Cameras for Web Video
A quick heads-up about the video above. Because I wanted to show you the camera I currently use for shooting my web video, I had to borrow someone’s camera to shot this video.
That meant not having my equipment for the video. In addition to the camera, I also did not have my microphone. So the audio is not as good as I would have liked.
Also, if you check out some of my other videos, you should see (and hear) the difference. Okay, now back to our regular programming.
What kind of camera is best for web video? This may be the most asked question I hear. Sometimes the fear is they think they need to buy an expensive camera. The most common mistake I see people make is buying a video camera that is not equipped for web video.
You may have heard me tell my horror story about my camera problems when I first started with web video. I was so frustrated I almost gave up completely on web video. I had a camera that was not equipped for web video, and it made my life difficult until I realized using that camera was like trying to shove a square peg into a round hole.
I ended up getting rid of my first camera on eBay, and purchased a Canon for under $200. There are 3 things you should look for when deciding on a camera to use for web video. In no particular order, they are:
Microphone Jack – You will need/want to use an external microphone, so your camera should be equipped with a jack.
Mini DV Tape – As a general rule, you’ll want your camera to use Mini-DV tapes. Using a camera with a DVD or flash memory is not ideal as these tend to degrade the quality of your video.
Firewire Jack – As a general rule, using firewire to connect your camera to your computer to transfer your video is best.
So what about a Flip camera? I think Flips have their place. They’re great to have in your pocket for impromptu videos, but I wouldn’t use a Flip as my main camera for web video. There will be times when having that Flip camera will come in handy. But, because they lack the 3 items I just mentioned, I do not think you will have consistent, high quality video if your only camera is a Flip.
There are cameras that range in procide from less than 200, all the way up to thousands of dollars for the Prosumer cameras. You do not need an expensive camera to have high quality video for the web. My Canon camera cost me under $200, and that was three years ago.
It shoots a nice picture, and when I’ve edited my video, you have no idea how expensive or inexpensive my camera is.
Still have questions about the right kind of camera to use? Or, maybe you have a comment you’d like to share, either about the information here, or your own experience with video cameras.
Please leave your questions and comments below.
