Home > Consumer Reviews > Final Cut Express 4.0

Okay, if you buy Final Cut Express you're not buying the best video editing package available for the Mac: that, as the reviews say, is Final Cut Studio. But, then again, you're spending around £120 compared to the best part of £800 for the full show which, in anyone's books, is a massive difference in price. So, for 15% of the cost of its top-end brother what do you get and is it worth it?

Well... if all you want is a simple and, in it's latest configuration, deceptively powerful way of editing your videos then the latest version of "iMovie" will probably fit the bill. But, if you're into linear, time-line based editing then you'll probably find it difficult & frustrating to adapt to iMovie's "left-field" approach to it all. Professionals use time-line based editing - where you view and precisely control multiple video & audio tracks - for a very good reason: it's better. And, with Final Cut Express, what you're actually getting is an only marginally cut-down version of a highly complex and extremely powerful professional, time-line based editing package. Which means that it takes a considerable amount of time to learn how it works and it takes an equally considerable amount of time to make it work for you.

So, if you're not prepared to spend time fathoming all this out then the decision is simple: choose iMovie. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, if you're a professional, then ignore Final Cut Express and invest in Final Cut Studio's full, and necessary, range of professional tools. But... if you're a "top end" amateur who's prepared to go through the extensive learning curve that's involved here then rejoice, for Final Cut Express will deliver to you just about all of the features from its celebrated brother that you need (plus many, many more that you'll probably never use) at a price that's not only affordable but which must represent one of the best software deals out there.

I can see that this is a great product, but it's complicated to work out and doesn't seem to like my 10.4 macbook despite it saying on the box that it is compatible. The software won't fully transfer the footage from camera and when I move them across from imovie, it takes off the last 4 seconds of each clip!! It's frustrating because I can see that the editing should be easier and better quality!

I upgraded to FCE 4 from 3.5, because I had bought a Panasonic HD camcorder, which uses Apples AVCHD, format. I am using the latest Macbook, and found that having transferred the clips from the camera into FCE, the clips were distorted and the system crashed after dragging a clip into the viewer. I telephoned Apple support and was informed that the hard drive on a laptop only rotates at 5400 rpm, compared with a desktop or external hard drive rotating at 7200 rpm. and consequently the hard drive was unable to completely capture the data.
The answer was to partition the EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE, mount MAC O.S and FCE, onto the external hard drive and WALLA, just great. The software is great but needs some studying, but hey it can be done unless you always want something that you can press a button to do it for you.Final Cut Express 4.0 Upgrade Edition (Upgrade from v1,2,3,3.5) (Mac)

Apple wants to position this somewhere between Final Cut Pro and iMovie. There is definitely a market for people who need editing software that is more adaptable than iMovie yet less complex and expensive than the Final Cut Studio package. Unfortunately, this is not it! I doesn't fill the gap; it just disappears into it. If you have experience of FCP then Express will be a totally frustrating experience. Why can't Apple break FCP out of the studio package and sell that? Stick to iMovie or save up for Final Cut Studio.

I purchased Final cut as i had been previously using iMovie 09, and i wanted to take my movie making a step further.
Its amazing what you can do with this product, i have had it now for quite some time and i still am finding new things on it on a regular basis.
Strongly recommended, however bear in mind it takes a long time to get used to and to learn to use. it doesnt have the same excellent Apple video tutorials as some of their other software, it only has a Digital manuel.

I rate it 4/5.

had they made video tutorials i would have given it a 5, but dont be put off, as when you dig deep its very very good, but remember, you will need patience.