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Labels:
Compatibility,
iMovie '11
Apple has a new camera compatibility page for iMovie '11. It features drop-down menus that make it a lot easier to find the kind of camera you're interested in using. You can browse by device type, manufacturer, video format, and storage medium.
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Labels:
Cameras,
Compatibility
I occasionally get requests for camera recommendations, especially as they relate to iMovie. I thought it would be interesting to pose the question to everyone:
What camera do you use with iMovie and why?
In my family, we've used a Canon TX1 for almost two years. It's a hybrid that shoots 7 megapixel stills and 720p video. Our favorite thing is its size, which means we use it all the time, taking it with us most places we go. The 10x zoom is great and the controls make it really easy to shoot either pics or video without having to fiddle with switches. The video files, though large, work great in iMovie.
We don't like its low light performance, which is pretty poor. We've also dropped it and had it repaired twice, once under warranty and once out of warranty, but Canon does a quick turn around and the repair cost didn't break the bank.
It's definitely not a camera for everyone, if for no other reason than its ergonomics. But my perfect, family-friendly camera would shoot stills and HD video and would fit comfortably in my pocket, so this comes pretty dang close. (Plus, we bought it *new* for around $300, which was a hard deal to pass up.)
Please take a moment to tell us what camera you use with iMovie and why.
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Labels:
Cameras,
Compatibility,
Great Deal
I know I just spent a whole post questioning the viability of these little devices with the iPhone 3G[S] coming, but this deal is definitely worth passing on.
Today only (June 16), Amazon is selling the Creative Vado HD for just $129. That's $100 off the list price. This little camera shoots 720p in h.264 and has 8GBs of storage built in. That translates to two hours of footage before it fills up.
Despite the great deal on this camera, it's not quite ideal. To get the iMovie compatibility, you'll need to transcode the files it produces with something like Quicktime Pro or MPEG Streamclip, a free video conversion utility. This isn't a perfect situation, but a lot of Mac users seem to like this camera in spite of this drawback. It will definitely do the trick until the iPhone HD comes out next year.
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Labels:
Compatibility
I recently was asked about iMovie '09's compatibility with previous versions of iMovie, including compatibility with iMovie '08. (Thanks for the question, Ana.)
Here are four things to know about the compatibility issues you can expect when upgrading.
iMovie '08 to iMovie '09
1. All of your event library footage from iMovie '08 will work in iMovie '09 without a hitch. There will be some processing time required to use the video stabilization feature. But even when that processing is done, event footage in iMovie '09 will still be backwards-compatible with iMovie '08.
2. Projects in iMovie '09 are *not* backwards compatible with iMovie '08. This means that when you upgrade, you will not be able to transfer your projects to a computer running iMovie '08 and edit those projects there. As I understand it, iMovie '09 projects won't even show up in iMovie '08.
iMovie HD (and previous) to iMovie '09
3. iMovie HD projects imported into iMovie '09 work the same as when you import them into iMovie '08. This means that any transitions, effects, titles, themes, and audio edits will probably be lost. You will just get the clips in your project edited to the lengths you cut them in iMovie. (Still images added to your iMovie HD project also make the trip.) These clips are added to your event browser in a new event, and iMovie '09 creates a project with the same name containing the clips in the identical order and length.
4. If you want to import a fully edited iMovie HD project, you can do this if you export your movie as a Quicktime file first. (I recommend using the Apple Intermediate Codec.) Once you have your Quicktime file, select "Import Movies" from the File menu and select the Quicktime file you exported. iMovie '09 will add the movie as an event, which you can then add to a new project you create. Be aware that you will not be able to change any of the edits you made in iMovie HD.
If there is one very Jobsian lesson in all of this, it's that you shouldn't plan on looking back. Luckily, the future looks good with iMovie '09.
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