T3i Video Help

I purchased a T3i camera about a month or so ago and I'm just now trying to figure out how to get the videos onto my computer. I'm struggling! Nothing I try seems to work.

I've tried 2 programs, Magix Movie Edit Pro 11 and Pinnacle Studio 12. I can get the video onto my Magix program, but it's rediculously choppy video. It plays fine on my camera so I'm thinking it's either the program or computer. I can't get Pinnacle (a newer program) to recognize it at all.

Can anyone point me in the right direction by answer the following questions?

- What programs do you use to get videos onto your computer?

- Do you connect your camera to the computer to get video that way or do you use the card in a card reader?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Whale watching is starting next weekend which is why I need to figure this thing out!

I have a t3i, use a card reader, Windows 7
I don't use any of the software you referenced, perhaps someone else can chime in.
what kind of computer horsepower are you using on the movies?

I put the card into my computer, or a card reader, double click it to open, then hit the one of the folders, then 2 more folders open and I open up the one that says canon100 the. Just drag and drop the files

My PC is quite old. I believe I got it in 2005-2006. It's operating on Windows XP3.

My laptop which is what I'm now working on, is newer. I just got it last winter and it's operating on Windows 7.

OK, so I've gotten to WATCH the videos on my laptop now, but I'm looking for info on what kind of program I should be able to use to edit and post videos online. During the whale watching season I video tape, post videos on Youtube, and then during the offseason I put a DVD together. I need to be able to edit videos on my computer. LOL

Check out the sticky titled "5D2 Owners - What do you use to edit movies?" There are lots of programs that do what you're asking.

I started out using Adobe Premiere Elements and am now using Premiere Pro.

I've never used any of the Adobe products and briefly had Pinnacle Studio 9. IMHO, Pinnacle was the worst product I have ever used as it was quite dependent on what type of hardware you had. The forums were filled with people complaining about the software.

I moved on to Sony Movie Studio and have since upgraded to Sony Vegas Pro 7. Not the newest version, but it works flawlessly for me.

Al

Thanks.. I just downloaded Sony Vegas Pro 11 (trial version) and it seems to be working now. I just have to get used to all these new controls and features compared to Magix which I'm 100% comfortable using now. Darn technology... always keeps me on my toes!! LOL

Ok, so I just had a mini heart attack!! I shut down Vegas Pro and the box came up asking me to buy now. I didn't realize that this was a $600 program!! Holy cow!! Needless to say I'm done with that one. LOL

I think I have solved my problem though. Tomorrow I'm going to download a free trial version of the latest Magix program on my laptop. Since I'm used to using Magix I'll try the new program on my laptop which is quicker/newer than my PC. We'll see if that works!

If you use the Canon Utility that comes on the CD with the camera, it will download all the files on the camera, stills and video. You can also use a card reader, just copy them using Windows the same as you would copy any other file.

As regards Editors, free is Windows Live Movie Maker, download from Msoft. For a freeby try http://www.serif.com/f​ree-video-editing-software/

Serif have just released MoviePlus X6, I'm still using X5 at the moment which works fine for me. It creates proxy files for editing which solves the jerk problem when editing HD on a lower powered machine, else spend on a new superfast PC

You need a fast sd card or it will be choppy, from what I've read.

Sony Vegas Platinum will do the majority of what Vegas Pro does and the UI is the same. Unless you need to do advanced stuff like masks and what not, Platinum is perfectly fine.

Thanks for the help everyone! I seem to have fixed my problem now. I'm just going to upgrade my Magix program on my laptop. I downloaded the trial version today and got it to work out perfectly. I tried the trial program on my PC and it was a no go. So, it appears as though my PC is just to old and slow to handle the new camera's videos. Thankfully I have the laptop to back me up!

quicktime pro is a cheap editor that can do a lot of basics. Cutting, pasting, exporting video to images and image sequences to video.

Lightworks is a full non linear editor that is free. look it up on google.

Those should be suitable for doing the basics you need.

Zipline wrote in post #14395705
Thanks for the help everyone! I seem to have fixed my problem now. I'm just going to upgrade my Magix program on my laptop. I downloaded the trial version today and got it to work out perfectly. I tried the trial program on my PC and it was a no go. So, it appears as though my PC is just to old and slow to handle the new camera's videos. Thankfully I have the laptop to back me up!

I too have a computer that is running XP3. Dinosaur but - it's paid for and it works quite well with just minor updates occasionally. I too looked for a program that would allow me to import (to the computer) and EDIT video files of the .MOV and .MP4 ilk. The video card choice will make a huge difference in how your system treats video files - both in playback and especially in editing modes as will total memory size and allocation.

I found a program called Cyberlink Power Director 9 works for me on my older system. I can edit all of the MP4 and MOV files I have and this program also allows editing of the HD (h.264) encoded files and I can convert the output to AVI or WMV if I want.

Look around a little and do some research as a lot of "newer" software only loads and operates in Vista or Win 7 - or - as you discovered is just too costly to be worthwhile for casual use. I am not a pro and I don't need pro software but I do need something that WORKS with the formats that the cameras I have produce! LOL!! The software I chose (Cyberlink) is NOT the newest, latest, greatest up to date version - and I got it on e-bay for under $50 for that very reason, BUT it is compatible with XP and I took a chance and when I got it it DID work on my old system. It takes FOREVER to load but once loaded it is not slow at all. Video files (largest I have actually loaded into the program was 758mb) are easily played and easily edited. Rendering the final production is another story though as that function takes some time - usually about one hour and sometimes a little more to complete. But it has never "locked up" the system or failed once running.

Okay - review over! LOL!!

Hillbille