Final Cut Studio vs. Adobe CS5: Which One is Better?

Videomaker Blog by Daniel Bruns

For all the scientific discoveries we’ve made in the past few decades, it’s surprising how many mysteries there are still left to solve. What’s the smallest sub-atomic particle? What are the limits of the human brain? Are there parallel universes similar to ours and if so, how do we prove it? That’s why it’s no surprise that for video editors there is still so much debate over the seemingly age-old question of which editing software is best. A quick look at the Videomaker forums shows just how much heated debate there still is and so, I’ve decided that even though having an opinion on this topic is akin to playing with fire, I would like to still give it the ol’ college try.

That being said, I am admittedly no expert on either Sony Vegas, Avid, CyberLink PowerDirector, or Corel Video Studio Pro, and so I leave the merits of those programs to both the Videomaker forum participants and any comments written below. However, it’s only fair to say that for the past 7 years, I have been a Final Cut Pro editor. All the way back in my high school days in 2003, I was using the program to make promotional videos for both my school and church. That’s not to say that I haven’t had experience with Adobe Premiere though. Since making my way to Videomaker a year ago, I have edited more than 25 promotional and educational videos using Adobe Premiere so after a year with the program I feel like I have a good perspective on the good and the bad of both platforms.That being said (and I’m sure my lawyer will be fairly relieved), here are my thoughts on the merits of both Final Cut Studio 3 and Adobe CS5.

Industry Use:

One of the biggest arguments I seem to hear for using Final Cut Pro is that it is an industry standard used by many commercial production houses, independent films and even some Hollywood films around the world. While this is most definitely true (FCP has been used to edit X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Social Network amongst many others) Adobe Premiere is also being used by television powerhouses like the BBC and The Tonight Show. read more...