Thread: Beginner Seeking Advice...(With A Philosophy)

Hi There,

I do a lot of country walking (Lake District), mostly solo, but on the rare occasion with a friend or friends. In the past I have always captured the excursions using a 'still' camera, but have now decided to make the move across to 'high-definition' video capturing, and to add a lot more creativity and dynamism to my memories.

My request for help and advice rests on two questions: a) Which Panasonic model would serve me best, basing the criteria on the shrewdness of expense, video quality overcoming motion blur, audio recording (stereo v 5.1) against models TM60 or TM700? Do I need the extra expense to be outlayed for the TM700 for what I want to do, or will the TM60 serve just as well (the difference in price is a few hundred quid)?
b) what's the better software editing suite for high-definition format?

The research I have done, particularly on camera models has been both enlightening and frustrating. I don't want to spend a large amount of money on a camera with features I will rarely use, but at the same time, I don't want to be overly bereft of necessary ones.
I had opted for the TM300, but this has now been withdrawn due to the TM700 coming out. I don't buy off the internet, as I prefer to go into a store and handle the product to gain a sense of its handling...afterall, it is a camera I am buying. Yet, even in the local Panasonic store, the models I would like to have previewed were not in store, and to be honest, the salesperson treat me with a suspicion of being just another 'faffer', so I won't be going back there...I have two weeks to decide.

Video editing presents its own problems, specifically regarding computing power for AVCHD editing. I have read that it can take a long time to process one's video captures. Is there a particular suite that has been tried and is trusted above others?

Best wishes

Looking around the forum I see that the problem with editing AVCHD files is ubiquitous, and is a bottleneck building up pressure out of peoples's video needs. I believe it will blow like a cork from a champagne bottle when a solution comes forth.
It looks like I'm going to have to upgrade my computer, which I was going to do, only via Intel instead of AMD. This means I may have to opt for the lower spec camera model. It seems things are being decided for me regardless of my wants.

I think you summed it up pretty well. Right now people either do one of three things:

• Downcovert to DV: This is something I do. It means you get the ease of editing in an established format, but does mean you lose quality. For me, it's about ease of editing rather than the highest quality
• Transcode to an intermediary format: there's various options here. Some applications do this "behind the scenes". Some users transcode outside of an application. It means you keep the quality, but get slightly easier editing.
• Edit natively: You'll need a fast system for this.

Chose one an option and enjoy!

Your philosophy although sound in theory is as all theory's are just a theory. The eternal question of which camera is the best for my needs is a common one but almost impossible to answer. I think being a Panasonic fan that you are thinking along the right lines and I'm sure which ever model you end up buying will give you great pleasure along with the trips to the other side of the coin on occasion.

There is no such thing as perfect software for every computer. As you will find out reading through these threads some suite one and another suite another.

I use Sony Vegas Pro 9 I am very happy with it there is cheaper Versions of Sony Vegas for example Vegas Movie Studio is like a cut down version of the Pro program. I'm sure it would suite your needs. I'm sure other people in the forum will have other recommendations for you.

Lastly do not think that you have to shoot in High Definition to get good footage. It's more about how you use the camera than the format or software etc...

Have fun.

Thanks guys!

I believe I am pairing down my options, and truly, the best way of doing that is to gain some feedback on the path one has been treading in the theoretical approach.

Video capture is a big market already, but once the AVCHD editing problem has been sorted out for the domestic consumer, the market will bloom exponentially, of that I have no doubt. Currently, it is holding back the market, and I think it is self-pressurising on the manufacturers of the cameras, and the programmers of the software, to get their heads together and to come up with a solution. Computing power also needs to become more affordable. because the internet and people's storage of data is becoming evermore media-centric, but the rollout of the technology is being artificially held back, I shouldn't wonder. Indeed, the tactics of maintaining a 'flagship' model each year just to keep a high-profile presence in the market, doesn't really add giant leaps forward technologically-wise...such tactics do not serve the domestic market.

Take the TM-300, for instance; it was introduced in May of last year, but has now been withdrawn for the sake of the TM-700, which is in a sense a revamped TM-300/350, with a similar introductory price level. The 300 should have been what the 700 is now. I could have bought a 300 last year only to find it redundant and superceded in less than 12 months! I would have been very angry if I had have bought the 300. The Panasonic shop I visited earlier today is selling a 350 for £999-99. Yet, the 700 has a introductory price of around £870-00. What is the point of paying out such a large amount of money, only to find that to edit one's homemade movies requires upgrading one's computer to a specification monopolised by one chip manufacturer, and not at a small expense? I loathe being manipulated like this! When you're buying a camcorder, there is no mention of the editing problems with the AVCHD format.

Whether or not the manufacturers want to admit it, there is a definite synergistic relationship coming to the fore between camera, computer, and software, and the buyer of the 1st, needs to take into account the 2nd and 3rd, in order to gain full creative use out of the 1st. That this relationship is not yet admitted to by the companies, the market is being held back.

Originally Posted by Elysiumfire

I could have bought a 300 last year only to find it redundant and superceded in less than 12 months! I would have been very angry if I had have bought the 300.

Why would you be angry? There's always a technological advance/price reduction just around the corner. You have to make a decision at some point to jump in. Let's face it the fact that the 700 is "better" and "cheaper" than the 300 doesn't actually affect the 300. The 300 is every bit as capable as it was when you (would have) bought it.

Originally Posted by Elysiumfire

Whether or not the manufacturers want to admit it, there is a definite synergistic relationship coming to the fore between camera, computer, and software, and the buyer of the 1st, needs to take into account the 2nd and 3rd, in order to gain full creative use out of the 1st. That this relationship is not yet admitted to by the companies, the market is being held back.

It's not a case of manufacturers admitting anything. They are in the businsess of selling product. One of the best ways of selling your product against your competitor's is to be able to claim it's got this and that latest technology. The ads make statements about all the whizz-bang stuff the cameras can do, not what's missing or what else you'll need to actually make use of the footage.

Try finding a consumer camera with functions accessible by physical buttons rather than hidden away in menus. You'll be hard pushed. It is "boring" from a marketing point of view even though it's quite critical from a practical viewpoint, and it's more expensive to add than a few pixels to the sensor or a software update.

But, Elysiumfire, you are clearly aware of all this and so at least you won't experience the same feeling of being let down when you do eventually buy your kit as someone who's been taken in by all the marketing hype.

a) Which Panasonic model would serve me best

I am in a similar situation. I opted for Canon because I have had good experience of their products so I have not studied the cameras you mention in detail, but from a quick look at the spec's the TM700 has three sensors, as opposed to the TM60 single sensor. In theory this should mean better results in low light situations and larger still photos. Only you can decide if that is worth more money.

I don't think that the extra 16GB of internal memory is worth a great deal. And I was happy with two channel stereo, as I couldn't think of anything I might record with surround sound. If you find yourself regularly surrounded by Skylarks on all sides or somthing similar, then it might be a consideration.

Full-HD 1920 x 1080, 50 Progressive Recording sounds very nice. i can only guess how that might compare to 50i. But you mentioned country walks. So how much motion blur are you likely to encounter?

It might be worth mentioning that I am Scottish and I lean heavily toward "shrewdness of expense" when spending money.

b) what's the better software editing suite for high-definition format?

I have found comments across the internet which suggest that there is no perfect answer to this. My solution is to get the best hardware I can afford and then test drive the trial versions of the more popular software.