Having used FCP, Vegas, iMovie, and a little bit of other systems, I don't think fancy editing software is all that necessary. If you're just starting out, iMovie is not a bad idea as you can quickly get into the fundamentals. Cut and dissolve.
These are the basic editing functions and all the NLEs give the same end results here.

iMovie is not a bad way of learning the fundamentals and it is very easy to get into. *Disclaimer: I haven't used iMovie recently so I don't know how well it handles the latest formats. And when I did use iMovie, it would crash and take out half your project if it was too big. Some these are some things to watch out for.

Anyways, I wouldn't count it out because it's so easy to use and is a good way to learn the fundamentals. I also think they took out the cheesy effects which are prone to abuse (you know those videos where they throw in every effect that comes with the program...). I haven't seen anything on the PC side that is as easy to use as iMovie.

So you never used the built in Windows Movie Maker then...virtually identical, just the basics, easy to use.

I have to agree, if a package allows to to cut or disolve a scene than that is 99% of what editing is.
How easy the package allows you to do those very simple things varies considerably though and I'd say Vegas is the easiest programme I've used, even compared to iMovie which is too simplistic and at times very difficult to use as a result in the current version. I seem to recall, the previous version of iMovie being much better to use.

I have been playing with IMovie and the D90

It seems to have all I want as a Newb to ediiting

However what I am baffled by are


-the display aspect ratio does not seem to be the 16:9 that the D90 shoots in

-Importing images ie still pictures jpgs, they have got horribly compressed and chopped about lost edges etc

-exporting the final edit (share)

My best effort so far seems to be to use Mpeg4 (under expert settings) here one define the aspect ratio

a 1min clip came out at 16MB

What settings should I use to export to..

-Upload to You Tube

-Make the nicest possible video for display in the office send to clients on DVD etc (file size less of a problem)

TIA

SMM

Any suggestions on how to (with the D3)

shoot with the intervalometer (or even on Contiuous High)

and make that bunch of images into a movie clip

S

Uh, did it ever occur to you to read manual? Not that you really need to with iMovie, I just looked at menu and right click options.
As for the aspect ratio - when you start a new project, you get given a aspect ratio choice, so choose the appropriate aspect ratio when starting.
For still images, resize to pixel dimensions of project in PS/LR before importing.
For YouTube, go to Share/YouTube, err and that's it.
I seem to vaguely recall you were thinking of buying a RED camera and I said that really wasn't a good place to start. And if iMovie is baffling you, the RED and it's attendant, way more complex workflow would be far worse. A D90 is a much cheaper place to learn filming in + outs.

RTFM - no of course it didnt occur to me

Sounds like I need to update because many of those functions you mention are not on my version apparently

I will slap myself on the wrist for considering a RED - as a newb herasey - actually my plan was to hire it with my 600f4 to the local surf filming fraternity and learn on the side - I also reckon it holds value better the ProSumer Cams and with a decent stable of lenses for free would have been a financially better proposition than a $8k camera of some nature that would depriciate like a stone and still have the crap small chip look that I know would p*ss me right off within a month of learning my way round it

Just cos I dont know the difference between PAL and the other one doesnt mean I dont know how a decent image is constructed - and when you shoot RED RAW you can worry about the rest later !

Indeed the 90 is a great learning tool and will see might right for a while

Anyway back to playing with iMovie

Any thoughts on importing 'streams' of D3 'footage'

S

Beware as the lastest version of iLife has been criticised for a lot of less than stellar changes, with iMovie in particular over previous version. I cannot comment on what as I've hardly used that one or the current version much.
Setting Aspect ratio should be on your version of iMovie somewhere, 16:9 is hardly unusual.


PAL and NTSC - Never The Same Colour!
I'd advise learning some of the rest first, makes life much, much easier.


Though there are serious drawbacks with regard to control, there isn't any! I am thinking about a 5D just for the movie capability. My camcorder was stolen an age back and whilst it was good for it's time, most recent kit has been horribly pricepointed and crippled somehow, so I could never bring myself to cough up for a new one.


D3 footage?! Explain more fully.

I am on version 4 I think 16:9 I can export to that ratio but cant spot a way to edit in that shape

D90 - control - seems controllable to me - but then because I am using spare lenses they are all oldschool manual ones and a broken 80-200 that doesnt talk to the camera any more - perfect !

D3 footage

eg place camera on tripod, set intavolometer to take a frame every 1 (?) second(s) - 'film' a sunset - get 'footage' of sunset or clouds 'scudding' over landscape - simlar process to 'stop motion' - the lego films

Recent kit - 'crippled and horrible prices' - makes a Red look good value - never buy sh*t is one of my motos because the long term costs are high

S

Thoughts, as in can it be done? Yes, but I have not figured out how to get good quality video out of it. Video is always "soft" when I've tried it with iMovie, even when exported as 1920x1080 HD. I may doing something wrong, but using the exact same export settings with Quicktime Pro gave me excellent results.

As far as I can tell, iMovie 08 can do this, but the minimum length for a still image is something like .23 seconds. I'm guessing they only designed it for making montages of stills (with the infamous "Ken Burns Effect") rather than converting a long series of stills into individual video frames.

Final Cut Express does this well. Before importing I set the length of each still to one frame (I usually make 30fps videos). Import the stills, drag them onto the timeline, and it works perfectly.

One oddity with electronically controlled apertures on SLRs is that they are not precise enough to prevent flickering when making stills for a video. There will usually be enough variations in exposure to create annoying bright or dark frames. But if you have an old manual Nikon lens with a ring that can physically set the aperture, no problems. Shutter speeds seem to be well enough controlled to not cause flickering.

Now I only wish that Nikon's built in intervalometer could do something shorter than 1 second.

Best thing to do there is to batch output the images via PS/LR/Aperture... at the correct size in pixels and correct shape pixel, rather than let movie software do it. Some info here about pixel shapes Pixel shape info

For stop motion work, why not use something that is designed to do it.
Found this iStopMotion mentioned at this site iMovie FAQs which may be of use as you use an older iMovie version.

Shot on a D90 Edited in Imovie..

SMM

Another stop motion tool for you to look at Sam.
Dragon Stop motion