(video frustration - no longer)... just learning

[SaG]

hello everybody

Last week I my brand new Panasonic X920. From reading reviews online and getting feedback from people it should be a (very) good camera.

But boy, these last 5 days have been full of frustration probably due to my novice status.

Filming and the camera functions are working fine... so far so good. However, trying to edit the video is becoming a living hell. The camera is using the AVCHD format which cannot be used by the iMovie program that I want to use on my MacBook. My first port of call was google. Apparently I need extra software to convert the AVCHD file format into an iMovie format and this is where the frustration starts. I've download "Aimersoft Video Convertor" (trial) and "free AVCHD to Mov". Unfortunately neither of them seems to be able to convert my original file. I have enough free disk space on my Firewire 800 3TB external disk.

Any advice to this newbie video camera user will be appreciated.

thanks in advance.

[Lee]

Very simple this one mate - Open up iMovie, then plug in the camera. When the import window pops up tick which ones you want to import, then hit OK. Basically, you import straight from the cam directly into iMovie.

It really is that simple! Took me awhile to figure it out too...lol

[Schoof]

Drop your mac and buy a "normal" pc

[SaG]

oh my God... just tried it and it is really that simple

thanks Lee!


next step is learning the iMovie basics

[SaG]

@ Schoof... "drop my mac"

I don't think so and end up in Windows 8 hell and frustration

[Lee]

oh my God... just tried it and it is really that simple

thanks Lee!


next step is learning the iMovie basics

It's very intuitive mate, you'll pick it up in no time

[UKscalemodeller]

Drop your mac and buy a "normal" pc

[Schoof]

Windows 8 .......... Never !

[Paul]

Once you go mac, you never go back lol

[Modelpro72]

I have no idea what you guys are talking about but it sounds cool

[SaG]

Hey guys... I got over my initial frustrations and I'm now in a (big) learning curve.

I've done some initial filming (no... not for prime time viewing!) and have learnt the following:
- I don't like my own voice (but I can't change that )
- Not happy with the sound I got from the internal microphone so I got myself a cheapo lapel microphone, which is much better, but I've also ordered a Rode Videomic
- My lighting seems to be a problem for which I need to find a solution

In the meantime I'm playing around with camera angles, height, distance, position...

I'm really enjoying this filming and hope to have something you can view in the near future.

You guys make it all look so easy and I'm looking to as many videos as possible to learn for all of you

Bye for now

[Lee]

Good to hear buddy - Don't worry about every little aspect, just let yourself evolve over time.

Look forward to seeing one of your vids