Editing software for the intermediate level

I'm looking to upgrade my editing software in the next couple of months or so. I'm currently using Corel Videostudio ProX3 which has served me very well. However, I'm looking for something that can process my video files a bit faster and has some more features to play around with. For cameras, I'm currently using my Canon Vixia HF G10 and my GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition. I'm looking to add a DSLR camera to my collection also in the near future. Can anyone give recommendations on an editing program that would bump me up to the next level, going from a beginner software to an intermediate one? i'm not ready to jump into a full editing suite that costs $1000+ but possibly something in the $300-500 range. Thanks for your input!

VEGAS PRO 12 EDIT.
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/vegassoftware

I think 90% or more of P5 senior members use Adobe CS4, 5, or 6. But lhe less expensive Vegas Pro can do the job.
I myself cannot afford or justify CS6.

I am also experimenting with the less expensive Hitfilm as an After Effects alternative. (http://hitfilm.com/)

Adobe Production Suite CS6. Check it out but I believe you can buy an older version at a great price then upgrade through Adobe to CS6 at a real good price.

Blender has a good VSE. You can grab a free copy from here: http://graphicall.org/

And here is a good source for tutorials for Blender VSE:

http://blendervse.wordpress.com/

I used it many times. The most important thing is that it is free and you get both a 3D programm, a node compositor and a VSE.

God bless you!
Christian

Hello redmoonrising24, one option is Adobe's creative cloud, too!

It keeps you from having to purchase the full suite. You can pay monthly ($19.99) for Premiere CS6 and work that way. Several of our artists have told us they love this workflow, but it's not necessarily something everyone is comfortable with. 1 year with this costs $250 or so, 4 years is $1,000, if you look at it that way.

I'm sure some of these folks on this thread might have more information or personal experience, but that's at least another option for a reasonable price!

Cheers!

Ryan
Pond5 Crew

Ah Ryan - that price is only for people that already own a version of Adobe Suites. Here is the official announcement from Adobe:

You'll still be able to buy CS6 products, if you really want them — for the time being — but you won't get the latest and greatest, such as all of the new features that were showcased at NAB last month. If you want to stay current with Adobe's line-up, you'll be spending at least $49.99/month for an individual subscription to Creative Cloud with 20 GB of cloud storage (existing users of CS3 or later will get a discounted rate of $29.99/month for the first year) or $69.99/month per seat for a "team" version that comes with 100 GB of storage plus "centralized deployment and administration capabilities" (existing users with a volume license get a rate of $39.99/month per seat between now and August 31). The $49.99 month pricing requires a one-year commitment; users who cancel pay a penalty of 50 percent of the remainder of their contract. Note that the fee gets you access to everything, not just the video apps. All subscribers have access to Photoshop, Dreamweaver, InDesign, and more. (Subscriptions will be available for individual pieces of software, but they're not likely to be cost-effective for pro users.)

I think you can get one app for $19.99/mo. So, you can get Premiere for $19.99 per month.

And, if you own CS3 or greater, the single app plan is $9.99/mo.

(All, of course, if you commit to 12 months.)

https://creative.adobe.com/plans?plan=single

After clicking on the link in OD's message you can select Premiere, 20 GB of storage, year membership for $19.99. Cancel anytime membership is $29.99. Full suite is $49.99 a month for yearly, $74.99 for cancel anytime. Existing users get full suite for $29.99, single app for $9.99, etc. etc. I suggest just clicking around on that page and see what suits you. Good to see they at least offer the cancel anytime membership, even though it's more expensive.

I know everyone hates FCP X, but it's relatively cheap too, right? Looks like it's $299.00 at the app store. Could be something to consider as well...

Ryan
Pond5 Crew

Thanks for the info, cinecameratv - HitFilm looks potentially pretty cool. I'm downloading the demo now. What do you think so far?

Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone. I'll be looking into them individually. does anybody currently use the $19.99/month cloud for Adobe Premiere?