Yo apple heads!!! I’m completely and totally fed up with windows and trying to edit videos. All the editors i’ve used all have at least 1 huge problem or just wont do what i need or is locked behind some sketchy monthly fee.
So i’m looking at macbooks, ipads or maybe even the mac mini box thing. Looking at them, and having no knowledge on macs, what the heck am i looking at?
I know they are crazy spendy, looking to go cheap as possible, while not dealing with any headaches editing.
I will NOT be editing 4k footy. Just 1080p HD and also my 480i SD camcorder footage.
I’ve heard that final cut pro and imovie can capture my SD footy off the tapes, straight into the editor. This true?
Currently, i use WinDV to convert my tape footy to digital AVI files. And it works GREAT. The problem is, i can’t find an editor i like, that works well, can import my AVI files and edit my 1080p HD files. They either do one or the other, and the editor i was using that did both, had other problems that made me stop using it.
So. What am i looking for in these ipads? I like the idea of an ipad because they seem to be cheaper but just as powerful for video editing.
M1 chip? M3? What is newer, better? And will i be ok with the weaker chip since i’m not editing 4k? My miniDV files are actually quite large but not near as intense as 4k.
I’m not against that little mac mini box thing either if it is up to the challenge.
Adobe makes my skin crawl because of its insane monthly fees, and that’s even with my degree is IN the Adobe suite.
Apple machines are up for it. Any of the Max chip MacBook pro’s will rip through video like a chainsaw through paper. The M series is great at creative tasks.
The Mac minis are pretty powerful too from what I understand, though the one I have at work is an Intel Mac and not an m series.
I’ve seen plenty of folks use an iPad for video editing but those are usually m series airs or pro’s and my 10 year old iPad is NOT up to the task, but the new pros might be.
Always look in the refurbished section. They rip out all the old stuff, throw in brand new stuff and give it the same warranty for a good bit off the top of the price. I’m eyeing a regular air myself for travel, if my job decided I’m not expendable.
I used Apple almost exclusively during college for editing video and photos. A lot has changed since then and for the better in that regard, so if you have any questions, let me know.
I’ve always been a devinci resolve person but I’ve been known to use CapCut in a pinch. I try to use platform agnostic software as I don’t really want to by tied to Apple or windows or Linux for what I do.
To be honest, if your goal is simply finding the most optimal device for editing in Apple, I’d go Mac Studio > Mac Mini > MacBook > iPad. They are all more than capable. However imo the only one actually a bit hindering/uncomfortable would be the iPad. If you are needing quick edits on the go for small projects the iPads great. But for serious edits, again imo, it’s best to have a proper mouse, keyboard , monitor, desk, comfy chair, and a cup of coffee.
For price + power , the Mac minis are fantastic and the absolute best bang for your buck. That would be my personal recommendation. You can get a powerhouse of a mini for less cost than a MacBook. Even after cost of mouse, keyboard, and monitor (provided you don’t get those from Apple lol)
As far as software, they all do the same things and it’s really just personal preference and what you’re most comfortable with. I am biased to Premiere and the adobe suite since that’s what I learned on (and my company will pay for it) but Final Cut, Davinci, Avid, all solid. Can’t endorse iMovie though lol.
Of the Mac’s, Mac mini is the most slept on. Our Intel Mac mini is neglected because we’re a mostly windows outfit, but every time I have to use the Mac, it just work. Never any fuss. I imagine an M2 Pro mini would have been HEAVEN when I was in college editing video.
I agree about having a station to edit. Nice big screen and a good mouse helps the process.
Ok thanks a bunch dudes! Mac mini seems like a winner. I have used devinchi alot, and i HATE it. So much. It’s powerful as heck but man it’s frustrating to use. Cap cut is too simple. Can’t ramp the slo mo or something. I just remember it couldn’t do what i needed.
But. Can anyone confirm that either final cut or abobe or any of the mac editors, can it capture my MiniDV tape and convert to digital? If it can’t do that, this entire plan is out the window.
Ps, i’m going to my friends place to use her mac book pro with final cut to test out how it does with my MiniDV tapes. If final cut is a sick as it sounds, i think it, and the mini box are my best bet
Ahhh. It’s newer than miniDV but older than SD cards. Straight to tiny DVDs?! I feel like that’s a dead zone. Doesn’t looks a cool as miniDV tapes and not near as crisp as modern HD. Cool as heck though!
AVCHD is a compression format that Sony and Panasonic developed 15 years or so back. It is a nice format and compresses well but it was never well supported by software. The most prominent video editing software that recognizes it is Adobe Premier. I believe the latest versions of Final Cut can deal with it. If you don’t already have a camera with AVCHD you don’t have to worry about it anyway.
Nah, i don’t think i have to worry about that. My analog cameras are both just standard MiniDV which gets converted to AVI. At least that’s what i have been doing.
And also, another issue i realized last night doing more reasearch. These new macs don’t have a firewire port… and it to get an apple firewire cable is close to 200 bucks on ebay… screw that. So i guess i’ll have to use my PC to get my tape footage to digital, which is no problem, that part works great. Then i can just slap those files on my SSD and plug that into my future mac and edit from there.
There just no getting around the “work arounds” with MiniDV these days. Yoo old, but i’m too stubborn and i’ll going to do it.
I’ve been a professional editor for over a dozen years and agree with a lot of what has been said here. Mac Mini will be the best bang for your buck. Adobe works and I use their products all day everyday but I also hate them with every fiber of my being. The free version of Resolve is way better than it has any right to be.
I learned on miniDV and it still has a sweet spot in my heart. No need for fancy software for capturing miniDV footage, QuickTime will capture it in ProRes(on Mac, not sure about windows). Not up to date on what hardware you might need to get the tapes into a modern computer, I still use an old cheese grater Mac pro with a FireWire deck.
The best thing you can do to improve your editing experience is to transcode your footage into ProRes or ProResLT, or use a proxy workflow. Camera original files are incredibly difficult for software to decode and a mezzanine codec like ProRes will make your life a million times easier. I dont have the answer but it’d be worth looking into how you can capture straight to ProRes or DNXhd on your windows machine.
Alright, I have a question for all you Apple people and it’s kind of in the same vein so figured I’d just tag onto this topic.
I’m looking to do some illustration type graphic work and considering getting an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro for Procreate and Illustrator. Does anyone have experience creating vector graphics using only an iPad Pro?
Thank you!!! Great info!!! I actually installed a firewire port on my modern PC, running windows 10. Transfering the footage is cake. I’ve done it a bunch all ready and got that all figured out. My issue is the editor that are on windows. I can’t stand them. And the ones i do end up liking, they all have a at least one thing that i need them to do, but they can’t. The other issue is finding an editor that works well with both my HD and SD footage. Video pad did everything i wanted perfectly, but it has a really sketchy monthly payment tied to it. And i just have a baaad feeling about it so i’m not paying. I will however pay for a good editor (one time fee, i don’t do monthly) that does what i need and something on mac seems to be the winner, but i haven’t actually tried on a mac yet so i’m not sure. The mac mini is looking really good though. I watched some videos on it and it renders 4k faster then my PC renders 1080p. So the mac mini will rip through my 1080p footage like butter.
Ok, researching more… it seems the Apple firewire cables and adapters are discontinued and crazy expensive on ebay. And you need to chain multiple adapters. What the frick!?
Just feeling really discouraged now. I just transfered some footage from my camcorder to my PC using WinDV and firewire like always. Downloading capcut since i know it can accept the AVI files… Sigh… lets hope i can edit how i like.
Why? Why do have a fixation on camcorders… what a nightmare. But the feeling i get watching that SD 4:3 interlaced footage makes it worth it. But man the journey is a headache.
Not 100% sure this would work because I don’t have access to a windows machines, but it might get the job done… only step I’m unsure of is shutter encoder because I’m not sure if it’ll handle DV-AVI clips, but it’s a great piece of software and worth a shot.
Man, i can’t stand devinchi resolve. But it does work. I’ll check out the converter thing but… hoping to avoid having to do extra junk like as to retain the highest quality. I just wanna plug my camera in, capture and edit.
But i guess it’s the price i gotta pay using a 20 year old camera.
