Need some advice for setup

Rhodan

Rhodan

Rhodan

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Joined
11 Jul 2004
Posts
407
Hi,

I am wanting to do some home video shooting, vacations etc. I was wondering what would be best speed wise, the new iMac's or a MBP ?

Also, does anyone own a Canon HV20 or the Sony Handycom HDR-SR7 ? I'm interested in the Sony HDR-SR7 as it has a HDD and the specs seem better than the Canon. The only thing putting me off is that it doesn't have a firewire port. Any advice on this ? Has anybody used either with a Mac ?

Thanks for the help !
 
Speed-wise there is very little in it. Either one would handle it well so decide which you'd like more, a laptop or a desktop. :)
 
Are you doing any straight-to-computer shooting? If so, FireWire will save you a lot of time and hassle vs. USB.

Both would perform the same (iMac Vs. MBP) as they both share the same Intel chips, CPU bus, and RAM speeds. The only benefit on the iMac would be greater internal storage, whereas the MBP would be perfect if you plan to go mobile.

Hope this helps.
 
It's possible to spec a 7,200rpm drive too for the MBP.

I'd check the bus speed on the iMac, it's probably faster than the MBP thus faster overall.

Mobility may be of benefit for on the move photography.. but that's just my opinon.
 
EVH said:
Are you doing any straight-to-computer shooting? If so, FireWire will save you a lot of time and hassle vs. USB.
Click to expand...

Nope, most likely will download video after a day of shooting. So it doesn't matter then if the Sony doesn't have Firewire ?

Thanks for the all the replies, it sounds like I should just get a MBP then, as I would like the mmobility.

What software would you recommend ? Should I just start off with whatever the Mac comes with, or do you recommend I buy an alternate package such as Final Cut ?
 
iMovie is excellent, which comes with OS X.

If you want something more powerful then get Final Cut Express, but try out iMoie first, and see how you get on with it.
 
With new macs it will be iLife 08, which gives you iMovie 08 which is perfect for those first starting out, make your movie in 30 mins, send it to grandma.

The well respected iMovie HD '06, the previous incarnation (and completely different app, takes longer but is much more powerful/semi professional) is available for free download on the Apple site and is a step above iMovie 08 in professional features. So when your iMac or Macbook turns up snag 06 from the link below, and if that doesn't satisfy your needs - then step up to Final Cut Pro.

http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html
 
Rhodan said:
Nope, most likely will download video after a day of shooting. So it doesn't matter then if the Sony doesn't have Firewire ?

Thanks for the all the replies, it sounds like I should just get a MBP then, as I would like the mmobility.

What software would you recommend ? Should I just start off with whatever the Mac comes with, or do you recommend I buy an alternate package such as Final Cut ?
Click to expand...

It shouldn't matter that the sony doesn't have FireWire, it'll just take longer to download the clips that's all.

I myself take a lot of photos with a dSLR and would definately recommend a MBP if you value portability, also you might just end up buying a bigger monitor to plug the MBP in to if you find the screen is too small; many users on here have done that, and say it's the best of both worlds :)
 
How about a macbook + external monitor ? Cheaper and a pro (obviously).

Would that be powerfull enough ?

Just an idea as i am also the same boat and dont know what option to go for :)
 
I can't vouch for the MacBook, but I'd guess that it would struggle with serious Final Cut editing.

You'd be fine if you're doing some basic editing or just using iMovie, but any power-hungry processes and you might feel the strain of the integrated graphics.

Just my 2 pence, I'm sure they are users who can chime in though.
 
Hmmm yeah, a Macbook wouldn't really be suitable for me, I'd class myself as a power user, so I'd definately want a MBP. I like the idea of being able to add an external monitor as well.

So if there's not much speed difference between the iMac and MBP (given that I upgrade the MBP harddrive to 7200rpm), then the MBP definately is a more attractive option because of the mobility.

Would I need to get 4gb of RAM for the video editing, or would it not make much difference over having 2gb ?

Thanks for all the replies.
 
4GB can make a difference, it does depend entirely on the app, and what you're doing within that app that requires that much RAM.

For example, normal editing would run fine on 2GB but as soon as you started doing a batch render, or some heavy colour correction then you would start using more and more RAM.

One thing to consider too, is that the 667MHz RAM currently used by Apple doesn't really use the full 800MHz (that the chipset can handle), so you could just get some third party 2GB memory sticks running at a higher speed (if you need fast access memory) or some 4GB RAM running at the slower speeds (if you'd rather quantity over speed).

Hope this helps.
 
I can't give you any suppliers other than OcUK as it's against forum policy.

I have listed the 2 on OcUK (other than the 1GB and 512MB sets) that would be 100% compatible.

2GB - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-112-CR&groupid=701&catid=930&subcat=

4GB - http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-113-CR&groupid=701&catid=930&subcat=

If you'd rather get it from a manufacturer directly you can try http://www.crucial.com/uk

They have a great set of prices, and come direct from them with a full compatibility garauntee.. although, like I said, those will work 100% anyway.

Hope this helps :)
 
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