Phil L

The manual focus isn't that bad actually. The focus ring is decent size. It's at the very end where all the ridges are (ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wx0ebndXL._SS400_.jpg). Since I usually shoot at f1.8, it's very easy to over shoot the focus. For each take I get the subject in and out of focus about 3 times just to be safe, because it is pretty hard to determine whether it is in focus or not.

The screen is actually pretty crisp, but you can get a viewfinder assembly (as shown in this video: vimeo.com/6266026) to make it easier to view.

I wouldn't worry too much about image stabilization. You kind of have to know your limitations on what you can shoot with it. If you're using a tripod or a monopod then you don't really need IS. If you don't have any equipment, you have to position your stance correctly so that there is little movement. You can always stabilize the footage in post production.

Well in part it has to do with me editing it on a Windows machine. As my friend explained it to me, the .mov file that is created by the DSLR camera is very compressed. If you are editing with iMovie or FC, it's fine because they can handle that format. If you are editing on Windows you have to have it transcoded.

I tried to edit a test clip with Sony Vegas and it rendered fine, but I only had maybe 3 or 4 different clips and the file was less than a minute long. So I assumed that my final product would render fine, but it kept giving me issues just seconds into the rendering process. What NeoScene does is uncompress the .mov file. The uncompressed video is preferred because it is easier for the video editing program to work with. So the .avi (.mov if you are using the Mac version) file created is maybe twice the size of the original file, but it waaaaaay easier to edit, at least on a Windows machine. Since you are using FCE4 you might not have any issues. If you do, I would suggest trying the trial.

Thanks, I couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks for all your expertise.

Thanks. I did no color correction whatsoever. I did however make sure that I set the white balance correctly on the camera before each shot. I'll make sure to try the custom settings, might make color correcting in the future a bit more easier.