Chapter 7. Importing Footage

When I first began looking into buying a camcorder, cost was definitely a main consideration. I found several analog cameras in the $200 to $300 range, which was acceptable. However, all signs point to a digital future but the cameras cost around $700 or (in some cases much) higher. Sure, digital is definitely the future, but did I really need to edge into that higher price range? I wanted the camera primarily for vacations and special events, so the quality and features of a digital camcorder probably weren't worth the extra money...right?

Wrong.

If you're planning on doing any type of video editing (and I'm assuming you are, since you're reading this book), spend the extra bucks and go digital. I can't stress this point enough. The convenience of hooking your camera directly to your Mac and just letting the video flow is worth the money you put out up-front. You also get the benefit of clearer video and audio, since the footage is entirely digital and therefore doesn't need to undergo any analog-to-digital conversion.

However, don't let my digital zeal frighten you. If you already own an analog camcorder, you can still use iMovie to edit your video, as I'll discuss later in this chapter.