iMac + Editing in HD with Final Cut

[msmartins]

I got an iMac this week. I'm also gonna buy a new camera (propably Sony HVR-A1E) and Final Cut Pro for the editing. I was wondering if that was enough... i mean, cause i have a small budget!

I know that HD quality requires a lot from the Mac and some people said something about an extern hard drive (i don't really know how that works), is that right?

And what about the "final cut express"? Would it run better with my iMac?


Thanks for the attention! see ya

 

[Gibson88]

Which iMac do you have?

If you have the higher end model with the 256mb Graphics Card you should be fine, you might be pushing it a little with the 128mb 2400 mind.

 

[mooncaine]

It wouldn't hurt to add an external FireWire drive, one with 16MB buffer, 7200RPM speed, and gobs of storage. I've used ones from OWC for years with few problems. There are plenty to choose from. I also have a WD My Book that I haven't used for very long, yet.

If you want to do fancy effects and see them rendered on your screen in real time, your iMac might not have the muscle for that, but if you're willing to wait a few moments for crossfades or other transitions to render, I think you can use Final Cut.

I can't tell you how it compares to the Express version because I have never used the Express.

You will want to keep plenty of free HD space available. High-quality video will require many GB of space. Fortunately, you can add many external FW drives at little cost.