I've been looking online for weeks, but still am boggled by the many choices out there, and am looking for specific recommendations so I don't end up with a camera that doesn't fit my needs.
SHOOTING LOCATION:
I will be shooting teaching videos in a very small room. Will use a tripod with very little camera movement. Mostly shots of myself at a green marker board. Will rig up some flourescent lighting.
DELIVERY:
After editing the videos (simple cuts, titling, music) in a program like Sony Vegas, I will upload them to YouTube and other free file hosting sites, as well as to my own website. In time, I hope to be able to create a subscription service, so the videos should have a commercial look. As well, I hope in the future to compile my lectures onto a DVD that I can sell. Until that point, though, I do not need any hard copies of the lectures, so I have been looking at hard disk cams.
NEEDS:
I don't think I need any special bells and whistles (zoom, high-speed motion capture, etc), just a high-quality picture that seems very professional, as well as clear sound (which I worry about in such a small room; I'll have to cover the walls to reduce echo). I'm not sure if there are certain models that faciliate editing and internet publishing, but if so I guess I should be looking at these. I'm also unsure as to whether or not I'll need a mic jack and wireless mike in such a small room, or if the camera's internal mike will be able to capture my lectures clearly enough.
That's a summary of things so far. What kind of camera can fit these needs? I'm looking ideally in the under-$1000 range, but think that for my very simple purposes I could get away with a cheaper model. Any advice would be much appreciated!