What camera is best for final cut pro x?

fore-word: 'Quality' is in the eye of the beholder.

ask people what a good movie is .... 😉

I am told it doesn't really matter the camera it's the editing that makes it look great.

stay away from the person giving such advice. nonsense.

step #1 for quality:

have an idea. what is your movie about? what kind of 'flavour', documentary, story telling, impressions?

step #2 for quality:

cinematography. movie making is based upon photography, photography is based how you handle light. for instance, using a 60d (excellent cam) with a cheap-no-name, slow glas is of no use. why using a big sensor ("hey, DoF is so pro!") with a 5.6-stop - useless.

step #3 for quality:

learn to handle your tools. your cam, your lights, your software.

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basic film maker set:

most film-makers never need a green-screen.

it's just tools, it's not the toys which make the film, it's your brain.

you can not get basic advice here in a forum ... it's a life-long process.

start simple&short.

my first step would be to make up my mind, what movies I like to do.

rule of thumb:

don't start with your own Star Wars Saga.

never do a Wedding Video for Friends as first project 😉

Excellent commmet from Karsten.

The camera doesn't matter, its really the operator with creative skills and knowledge there in. If you have a basic idea of what your are doing, lighting and composition, you can shoot on an i-phone and it will look fantastic. If you don't... you can shoot on a $20K Sony F3 with Zeiss primes and it will result in garbage (more expensive garbage).

DSLR's can take incredible footage... if you know how to use one, traditional video cameras can also with so many less hassles. Best thing to do is free, google like crazy, there are countless free youtube and vimeo video tutorials on how to do this and that. Go to the library read some books on basic technique. Then experiment. Shoot stuff, look at the footage, shoot some more.

Plenty of fantastic self taught film makers out there. Buying a cool DSLR and FCP does not a film maker make.

Go to other forums dedicated to shooting like dvxuser or creative cow.

I agree with M S NYC about getting great shots with an iPhone.... but only if you know what you're doing, or conditions are perfect!

I tend to agree more with Karsten... stay away from advice about the camera not being important, especially if you're a hobbyist, like me. There are certain things a good editor cannot fully fix (unless you're an absolute whizz, and maybe not then) for example low light grain, camera shake, lens angle etc. The right choice of hobbyist camera will help a lot, right at the start.

Salty,

As a hobbyist or professional camera still isn't the biggest factor for basic creation level 1. We should never rely on an editor to fix what we shoot. That's always a bad idea, I think all agree... Except the editor who charges hourly rates. Look at some of the Vimeo clips shot on I phones... Rediculously amazing. Why? The creators have basic cinematography knowledge and put that to work to maximize the tool. The best hammer in the world can't show you how to properly hammer a nail with out bending it.

Knowlege and the appropriate use thereof.

You can focus poorly, choose bad angles, and shake any level of camera. If you are shooting pay attention and care about what you are doing. Learn the basic of cinematography and lighting. Auto settings are great if your capturing the kids soccer match, not if your trying to learn and grow artistically. If you are "film making" natural light isn't just pointing and shooting. Is being aware of where light is, how it will effect your image, where a subject needs to be in relationship to said light. It may come from a natural or environmental existing source but it's entirely your fault if you can't figure out how to optimize and make it work for you instead of against. Light can be natural composition is entirely up to the person behind the lens. No camera has a little cinematography course in the viewfinder... There is however an image. The amazing world of digital.

Look at me making this into a DVXuser rant.

If you mean a camera the produces native clips, without any need for transcoding, clips you simply drag and drop to the storyline, then I can recommend JVC GY-HM100 (or150) It shot in native mov. format (EXDCAM EX)

Gehrig378 wrote:

… you had a budget of 1k what camera and lens would you get.

… a better one I'm actually using 🙂

My choice 2y ago was a Lumix FZ38 - why?

My still cam is a Nikon D50 with threee lenses => you need a big bag, plus after 3h walking around it is simply too heavy.

So, my criteria: all-in-one, extra wide lense but a huge zoom, 720p as recording format. My theme is son's sport plus travelling. And price: <300€ - it's my hobby, man! 😉

and it's getting even worse: I'm using two cheapo (40€!) Kodak Z1, 'cause they offer 60p for my slowmo shots (test here) - quality? for MY needs ok, from an arthouse-filmmakers perspective? no.

but the boys are happy with my 'You Won The Championships'-movies ... (btw: Idea of this movie was simple: we made it, we are No1)

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if you prefer to do portraits, you need 50mm with an f-stop <1.8; if you like artistic landscapes, <24mm is a must; if you like to catch a sea-hawk in his nest, >5-600mm is min. (will cost twice as the body of cam); if you do a series of interviews for a kind of documentary, I would invest another 100€ in a Zoom H2 (ext. audio recorder); if you do 'action' like skiing, skateboard, surfing a GoPro Hero 2 would be my choice 120fps!! <sigh>

The 60D is an excellent cam; the interchangeable lenses allow you to 'grow' with your projects; but going into detail (do you need extra lights? a water/dust proof housing? ) depends and vary extreme from YOUR needs.

ahhh, almost forgotton:

a tripod! adds 5000% more quality to ANY project. for video, socalled fluid-heads preferred, Manfrotto is most mentioned, I prefer it's cheaper sister Velbon, you get a useful one starting at ~80€ (=I'm on really small budget 😉 )