Tag: video

Top 10 Software I use for editing

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disks & thumbs storage
disks & thumbs storage

These are the new and just updated for 2023 TOP 10 software packages I currently use for my image and video editing. As well as the hardware I use to run them on.

Surprisingly six of the ten programs can be had FREE for non-commercial use!
While three are subscription model products, and one is free but requires custom proprietary hardware.

Links to all the applications both free and paid are at the bottom of page.

The Software

What I edit still images with:

NameDescription
Adobe Creative Cloud Lightroom ClassicImage developer and catalog
Adobe Creative Cloud PhotoshopImage Editor
PicolayFocus stacker by Heribert Cypionka
What I use to edit still images

 My image catalog database is currently

  • Adobe Creative Cloud Lightroom  (Image developer and catalog)

What I create videos with:

NameDescription
Blackmagic DaVnci Resolve 18Insanely powerful video and audio editor
OBS StudioScreen capture and live stream
qDslr dashboardTethering and time-lapse
HandbrakeVideo converter
AudacityAudio editor
What I uses to create videos

The Hardware

The Monitors

  • ASUS ProArt PA248 (Main image editing display)
  • Samsung S27R350 (Text and control panels)
  • Samsung S27R350 (everything else)

The rapidly ageing eaters of bits

  • Custom built Intel I7 system with
    • 32Gb RAM
    • 2 * 512Gb SSD + 2 * 4Tb sata3 internal drives
    • Nvidea rtx 1650 4Gb video card
    • Wacom Intuos 3 9*12 tablet
  • Custom built Intel I5 system with
    • 16Gb RAM
    • 512Gb SSD + 4Tb sata3
    • Nvidea rtx 1030 2Gb video card

Backup & Stability

  • Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office (data backup)
  • A random array of Western Digital external drives (backup medium, on and offsite)
  • Apc UPS unit(s) (power stabilization)

Here are the links to all the products if you want to get any them

Links will open new tabs or windows.

Paid/subscription

NameDescription and linkPlatform
Adobe Photography bundleincludes both Lightroom & Photoshop for $9.99us/month http://bit.ly/2rbDvvFw m
Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office(search web for discount coupons!) http://bit.ly/Acronisppw m a i
Paid software – platform: w = Windows, m = Mac, a = Android, i = Ios

Free!

The following seven six products I use can all be downloaded and used for free!

NameDescription and linkPlatform
BlackMagic DaVinci Resolve 18(video/audio editor) http://bit.ly/resolvepp – non commercial usew m
Microsoft ICE(Panorama stitcher) – no longer availablew
Picolay(Focus stacker, 3d renderer) http://bit.ly/picolayw
Handbrake(video converter) https://handbrake.fr/w m l
Audacity(audio editor)  http://bit.ly/audadityppw m l
qDslr Dashboard(remote camera control)   http://bit.ly/2IVppWf
Wired, wireless, timelapse, bramping, focus stacking
Free on windows/mac and paid app for android/ios 		 all
wmlair
WeMacro controller *
* requires wemacro rail		WeMacro Focus stacking rail software https://bit.ly/wemacrosww m a i
Free software – platform: w = Windows, m = Mac, l = Linux, a = Android, i = Ios, r = Raspberry

5 mic shootout

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Here’s my comparison of 5 different relatively inexpensive (under 200$cdn) mic options.

Over time as I started to make videos I found the sound quality was bugging me.
So I embarked on a mini-quest to improve on the audio I was capturing.
Eventually ending up with four external mics and the internal camera mic
(I also have a few studio mics but that is for another time.)

Here is a video I made while recording from all 5 sources at the same time in a couple of different locations..
(Editing that into a single video was quite a chore!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1KMh1QC8po

Summary of my findings

Camera  Internal mic

Cost: free, built in to most cameras.
Power: internal camera battery
Pros: free, always have it with you.
Cons: usually terrible poor quality sound, picks up wind, environment and even camera internal operating noises.

 

Apex 182

Cost: runs around 20$us/26$cdn
Power: none.
Pros: Needs no battery, and is stereo, very inexpensive.
Cons: no easy way to clip it to anything. output levels are low.

 

Audio-Technica ATR3350

Cost: runs around 29$us/50$cdn
Power: needs a LR44 type battery that lasts about 10-15 hours.
Pros: cheap, not bad sound
Cons: no battery life indicator, you never know if it has quit on you.
excessively 6 meter/20 foot long ever tangle cord.

 

RØDE smartlav+

Cost: runs around 89$us/99$cdn
Pros: powers itself from the recording device (needs to be compatible), small easily placed.
Cons:  None, it does need a RØDE SC3 3.5mm TRRS to TRS Adapter to connect to recorders instead of smartphones
Hint:  A kit with the lav and adapter can sometimes be found for almost same price as lav by itself, much more expensive if bought separately

RØDE VideoMic

Cost: runs around 150$us/189$cdn
Power: standard 9v battery
Pros: good quality construction, uses standard easy to find 9v battery
Cons: large and needs to be camera mounted, can pick up unwanted directional background sounds.

 

Links

To my top product picks (yes they are affiliate links!).

RØDE SmartLav+
Adorama http://bit.ly/2vxfjXH

RØDE SC3 trrs to trs adapter
Adorama  http://bit.ly/2KHMe0j

RØDE SmartLav+ and trrs to trs bundle!
Adorama

Zoom H1n
Adorama http://bit.ly/2vAYI56

RØDE VideoMic
Adorama  http://bit.ly/2KFQr4M

Dead Cat 
Adorama

Our big camping adventure, in the soaking wet rain.

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We (wet) went off for a little camping trip

The first week was one of the wettest ever! Not much chance to wander around and make images.
Standing under a flap I did make many clips that assembled nicely into a short video. So everyone can experience the wonders of another day of nonstop rain.

Reading, Photo Magazines of course, consumed much of the time during the first week.
Started reading the “VisionMongers: Making a Life and a Living in Photography” Book by David duChemin as well.
Watching episodes of “Dead like Me” and “BloodTies” on the old laptop helped pass some of the time.
All the while helping our diet with many varities of custom health foods.

rain food #junkfood #junkfoodjunkie

rain food
#junkfood #junkfoodjunkie

Also managed to watch all four of the “Pirates of the Carabian”,  three of the “Smokey and the Bandit” and “Back to the Beach” (a Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello)  DVD movies in the soaking evenings during that week.

Innovation to keep the wet out!

We did need to innovate a bit and created rain cover stands from 3 inch ABS DWV pipe TEEs.  Making the cable end connection inside the pipe fitting is a bit of a trick, but it can be done.
Place one end of the 30amp cord in one side and down into the 90 bend. Then put the other end  from the next cord in from the other side and push them together inside the fitting.
The 15amp cord had to pass through frist,  there is no room for its ends once the fat 30 amp ends were in place! Then you just stand them up, keeps the connectors dry and  up of the wet forest floor. As long as the water does not rise too far!
Or  just use bigger 4 inch pipe tees instead! Though they take up much more space to store.
Worked out well for us ,  no rain caused shorts or power outages,  the laptop  and camera batteries all charged up and kept on working!

ABS power cord rain covers

ABS power cord rain  covers

The Camping Cat was not impressed!

Kit-Kat
2006-2017
Taken too soon

camping cat not impressed

camping cat not impressed

Fortunately the next week was much drier !