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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Getting Ready to Make Leap to DaVinci Resolve Studio -- NLE Comparisons Appreciated

Joe Taylor

Joe Taylor

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Getting ready to make the leap. Can users in the know please offer a no BS or biased review or comparisons of DaVinci Studio Editor vs. longer established NLE's such as FCP X or Premiere?
 
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Get the free version to try it. The free version is the same for single user editing. For color grading the paid version offers a few extras. I know an editor who has switched from FCP 7 to DaVinci and is very happy with it. Would recommend getting a Ultrastudio mini monitor.
 
I'm planning on making a similar leap. Does it recognize r3d files, especially from the newer DSMC2 bodies? Or do we need to convert it to a recognizable file using RedCineX?
 
It works with Raven Footage so I'm guessing all should be good.
 
I've heard similar tales Mark Toia. Confident that Black Magic will work out these bugs.
 
Want to do powerful color grading and some NLE or powerful NLE with some color grading? If you value non-roundtrip professional level color grading inside a quickly developing NLE then DVR is the only choice in my view. If grading is not a big concern then FCP or PP might be better for you.
 
Grading is always a priority Zeb. Happy with Final Cut but prefer a more traditional NLE. DaVinci looks like it could fill that role. Appreciate the tips. Many thanks.
 
The hardware requirements needed to edit natively with R3D files are steep, but it can be done.
 
That is a concern Marc. I have a fully loaded 5K iMac running a Raid 0 system. Wondering if it is enough.
 
I really have no problem grading with Resolve, getting everything just right and exporting as 4k ProRes 4444. Edit the film from there. I've had good results with FCP doing this, after CC with RCX. But exporting a first generation project from native R3D files would be so choice.
 
Also, at this time Resolve doesn't do 3rd party plug-ins. Premiere is easier to get started with. Resolve without the grading tools would not be considered the most complete editor. But the 2 in 1 grade/edit feature is a timesaver considering. With Resolve, there will be no color chore too great to handle. Considering the cost matrix, it's not impossible to have both on your system as its nearly impossible to live in an Adobeless world. And as others have stated, Resolve on an average laptop is not a productive experience.
 
Just upgraded from 12.0 Studio to 12.5. Upgraded Nvidia drivers first, backed up my data base, uninstalled, and installed 12.5. Went without a hitch on a Windows 7 machine-w-SP1. I am finding that I actually do more editing (and obviously color work) in Davinci than Premiere. However, Premiere has WAY more plug-ins than Davinci, so if there is something that requires a Premiere-specific plug-in, then the file will get bounced over to Premiere. Also, I use Encore through Premiere to burn my Blu-Rays.
 
M.Halsell said:
Also, at this time Resolve doesn't do 3rd party plug-ins.
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Sure it does. I have Boris BCC Continuum, Tiffen DFX filters, Genarts Sapphire, plus the dozen or so OFX plug-ins they give you for free in 12.5. OFX plug-ins work great, and that goes for color and transitions. I haven't tried them, but I also have all the iZotope RX Advanced audio plug-ins, and they do show up in the audio menus.

Joe Taylor said:
That is a concern Marc. I have a fully loaded 5K iMac running a Raid 0 system. Wondering if it is enough.
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The iMacs will struggle because of the underpowered GPUs. Resolve is a demanding program on GPUs. I wish Apple had made the GPUs upgradable with both the Mac Pros and the iMacs. They are upgradeable with the old 5.1 Macs and with higher-end Windows systems like the HP Z820 or Z840, both of which use PCI-bus GPU cards. iMacs can work fine with HD transcodes of R3D footage.
 
For short projects (commercials, branded) with quick turnaround, Resolve works pretty well. It's still better at grading than editing though 12 is a vast improvement. I'm still faster cutting on Premiere and find the audio mixer + plug-in implementation (ease of use) to be better on Premiere. Speed ramps in Resolve are great and Fusion links (like Dynamic Links to After Effects) enable huge capability. Fusion runs on GPU and, in the compositing I've done recently, runs MUCH faster than AE.

I recently cut a few spots all on Resolve, but am using Premiere on others currently.

Long story short, Resolve is getting very close but still doesn't fit all projects.
 
Zeb B said:
Want to do powerful color grading and some NLE or powerful NLE with some color grading? If you value non-roundtrip professional level color grading inside a quickly developing NLE then DVR is the only choice in my view. If grading is not a big concern then FCP or PP might be better for you.
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Exactly why I switched
 
One big issue that I had with Resolve was the lack of time remapping/ramping options in v12. Have they added any such features in the new 12.5 release?
 
Nathan DuMoulin said:
One big issue that I had with Resolve was the lack of time remapping/ramping options in v12. Have they added any such features in the new 12.5 release?
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12.5 has standard speed change options (like FCP and Premiere) but when the retiming is set to Optical flow in the inspector it opens up a keyframe option. The optical flow is pretty incredible for ramps and retiming. IME much smoother than a standard speed change.
 
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