“What is the best digital video camera for creating an online video?” I’ve been asked this question a lot in the past few weeks so I thought it would be a great idea to spend some time answering it in this video. Please keep one thing in mind when watching this video..online video is not about the video camera itself, it is about delivering valuable video content to your customers. This will help build a lasting and trusting relationship with them.
My Top 3 Pocket Camera Choices are:
1. Creative Vado HD (Generation 3)
3. Kodak Zi8
All of these pocket cameras are excellent for creating online video and they all:
- Record at least 2 hours of video (which is plenty for online video)
- Have a built in USB connector so you don’t need to carry any cables to access your videos. This connector can also be used to charge the camera when it is connected to any computer.
- Record excellent quality HD video
- PC and Mac compatible
- Can easily upload to YouTube and Facebook using the camera’s built-in software when connected to your computer.
- Small, light, and portable (fits in your pocket) so you will actually use it!
- Decent built-in microphone when recording up close. The Vado HD 3rd Generation and Zi8 allow you to connect an external microphone to improve the audio quality.
Can You Recommend Any Other Digital HD Video Camera? I know there are tons of digital HD video cameras out there, so please share your experiences with these or other video cameras in the comments below.
P.S. Share this Tip with Your Friends: If you know anyone looking to buy a video camera for online video, please share this video with them on Twitter and Facebook by clicking on the buttons below. Heck, even if you don’t…share it anyways.
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Hani,
Another great video. Thanks for sharing, always enjoy visiting your site.
Tony
Thanks Tony! My pleasure…I hope it inspired you to starting creating some videos
Good timing for me, Hani,
Found this review online – not quite the same models but could be useful for an idea to add to what you are doing for people:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RZAHZNCU5KBY2/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#RZAHZNCU5KBY2
Thanks Darag. This is a great review…it goes into more details about each of the cameras such as their weight, memory space, zoom, performance in low light, which is definitely a factor when considering buying a video camera.
Thanks for the tips. I just got a flip camera. I am not happy with the editing software it came with. I am having trouble cutting the video where I want to. Can you suggest an editing software that is easier to use?
Hey Julia,
You’re most welcome. The editing software with these cameras are very basic and are good enough for most purposes. If you are trying to cut and stitch clips together, I suggest using a slightly more advanced video editing tool. Actually, next week I will create a post about my favourite video editing tools for both Mac and PC.
Hello! Very nice video and post! I was wondering if you have any experience with the 3rd Generation Vado HD. I’m stuck right now between that and the Kodak Zi8. At least I got it down to two to chose from! Both have external mics which I need, but the Vado has internal 4g and no way to get more memory(3rd gen). The Kodak Zi8’s sd slot can get 32g of memory. Then again, the Vado Hd(3rd gen) has a better lens and low light quality I hear. Can you help my choosing any? I have been contemplating for 5 days now!
Thanks!
Brandon
StudyorFail.com
Hey Brandon…you’re putting me on the spot here
LOL.
I own a Vado HD (1st generation) and just love it. The video quality is amazing and is very decent in low light (the Flip Mino HD is apparently marginally better in low light according to the reviews). The wide angle lens is also unique to the Vado HD and is a bonus for such a small pocket cam. I believe that the Vado HD (3rd Generation) has similar (maybe even better) optics as my Generation 1. If it were up to me, I would choose the Vado HD 3rd Generation because I’ve had a great experience with the original Vado HD. I actually bought my brother a 3rd Generation Vado HD for his birthday a few weeks ago and he loves it too!
On paper the Kodak Zi8 has a few extra features that Vado HD 3rd Gen doesn’t, but in my opinion they are not significant enough to tempt me to jump ship. It has image stabilization (to some degree), but I heard it doesn’t work so well. I usually record on a tripod so that was not a factor for me. It also has 1080p higher definition video, but again for online 720p on my Vado HD is more than enough
The one tempting feature was the expandable memory storage, but after thinking about my experience with my Vado HD, I never really shoot more than 5 to 10 minutes at time. The Vado HD can handle 2 hours of video which is plenty for me. It is so easy to hook up the camera to your laptop and transfer the files to free up space as needed (in the last year, I’ve emptied the memory on my Vado HD max three times 
To be honest, if you primary purpose is creating online videos, you can’t go wrong with either of these cameras. Both will have great video and audio quality (when using the mic input)
I hope this helps a bit. I’ll be curious to hear what you end up buying. Drop by again and leave us a comment to let us know what you decide.
Cheers,
Hani
Thanks for this post, and I can share with you about the Kodak Zi8 which I find for the price you really can’t beat it. I’m a happy with it.
Thanks Robert! I checked out your site and the quality of your welcome video (which by the way is an awesome idea for a video) is amazing. You really appreciate the high quality when you set it to fullscreen and choose the 720p option when watching it. Was that shot with the Zi8?
Hani
Yes it was Hani, you can see why I’m quit pleased with it :>)
Impressive Robert! You’ve got me more tempted to look into the Zi8. I’m a huge Vado HD fan (I own the original Vado HD) but I am always looking for a reason to buy new toys (I mean professional equipment
Thanks again for sharing with us…
Hani
For those of you looking to edit your videos, I’ve create a video tutorial on the best software for video editing on a PC: http://www.easyonlinevideotips.com/best-software-for-video-editing-on-a-pc/
Here is a clip recorded with a Vado HD Generation 3 with an external microphone. It is quite impressive considering it was filmed outside with a lot of wind!
http://www.buildmourramuscle.com/working-out-outside-brilliant-bench-circuit/
Make sure you watch the entire video…near the end, the microphone drops and the audio gets slightly worse.