Which camcorder technology would be best for creating internet broadcasted educational videos?

Question

I have a limited budget for a camera. $400-$700. I want to do educational videos that will be put on the internet. I plan to have some text, photos of documents, some green screen and some studio lit lectures: Basic stuff. The quality of the video for my web site will be better than You Tube, but not as high as standard DVD quality – something in between.

It seems I get good value from a high quality MiniDV camcorder like the Panasonic PV-GS500 with exceptional video quality in standard definition. On the other hand, some low end High Definition camcorders from Sony or Canon also seem attractive. Which technology would be best for my purposes? And why?

Answer 1

Mr. Safety knows...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OePFgmyvnWo

And check out the resolution at vimeo.com if you are considering external hosting...

http://vimeo.com/751354

In addition to video quality, I would be looking for a mic-in jack and manual audio control... The ONLY sub-$1,000 camcorders (of which I am aware) that have both mic-in jack and full manual audio control are the Canon HV20, HV30, Sony HDR-HC7 and HC9.

I would suggest doing one of these four - at some later point, you may want to do high-definition. If you get the GS500 (which is a fine camcorder), you would need to replace it. If you get one of the HDV camcorders listed, you can do DV or HDV.

Your decision should be based on the WHOLE system:

Will you require external mics? Remember to add that to your budget. Mic stand or boom pole or mic shock mount or ? What sort of mic do you need? Laveliere or shotgun? Does it use 1/8" jack or XLR? Will you need an XLR adapter?

Tripod? LANC?

What kind of computer are you using? Does it have a firewire port? (That's how miniDV tape video is transferred.)

How much available hard drive space do you have? (DV uses ~13-14 gig of hard drive space per hour of imported video... HDV uses 3x-4x more than that. Do you need external drives?)

How much have you budgeted for lighting?

So... there's a bit more to it than just the camcorder...