Beginner camera/computer/ect question

I

IhateMyjob

Hey everyone, I wasn't sure if this would be better suited to the Camera section, or the Computer question.. So I'm posting here..

Actually it is a combination of questions...

First off, and it seems simple, is standard definition too old school to be "beginning with" is it a necessity to go straight to HD?

But wait, there is another question to go with that.

And it goes with editing HD video, from what I have read it takes a massive PC/MAC to edit HD video... My laptop is, we'll say, less than massive.

Windows 7 SP1, Intel Pentium 2.00GHz 4gb ram and I believe 275gb hard drive. I'm not asking if this is big enough to edit HD, because from what I've read it is definitely not... but if I started out with SD, would this computer be sufficient to edit?

Lastly, (before I read about the computer needed to edit HD video) I was researching camcorders in the Canon Vixia series, and looking at the Panasonic HC-X900m.. I was planning to buy something in the $500-$1000 range. Which from what I saw will buy a pretty nice HD consumer level camcorder...

However, if I were to start with SD, It looks like I could pick up a pretty solid 3 chip pro level MiniDV camcorder from X number of years ago...





So, to summarize....

Should I stick with SD and get a good used 3 chip, or save up and buy a good computer, followed by an HD camera... It may be worth mentioning that our "group" already has a member who shoots with a DSLR, so we have that access as well..




Sorry this is so scatter brained, but thanks for any advice.
Marshall
 
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El Director said:
Start with a Neutral picture style. Turn the Contrast all the way down, Sharpening all the way down, and Saturation down two notches. That gives you a nice flat image. For grading, I recommend using Magic Bullet Colorista Free (which is free). Most people will tell you to crush the blacks and raise the whites to create contrast, but this wrong. Instead, raise the blacks, crush the mids and raise the whites as needed. This will give you a detailed, yet nicely contrasted image. See my tutorial here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxwnYAUikms
Click to expand...

I've been working on this, unfortunately, according to Red Giant's website, Colorista Free won't work with my software, it says it only works with cs5/cs6... Which is unfortunate.

Question, I've looked in my editor on Pinnacle 16, and under the correction labeled "Base color Correction" I have sections for
  • Brightness and Contrast
  • Hue and Saturation
  • Intensity Correction
  • Red Correction
  • Green Correction
  • Blue Correction

When I open Brightness/Contrast, and Hue/Saturation, I have 2 sliders each, for the obvious adjustments.... but under any of the ones ending in Correction (bottom 4) I have 3 Sliders each for
  • Gain
  • Gamma
  • Black

I watched your tutorial and I saw on Colorista there are 3 circles with light to dark rings around the outside for Shadows, mids, and highlights... But I can't figure out exactly which controls in my options are having the same effect.


Sorry if this doesn't make any sense... if it will help I can take some screenshots and post them.
 
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