Equipment Needed To Create Quality YouTube Videos?

You should take a look at Camstudio and Jing. they are both free tools and should be good for what you need.

Go down to the Walmart and pick up a Camcorder for $100. By a small tripod also that can fit on your desk. Record away, and edit your video with something called "ArcSoft Video Impression". Very good.

Are you talking to the camera or doing a screen recording?

Personality and passion are required along with a background that doesn't distract the viewer.

If you're doing screen recording then the best 2 investments I've made recently were Easy Video Suite, and a blue snowball USB microphone.

Hope it works out for you, it can be a tough gig getting hits on youtube.

I use my iphone for all my videos. All you need is a mount/tripod to keep it steady and a good mic. Make sure you have enough lighting, and your videos will be fine on youtube.

All you need is a web browser.

Using Creative Commons videos and the YouTube editor, you can make decent unique videos right in your browser.

Video Editor - YouTube

i just use my digital camera and a box as a tripod. i wouldnt invest in high ech stuff until there's profit.

A couple of things. First let me say that I can relate to you when you talk about being on a budget.

Route#1

You can use screen capture for your video. Since people tend to have a short attention span on the internet your video probably shouldn't be more than 3 mins long. This means you can go to Screencast-O-Matic.com and actually record your computer screen for free. Because your video won't be longer than 3 mins you really wouldn't have to use the upgraded option.

What you do is you put together a slide show using Microsoft powerpoint or openoffice.org has a program similar if you don't have Microsoft office and just capture your screen. As far as the microphone goes, I bought one from best buy for only $25 by Dynex. It has an adjustable boom and a stable base for hands free operation. It has a USB cord to it so you just plug it in and start using it.

You can take pictures of your physical product with your iphone and upload the pictures into your slideshow and just highlight the features in your slide show and then talk about the benefits of it in your slide show and conclude with a call to action.

You basically just read your slide show to your audience and add more if you like. These videos can be really high quality just from doing that alone. Besides, many marketers have started utilizing video sales letters that are doing just that. Just words on a screen in the form of a slide show. Believe it or not they are converting like crazy. That's way number one.

Route#2
Buy a small or large tripod stand from walmart or bestbuy and a $70 to $100 video camera and a microphone. Just be sure you have good lighting which is more of a factor when using a camera. A microphone may run you between $25-$50. Total you shouldn't have to spend more than maybe $150.

Both methods should get the job done. Route#1 is a little cheaper but just as effective.

Thanks folks, I failed to mention it is for a physical product and I am trying to video it in my warehouse as it is bolted to the wall. So I think lighting may be an issue, I sure need a tripod and a camcorder.

Why not try to outsource them ? Getting a proffesionally done vid can help a lot.

I create my videos using Sony Vegas Pro and Camtasia Studio (free).
Both of them are extremely user-friendly and easy to use.

I would recommend using a DSLR Camera, especially if you intend to use it for multiple purposes.

I'm a professional video editor and personally using a Canon EOS 600D DSLR Camera for my personal projects. It's a pretty decent medium level camera for video and still images. It is small enough to carry with me when I'm traveling, as opposed to the professional level DSLR Cameras that are almost double the size and weight. It might not be as simple as a cheap camcorder but the picture will have more depth to it even with the basic kit lens that comes with the camera. Not to mention this particular model has a built in Mic line for audio devices.

But basically it all comes down to your needs. You don't need to spend $500 for a DSLR if you're only intending to use it for video and don't need that much customization. What you ARE going to need regardless of the camera you choose is some LED lights! With a DSLR you can mount the light on top of the camera, but I would say it's better with a more adjustable light source. And of course you will need a stand for the camera and the lights.

Another thing you should consider is the Microphone setting. I would never use the camera sound for a commercial product, ever. So get a good mic and if your camera has a mic input, you don't even need to worry about synchronizing the audio. A good audio is more important than perfect image.

We just ordered new video equipment to make web videos for our site and for Youtube. We went with a Nikon d7100 which will be used for most shots. Its a really high quality camera that will produce great videos.

Also we got a GoPro for first person shots, as we will be doing instructional videos in some tight spaces.

For screen capture videos we have Camtasia, which is just the best.

It really just depends on the quality you want. You could get lower priced things and still be fine, but we wanted some of the best. Good luck in your search.

I'm shooting videos almost daily. Here's what I'm using.

1. Flipcam. I no longer believe these are sold or supported, but I have heard good things about the Kodak Zi8. (I just Googled it and found several places still selling them, so they're obviously still available)

2. Blue Yeti microphone. Excellent quality microphone that's very easy to use. Its USB, and is plug and play.

3. Audacity. I record my audio separately using this software then piece it back together when editing.

4. Camtasia studio. Excellent software for editing videos and one of the leaders in the industry. I have both v.7 and v8. Both are good, although I prefer v.7

5. Studio lights. I bought a lighting kit off ebay and it cost me $150. Best money I could've spent. Absolutely brilliant value for money. Highly recommended.

For those too cheap to buy a tripod, you can use a zip lock baggie filled with flour. This will let you adjust your small camera to just about any angle.

I haven't produced my course on equipment yet but it's coming soon.

An iphone actually as more than what you need, surprisingly. When in a pinch (back when I worked at the Ad Agency) we used an iphone as a microphone as well as a camera. We also used an outdated $100 flipcam to create some epic videos as well.

Your main issue here is LIGHTING and INERTIA. Small, lightweight cameras often have a problem of shaking or jittering WAY too much. I purchased a small Gorillapod which works GREAT to mount anything with a screw on any surface.

If your video's grainy, or there's too much color banding going on, or thinks just don't look CRISP your problem is lighting. Spend a good hour or two researching lighting techniques. A nice big single diffused light is usually all you need (attained by bouncing the light off of a white surface or through a light-box.)

Many cheap camcorders work just fine as long as you have enough light and when you move the camcorder while shooting, move slowly. I started out with a Sony Bloggie Touch that cost under $150 and it worked just fine under those conditions. I shoot a lot of indoor stuff with very little lighting though so I moved up to a Canon Vixia M500 and a 32GB memory card. I think the two cost me around $540. OMG! What a fine camcorder with near professional results under just about any conditions.

There has been a lot of advice here. I add the following: If you are going to be making more than one video, or a series, and the main focus is a product, then lighting is critical. Break down and spend a tax deductible hundred or two on some high power CFL photo lights, sockets and tripods from Ebay or Amazon. Many times on Ebay I have seen items sell cheap because the photography was so bad that the buyer could not tell the quality of the item, and it went to some lowballer who was willing to take a risk.

My other advice follows the same conditions: If you are going to be making more than one video, or a series, then break down and buy a camera that shoots in at least 720p. If you are wondering why, go to Youtube and watch a few videos at various resolutions, and think about which resolution your buyer would want to see your product in.

I rec

Canon Rebel T4i
Canon EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM
Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX
Corel VideoStudio Pro X4