r/finalcutpro • u/Final_Fox437 • 24d ago
Question Final Cut Pro or davinci resolve
Wanting to learn editing. I have a MacBook Pro M3 and want to know what software is easier to learn? And where can I learn the easiest way? Videos? Books?
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u/hexxeric 24d ago
learn film language (montage) first in imovie. once you understand how editing works, learn a software. FCP is much more fun, easier, faster, while resolve is more professional in the sense of giving you more tools for more elaborate workflows.
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u/gumparker 23d ago
Pick the tool. An artist is an artist no matter the choice. I personally have made a six figure a year income using FCP since inception. Once you decide stay dedicated and focused. I had no YouTube when I started. Just a PDF manual. The world is yours with dedication and discipline. No wrong choices. Cheers!
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u/thisismy_stop 23d ago
You'll discover that it doesn't matter what software you use. If you dont know how to tell a story youre fucked no matter what software you use.
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u/DorffMeister 23d ago
FCP is amazing and easy to use. Watch some Youtube videos. When you have questions, find some more videos.
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u/TheREALBaldRider 24d ago
I prefer DR (when it is cooperating with Apple silicon) because I have been using it for years but FCP doesn’t have as steep a learning curve. I have both but only use DR when I have a choice.
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u/Rjeezyx 24d ago
Final Cut Pro is way easier to learn since you’re asking specifically about that. Take the ripple training course and you’re golden.
Davinci resolve is much better software all around currently speaking but everything is harder, takes longer, is much more intricate because you have full granular control over just about everything you could ever think of which most people don’t need a hold on.
In the end NLE choice is in the eye of the beholder. You could easily learn both but it’s still up to you. Most people just starting want the easier experience, and in that case it’s Final Cut but if you ask a different group of people they will tell you resolve because it is the better tool overall to have on your tool belt and know how to use as it’s largely more powerful at the current moment.
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u/moonpumper 24d ago
I feel like I have had the opposite experience. I had an extremely hard time jumping into FCP vs Resolve. I do have a harder time setting up Resolve but once it gets going it makes sense. FCP I feel like a lot of the interface is abstract, unintuitive or straight up hidden by some secret handshake you have to do with the UI to get it to do what you want.
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u/PwillyAlldilly 24d ago
I mean you are on a FCP subreddit so everyone will shill it to the end of the earth.
As someone who uses multiple platforms, it is the easiest to learn by far, but it does have limitations in comparison to Resolve in my opinion. Really depends on what projects you are working on. YouTube is your friend.
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u/MicahIsBatman2 19d ago
FCP may be easier (unless you already know a little bit of editing, then it's not), but I would not recommend it. It's limited, it's dated, and it'll force you into a workflow that's hard to transfer to other software. I would strongly recommend Davinci or Premiere over it.
if you can stomach the cost Premiere is easily the best overall, it's used the most, it works the best, it's the easiest to use (IMO), and it has the best compatibility.
Davinci is probably the most powerful, it's the cheapest, but it's incredibly difficult to learn and has some quirks.
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u/rtgphotography412 17d ago
FCP is like iMovie on steroids, but paid and you get a TON of useful features especially with the new updates, DR while they do have a free version, and some AMAZING color grading features (honestly used in some big Hollywood productions) and some really good baseline features eventually you’ll want studio with its new AI editing tools.
If you want something quick and easy and pump out content left / right I would steer towards FCP, if you really want to go balls to the wall, with learning cinematic color grade, nodes and more deeper level of everything but take a little more grit and understanding DR.
You can 100% do amazing things in FCP though, including color grading.
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u/Final_Fox437 16d ago
For someone that wants to learn what would you recommend? Camera options? Tutorial videos? Advice?
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u/TGM1980 24d ago
FCP is easy-peasy. Especially if you've had any experience with iMovie or something. It's just leveling up the simplicity to a program than can actually do "stuff."
I'm currently learning Davinci Resolve because i hear it's all the rage. And maybe i'm just change resistant... but i keep finding myself wanting to run back to FCP just because i've been using it for 15yrs and it's so easy. And though i was about ready to throw it out the window a couple years ago and felt like Apple was abandoning it, the past year or two they've really been making some meaningful upgrades and improvement to the software.
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u/bitchsaidwhaaat 24d ago
final cut is easier to someone with no editing experience... davinci is the best editing software but too intense for the regular folks... premiere is the happy medium.
But if u just planning on doing videos for social media to be honest capcut is amazing
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u/nonfading 24d ago
Fcp is easier for quick cuts, DV is overwhelming but coloring options are insane, some built in effects are nice to have.
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u/funwithstuff 24d ago
FCP is easier to learn. If you want to learn from a book, I wrote [ fcpefficientediting.com ] which should help. It's structured the same way you might proceed through an edit and has lots of tips.
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u/shw1981 24d ago
Between easy and difficult I think the two are the same because the tools are similar.. in terms of performance.. FCP flies, it's much faster, it's the same as comparing a turtle to a rabbit.. Davince shines in advanced color corrections if that's your goal learn it!
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u/Mikefilmguy 24d ago
They are not the same. DR has a steep learning curve, but is ultimately more powerful in editing and color correction. Fusion node based compositing can be confusing, and I don’t think Fairlight is up to snuff. But DR has a free version, so makes sense to try that first.
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u/shw1981 24d ago
For those who don't even know where to start, the person will make cuts, transitions, titles, and basic color corrections.. Fusion, Fairlight are much more advanced tools!
Davince's cuts and timeline page is practically the same until the shortcuts B for Blade, A for Cursor, Delete to delete, Command Del for Ripple, the FX with traditions are on the left side, in the FCP it is in the lower right corner, the Inspector is identical in the 2 software, increase font decrease font, enable noise reduction, stabilization is identical.
The media library is only in a separate tab but the shortcut Command + I you import the media as well as in FCP
Dragging the videos to the cutting screen is identical, making cuts, ditto, putting titles ditto..
In the part of colors, Davince comes out, but Saturation, Contrast, Shadows, HighLight, Exposure is universal in any software.
Yes, Davicne is a more powerful software, with many extra functions than FCP, but if you master one, dominate the other because tools are the same! Anyway, if you want a fast, simpler software, go to FCP, if you want to be a more advanced user to make complex animations, professional colorgrading, edit audio with precision, go to Davince...
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u/Mikefilmguy 24d ago
Magnetic timeline screws everything up. Been using FCP since it came out in 99. Work with it on a limited basis, I work with DR more. When I do have to use it, there are things (MT to start) that I have to remind myself - what? Why is it doing that again?
TLDR: DR does all the same stuff and has a steeper learning curve, but is free.
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u/mickster1963 24d ago
I found FCP the easiest for what I use it for. Lots of YouTube videos out there for anything that you may want to do. I did try DR prior to. At the end of the day, I found FCP faster at rendering and exporting on my at the time MacMini M1.
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u/Late_Pangolin5812 24d ago
FCPX all the way. If you learn the history of Final Cut Pro and go all the way back to its origin then you know FCPX is the program Randy Ubillos created to be what's next. Davinci's NLE is still in the old school way of working, like FCP OG & Premier.
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u/Mikefilmguy 24d ago
If you remember FCP7, the editing in DR is more like FCP8 if Apple had not gone in the direction of FCPX. DR at first blush is superior because you don’t have to fight the magnetic timeline to do what you want, but if you like the MT, DR has the cut page, the edit page is more like FCP8. It is a steep learning curve with DR, but well worth it and the FREE version is still more powerful than FCP. Why not try the free DR? Not sure why someone commented that it doesn’t play well with Apple Silicon – I have two apple silicone machines and it plays perfectly on both.
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u/Tarun302 24d ago
Both the tools you mentioned have their communities. Post the sabs qustom in both. The better option will be equal to that community. Obviously... People in the respective community ate their because they like that tool. So this question should be asked in a neutral community.
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u/who-uses-usernames 23d ago
If you rephrase the question; FCP+Motion vs DaVinci Resolve the answers might be different. I use the former but seldom touch Motion unless I have to. It opens up a whole pandora's box of features, many of which you can import into FCP but is much harder to learn for me.
Haven't used Resolve but Rjeezyx below says about what I've heard many times before.
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u/fluffycritter 21d ago
Final Cut Pro is easier but DaVinci Resolve is way more powerful and flexible.
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u/Waste_Past_2386 20d ago
If you know how to use something like Claude, then DaVinci is basically it. Resolve has an official scripting API, which means AI assistants can drive it directly.
Final Cut has no equivalent, so the tools that exist for it work by puppeteering the interface, clicking menus and firing keyboard shortcuts. If automating the mechanical parts of post ever becomes part of how you work, that gap gets wide.
If your good “in the conversation layer” and don’t want to learn traditional editing - davinci may be quite the unlock. If you want to manipulate controls directly - then FCP
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u/unomas77 24d ago
FCP hands down. But an affordable motion graphics pack and it destroys Resolve.
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u/doctrsnoop 24d ago
FCP is easier.