Best laptop for drone video editing?

PJ_la · Jul 1, 2020

Recently purchased a Mavic Air 2 and couldn't be happier with my selection to begin my drone journey.

However now I wonder what's the best computer specs to look for so I can edit videos professionally? [I'm looking to use adobe premiere/FCP or something on that level]

Also - I keep reading horror stories regarding the DJI app and how it doesn't work with android phones [I have a Samsung galaxy s7]

Can anyone offer better alternatives? [I really just need something that would work best with the DJI apps]

Thanks!

Fred Garvin · Jul 1, 2020

PJ_la said:
...However now I wonder what's the best computer specs to look for so I can edit videos professionally? [I'm looking to use adobe premiere/FCP or something on that level]...

A well built MacBook Pro.

PJ_la said:
Also - I keep reading horror stories regarding the DJI app and how it doesn't work with android phones [I have a Samsung galaxy s7]

Can anyone offer better alternatives?...

An iPhone and an iPad.

Full disclosure - I'm biased as I've been all Apple since 2007. I was completely fed up with M$ and facing Vista I made the switch and have never looked back. Yes, I know it's expensive, but it just works and lasts a very long time. I'm still using my 2007 24" iMac, replaced my 2009 17" MacBook Pro las summer with a new 15" I9 MacBook Pro (which is AMAZING) and my iPad Air with a 12.9 iPad Pro. That's some serious longevity for the investment cost.

The great thing about Apple is it just works. It all just works together. Using iCloud for shared data between devices is even better. Don't have to mess with it, load drivers, set this, fix that. Just use your stuff and it works. As a Sr. Systems Engineer building complex Unix based server solutions in large data centers (Solaris, AIX, RHEL) my whole day was brain-bending problems. The LAST thing I wanted to deal with when I get home is my personal technology. I just want to use it. It's expensive stuff, but so worth it.

Superwake · Jul 1, 2020

Are you set on a laptop? A desktop will give better performance for the same price point.
Lots of different options out there, but I highly recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can (e.g. i7) since video editing is CPU intensive.

I use to be a big fan of Apple, but I found that their products are going downhill, and over priced for what they provide in terms of hard drive space. Also, make sure you confirm software compatibility with whatever software you are planning on using.

PJ_la · Jul 1, 2020

Superwake said:
Are you set on a laptop? A desktop will give better performance for the same price point.
Lots of different options out there, but I highly recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can (e.g. i7) since video editing is CPU intensive.

I use to be a big fan of Apple, but I found that their products are going downhill, and over priced for what they provide in terms of hard drive space. Also, make sure you confirm software compatibility with whatever software you are planning on using.

I'm always on the go and have a preference for a laptop right now. I'm not too keen on Apple due to the price - but at the same time I feel like everyone recommends them for good reason.

From my limited research it seems like 16gb - 32 gb ram and large storage is what I should be looking for to handle all the editing I would be doing. But I'm very new to this and don't want to choose poorly.

I used to edit on Final Cut Pro back in college but I don't mind using non-apple products to edit. I just feel like the computer specs are a bit more important since the Mavic Air 2 is so new and shoots in 4k.

Any ideal computers you suggest to look into?

BigL · Jul 1, 2020

Dell XPS is one of the best on the PC side. I would recommend 32G RAM.

Superwake · Jul 1, 2020

PJ_la said:
I'm always on the go and have a preference for a laptop right now. I'm not too keen on Apple due to the price - but at the same time I feel like everyone recommends them for good reason.

From my limited research it seems like 16gb - 32 gb ram and large storage is what I should be looking for to handle all the editing I would be doing. But I'm very new to this and don't want to choose poorly.

I used to edit on Final Cut Pro back in college but I don't mind using non-apple products to edit. I just feel like the computer specs are a bit more important since the Mavic Air 2 is so new and shoots in 4k.

Any ideal computers you suggest to look into?

You will have to make tradeoffs, I do a lot of video editing on both laptop and desktop. I use adobe since I get the whole suite of software like After Effects and Illustrator. If you are set on laptop and travel a lot then you may want a lighter laptop. Getting something like a workstation laptop can become a pain to lug around. I currently use a Huawei Matebook Pro x with an i7, its great for portability, 512 GB hard drive space, high resolution. The other brand I recommend is Thinkpad, they are made to last.

4k video can eat up a lot space, my desktop has 10TB of storage to deal with the large volume. Cloud solutions can also work for storing video once you are done, but is slow and eats up internet if you are accessing it constantly.

What is your budget?

PJ_la · Jul 1, 2020

BigL said:
Dell XPS is one of the best on the PC side. I would recommend 32G RAM.

Interesting you say that. I had considered the Dell XPS 15 laptop it was just a bit pricier than i thought and that was for the 16gb ram haha.

Have you heard anything about Surface Book 2 [also pricey] but kept seeing it in lists of best laptops for video editing.

PJ_la · Jul 1, 2020

Superwake said:
You will have to make tradeoffs, I do a lot of video editing on both laptop and desktop. I use adobe since I get the whole suite of software like After Effects and Illustrator. If you are set on laptop and travel a lot then you may want a lighter laptop. Getting something like a workstation laptop can become a pain to lug around. I currently use a Huawei Matebook Pro x with an i7, its great for portability, 512 GB hard drive space, high resolution. The other brand I recommend is Thinkpad, they are made to last.

4k video can eat up a lot space, my desktop has 10TB of storage to deal with the large volume. Cloud solutions can also work for storing video once you are done, but is slow and eats up internet if you are accessing it constantly.

What is your budget?

I'm looking to spend $900 - $1,500 dollars. (Admin fixed the Typo)

Also I feel like most people share/stream videos in 1080p even though 4k is available? I'm not sure if this is the case in the Drone Video Market - but if it is then i feel like the majority of videos can remain in 1080p [which would save space] and 4k can be reserved for a select minority who actually need it.

PJ_la · Jul 1, 2020

Fred Garvin said:
A well built MacBook Pro.

An iPhone and an iPad.

Full disclosure - I'm biased as I've been all Apple since 2007. I was completely fed up with M$ and facing Vista I made the switch and have never looked back. Yes, I know it's expensive, but it just works and lasts a very long time. I'm still using my 2007 24" iMac, replaced my 2009 17" MacBook Pro las summer with a new 15" I9 MacBook Pro (which is AMAZING) and my iPad Air with a 12.9 iPad Pro. That's some serious longevity for the investment cost.

The great thing about Apple is it just works. It all just works together. Using iCloud for shared data between devices is even better. Don't have to mess with it, load drivers, set this, fix that. Just use your stuff and it works. As a Sr. Systems Engineer building complex Unix based server solutions in large data centers (Solaris, AIX, RHEL) my whole day was brain-bending problems. The LAST thing I wanted to deal with when I get home is my personal technology. I just want to use it. It's expensive stuff, but so worth it.

For budget reasons - would you consider a 2020 Macbook Air with 16gb ram ?? or would it not be strong enough to handle drone video editing?

Mavic Mac · Jul 1, 2020

PJ_la said:
I'm looking to spend $900 - $15000 dollars.

Also I feel like most people share/stream videos in 1080p even though 4k is available? I'm not sure if this is the case in the Drone Video Market - but if it is then i feel like the majority of videos can remain in 1080p [which would save space] and 4k can be reserved for a select minority who actually need it.

Not being a smart you know what - did you mean $1,500 or really $15,000 ?

PJ_la · Jul 1, 2020

Mavic Mac said:
Not being a smart you know what - did you mean $1,500 or really $15,000 ?

1500 dollars. I don't have $15k LOL

Superwake · Jul 1, 2020

Check out the Matebook X Pro i7

BigL · Jul 1, 2020

Choice will depend on how much video editing that you plan to do. Just make sure you have a good graphics card and lots of RAM.

R.Perry · Jul 2, 2020

I use a Dell with Intel i5, 12gb of ram, of course 64bit, 2 TB hard drive, and Gforce GTX graphics card with 6GB. and dual monitors. It does everything I want it to do and fast.

I prefer a desktop for video and photographic editing. I'm running Windows 10 and it works well for me.
For me a fast graphics card is a must, and as much hard drive space with equal backup drive.

I shoot most of my videos in 4K, just really like the quality of video, I'm still learning video editing so I'm no expert. I don't like the price of Adobe, so I went to Corel for both video and photo editing and it does what I need to do just fine and for less money. Adobe does seem to be the standard for the pros though.

BigL · Jul 2, 2020

We used to have 15-20 computers when we sold our business. Always used Dell, especially the XPS line of laptops and desktops. Much better experiences than with HP. No thoughts on the Surface.
If you are just going to edit clips into the timeline, add a few transitions, and lay down a music track, then almost any decent computer will do.
BTW, shooting at a resolution higher than your final output will allow you to do close ups in post production that might normally distort.

DeliveryDrone · Jul 2, 2020

Probably iMac or Macbook pro
you should consider good graphic card and processor!
also check this guide before you start
7 Ways to Enhance Brand Marketing with Drones

RLE_Mark · Jul 3, 2020

I had a MSI GP73 that was killer for doing editing. I used to have an HP Pavilion that worked ok, but render times were probably around 2 hours for a 5 minute video. The MSI took that time down to just over 6 minutes. It lasted for 15 months and just up and died, no warning, or anything. That graphics card was a GTX1070 with an i7 processor. After that died I gave up on a laptop and went to a Ryzen 9 3900 processor with a RTX 2060. Now, this thing renders the heck out of some video. I built it for a lot less than a replacement laptop, and get a significant improvement in function. I have found that while it's a bit of a pain, I can load all my video on a portable drive with the desktop rendered proxy files, and edit them on the laptop, re-sync them later when I am done and let the desktop do the heavy lifting. I thought loosing the nice laptop would be a pain, but the desktop makes life easier despite lack of portability. Just food for thought.

Boxer1200 · Jul 4, 2020

I’ve been all Apple for 13 years now. I’ve had many an iPhone and IPad and the same iMac and MacBook Air for 10 years. Since getting into the drone thing, I’ve been using my son’s gaming laptop to edit with resolve. Worked ok, but with only 8gb ram and a Nvidea 1050 it struggled here and there.

Recently I bought myself an HP Omen laptop. Paid just under 1500 and it is fantastic. Handles 4K In Premier with ease. Resolve works great too with minimal stutter. On both I could create proxies but I wanted to see how it could handle the full 4K. I’ve been very impressed. Years ago I swore off Windows and American automobiles. Now I’ve got both. Funny how things change.

JimD · Jul 4, 2020

Sorry to say you can’t afford a Mac that will live up on that budget.
I had no problem getting a MacBook Pro but it was double your budget. I don’t regret it at all.
As has been said it just works.

I also have an Alienware Laptop but that thing is a tank.

MavicAir2Marc · Jul 4, 2020

I have a 2013 Mac Book Pro that I got for a little over $300 a few months back. I also bought a Crucial 1TB SSD Hard drive to replace the original 500GB HD (It took all of about 15 minutes to replace since there wasn't anything on it to clone for the new one), I bought a HD enclosure for $9 to make the old drive an extra unit. So for under $500, I have a pretty decent laptop for editing videos.