Editing software: any clear front-runner?

[nrk13]

I have used Premiere Pro on the few occasions that I have edited in the past but over the next 12 months I plan on shooting a lot more and am curious as to what it is seen to be the best NLE to use for editing? Almost everyone I speak to seems to use Final Cut, any reason for this?

ta'

[BK]

Because my job as a video editor I have experience with various NLE apps. FCP is easy to learn, have a logical interface with all the right tools that you need and most of all it is affordable. Not so long ago it was Avid who dominated the broadcast market, but it was very expensive for their kits with the hardware/software combination until FCP came along, which became the industry standard.

Use what is comfortable to you depending on your needs and budget, you can even create a great film with imovie just with simple cuts.

Bill

[super8man]

I like sony vegas myself very intuitive

[Tscan]

I like Sony Veags a lot too. been using it for 6 years now, but it's risen to the top as one of the best NLE's. Very user friendly and very powerful tool. It has a good list of codec varieties for SD, HDV, HDMI... can edit mixed formats very well together. Not much for cheesey special effects plug-ins, but real hard core color correction, image sweetening tools. I haven't used Final Cut, but I hear a lot of feedback from most liking Vegas better. Final Cut advantage is that it's widely accepted as the standard... which matters more when working with multiple people on edits.

[Angus]

I've been using Sony Vegas at work for 4 years now. Video editing is just a part of my job so it is not the way I make my living, but I find Vegas to be quite intuative and powerful in the ways I want it to be. As stated above, proper colour correction, decent brightness/contrast adjustments, cropping/panning/aspect ratio changes. It can deal with footage captured on anything from mobile phones, digital cameras, camcorders and DVD recorders right up to full blown DV, HDV and AVCHD....and output into any format I desire.

It has enough 'special effects' plug-ins for my purposes...which I admit are fairly basic. What I do need to do is take material from sources of varying quality and try to match them up...hence the tools Vegas *does* have being very useful.

I've very little hands-on experience with FCP but I've seen it in use and it does look more powerful than Vegas.

[BAC]

I'm a rookie with this software but I am planning to transfer some film to digital. I would only need a very basic program but I have a few questions about the software before I purchase it. Since I have to adjust the speed of the film to remove the flicker can most of these programs adjust the speed back to normal? It sounds like the Vegas program is fairly intuitive but are there other basic programs that would meet my needs that anyone would recommend.

[gianni1]

I use Apple Quick Time Pro Verson 7, (not Version 10), then Apple iMovie.

I do mainly cut and paste, fade in and outs, transitions from and to black, audio mixes, volume ups and downs, titles, and import / exports to various formats.

Other times it's Adobe Flash, with occasional filmstrips in Photoshop & Premiere, and maybe AfterEffects.

Gianni 8)

[MovieStuff]

While Final Cut might be considered the "standard", I'm not sure that's actually from widespread usage these days as much as an accepted unit of measure for what constitutes a good edit system. Honestly, I've seen as many shops using Premier and Vegas as Final Cut. Maybe more using Vegas these days, than even Premier or Final Cut. Personally, I started with Premier 5.0 long ago and so Premier is what I'm accustomed to. I suppose if I tried Final Cut I might like it more but I can get done what I need with Premier and it's second nature to me. As long as it doesn't hold me back, why change?

Roger

[Tscan]

Final Cut and Avid have just been more heavily "branded" as the standard, but maybe thats changing? Vegas is on par and even better in some areas. It does really come down to what your compfortable with, what your needs are, and maybe even your system. I've been using Vegas since 4.0, on 8.1 now... and there's no way i'd switch to something more foriegn at this point.

[MovieStuff]

I'd say this is a pretty big win for Premier:

http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/201 ... e-pro-cs5/

"The BBC is switching to Premiere Pro CS5 software, through which the corporation is improving workflow efficiency, creating a tapeless environment and reducing costs. The corporation is now implementing an additional 2,000 seats of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 software as the company’s primary tool for desktop nonlinear editing. The broadcaster’s expanded use of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 software highlights the growing momentum for Adobe Creative Suite 5 Production Premium across the broadcast industry."

Roger

[richard p. t.]

And the entry levle Vegas is a fraction of the price of the others too.

[Angus]

And the entry levle Vegas is a fraction of the price of the others too.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio gives you a LOT of bangs for your buck. Its limited in terms of audio and video tracks you can deal with at once...but unless you're mixing 24 audio tracks or more than 4 video sources it could well be what you need. It still has the full colour correction of the pro version of Vegas.

[threeinv]

I've been happy using Edius. I bought it years ago when it was made by Canopus, and after Grass Valley bought the company I got roped in by a special upgrade offer. As someone said above, it's easier to stick with what you know and are comfortable with. That said, I've always read good things about Sony Vegas and have been curious to try it.

- Derrick

[Tscan]

Vegas 10 is coming out on Oct 11th! http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegaspro10

I like that is has a stabilization plug in that also handles rolling shutter issues.

[Will2]

Premiere has the advantage of the Adobe suite of products and great integration.
Vegas is a surprisingly powerful program for the money.

Final Cut Suite is expensive but not if you consider you'd have to buy Premiere, After Effects, Pro Tools and a perhaps even DaVinci (ok, overkill compared to Color) to match what Final Cut Pro Suite offers.

Every telecine house I've ever worked with has a FInal Cut suite available on site and sometimes Avid. I've never heard of one with Vegas (or Premiere for that matter) although I'm sure it's possible.

Plus those ProRes codecs are really great.