The MacBook Neo has been getting a lot of attention lately, and honestly it makes sense why. You can pick one up for $600 brand new, or as low as $500 with an education discount. Meanwhile, a refurbished M4 MacBook Air will run you around $760. So with a $160 to $260 price gap between these two computers, is it worth saving up for the Air, or should you just go with the Neo?

That’s exactly what this post is going to cover. I tested both laptops using DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro, so let’s get into it.

Specs Overview

First, let’s talk about what we’re working with. The MacBook Neo I tested is the base model, rocking Apple’s A18 Pro chip, a 256 GB SSD, and 8 GB of RAM. That’s also the maximum RAM it supports, since you can’t upgrade it. Eight gigs is not a lot.

The M4 MacBook Air I’m comparing it to is a slight step up from the base config. It has a small GPU upgrade from 8 cores to 10 cores, 512 GB of storage, and most importantly, 16 GB of RAM. Twice what the Neo offers.

Screen Quality

Screen quality matters a lot for photo and video work, and this is one area where the two laptops actually differ quite a bit. Both the Neo and the Air hit 500 nits of brightness, which looks great. But when I tested them with a Spyder color calibrator, the results were clear: the Neo covers 98% of sRGB and 73% of P3, while the Air covers 100% of both sRGB and P3.

For most video editors working in the sRGB color space, both laptops will look fine. But if you want to do any advanced color work or edit in HDR where you need to see a wider range of colors, the MacBook Air is the better choice.

Ports

Both laptops have two USB-C ports, but they’re not equal. On the MacBook Air, both ports are Thunderbolt. On the Neo, one port is USB 3 and the other is USB 2.0. In practical terms, this means you can copy footage from a memory card using either port on the Air, but on the Neo you’ll want to stick to the rear port for faster transfer speeds.

DaVinci Resolve Performance

I loaded the same project on both laptops in DaVinci Resolve, a mix of 4K, 6K, and RAW footage. The Neo handled playback well overall, but scrubbing through 6K and 8K Open Gate footage showed some lag, about half a second to a full second of delay as the slower processor and SSD tried to keep up.

The M4 MacBook Air, on the other hand, played back and scrubbed through everything smoothly, including Open Gate and RAW clips, with zero slowdown. I’ve been using this laptop for over a year and it still impresses me every time.

Render speeds told an even bigger story. Exporting a 10-minute video with all that footage took the Neo 11 minutes and 31 seconds. The M4 MacBook Air did the same export in 5 minutes and 18 seconds. Roughly half the time.

If you want to learn more about what makes DaVinci Resolve run well on Mac, check out my M4 MacBook Air long-term review for video editing.

Premiere Pro Performance

Premiere Pro is a different story. In my experience, it prefers a faster processor and more RAM, and the Neo’s 8 GB showed its limits here. Scrubbing around the timeline was noticeably rougher than in Resolve.

Rendering that same 10-minute video in Premiere Pro took the Neo 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 8 seconds. That’s not a typo. Dramatically slower than Resolve on the same machine.

I put together I Tried 4K Video Editing On The Cheapest Macbook Neo And This Happened as well, which covers the part I skipped over here.

The M4 MacBook Air handled the same render in 11 minutes and 18 seconds. Slower than Resolve, yes, but still very reasonable. The extra 8 GB of RAM and faster processor made a big difference, though I’ll be honest, Premiere isn’t quite as smooth as Resolve on either machine.

Final Cut Pro Performance

Final Cut Pro is legendary for running well on pretty much every Mac, and the Neo is no exception. It struggled a little with Open Gate and RAW footage while scrubbing, just like in Resolve, but it was still usable.

The M4 MacBook Air handled Final Cut like a breeze. The only real hangup I noticed was with RED RAW footage, which is a hardware encoder limitation for that specific codec, not really a knock on the laptop overall.

In terms of render times: the Neo finished in 12 minutes and 18 seconds. The MacBook Air came in at 4 minutes and 10 seconds, which was actually faster than both Resolve and Premiere on the same machine. Impressive.

So Which One Should You Buy?

Here’s my honest take: if you are truly on a tight budget and $500 is your limit, the Neo is still a capable machine. It can handle real video editing work and it’s not a bad laptop by any stretch.

But if you can save up an extra couple hundred dollars, the M4 MacBook Air is the better choice for video editing. You get significantly more power, twice the RAM, a better screen, better ports, and much faster render times. The difference in real-world editing performance is substantial, especially in Premiere Pro where the Neo really struggled.

If you’re still figuring out which Mac makes the most sense for your budget and workflow, check out my M5 MacBook buyer’s guide for video editing, which walks through several price points and what you actually get at each one.

And if you want to make better videos regardless of what laptop you’re editing on, grab my free Edit Videos Like a Pro guide. It’s completely free and it covers my biggest rules for creating better edits.

Using your Sony camera as a webcam is as easy as connecting a USB cable from your camera to your computer. Seriously! No capture card required, and this works on both Windows and Mac. In this guide I’m going to cover all the settings and show you the best ones for the highest quality.

I’m using a Sony a7S III for this tutorial, but this applies to basically all Sony cameras: the a7V, a7IV, a7C II, FX3, FX30, and more.

Step 1: Update Your Camera Firmware

The first thing you need to do is make sure your camera is running at least firmware 5.0. That’s the version where Sony added the USB streaming feature. Download the firmware update from Sony’s website, grab your camera and a memory card, and it takes about three minutes. Easy.

Step 2: Get the Right USB Cable

Once your firmware is updated, you’ll need your camera, a computer, and a USB cable. Here’s the important part: you need at least a USB-C SuperSpeed 3.2 cable if you want the maximum video resolution and quality.

The webcam feature will technically work with a slower USB 2.0 cable (like one that comes with an iPhone), but your resolution will be limited to 720p at 30fps. The camera will actually warn you about this when you plug it in. So grab a fast USB-C cable.

Step 3: Set the Camera to USB Streaming Mode

Before you connect the camera to your computer, open the menu and do the following:

Go to the yellow setup toolbox, then USB, then USB Connection Mode, and select USB Streaming.

While you’re in there, also make sure USB Power Supply is turned on. This way your computer will power the camera through the cable and keep the battery from dying during a long call or stream.

Exit the menu, plug one end of the USB-C cable into your camera and the other into your computer.

The first time you do this, the camera will show a message saying the USB streaming function always operates in movie mode. If you don’t want this to pop up every time, check the “Don’t Show This Again” box and press OK. Your computer may also ask if you want to allow the connection. Press Allow.

Step 4: Select Your Camera in Your App

With everything connected, open whatever app you use for video calls: Zoom, Google Meet, OBS, anything. Your Sony camera should appear as a webcam option. Select it and it’s immediately working. The camera screen will show HD1080P 30P in the top left corner.

But if you want the highest quality, including 4K, there are a few more settings to tweak.

How to Enable 4K USB Streaming

You might try going to the Image Quality/Recording menu to change the resolution, but those settings will be grayed out when USB streaming is active. Instead, here’s where to go:

Go to the green network globe icon, then Streaming, then USB Streaming. From here you can change the output resolution and frame rate up to 4K at 30fps.

One quick note: I would skip the 4K 15P option. 15 frames per second looks terrible. I honestly have no idea why Sony includes it.

How to Record While Streaming at the Same Time

Still inside that same USB Streaming menu, you’ll see a setting called Movie Record During Streaming. Enable this and the camera will output your live stream while simultaneously recording a separate video file to the memory card.

This is super useful if you want to stream at a lower resolution for reliability while also capturing a higher quality recording to upload later or hand off to a client.

When this setting is enabled, you can go back to the red shooting camera menu under Image Quality/Recording and change the recording format to 10-bit, which will be much higher quality than what you’re streaming.

How to Control the Look of Your Image

Unfortunately, you can’t enable S-Log3 for live streaming, so you won’t get the full dynamic range you would when recording normally. If you want to learn more about shooting in S-Log3, check out my post on my favorite Sony picture profile.

But you do have some control over the look of your image, and these settings apply to both the live stream and the recorded video to the memory card.

Go to the pink Exposure/Color menu, then Color/Tone. From here, you can access the Creative Look menu, which has a bunch of presets that tweak contrast and saturation.

My recommendation is to choose Neutral (NT), and then press the right button on the back of the camera to bring up individual sliders for contrast, highlights, shadows, saturation, sharpness, and clarity.

Here are my specific settings:

• Contrast: 0
• Highlights: -5
• Shadows: -2
• Sharpness: 4
• Clarity: 0

This gives you a punchy, high-contrast image without being oversaturated or over-sharpened. Basically, it’s going to look dramatically better than any webcam you’ve ever used before.

Want to Go Even Deeper on Your Sony Camera Settings?

If you want to get your Sony camera completely dialed in for video, check out my post on the best Sony a7S III and FX3 menu settings. And if you’re serious about getting the most out of your camera, my Edit Videos Like a Pro guide will help you take that footage and turn it into something you’re really proud of.

You’re filming a wedding. Awesome.

But what shots do you actually need to capture to create an incredible wedding film?

That’s exactly what this guide is going to show you. This is the complete wedding videography shot list that I’ve refined over 15+ years of filming weddings.

Download your free shot list PDF here:
https://courses.whoismatt.com/weddingshotlist

Save it to your phone or print it out so you never miss a moment on a wedding day. And if you want to see the list actually being used, my behind the scenes films walk through real wedding days start to finish.

Why You Still Need a Shot List

You’ll hear people say that wedding films are art and shouldn’t be boxed into a checklist.

That sounds nice… but it’s not practical.

Every wedding has critical moments you cannot miss. You would never stop recording before the kiss, right?

This shot list is your foundation. It guarantees you capture everything essential. Then your creativity builds on top of it.

Think of this as the minimum coverage required for a great wedding film.

Download it here before we dive in:
https://courses.whoismatt.com/weddingshotlist

The Core Framework: Wide, Medium, Tight

This is the most important concept in this entire guide.

For everything you film, get:

• Wide shot
• Medium shot
• Tight shot

If you follow this rule, editing becomes dramatically easier because you always have variety.

1. Establishing Shots

Start every location with establishing shots.

These shots tell your audience where they are and provide context.

• Drone wide shots of venue
• Gimbal shots walking in
• Medium shots with foreground elements
• Tight shots of details like architecture

If you’re using a gimbal for these shots, this will help you get smoother footage:
how to use a gimbal

Speaking of which, The Antigravity A1 Gets Every Wedding Aerial Shot in Two Minutes and ALL The Audio Gear You Need To Film A Wedding are worth a look too.

If there are multiple locations, you need establishing shots for each one.

2. Groom Prep

Start by establishing the room using your wide, medium, tight framework.

Then capture:

• Groom interacting with groomsmen
• Laughing, talking, joking
• Putting on dress shirt (window light is best)
• Cufflinks
• Tie adjustments
• Jacket going on

Pro tip: Always get a mix of wide, medium, and tight for each action.

Moody Thoughtful Shots

This is one of the most powerful shots you can get.

Have the groom:

• Look out a window
• Look down
• Look at camera

These shots become emotional storytelling gold during editing.

If he wrote a letter or you want to do a quick interview, this is the perfect time.

3. Bride Prep

Same structure:

• Establish the room
• Show the bride early
• Capture interactions with bridesmaids

Hair & Makeup Rules

Only film the second half of the process.

Avoid:

• Hair extensions
• Fake eyelashes
• Contour application

Focus on:

• Hairspray
• Lipstick
• Final touch-ups

More Moody Shots

Before the dress goes on, get those same emotional shots of the bride.

This is also the best time for:

• Letter reading
• Interview

Dress Shots

• Zipper going up
• Mom or maid of honor helping
• Bridesmaids’ reactions to the dress

4. First Look

This is one of the most emotional parts of the day.

Capture:

• Groom waiting (moody shots)
• Bride walking up (gimbal works great)
• Reaction from both

Huge tip: You can ask the bride to pause so you can reposition. You are allowed to direct.

If possible, have:

• One camera on groom
• One camera on bride

Then let the moment breathe. Capture everything naturally.

5. Ceremony

Start with establishing shots:

• Empty ceremony space
• Guests arriving
• Hugs and greetings

Processional

• Front aisle angle
• 50mm lens works great
• Capture everyone walking in

Main Ceremony

• Two tripod cameras (both sides)
• Close-ups during vows
• Reaction shots of family

The Kiss & Exit

• Center aisle for the kiss
• Walk backward filming exit

Do not stop recording.

The celebration right after is one of the best moments of the entire day.

6. Portraits

Focus on movement, not just poses.

• Walking together
• Spinning
• Dipping
• Hands running along arms
• Kissing shoulder

You can get all of this in about 5 minutes.

7. Reception

Establishing + Details

• Wide of room
• Centerpieces
• Decor details

Grand Entrance

• Wedding party
• Couple entrance
• Wide + tight shots

Dances

• Wide for context
• Tight for emotion

Toasts

• Speaker close-up
• Guest reactions

Events

• Cake cutting
• Bouquet toss
• Garter toss

Dance Floor

Go handheld and keep moving.

• Medium and tight shots
• 20 to 30 seconds per group
• Work around the floor in a circle

Watch for:

• Important guests
• High energy moments
• Dance circles

8. Exit Shots

Could be:

• Sparklers
• Bubbles
• Glow sticks

Capture:

• Guests lined up
• Close-ups of props
• Couple walking through
• Wide shot of car leaving

Final Thoughts

If you capture everything on this list, you will have everything you need to create an incredible wedding film.

This shot list removes stress, gives you confidence, and lets you focus on being creative.

Download the full shot list here:
https://courses.whoismatt.com/weddingshotlist

Save it to your phone and use it at every wedding.

If you want to go deeper into editing your footage, check out my full guide:
Edit Videos Like A Pro

If you want your Instagram Reels to look as sharp and professional as possible in 2026, your export settings matter more than ever.

In this guide, I’ll walk you step-by-step through the best export settings in Adobe Premiere Pro, plus a few critical phone-side tweaks that most creators completely miss.

I’ve also created free custom sequence presets, export presets, and a safe zone template to make this process even easier.

Let’s jump in.

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Step 1: Set Up the Correct Sequence Settings

Before exporting, your sequence needs to be correct.

When creating a new sequence in Adobe Premiere Pro, use:

• Resolution: 1080 x 1920 (Vertical 9:16)
• Frame Rate :
  • 23.976 fps
  • 29.97 fps
  • 59.94 fps

Choose the frame rate that matches your footage.

As of mid-2025, Instagram supports native playback from 24fps up to 60fps, so you no longer have to worry about forced 24 → 30fps conversion.

For this example, we’ll assume 23.976fps.

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Step 2: Use a Safe Zone Template (Very Important)

Instagram overlays buttons and UI elements over your Reel. If your text or important visuals are too close to the edges, they will get covered.

That’s why I recommend using a safe zone overlay template.

Simply:

1. Place it on a layer above your edit.
2. Position your text and important elements inside the safe area.
3. Disable the overlay before exporting.

This alone will make your content look more professional.

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Step 3: Best Export Settings in Premiere Pro

To export:

• Go to Export
• Or press Command + M / Control + M

Format

Choose:

HEVC (H.265)

Why? Because most modern smartphones record in H.265, and Instagram expects this format.

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Basic Video Settings

Click Match Source to pull in:

• 1920 x 1080 (Full HD vertical)
• Correct frame rate
• Progressive
• Square pixels (1.0)

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Advanced Quality Settings

Click More…

Enable:

• ✅ Render at Maximum Depth
• ✅ Use Maximum Render Quality

These improve overall clarity.

For Performance, choose:

• Hardware Encoding (if available)

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Step 4: The Perfect Bitrate

This is critical.

You want:

• High enough bitrate for quality
• Low enough to avoid unnecessarily massive file sizes

Recommended Bitrates

• 24fps or 30fps: 30 Mbps
• 60fps: 50 Mbps

This matches or slightly exceeds what phones typically record at.

For Bitrate Encoding:

• Choose VBR, 1 Pass

Why not Constant Bitrate?

On Mac, Constant Bitrate can force software encoding, dramatically slowing export times.

While you’re here, take a look at How To Edit & Export High Quality Instagram Reels in Adobe Premiere Pro, How To Edit & Export High Quality Instagram Reels In DaVinci Resolve 18, and How to Export High Quality Instagram Stories in Premiere Pro (Vertical or Horizontal Video).

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Step 5: Transfer to Your Phone

After exporting:

• Use AirDrop (Mac)
• Or Dropbox (works on everything)

Now comes the part most people skip.

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The Secret to Even Higher Quality on Instagram

You should NOT upload your Reel directly through Instagram.

Instead, Instagram prioritizes uploads through their Edits app.

Step 1: Open the Edits App

Import your finished video.

You do NOT need to re-edit anything.

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Step 2: Export at 4K (Yes, Even Though It’s 1080p)

Inside the Edits app:

• Choose 4K at 30fps

Even if your video is 1080p.

Why?

Because exporting in 4K forces Instagram to allocate a higher bitrate when re-encoding your video, preserving more detail.

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Step 3: Send Directly to Instagram

This is crucial.

You must press:

Send to Instagram

If you export to camera roll and upload manually, you will not get the quality boost.

When done correctly, Instagram will automatically process your video at higher quality.

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Final Checklist for Maximum Reel Quality

✅ Sequence: 1080 x 1920
✅ Frame rate matches footage
✅ Export in HEVC (H.265)
✅ 30 Mbps (24/30fps) or 50 Mbps (60fps)
✅ VBR 1 Pass
✅ Maximum Depth + Maximum Render Quality
✅ Use Edits app
✅ Export as 4K
✅ Send directly to Instagram

Do all of this, and your Reels will look noticeably sharper than most creators on the platform.

If you want the free presets and safe zone template, grab them here.

And if you found this helpful, make sure you check out my other export guides!

Got a Panasonic camera? The DMW-DMS1 is the on-camera microphone you’ve always dreamed of!

With 32-bit float recording and six directional modes, this is easily one of the best and most versatile microphones I’ve ever used. In this review, I’m looking at it from two perspectives: a wedding filmmaker who needs high-quality scratch audio, and a YouTuber who occasionally vlogs.

If you want to record high-quality audio with your Panasonic camera and keep a very small footprint, this review is for you.

And for the sake of ethics, this is not a paid or sponsored review by Panasonic. They did send me this microphone so I could make this review, but everything you’re about to read is my honest opinion.

Let’s get into it.

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Build Quality and Design (Yes, It’s Weird)

I have to tell you… this is one of the weirdest looking microphones I may have ever used.

It genuinely looks like Panasonic took their larger Panasonic DMW-XLR2 unit, removed the XLR ports, slapped a spaceship-shaped mic capsule on top, and hit it with a shrink ray.

But as weird as it looks, the mic capsule design actually makes a lot of sense.

The circular portion houses the omnidirectional microphones. Below that, where the capsule connects to the body, is a built-in shock mount that flexes and moves to eliminate mic noise caused by movement or impact.

And I actually like this shock mount design better than how Sony handles many of their on-camera mics, where the entire mic sits in a suspension system that can sometimes bump against itself if you move the camera too aggressively.

Also, this thing is tiny! Seriously tiny. But Panasonic packed a ton of features into it.

Another thing you might not notice until you mount it: the improved hot shoe locking mechanism. Panasonic reworked it from the DMW-XLR2, and it’s significantly better. Less wobble. More stable. It feels solid.

I’m hoping they retrofit this locking system into future versions of the XLR2.

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32-Bit Float: Why This Is a Big Deal

Before we talk about all the buttons and switches, we need to talk about audio quality.

This is a 32-bit float capable microphone system.

If you pair it with a Panasonic camera that supports 32-bit float, like the Panasonic Lumix GH7 or the S1 II series — you basically never have to worry about your audio being too quiet or too loud.

If it’s too quiet, you can raise the levels dramatically in post without introducing hiss or buzzing.
If it peaks, you can usually recover it.

Your limitations aren’t really about digital clipping anymore, they’re about the physical sound pressure level the capsule can handle.

And Panasonic is using high-quality capsules rated up to 120 dB SPL before peaking.

That’s loud. Like, “put it inside a jet engine” loud (not that you should).

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Controls, Gain, and Limiter

On the side, you’ll find:

• Gain switch
• Gain knob
• Limiter switch

If you’re recording in 32-bit float, these don’t matter. The camera handles levels automatically.

That’s one less thing to think about.

If you’re using an older Panasonic body like the S5 II or S5 IIX (which don’t support 32-bit float internally), then you’ll use the gain knob like a traditional mic.

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Wind Cut (And Why It’s Actually Good)

There’s a wind cut switch with Standard and High settings.

Normally, I don’t recommend using wind cut features on most microphones because they just chop out a big chunk of frequencies in a blunt way. You can usually do better in post.

But this is where 32-bit float changes things.

Because of the wider dynamic range, Panasonic was able to make the wind reduction dramatically more effective while preserving more usable audio.

In my testing using the included wind muff (which is designed to stay on permanently) and even blasting the mic with an air blower, the wind reduction was genuinely impressive.

It removes significantly more wind noise than most on-camera microphones I’ve used.

There’s also a noise cut feature that works similarly in loud environments. It helps reduce background noise while keeping voices clear, and it also benefits from the 32-bit float processing.

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The Star of the Show: Six Directional Modes

Now we get to the best part.

This mic has six directional beamforming modes.

On the back, instead of a dial like the Sony ECM-M1, the DMW-DMS1 uses soft-touch buttons. That means you can change directionality mid-recording without physically twisting anything and shaking the mic.

You can choose:

• Narrow front pickup
• Wider front pickup
• 180° front
• Rear only
• Front and rear simultaneously
• And more nuanced variations

The buttons light up to indicate the active mode (and yes, you can dim them in the camera menu).

For vlogging, this is incredible. But it gets better!

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The Hidden Feature That Makes This Mic Unreal

Because this microphone supports four-channel 32-bit float recording through the hot shoe, Panasonic unlocked something special.

There are two backup recording modes.

The first mode records:

• Channels 1 & 2: normal stereo
• Channels 3 & 4: the same signal at -20 dB

Cool. Safety tracks are always nice.

But the second mode?

Channel 1: Left
Channel 2: Right
Channel 3: Omnidirectional (all directions)
Channel 4: Omnidirectional at -20 dB

This is the mode I would use almost all the time.

You can set the mic to directional mode for yourself, but simultaneously record an omni backup. That means if you forget to switch directions mid-shoot (which I’ve done more times than I can count) you’re covered.

With my Sony mics, once you pick a direction, you’re locked in. If you forget to flip it when something important happens off-axis, you’re stuck fixing bad audio in post.

Not here.

You always have options in editing.

For wedding filmmaking or documentary work, this is huge. Imagine filming someone speaking to camera and another person steps in from the side and says something important. If your mic was too directional, you’d miss it.

But with this backup mode, you just switch to the omni track in post.

That flexibility alone makes this one of the most versatile on-camera microphones available today, especially when you combine it with 32-bit float recording, which Sony still doesn’t offer in this form factor.

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Final Thoughts: Is It Worth It?

If you own a Panasonic camera and you’ve been looking for a shotgun mic that mounts directly to the hot shoe, this is easily the one to buy.

Yes, it looks weird.

But the Panasonic DMW-DMS1 packs more functionality than any shotgun mic I’ve ever used.

For wedding filmmakers, YouTubers, and hybrid shooters who want:

• Small footprint
• 32-bit float recording
• Directional flexibility
• Built-in safety tracks
• Legitimately useful wind reduction

You’re going to love using this.

And if you’re building out your wedding filmmaking kit, make sure you download my free Wedding Filmmaker Gear Guide. It walks you through all the equipment I personally recommend.

Thanks so much for reading. If you found this helpful, check out my other gear reviews!