Editing Software for HF100

[Kirk Hopkins]

Sony Vegas Pro could work different than the lower-end Movie Studio package, but I doubt it. The Movie Studio package doesn’t mess with the files imported from the camera. It does create a Sony file (like a thumbnail that the Sony software knows how to read) with a .sfk extension. I wouldn’t call it a render, but a more of a pointer to the original file. The sfk file is tiny. For example I have a 146MB clip has a 58KB sfk file.

I generally like to delete the original files when I’m done with a project (but not always). Unfortunately, when a project is completed and the original files are deleted, the sfk files stick around.

As far as speed goes. I find that version 9 is quicker at previewing HD footage than version 8 but it’s still not really time. SD footage (or crappy-vision as I like to call it) is real time unless you start adding effects and transitions. I think as time goes on, the editors will become smarter about dealing with AVCHD footage and will speed up the preview but it hasn’t happened yet today. I feel that the preview is slightly sluggish but not unusable. That may be why you’re talking about having to render (making the movie to see the final product). I usually don’t render anything until I “make movie”.

So far have recorded with 1080P at 30FPS (17 MBPS) on the camcorder. I can’t see dropping down for any reason. Why record at a lower setting? It’s not worth it to save a little space.

Project settings: Nothing special. I just pick new project and “finish”. I don’t even walk through and say “I’ll decide later”. Seems to work fine.

Upgrading to a quad core processor with more RAM may fix the speed issue but I love my MacBook Pro, so I don’t plan on testing out that theory until I can get a MacBook Pro with a quad core processor. I usually reboot into Windows to do my editing but sometimes I run Windows virtually while running the MacOS at which point Windows only gets 2GB of my 4GB of ram, and has to share the processor. It’s still usable, but a touch more sluggish.

Honestly, I doubt that I would get real time previews even with a quad core machine. I think the editors don’t know how to deal with AVCHD footage efficiently enough yet, but that’s my untested, unsupported, knee-jerk opinion.

I still wouldn’t go back to crappy-vision though, or to another editor at this point…Kirk.

Like you, I enjoy keeping the footage in it’s native format so all the Apple editing products are currently off my list. I’m not sure about AVID; used it once and hated it. I haven’t found anything else that works like the Sony software (wish it was available on the MacOS).