I’m just starting off with my video career, As a professional photographer (use to Adobe Photoshop), I’m now looking into finding the best Video editing software. I read a few forums regarding this issue of FCP vs Premiere (one of them will be my choice) and it sounds it’s more a PC vs Mac issue. What I could figure was that both FCP & Premiere are great, with the FCP exception working great on Mac (as it’s ONLY for Mac).
I work on PC currently but is due for a major upgrade soon, my decision has been made it will be a Mac this time around, as all my friends tell my I could have just as well bought a Mac every time I build up my PC, because my PC’s I’ve build up are so huge and expensive, and I use it only and ONLY for editing (not even e-mail & internet, for that I still have a separate PC) you might as well use Mac. So I’m going that route soon by buying the latest, biggest iMac. My question is I need to make a decision on an editing software package, FCP or Premiere.
As I’ve hear great things from both, and also Premiere is NOW ready for Mac, I’ve not found anything comparing FCP & Premiere on the same platform (Mac) also you hear of big company’s using FCP on Mac AND/OR Avit on PC, so where is Premiere?
The thing is I need to buy the software and also get training on it, so I would like to make the right choice from the start and not waste any money as we are talking big bucks.
Thanks in advance for everyone’s help coming my way.
Joe Louw
Hey!
You ask why Premiere isn’t used professionally. Well, it is. And not by me. If you’ve used Photoshop or Adobe period, than you might have heard of NAB and that’s where the ones who use Premiere gather. Premiere is mostly used by lesser known graphics/compositing studios who also use After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash and the like, so Premiere makes more sense becasue Adobe stuff fits together so well.
Personally, i think Sony Vegas whoops FCP, Avid and Pinnacle up and down the street. If I need to edit fast, Vegas is the way to do it. You can do it all in the timeline and start editing your footage before it’s fully imported, unlike the others I named. Text, graphics, special effects and audio are also MUCH easier and quicker in Vegas.
I haven’t yet used Premiere, so I can’t compare that with Vegas, like I can the others.
Nice Blog! chrisColorado
Joe,
I think you’ll get quality results from both. As you expect, you’re just going to have to try each program out and see which one you feel most comfortable with. Using FCP for the first time will feel a bit like flying a 747, due to all the windows and options available. Keep in mind that FCP and Avid are industry standard here in Hollywood, not Premiere which is relatively new in comparison. Personally I’d go with Mac just to avoid using XP and it’s related issues- but either FCP or Premiere will produce great quality product.
I’ve always used premiere and know both software. I never felt unhappy with premiere and FCP is also good. Buying Adobe’s Master collection will solve all your professional needs in photo as well as in video. But if your desire is to conform to the “norm” you can buy FCP… its about more money and how you want your peers to look at you like… they are just tools at the end of the day.
But I have a question…
I arrived in the US recently in chicago and i’m willing to do both photography and videography for events and also for personal projects… but my budget would allow me to start with one first. Please since you have good experience, can you tell me which brings in more money so that a can afford buying equipement? Videography or photography?