Summary: Far and away, the most frequently asked questions I receive are about video cameras. Either people want a recommendation for a camera or they've seen a video online (including mine) and they want to know what camera was used to shoot the video. There's a hidden little catch behind video cameras though, at least when it comes to producing videos for the web. You see, all video cameras are good these days...even the cheap ones. In fact, they are so good that the quality of video between a "cheap" camera and a "pro" camera is fairly subtle in most instances. That means the average web video viewer (i.e. not video pros) won't be able to tell the difference between video shot on a $200 camera or a $2,000 camera. To prove this point, I created the video above using a camera I bought at Best Buy for $250...the Canon Vixia HF R100. Most people will probably think the video quality looks pretty good. But here's the rub. The secrets to making video look "pretty good", "great" or "outstanding" often happen after the video is already shot. That means what you do in preparing that video for the web. This is an area that I can tell you from experience baffles, frustrates and intimidates people. It's also why many people don't achieve the video quality they are after. In the coming weeks I'll be sharing something that can erase these problems for people, both quickly and easily. Stay tuned...
