Is Final Cut Pro the program of choice?

I have some great photos and clips from over the years I'd like to put together.

Suggestions?

 

Final Cut Express HD is probably your best bet. It's more consumer oriented then Final Cut Pro.

 

Should you be looking to purchase FCE or FCP with an educational discount, be aware that Apple does not allow you to upgrade them. You'll have re-purchase the complete product over again if you ever want a newer version at some point in the future.

 

I'm just starting to do video editing. Using Sony Vegas, and the learning curve is quite high. Anyone else using Vegas?

 

I would second Soopa's recommendation for Final Cut Express HD. It is more consumer oriented but still much more powerful than say iMovie. You can't go wrong with Final Cut Express HD. It will do anything you need it to.

My home editing system is PC based, but I work on both systems extensively. If you want to go PC, I would suggest getting Premiere Elements.

Vegas Movie Studio is the other main competitor in the consumer level, but I would not suggest it because it is severely stripped down.

I also would not use Vegas Video because, while it is a strong program in its own right, it departs from a lot of standard conventions found in Premiere, FCP, Avid, etc. So experience picked up in that system doesn't translate as readily as learning on one of the three I just mentioned.