Help Picking Out a Video Camera + Video Editing Software

[breakfastly]

I want to start making good quality youtube videos. I'm not concerned about the price right now.

I'd like the camera to have these qualities:
1) HD
2) Easy to hold
3) Very good picture
4) Is easy to put into a video editing software
5) To have a microphone jack
6) Um..... anything else I should be concerned about?

I'd like the video editing software to have these qualities:
1) To have two of me on the screen like this video kind of-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UInlC5JX77Y
2) To have a picture in picture thing where I can see two screens at once
3) Can be used with a green screen
4) Can do everything in this video-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuF6CpML3IQ
5) Make things go backwards
6)how in this video there is a faded image of her while the rest of the video is going on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b70ATLbL2UA

If you guys would help me out that would be SO great. Thank you!

 

[dizzie1]

I'd say a top of the line Sony or Canon with Final Cut Pro.

 

[acearchie]

I'd say that with some of the effects that you want to achieve with the bo burnham videos you would be looking at a greenscreen and a copy of adobe after effects as well as a camera.

I don't know your level of expertise but these techniques are actually quite difficult!

 

[Sdougherty]

Are you looking for consumer, Prosumer, or Professional quality gear?

 

[ibennetch]

Since you're planning to do a lot of chromakey and compositing work, you really need to be careful about the compression and chroma subsampling (or "color sampling" if you prefer) used in the recording format you pick. We have had good luck with both HDCam and DVCPro-HD; I believe but won't guarantee that both use 4:2:2 chroma subsampling. Some of the XDcam formats are 4:2:2 as well, but several aren't. MiniDV, DVcam, most direct-to-file, and related highly-compressed formats really make it hard to get a clean key signal because of the lack of recorded color resolution.

Also, perhaps I'm stating the obvious, but good lighting is essential as well. Excellent lighting can go quite a way toward cutting through even a mediocre quality recording and likewise bad lighting can ruin even an uncompressed recording.

One of your qualifications is "Easy to hold" which isn't very specific...for me and most of my co-workers, that's something big and heavy enough to put on my shoulder, rather than held out in front of my body. I like the stability it provides.

Since you say money isn't a concern, I'd spec out a system that's probably $45,000 to $60,000...before lights, audio, and a tripod

 

[puckhead193]

Since you say money isn't a concern, I'd spec out a system that's probably $45,000 to $60,000...before lights, audio, and a tripod

that's just for the camera body not to mention the glass



The OP needs to give us some figures on what he/she wants to spend. (and what he/she as access too if anything)