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still/video/audio software
Recently bought my first dslr — Canon 7D with a Zeiss 35mm f2 (shoots at 56mm given crop). I’m interested in shooting stills, video, and also doing some audio-only stuff (pleasantly surprised by the Zoom H4n), so I’m researching editing software. I’ve always been a PC guy so am inclined to stick with that. The Adobe Premiere CS5 suite appeals to me, as it would give me the software to accomplish all I want to do, but at $1600 it’s a bit pricey for my world. (I’ve also heard good things about it.) Any thoughts on the Premiere suite? Other options?
I’m using the DPP software that came with the Canon. It seems fine for stills clean up. But I’ve been shooting some time lapse stuff and am jonesing for video software. I would love to get the software I want/need and climb the learning curve once, rather than use other less expensive software for the next 6 months to a year and then climb the mountain again. I don’t have any video editing software on my computer — windows 7 pro — as it doesn’t come with Movie Maker.
Have I answered my own question? Would love to hear other, more experienced opinions. I’m a bust-ass guy who will put in the time, but I’d love to do it once and build skills, rather than learn new software every year or two. Thanks.
brian
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9 Replies
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You can’t go wrong with Adobe software. Premiere is a great video editing app –particularly for DSLR footage. Photoshop is THE photo editing app. With the release of CS5.5, Adobe is offering new ways to license their software. With their subscription plans your wallet won’t have to take the hit all at once.
Jason Jenkins
Flowmotion Media
Video production… with style! -
Thanks, Jason. I Didn’t know about the subscription plans. I’ll look into it.
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Brian –
Another thing to think about is Ebay – although you have to be very careful, and send an Ebay message to the seller promising that if the software is not registerable with Adobe, they will take it back, you can get some amazing deals.
I bought the CS4 Production Premium bundle for a little over 800 dollars several months ago (full retail is 1200 if I remember correctly), and within the past few days I bought the CS5 Master Collection (everything Adobe makes) for 890 dollars (this is a 2400 dollar suite). The seller promised it would register. When I received it, I called Adobe Tech Support and gave them the S/N. They verified that it will register just fine. Be careful…but you can really save on legitimate Adobe software, and Adobe will register it.
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
Thanks, Joseph. I appreciate it. I’ll definitely look into it.
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Adobe Production Premium is going to give you some of the very best software currently available. Audition for audio, After Effects for manipulation and Photoshop are all the top of their categories. What you gain from Adobe is all of their software is designed to be compatible with each other, meaning you can import and export from one to another. After a while it begins to feel like you are just using one insanely capable, all inclusive software program. There are quite a few other excellent offerings out there, but IMO, non that are anywhere near as complete. It sure isn’t cheap, but as the old saying goes “the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price has been forgotten”.
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[brian klassen] “I would love to get the software I want/need and climb the learning curve once, rather than use other less expensive software for the next 6 months to a year and then climb the mountain again.”
For that very reason, almost 20 years ago now, I (like many others) was faced with the decision of whether to focus my attention on learning the Adobe suite of products (which wasn’t yet called a “suite”) or their then seemingly equal competitor Corel’s products. Not many folks using Corel products these days (if they’re still around, that is) … in fact, very many who made the wrong choice at that time were eventually weeded out of the business altogether.
The moral of my anecdote is that, while there are plenty of developers out there making some pretty cool variations of Adobe software, you simply can’t go wrong with the real thing.
At the same time, also consider that your tools shouldn’t define your work, but it should be the other way around … technology changes very, very quickly so despite what anyone’s past experience has been, there’s no guarantee Adobe will be the top media software developer forever … but that doesn’t matter since the skills you develop with Adobe products will be transferable to whatever the next big thing might be … even if it doesn’t come from Adobe.
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Thanks for all the input everyone. I do believe that the CS5 Production suite is what I want. I need to talk to Adobe about their subscription plan. I can’t tell if it’s “pay to own” or money down the drain. Unfortunately, I think it’s the latter.
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[brian klassen] “I need to talk to Adobe about their subscription plan. I can’t tell if it’s “pay to own” or money down the drain. Unfortunately, I think it’s the latter.”
You never really own software. You only pay for the license to use it. If it helps you fulfill your creative longings or allows you to make a living –or both, then it is a worthwhile investment.
Jason Jenkins
Flowmotion Media
Video production… with style! -
By “pay to own” I meant that once I had paid in the sticker price of $1699 I then would no longer have to continue to make monthly subscription payments. Adobe Customer service says it’s essentially an installment plan and ends when the sticker price is met. Sounds good to me, though I will double check on that. There doesn’t seem to be an outside credit card company involved, and the total of each monthly payment goes toward the 1699. (Once again, I’ll double check all this. The skeptic in me wonders what’s in it for Adobe beyond capturing financial fringe elements like me, and also capturing market share. I guess that’s enough.) And if one commits to a one-year plan it’s $85/month (penalties if you unsubscribe); 129, month-to-month (no penalties, obviously). Seems like a good deal given the breadth of the software.
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