[Michael Sacci]

Personally I would get FCP and keep it uncompressed all the way through or even go from the H264 camera codec to ProRes and get a great compromise of quality with a near lossless compression. AIC is not a bad codec it is just not the best compression out there. IMO

[Michael Sacci]

Personally unless you need weather resistant body I would save the $600-700 and get the 60D. Put that toward the lens purchased. The 60D’s ability to go manual audio is a good thing to have. The 7D’s only pluses over the 60D is a little better build, nothing in quality of the image.

Two lenses if hard to have all you need, it is a compromise. if you go with primes a wide and a 50mm gives you a good start but you will also need a telephoto in many cases, to get a real tight CU with a 50mm means you have to get right up on a person. For a really versatile lens I would get the 24-105mm f4 with IS. Then get the 50mm f1.4 for super low light and shallow dof. Then look at a 10-20 mm wide and if needed a stronger tele.

F4 is a comprise but you can get shallow dof if you use the higher end of the lens but the IS will be a welcomed feature without braking the bank (about a $1050 for the lens)

No right or wrong here just what makes more sense for the $ you got to spend. For primes I have old Nikon lenses with adapters, A 28 f2.8, 50 f1.5 and a 135 f2.8, each with its won adapter, don’t even have $250 in the set and are great video lenses.

[Michael Sacci]

The cow has some issues with auto filling. Mine changed the subject to Steadicam and yours changed it to bins. Weird.

But This is why a good understand of workflow is so important to have down, before you start to edit.

[Michael Sacci]

I the audio were a solid piece on each track and everything started at the clap, that is all I would use to sync the audio with the video. You don’t have to have TC with the audio.

[Michael Sacci]

[Simen Myrberget] “But when I drag the clip into the timeline it becomes green. “

This means your video and sequence settings do not match but your system is able to play them back in Preview Mode, which means it drops quality and frames as needed. You need to fix you settings or else you have to render to see full res put to your monitor.

Easiest way to match the clips and sequence (FCP 6 0r 7) you drop a clip onto an easy timeline and choose yes when it ask you if you want to change the settings to match the clip.

What are you using to connect the external monitor?

[Michael Sacci]

You cannot, if you want to know what the video actually looks like you have to use an external monitor (not a computer monitor) via a external video card or box (not a graphic card).

[Michael Sacci]

if the legs are firm and study that is all that matters, but if you intend to move the camera you need a good video head. They are making some less expensive fluid heads for smaller cameras like DSLRs. The problem you will run in to with a photo tripod is that a good video head is a ball type for easy and fast leveling and most photo tripods will not except them and you have to level with the legs.

But if you have something all ready and it does the job for you use it. It is really when you are buying new gear that you need to rethink what is most important for your current needs.

[Michael Sacci]

[mariana sussekind] “If Not, is ther an update for the FInalCut 6.0.6 free on the internet?”
Yes

Where? – Apple.com

[Michael Sacci]

do a search on the forum, we go after on the time. Short answer is there is no working solution anymore. If you need details it is in other post.

[Michael Sacci]

Don’t use HQ, overkill for video sources and it can introduce rendering, encoding issues. ProRes or ProRes LT if you can do with less bitrate. I just use ProRes.

All this info is out there, I would say there are at least a 100 post about H264 and FCP on the cow. Any can be set in FCP but that doesn’t mean that it should be set. You CAN edit H264 but you SHOULDN’T. It requires rendering almost every step of the way.

I know these things cause I read articles, if a new thing comes out, such as ProRes, I read the workflow and the white papers on it. When DSLRs started to pop up, I read about them, the workflow, the problems, the fixes to the problem. If you are going to be in this business you have to keep up with all these things. Sending time and a little money to keep up has to part of the professional’s life. Everything changes. I would not go to a doctor that has not read up on new medicines and procedures in the last 5 years. Would you?