I’m in the market for a videocamera. I want to make a DVD to teach people how to do henna. This would require both tight shots of mixing and drawing as well as pretty static stuff of somebody at a table or counter. I can’t think that I’d want it to shoot in the dark much, but the ability to self-stabilize for hand-held recording would be nifty.
So, what features do I need? Anything absolutely essential? Anything to avoid?
Thanks!
HennaDancer
I’ll sell you a JVC GY DV500U. 
Just kidding. It’s a big broadcast-type camera. That one’s going on eBay.
It doesn’t sound like you need a pro camera. Are you looking at a consumer camera (e.g., Handicam)? Or a ‘prosumer’ camera, which has more features? A consumer camera will get you decent images and they’re easy to use. My other DV camera is a Panasonic DVX100A, which is a prosumer model. It has image stabilisation, a nice Leica lens, and will shoot 24 frames per second. And it’s a lot handier than the JVC. I like the images better too. Anyway, it depends on what kind of videos you want to make, how much you want to spend, how much you’ll use it for ‘real’ videos vs. ‘home videos’, portability, etc.
You’ll want to get a good tripod. I swear by Bogen, since they seem to be the best value for the money. But there are a lot of brands out there; some cheap, and some outrageously expensive. Just make sure that it’s sturdy. And get a fluid head.
You might want to think about lighting. Again, it depends on how involved you want to get. We shoot weddings in available light. But for commercial projects I have lots of lights. I usually use a Lowel DP kit. That’s a bit of overkill for your project, I think. (I could be wrong.) For shooting interviews at weddings we often use my Lowel Pro-Light kit. The lights are small, portable, and only 250 watts.
I consider a good tripod and a light kid essential. Depending on your needs you may be able to use a $50 tripod from Ritz Camera and available light.
I’ve had good customer service experiences with B&H Photo, and superb customer service experiences with Lowel.