I left BlogHer 2009 in Chicago a little over a week ago with more than just a car-load of swag bags.  I left with some knowlege.  Knowlege I got from the best session at BlogHer… the “Gadgets of Blogging” session.

The “Gadgets” session covered most of your basic gadgets you would use for blogging, whether at home or on the go, but it also briefly touched on some more advanced things, like specific products that may be better if you wanted a more professional touch.

Just like the Canon FS200.

Out With The Old

I’ve been using the Flip Video for the last couple of years (although not for this blog) and I’ve only been just satisfied with it.

I can’t say there has ever been any real excitement about picture quality, audio quality or even the fact that the zoom is almost non-existent.

That’s not to say that I don’t like my Flip.  It’s an awesome TOY.

In With The New

Since the “Gadget” session at Blogher I’ve been thinking a lot about adding video to my blog, but I don’t want to just throw something up that looks extremely amatuer.  So when the Canon FS200 was introduced to me, I knew I had to have it.

It’s not as frilly as some of the more expensive video cameras, but it does have some nice little frills for a camera that I bought for only $299.

Flash Memory

Rather than a tape, or mini-disc, the Canon FS200 records everything on a flash SD card.  This is awesome, because when I want to transfer my videos to my computer, all I have to do is remove the SD card and put it in my computer. The file format is MOD though, but a free copy of SDCopy takes care of that and quickly converts the files to MPG so I can easily edit them.

External Microphone Input

The absolute best part about the Canon FS200, and the reason why I had to have it, is the microphone input jack located on the side of the video camera.

Having the ability to use a real microphone makes a huge difference in the audio quality, and significantly helps to reduce the background noise from overshadowing the speaker.

This video camera rocks my socks off, and puts me in a position to start creating some slightly more professional videos for this blog.

Expect to see one in the very near future.