sony HandyCams but mine are old but the best video editing software in the world is Vegas. It's got great multritrack audio support as well.

[eti]

I use a Kodak zi8. It has an external mic input, but I think there should be something better out there.

And iMovie to edit, which I'm still learning.

[cheesecats]

I don't have a video cam yet--I've just been using my digital cameras. I'm thinking of getting a Flip just for demos. I'm a longtime user of Vegas (I have Vegas Pro)--I started before it merged the audio and video. I hardly know the video features. Vegas Pro is expensive for a first-time buyer, but there's a $40 version that might fit the bill.

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegassoftware

Happy Christmas everyone

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

sweet! thanks guys

gunna hit up best buy this weekend

[modernage]

I think the big question is do you have a Mac or a PC? I use a Mac at home and work.

I use Final Cut Studio and Adobe After Effects at work. That may be a bit overkill for gear demos and simple editing. If you have a mac you should have already iMovie. That should work great for most things you'd want to use it for. Final Cut Express would work nicely too.

I absolutely love love love After Effects. You can add a lot of eye candy once you have your video edited. There can be a bit of a learning curve, as with most Adobe software, but it's an extremely power program that is only limited by your imagination.

You could probably get a pretty decent cam for $200 these days. Sony is always a great place to start when considering electronics.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

good point modernage. i be using PC.

prolly not just gunna be doin gear demos but not gunna be gettin crazy with like high production videos either. i want some nice editing software so i can sync up music to videos and make trippy vids with cool fx's.

also cost of softwears not really be an issue cuz i prob bootleg em when its all said n done (dont judge me ) unless the cam came with some kind of software bundle.

i just did a quick search...Final Cut is for mac only and adobe is for both, correct??

sony vegas looks pretty dope. kinda reminds me of acid at first glance but for teh vidz.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

how taxing are these programs on your computer resources? my laptop is like 6 yrs old now. my specs are pentium 4, 2.6ghz, 1gb ram. good enuff or not even close?

[modernage]

i just did a quick search...Final Cut is for mac only and adobe is for both, correct??

You are correct. I hear Sony Vegas is a good alternative if you don't have a Mac and can't use Final Cut. That'll probably be a good one to start with. Since it is pro level software it might be a bit confusing at first (I've never used Vegas, but there have been times when FCP made me ), but the great thing about living in this day and age is you can always find online video tutorials to help you out. That's pretty much how I've learned, I had no schooling in this area.

how taxing are these programs on your computer resources? my laptop is like 6 yrs old now. my specs are pentium 4, 2.6ghz, 1gb ram. good enuff or not even close?

Video editing software is probably one of the most resource demanding software you can use. With that being said, your computer has specs pretty similar to my mac book pro (except I have twice the ram). I don't have a problem running After Effects, Photoshop CS4, Pro Tools, Logic, so I'm thinking you should be alright. If you get the most current version and find that you're computer is dragging it's feet, maybe try to finding an older version.

also cost of softwears not really be an issue cuz i prob bootleg em when its all said n done (dont judge me ) unless the cam came with some kind of software bundle.

eh, I'm no judge. I've been known to sail the salty seas. I've got my own library of bootleg material... Reason 4, Guitar Rig, Toast Titanium, etc, etc.

[Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.]

went to best buy, their prices were kinda high i thought. wrote down the model #'s and googled them...WAY cheaper. kinda leaning towards the kodak zi8. seems to be real nice for the price and i like the external mic jack, which none of the others had.

You are correct. I hear Sony Vegas is a good alternative if you don't have a Mac and can't use Final Cut. That'll probably be a good one to start with. Since it is pro level software it might be a bit confusing at first (I've never used Vegas, but there have been times when FCP made me ), but the great thing about living in this day and age is you can always find online video tutorials to help you out. That's pretty much how I've learned, I had no schooling in this area.

ya! heres to self teaching!! ive been able to teach myself several programs too so im hoping ill be able to figure it out over time. might take me a minute to wrap my head around it but thats cool. im not lookin to be doin anything crazy right away and like u said the internet is a great reserouce.

Video editing software is probably one of the most resource demanding software you can use. With that being said, your computer has specs pretty similar to my mac book pro (except I have twice the ram). I don't have a problem running After Effects, Photoshop CS4, Pro Tools, Logic, so I'm thinking you should be alright. If you get the most current version and find that you're computer is dragging it's feet, maybe try to finding an older version.

ok cool, i can run like PS and ableton Live, adobe audition with relative ease. i got Sony Vegas 9 and also got 8 just in case 9 is a lil too selfish.