Robin Liss of CamcorderIfo.com is the uncontested maven of technical know-how for internet video. At PubCon 2007 in Las Vegas, she gave a very popular session on the software and hardware that most of us should use to produce our own videos. This is not the absolutely best stuff, but the stuff that will produce the results we need at a reasonable price.

Here are Robin Liss’ recommendations:

• Best video software – Sony Vegas. Cost $400-600.

• Best Camcorders – Canon HV20 ($900), Sony HC96 ($520) and Canon HG10 ($1300)

• Tape or hard Drive? – It’s very difficult to edit video on hard drive camcorders. Choose tpae and HDV for editing and archiving. It’s less expensive in the long run.

• Budget and Accessories - Just about any camcorder will make videos for the web. Your accessories are actually more important than you camcorder. Plan to spend about half of your budget on a ccamcorder and the other half on the right accessories.

• Camcorder tripod – buy a tripod in the $150-300 range. This is your most important accessory. Make certain it has a fluid head, as regular camera tripods do not work well for video.

• Audio - Half of your video is audio. The sound is as least as important as the picture. Don’t scrimp on it. Your camcorder needs to have a microphone jack, so that you can use an exteranl mic. Do not rely on an internal mic.

• Microphones – You may choose a wireless (recommends Sennhiser Wireless kit at $300) or wired mic. A lavalier mic that clips to the lapel is the best choice whenyou need to get good audio in a noisy place.

• Lighting – Low light destroys video quality and , therefore, appeal. Use 3 point lighting to eliminate shadows. For videos taken away fm the studio, you need a powerful on-camera light.

• Batteries – buy LOTS of long life batteries and a big bag to carry it all around in.