Adobe’s newly released Premiere 6 is being referred to as Final Cut Pro 8 by some folks due to its similarities to the look and feel of Ye Olde Final Cut Pro 7. Many that I spoke to at NAB liked the new interface and capabilities. At least one client said they were committed to switching to it during the next refresh cycle. Should you switch to Adobe Premiere?

Does Final Cut Pro X Deliver for Pro Editors?

Apple is constantly simplifying everything they do. It can be argued that they “gave up” the Pro market when they simplified some of the “Pro” out of Final Cut Pro X. The change in direction reflected how video production is changing too. Much of today’s video is shot, produced, and edited by independent artists on laptops, then delivered via the web or mobile device and Apple knows this. FCPX sits squarely in that demographic and is priced to move in that space.

Final Cut Pro X: See How It Compares to FCP 7

Evan Schechtman of @RadicalMedia showed pro editors at Tekserve that there was life after the update in this down-to-earth explanation of the good, bad, and unknown.

 Adobe Premiere Pro’s Strengths

Adobe and Avid were quick to offer discounts on cross-grades for customers coming from Final Cut Pro 7 to Premiere, Media Composer, or Symphony. (Contact Tekserve for special pricing.) Here’s a few of the benefits of Adobe Premiere Pro for professional editors:

• Broad native format support will save you hours of transcoding. Premiere has native support for P2; XDCAM EX, HD, and HD50; JVC ProHD, AVCHD, and AVCCAM; DPX; Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras; RED R3D®; ARRIRAW; Canon XF and Cinema EOS C300; and more. Plus Adobe Labs releases beta support for new cameras quickly.
• Powerful multicam editing allows your to sync as many cameras as you have shooting.
• Final Cut Pro project import and export allow you to work with Final Pro 7 (and earlier) projects without conversion or re-rendering.
• Integration with Adobe software titles like After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Story.

See a two minute demonstration of what’s new in CS6 Production Premium from Adobe.

Tell Us What You’re Using

Should you switch? You can judge for yourself by downloading a free trial of Premiere Pro CS6 or attending the Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production Road Show. Right now you can get a complimentary strategy session from a Tekserve video production professional to talk about what solutions are right for your video production workflow.