I'd like to create some videos of me speaking and put the videos up on youtube.

I've got a Fuji F31 P&S with video capabilities and that would work, but I'm wondering how much better the video quality would be on the 5DII. For audio, I've got a little digital pocket recording device and I can get a lapel clip-on mic and sync the audio in software.

Now, I've never done any video work before so I have a few questions.

Obviously the 5DII isn't out yet so that needs to be taken into account, but still, to those of you who have experience creating/editing video, allow me to pick your brain for a moment.

How much better would the video quality be from a 5DII compared to a typical P&S? For YouTube videos? For DVDs?

In another thread they talk about recommended software packages to edit video. How easy is it to sync an external audio file with the video?

How much does it typically cost for a traditional ice cream looking microphone and a mic stand?

Do you have any recommendations for outsourcing video editing? If I wanted to do something a little nicer like create the transitions, titles, designs for the introduction frames, and so on, are there good places to do it? How much of that is built into the software packages available? Any templates or guides to doing it yourself?

I'll probably think up a few more questions, but this is a good start.

Thanks for your help!

Think of it as the same as between a P&S or SLR on the web. It's not so much the IQ in terms of output rez, it has more to do with exposure, DOF, perspective, lighting and other IQ factors when talking youtube, ipod or any other compressed output. MP ain't the issue, but the control the DSLR offers over a P&S could possibly make a world of difference. In either case, you'll want to handle audio separetly for best quality.

It looks like time still photographers are going have to get off their duff to learn what videographers having been doing all this time. Believe me, most videographers already know what most still photographers know already.

For a great video forum, like FM is to still, check out http://www.dvcreators.net/.

Good luck

Take a look at this video made solely with a 5D MK2 (and downres'd 75%!!), let me know if you think you've seen a P&S that can come anywhere close to this quality.

http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAct&articleID=2086

For online videos such as Youtube, the video quality is limited by the output allowed by the web host. So actually you do not get a better video quality between a P&S vs. a 5D2. However, you still get the depth of field from using the 5D2, but I don't think that's too important to you if you're just filming yourself speaking.

I'm not experienced in video either, but I have edited some family videos recorded on my HD camcorder. My HD camcorder uses AVCHD file format, and I use Ulead Video Studio 11 to edit the footage. You can easily create transitions, titles, designs for the introduction frames and so on with Ulead, it's very easy to do. I believe any video-editing software will be able to do those things nowadays.

Think fast glass and thin DOF. Luminous Landscape has a nice demo video.

As Stunnaz points out, video quality on YouTube is standardized. Whatever quality you upload to them is converted to YouTube standard flash video. What many people do not realize is that YouTube actually encodes all videos at (at least) two different quality levels. Standard quality is pretty poor and is what you get when you select any video. However a higher-quality version is available if you attach the following suffix to the URL:

&fmt=6

or

&fmt=18

I don't know exactly what the difference is between these two strings, but I can say this:

Some videos, uploaded to YouTube prior to some particular date in the past, do not improve at all when you use these suffixes.

Some videos, particularly those uploaded more recently, look better with one or the other suffix appended. If one doesn't work, try the other.

The differences in quality are apparent at the default (small) video size, but are more pronounced if you expand to full screen.

Neither the standard nor the improved quality videos on YouTube are anywhere near as good as the video you'll get out of most modern point & shoot digicams, though. So if you don't need the increased control over DOF or low-light quality the 5D II offers, I can't see any reason to shoot these videos with the 5D II.

If you are just filming yourself speaking then using your point and shoot on a tripod with a plain background and good lighting would probably get you sufficient quality when you output the file from the video editing software.