Comparing Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 With Canopus Edius Pro 4.0

For indie filmmakers the long standing non-linear editor of choice has always been Adobe Premiere. Since version 5, Adobe Premiere has helped revolutionize independent digital video by allowing the consumer prosumer-esque tools. With version 6, more effects and filters were added and in 6.5, real time rendering allowed the workflow to finally keep pace with the more established software packages like AVID and Final Cut. Make no mistake though, Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 is no AVID or Final Cut Pro as both of these packages apply to higher-end machines, while Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 is designed for the home user.

Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 is the new kid on the block with non-linear video editing. Still only in it's fourth incarnation, Green Valley software has created some outstanding changes. First among them is the fact you can now get Standard, Pro and Broadcast versions of the software, each with their own strengths, but with the Broadcast leaning to more capture options. As a Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 user, I shoot mostly in standard Digital Video and so I don't use the Broadcast version as the extra capture options are intended for high end HD cameras.

Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 is incredible for what it does, as well as for how it integrates with the other software applications in the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, After Effects, Audition), as well as for the absolute total control you can get over the colour correction and output. Another selling point of Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 is the wide spread user support base online, nurtured, encouraged and supported by Adobe. This allows almost any video editing question to be answered by various sources. Adobe also offers the Adobe Exchange which allows users to upload and share various filters and plug-ins they have created for the program.

Canopus doesn't have as much of a user support base but their forum offers both veteran users as well as support staff. Because this is the main Canopus forum, response time is high for most questions and most problems are thoroughly discussed. Also, in the Canopus forum, there is a strong cross section of users from other formats so questions about compatibility and answering the "how do I do in Edius what I used to do in (insert program here)" type of questions.

Both applications allow the user to attach digital video cameras and import at will, capturing in both batch capture mode and manual capture mode, with the added benefit of being able to export to digital video cameras as well. Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 and Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 both natively support high definition video import and exporting with the same speed and consistency. Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 also allows you to mix and match different video formats as well as different aspect ratios on the same timeline.

Both programs allow you to condense your projects, which will allow you to minimize the hard disk impact of your projects. One aspect that Premiere has over Edius is the ability to use temp files to edit with, smaller versions rendered in MPG format to make up for the larger files. Edius will not accept anything but the original files to work with in a project.
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 allows users to import, edit, and export to various formats, as does Edius, however while Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 does this within the application, Canopus Edius Pro 4.0uses a separate (but included) application called ProCoder. What this means is that you can export and convert video without opening up the main Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 application.

Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 has a strong edge over Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 because it allows you to mix a cocktail of filters and effects on a clip and then save all of them as one uniquely named filter. This allows you to experiment and be flexible with your filters and effects before committing them to memory. You can also export and import filters at will with Canopus.

Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 and Canopus are basically the same application when all the chips are on the table. Both have a similar work flow and both have a similar layout. I find that the joy of this means that you can switch from the other with little lag on your work time. The major differences are in the keyboard shortcuts but both applications allow you to customize the keyboard shortcuts. Both are competitively priced and both come complete as stand alone applications.

With all the similarities between the two programs, the only viable reason to choose Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 over Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 is the integration Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 with the rest of the Adobe Creative Suite. That fact alone will increase your work flow over working with Canopus Edius Pro 4.0and the Creative Suite. If that is important to you, the choice is towards Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0. Canopus Edius Pro 4.0 is a strong contender with how it handles the filters and effects, as well as its customizable interface, which Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 doesn't offer.