Final Cut Pro

 

Last weekend, before I went to the hospital again, I purchased the base Apple M2 Mac mini.  I wanted to start learning how to use Final Cut Pro on an Apple computer.  I had used FCP X about 7-8 years ago before completely switching to an Apple iPad Pro.  Apple released FCP for the iPad Pro last year but that app is just not there.  There is really no good colour or audio correction on the iPad Pro.   

Apple was also still running on Intel chips in those days.  No M series chips back in the 2010's.  I've been working on an iPad Pro for the last 4 or 5 years or so. 

On the weekends that I'm home in between hospital visits where I learn how to walk with my prosthetic, I've been learning how to  FCP X on the Mac mini.  Although pretty fast, much faster than an Intel based computer, it's not so good for video editing longer videos and adding edits such as video noise removal, and colour correction.  The iPad Pro with the M2 chip, 2TB of storage and 16GB of RAM is much, much faster. 

This coming week, I'm getting about 2 years worth of back pay from my job.  The plan is to buy a MacBook Pro with at least 2TB of storage and 64GB of RAM and an M3 Max chip on the inside.  I am hoping that is much more of a capable machine to handle 4k video editing.

I'm planning on using either my Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max with an external Samsung T7 2TB drive and editing off of that with the MacBook Pro.

Final Cut Pro For the iPad Pro

Final Cut Pro (FCP) is a renowned video editing software developed by Apple Inc. Known for its professional-grade capabilities, FCP has long been a favorite among filmmakers and video editors. While traditionally available only on macOS, Apple has introduced a significant expansion by bringing Final Cut Pro to the iPad, revolutionizing the editing experience for mobile users.

The introduction of Final Cut Pro for the iPad opens up a new world of possibilities for video editors on the go. The iPad’s powerful hardware and touch interface combine seamlessly with Final Cut Pro’s robust feature set, allowing users to create high-quality videos with unparalleled convenience.

One of the key advantages of FCP for the iPad is its familiar user interface. Apple has adapted the software to optimize its functionality on the iPad’s touch screen, ensuring a smooth and intuitive editing experience. Users can take advantage of the iPad’s multi-touch gestures and the Apple Pencil to precisely control their edits, making the process more interactive and engaging.

Despite being a mobile version, Final Cut Pro for the iPad retains most of the features found in its macOS counterpart. Users can access advanced editing tools like multi-camera editing, magnetic timeline, and extensive audio editing capabilities. The software supports a wide range of video formats, including high-resolution and HDR content, ensuring compatibility with professional workflows.

Additionally, Final Cut Pro for the iPad leverages the iPad’s powerful hardware, allowing for real-time playback and rendering of complex video projects. The software takes full advantage of the iPad’s A-series chips and Neural Engine, resulting in impressive performance and responsiveness. This capability eliminates the need for users to transfer projects to a computer for rendering, further streamlining the editing process.

Furthermore, Final Cut Pro for the iPad offers seamless integration with other Apple devices and services. Projects can be easily synced across devices using iCloud, enabling users to continue their work on different platforms seamlessly. Users can also leverage the iPad’s built-in camera to shoot, import, and edit footage directly within Final Cut Pro, enhancing the overall efficiency of the editing workflow.

While Final Cut Pro for the iPad brings a host of benefits, it’s important to note that it might not replace the desktop version entirely. The iPad version may not provide the same level of processing power and screen real estate as a dedicated computer setup, limiting its suitability for complex and resource-intensive projects. Nonetheless, it offers a highly capable and portable editing solution for a wide range of video editing needs.

In conclusion, Final Cut Pro’s expansion to the iPad is a significant development for video editors and content creators. By combining the power and portability of the iPad with Final Cut Pro’s professional-grade editing tools, Apple has opened up new avenues for on-the-go editing. Whether editing on location, during travel, or simply desiring a more flexible editing experience, Final Cut Pro for the iPad empowers users to unleash their creativity with convenience and efficiency.

Video only

So there have been a few changes in the past two weeks.  I got my new 2021 Apple iPad Pro with the M1 based processor, 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM.  I also got a Sony FDR AX700b camcorder which shoots amazing 4K HDR videos.  I am all setup to do great video work.  The weather has fantastic today and should remain so for the next 4-6 days.  No humidity and no heat.  No rain.  Just clear skies with a few big, puffy clouds.  Tonight after work, I will be going out and shoot a video for YouTube and get some stock for Pond5.  I am doing less and less photography and more video.  There is just more money in shooting video then there is in photography.  I’m still going to do photos for Adobe Stock but I’ll be focusing more on video production.

Now if you asked me 10 years ago, I’d laugh at you if you told me I’d be doing video as well as photography.  I actually look forward to getting outside with the camera and camcorder.  I hate being stuck inside behind a computer.  I’d rather be shooting.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to edit videos and photos but I just enjoy setting up a camera and camcorder.  I still hate being in front of a camcorder.  I just hate being on video as a I do not like how l look and sound.

I think this weekend, we’ll be going up to Algonquin Park.  Not the highway 60 route, but we’ll go up to the northern part of the park.  Who knows.  It’s always a last minute decision.

I’ve had enough with laptops/desktops

So I do my photography with a Sony a7R II, a 42.4 megapixel beast.  I shoot my footage with a Canon Vixia HF G50, a 4K/30fps camcorder and I edit everything on a 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive, the 12.9” screen and 4GB of memory.  I was thinking of upgrading the iPad Pro to the 2020 iPad Pro with the 1TB hard drive and 6GB of RAM.  From what I have read, the new 2020 Apple iPad Pro is only 1% faster than the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  Is it worth upgrading?  Hell no.  Not for $1949 plus tax.  I did get the new Apple keyboard though for the iPad.  It should be here in a few weeks.  I have absolutely no need for a laptop or a desktop to edit my photography or my footage.  The iPad Pro is just a beast of a powerhouse.  Maybe I will upgrade in 2021 when they bring out the A14X chip.  The 12.9” screen is just fine.  I can edit fine detail in my photography in Affinity Photo or Pixelmator Photo.  Apple Photos is just fine for my video editing I believe.  I don’t do heavy edits in any app.  I just shoot in RAW for photography.  File sizes are about 85 megabytes and the iPad Pro has no problem handling these types of file sizes.  The Canon Vixia HF G50 outputs 500-600 megabyte files for a minute of 4K footage which is all I use to upload to Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.

The only problem I can foresee for myself is file storage.  I may need to upgrade in a year or two for the 1TB hard drive.  If Apple puts a 2TB, 4TB or an 8TB hard drive into future iPads, there will be no reason to buy a laptop or a desktop.  Apple will just need to upgrade their online storage.  With the current 2TB cap for $12 a month is just not enough.  I’d probably need 4-8TB of online storage.  I would be willing to pay $20-25 a month for 4-8TB of online storage.

Night photography with the iPhone 11 Pro Max (64 GB model)

I got the 2019 Apple iPhone Pro Max (64GB model) earlier this month.  I got it just because of the 3 camera system.  It’s still a 12 megapixel sensor which is good enough for blogs, micro stock agencies and such.  I had my doubts as it is a small sensor on a phone regardless if it’s an Apple iPhone or an Android phone.  I honestly don’t get these 106 megapixel phones that are just coming out.  It’s still the same sized sensor.  No matter how many pixels you put on there, it’s going to be small.  Even full frame cameras shoot up to 61 megapixels.  The Sony A7R IV is such one camera.  Yes there are 100 megapixel full frame sensors but you’re paying up to $100,000 for those cameras.

The Apple iPhone Pro Max actually quite surprised me as to how sharp the above night photo is.  No noise whatsoever and the colours are actually pretty nice to look at.  I haven’t had a chance to shoot long exposure night photography on the phone yet.  With the cold Canadian winters here in Ottawa, I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to do that.  Personally I hate the Ottawa winters.  They’re cold and miserable.

I edited the above photo in Apple Photo on my 2018 iPad Pro with the 12.9” screen and the 512GB SSD HD.  I read a comment on some forum a few weeks back which has kind of stuck with me. It basically stated that iPhones and iPads are going to be the future of photography.  I’m 90% sure that comment is correct or will be correct in a few years.  The Apple iPhone Max Pro is almost there.  The sweet point for me for a camera lens is the 24-200MM.  The Apple iPhone Pro Max already has the 13MM wide angle lens equivalent which is fantastic for wide angle photography.  Just need the lens to go up to 200MM or maybe even 240MM lens and no more DSLR or mirrorless cameras will be needed.

The future of photography

I have been pondering the future of photography over the past few days.  I started photography about 15 years ago as a hobby.  I bought a basic DSLR back in 2004.  I had no understating of ISO, aperture, shutter speed etcetera.  I learned over a few years about exposure and such.  I upgraded my equipment as well as I learned more.  I shot Canon from 2004 to about 2017 when I switched to Sony cameras.  In 2015 I started doing videos as well.  I shoot for micro stock.  Primarily landscape, wildlife and such.  No weddings, portraits, or family photography.  I really enjoy the solitude of being out in the mountains with just my Sony RX100 Mark VII.  I used to have full frame cameras such as the Canon EOS 6D and the Sony A7II.  Had pro lenses as well.  They cost a pretty penny.  Now I just use a point and shoot pocket camera.  I get the same, if not better photos out of the Sony RX100 Mark VII.  I find that the experience and imagination of the photographer is more important than the equipment used.

The market is also changing.  The biggest change in the photography market I find happened in 2007 when Apple released the Apple iPhone.  That put a camera in everybody’s pocket.  The iPhone has come a long way and it completely changed the photography market.  Now anyone can be a photographer.  I’d say 98% of people can’t tell the difference between a printed photo that was shot on an iPhone 8+ or a Sony A7RIV.  In the end it’s the skill of the photographer using the equipment he/she has..

In May 2020, my contract with Freedom Mobile ends.  I want to get the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max.  I’d need at least the 256GB model.  I find the 64GB doesn’t allow that much storage for shooting 4K/60fps footage.  I want to try using just the iPhone and iPad Pro for all my photography and editing needs.  The iPad Pro is a media consumption device which doubles as a laptop replacement.  Now with IpadOS 13.2.2 released, I don’t need a physical laptop running whatever flavour of the day of O/S.

If you look at my Shutterstock portfolio, you can’t tell what camera was used to take any particular photo with a particular lens.  I have sold photos shot on the iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy s7 Edge, a Canon EOS 350D, Canon EOS 6D, Canon EOS T3i, Sony RX100 Mark IV, V, VI, VII and the Sony A7II.  I bet in that 3-5 years, DSLR’s are going to be relics of a bi gone era.  Everyone, and I mean everyone will be shooting on a smart phone.  You can see the stats now.  The big camera brands such as Canon, Nikon, Sony are seeing their camera sales falling.  There will always be a need for high definition, high mega pixel cameras for scientific research.  You can’t do astrophotography with a phone yet.  There are dedicated cameras for astrophotography.  There will a need for specialized cameras for looking at cells and microbes.  Phones won’t be able to do that yet.  Who knows what the future holds for these kinds of cameras.  100 years ago, we were learning to fly.  70 years ago, we put a man on the moon.  40 years ago, a home computer was non-existent.  20 years ago, the internet was coming into its own.  Who knows what technology is going to be invented in 20, 40, 70 or a 100 years ago.  In the Back to the Future movies we were supposed to have flying cars right now.  

Technology evolves.  Attitudes change.  Tech just gets better.  Some of it for the better and most of it for the worse as it changes society for the worse.  But that’s just my opinion.

Pixelmator Pro for the Apple iPad Pro

Pixelmator Pro for the Apple iPad Pro is an amazing piece of software.  You can pretty much do everything you want in the app.  I removed a few unwanted objects in this photo and edited a few other settings such as Brightness, colour correction, contrast, dark and light points and saturation.  It’s an amazing piece of an app.  I can edit a photo in a minute and a half and have it come out the way I want.  I love shooting with my Sony RX100 Mark VI and then editing everything on my Apple iPad Pro.

Trip to Montreal

The girlfriend, her sister and I went to Montreal just for the day.  I haven’t been to Old Montreal since I was a kid.  I haven’t been to Mount Royal in about 13 years.  Girlfriend and her sister have never been.  It was nice for them to see it.

I only took my Sony RX100 Mark VI to take pictures and footage along with my little Joby tripod that I can pretty much set up anywhere and take steady footage with the camera.  I did shoot footage in 4K video.  Typically I would shoot 4K footage if I’m not going to there again for a long time.

I’m editing my photos on my 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I honestly cannot wait for iPadOS to come out.  The only thing that’s bothering with the current iteration of iOS 12 is that it is very lacking in features like importing files and footage from an SD card.  I also wish that Audacity would make their software available for the iPad Pro.  I think it’s the best free audio editing software out there.  I have my Blue Yeti Mic attached to my iPad Pro right now thru a hub.  I have my earphones attached and the provided Apple USB-C power cable to power the iPad Pro.

I can’t wait for the iPadOS to come out in September of this year.  I can then replace all my other computing devices.  I can just use my iPhone and iPad Pro to do all my computing needs.   If I’m travelling anywhere for a long period of time, I can just take the 2018 Apple iPad Pro, my Sony RX100 VI and my Canon Vixia HF R800 camcorder.  All would fit into one shoulder bag with all the necessary batteries, cords etc and I’d be happy.

This is not hype

CI have been watching a lot of YouTube videos on the new iPadOS lately and I cannot wait for the new O/S to come out.  It will completely get rid of my need for a laptop or desktop.  Just the ability to access portable hard drives via USB-C is a game changer.  I can edit footage, photos and music anywhere.  In the car, in bed, on the couch, in a park, on a plane.  I have the 2018 Apple iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive.  Honestly, it’s the perfect device with a perfectly sized screen and internal hard drive.  

Apple typically releases a new O/S once a year in fall.  This summer cannot go fast enough.  I will not install any beta software on my main production machine.  I need the software and hardware to work flawlessly.  I also want to do a lot of travel this summer and fall so that’s another reason for the Apple iPad Pro 12.9” iPad with the 512GB hard drive.  It is so portable.  I can travel easily with the iPad, my Sony RX100 Mark VI and my Canon Vixia HF R800.  

I am honestly thinking of getting rid of my Sony A7ii with the 24-240MM lens and the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder.  Yes, they are more pro level devices but I shoot mainly for stock agencies and in the end, it’s not the equipment that makes the photographer.  It’s the photographer that makes the photographer.  I’m thinking of just replacing the Sony camera and Canon camcorder with another Sony RX100 VI.  Just to have a backup.

I could also shoot 4K with the Sony RX100 Mark VI since I only shoot 30-60 second clips to upload to sites like Shutterstock, Pond5 and Videoblocks.  Honestly the Sony RX100 VI is an awesome point and shoot camera that fits into your pocket.  The 24-200MM lens is honestly all I need for what I shoot.  I can shoot landscape, wildlife, architecture and portraits with the camera and the Canon Vixia HF R800 shoots at 1080p at 60fps.  So its all good for me.  

And yeah, the new operating system for the iPad can’t get here soon enough.

Wondershare Filmora 9

Wondershare Filmora 9.  For about $85 Canadian I'd say this is by far one of the easiest and best NLE editors on the planet.  I was able to pick up what I needed to learn in literally a few minutes.  The stabilization and color correction features are just amazing.  It was able to stabilize my DJI Spark footage with ease.  I find the color correction so much better than FCP X.  It also edits the clips amazingly quickly just taking about ten seconds or so on my Asus ROG 502 laptop.  I have the Intel i7-7700HQ CPU clocked at 2.8GHz with 32GB worth of RAM.  My main hard drive is a 256GB NVME SSD and I have a 1TB SSD I use to store my video clips and photos. 

I am completely switching from my late 2013 Macbook Pro to my Windows 10 machine till iPadOS comes out for my 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  Then I'm dumping both laptops and just editing everything on the iPad.  

Wondershare Filmora 9 is very easy to use.  Much easier than FCP X for the Mac.  It is a lot more intuitive to use.  Just the color correction is fantastic.  I will have to make a more detailed review of Wondershare Filmora 9 at a later date when I start using it more.

Finally. Apple iPadOS 13.

Better file support.  Mouse support. External hard drive support.  Apple iPadOS 13 looks to be awesome.  I just hope Apple will port over Final Cut Pro X to the iPad and it will be a total computer replacement.  I can't wait till September/October when Apple releases the new OS.

Pixelmator on the 2018 Apple iPad Pro

I went to Parc Omega yesterday to test out my new Sony a7ii camera with the new lens.  Took about 1800 or so shots.  I’m just processing them right now and I cam up to this shot of an American Field Buffalo with an American Field Buffalo calf.  As you can see from the photos above, one is more pleasing than the other.  The bottom shot has the result of what appears to be a very good meal.  With Pixelmator on the 2018 Apple iPad Pro, I was able to get rid of said poop and the image is more pleasing.  

I find it incredible that in 2019, I can sit at a local Tim Horton coffee shop and edit a roughly 47MB photo on a slab of glass that is roughly 5.7MM thick.  This slab has a 12.9” screen, 4GB of memory and a 512GB hard drive.  I wonder what we’re going to be using for photography in another 10 years and what we’re going to be editing on as well.  We live in interesting times.

Darkroom App for 2018 Apple iPad Pro

It is so much better than the Apple Photos app on the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  Apple Photos is a piece of crap basically.  It is a featureless digital asset management app.  Darkroom is feature rich, almost like Adobe Lightroom CC.  I believe it cost less than $15 Canadian.  It is such a much better deal than any Adobe product.  I honestly hate the subscription model that Adobe, Microsoft, Apple use to sell their products.  Yes Apple is turning into a service company with services like Apple Music and their online storage services.

The only thing I haven’t found in the Darkroom app is noise reduction.  I typically shoot at ISO 100 during the day and I don’t see any noise at all when using the SOny RX100 Mark VI.  I can edit pretty much everything else with the Darkroom app.  I am just in love with the Apple iPad Pro and its simplicity and ease.  I’m off for a couple of days between contracts so tomorrow I am taking out the Canon Vixia HF G40 and shoot some footage.  I don’t know where yet but somewhere.