Seeking video camera setup advice

[Blue water diver]

Just purchased a Mac because I was not happy with the PC editing software selections. Adobe kept crashing. ARGH!!! I also see that the Mac is not compatible with all video cameras. So.... I would like some advice from other videographers with macs on camera setups they use. I plan to use u/w and on land for great videos. Currently using Go Pro head cam. Love the 1st person angle of it so if there is a setup with better video quality that could be hands free that would be a super plus.

Thanks in advance for you advice.

 

[Videodude]

Blue:

I use a Mac and Final Cut Pro editing software. The Camera I use is a Canon GL2 in an Ikelite housing. No worries with connectivity with this camera as it has a DV output and I have a DV to Firewire cable and plug directly into my computer for downloads. I also have a Tachyon XC Micro (POV) camera which shoots to micro SD cards. That I just stick into a USB card reader, upload to my Mac and drop the files into FCP.

For cameras without a DV connector or SD card, I have a video converter (also known as a bridge) which accepts RCA video/audio (red, white, yellow) or S-video and converts it to Firewire to connect to my Mac for import to FCP.

If you have any other questions that I might be able to help you with, you can email me at doug@videodudeproductions.com

 

[doctormike]

I'm using iMovie... the latest versions are quite good, you might not really need anything more than that (it's free with your new Mac).

I don't think that I have ever had a problem with "compatibility"... any computer should be compatible with any format, if you have the right software. Occasionally I will need to convert video obtained elsewhere with Daniusoft video converter, but iMovie imports all my files straight off the card with no problem...

Mike

 

[sharksdelight]

Congrats on going Mac but keep in mind that the GoPro and Contour are not like other cams and certainly not on par with even the less expensive AVCHD cams. However, it is also not a DV cam either, though there is a setting in them for that. I would never suggest you shooting in DV mode as there is no market for it and, just in case you ever needed a project in SD, you could always downconvert the HD footage to SD. If you shoot in SD, you're stuck with it.
In order for you to import the footage from either cam, download MPEG Streamclip, a free and bug-less application. Drag your clips over to the MPEG Streamclip interface window and then export to a folder in whatever codec you perfer to use,(for the GoPRO I would suggest Pro Res LT)
Then you can open FCP and import the files that MPEG Streamclip made for you. If you are working in FCE then you will be stuck exporting your GoPRO files using the Apple Animation Codec as FCE doesn't have the better and more useful codecs. I haven't even looked at iMovie in years so I have no idea what codecs it works with but know that there is a difference between the terms 'format' and 'codec'.
Give MPEG Streamclip a try, you'll like it despite the extra step in terms of pre-importing.
Steve