Camcorder Recommendation for Badminton

Discussion in 'Badminton Photography' started by Shiryu, Mar 20, 2007.

  1. ctjcad

    ctjcad Regular Member

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    ^^For those..^^

    - I've somewhat mentioned in earlier posts. As of currently, there is no program, that i know, which can edit the .m2ts files. Thus, one has to convert them to a standard type format, like avi (or if you want to mpeg4 or h264) first.
    The link i gave, above (post #76), should give you a program (out of many out there) to convert a .m2ts file to an avi format. Download and install. Once you've imported the .m2ts file to your PC, then import to the program for conversion. You can choose between Auto or mpeg4 codec as options.
    Then as for the resolution, choose at least 1280x720, just to retain the quality. Try not to go smaller.
    For audio, choose MP3 or AAC.
    After it's converted (should take several minutes, depending on your PC) and saved, you can edit the video.
    If you have Windows 7, you should be able to play the .m2ts file directly on your PC. Not sure about editing it (haven't tried it).

    - As for editing programs, currently the 2 "easy" & free ones are WMM and iMovie. If you have Windows XP, you should have Windows Movie Maker program already installed. Have you used it? The google link i gave earlier about discussion on which program is better, should give an idea. They're both relative the same in terms of usage.
    I've tried Windows Movie Maker and it's not too bad.
    Good luck!
     
    #81 ctjcad, Jan 17, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2010
  2. Mini Me

    Mini Me Member

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    mpeg4 is a video standard with many parts. ASP (advanced simple profile) is used by xvid and divx. AVC/H264 (advanced video coding) is used by x264, youtube and bluray. AVC allows for better compression at the cost of higher resources to decode compared to ASP.

    the program that you used to convert M2TS to AVI is probably using ASP. AVI files don't properly support AVC. For AVC you would be better of using MKV (Matroska) containers.

    AviSynth uses scripts to create a virtual video/audio files for subsequent encoding. it decompresses your inputs and allows you to edit/cut/resize/etc without creating any temporary/intermediate files. you pass the AviSynth output to an encoder of your choice.

    x264 is a AVC/H264 encoder. it uses command line arguments so you wouldn't want to run it on its own. MeGUI provides a GUI for x264 and can also create AviSynth scripts for you.
     
  3. Mini Me

    Mini Me Member

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    AviSynth + DGAVCDec can decode M2TS files. AviSynth also has plugins to decode AAC/MP3/AC3 audio. you don't need to create an intermediate AVI file to do your editing. create an AviSynth script, use VirtualDub to check your editing, MeGUI + x264 to encode. all the programs that i've mentioned are free and run on windows.
     
  4. ctjcad

    ctjcad Regular Member

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    Well..

    ..i hope Cheung is able to digest those and is willing to try your suggestion.:cool: Cheung, are you down with it?..:confused:
    For myself, i'm fine with the program i've used & results. It's simple and i don't have to deal with using so many programs (yes, i've heard abt those programs before but personally prefer the simple way out).:cool:
     
  5. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    Rather late to the party, but just in case it's useful:

    I'm editing .m2ts files in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 with no problems so far. Most camcorder footage should be editable on a wide range of programs. The latest Panasonic consumer camcorders (e.g. my HDC-SD700) can record 1080 50p footage, which apparently is not compatible with many editing programs, and may require a nippy computer.

    Anything up to 1080 60i or 1080 30p should be fine in most software, however.

    If you get performance problems when editing HD footage, you may want to look at Premiere Pro CS5. Combine it with a decent processor, 64-bit operating system, and an Nvidia GTX-285 graphics card (or Quadro if you really want to show off...), and you should have silky-smooth HD editing due to the CUDA-accelerated Mercury playback engine in CS5. For me, that's just waaaaay too much money right now. ;)
     
    #85 Gollum, Aug 1, 2010
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2010
  6. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    One issue with editing on the new Panasonics: if you're using a Mac, you can't import the 1080 50/60p footage. You'll just have to stick with 1080i. This is because the supplied HD Writer software, needed to import the files, is not compatible with Macs.
     
  7. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    question.

    looking at some newer 1080p60 camcorders. i noticed that almost all of them only save the video in 1080p60. the only variable is the bitrate but not the resolution or frame rate.

    so does that mean if i eventually wants, say 720p or even lower, i cannot record that directly from camera, but instead have post process it on the computer?
     
  8. demolidor

    demolidor Regular Member

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    Pretty much yes ... Any particular model? Was checking a few out yesterday and the new JVC's look promising: Everio GZ-HM960 and HM845
     
  9. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    was looking at the higher end Panasonic. either the 750 or the 900.

    does the JVC have mic/headphone in/out?
     
  10. demolidor

    demolidor Regular Member

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    Didn't think so no. Think all the "pro" features had been left out which is reflected in the price of the 845 in particular. Very much affordable :) 960 only has an extra 8GB internal and the 2D-to-3D conversion feature.
    http://www.trustedreviews.com/video/JVC-Everio-GZ-HM960BEK It should be very good indoors ...

    The Panasonics should be the best apparently with the 1080p mode standing out. Also read yesterday though you can pretty much only edit it with the Panasonic included software since it hardly supported by anything else yet. Kinda reminds me of the Sony a few years ago ...
    I see the Panasonic still has a viewfinder as well, another bonus imo. No energy sapping screen necessary when recording matches :D.
     
    #90 demolidor, Mar 26, 2011
    Last edited: Mar 26, 2011
  11. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    at a minimal, i think mic input would be useful for some situation like a player interview or a kids performance where there is the issue with background noise. headphone out is less crucial but something nice to have.

    i read that Premiere Pro can edit 1080p60 from the TM900.

    hm... my birthday coming up soon...... :D
     
  12. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    I think iMovie can now edit using 1080p.
     
  13. demolidor

    demolidor Regular Member

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    I think the trouble was Panasonic use their own codec for 1080p mode rather than it having to do with 1080p in general. But I probably read it in the 700 review so could be outdated info by now and in the meanwhile support added by more programs like Premiere Pro as Kwun mentioned although instead of buying that software retail you could get another camera :D.
     
    #93 demolidor, Apr 3, 2011
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2011
  14. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    I tried reading about it but got lost in jargon! I'd like it simple as well and keep good quality for viewing on HDTV.

    I tried iMovie but the mt2s file gets converted to some other intermediate that takes up huge files sizes.
     
  15. anjoooo

    anjoooo Regular Member

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    I was wondering if a few people could post their experiences taping badminton with their cameras? What was the image quality and sharpness like? Smoothness of movement? Audio quality?

    I have a Sony DCR-SR42 HDD Camcorder (bought in 2008) and it is not very good for taking badminton videos. The video is fairly grainy and it is hard to make out fine details at distances of more than 10 metres.

    I mainly use the camcorder to record myself training and/or playing at tournaments (to see how terrible my technique is!) I'm looking for a camera that has very sharp and smooth video. Audio is not too important.
     
  16. demolidor

    demolidor Regular Member

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    Top of the line from a year after SR42: SR12 with 1/3" CMOS sensor

    [video=youtube;LcLSCbXGErk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcLSCbXGErk[/video]

    Versus something comparable to SR42 from yet another year later with comparably sized 1/6" CCD sensor

    [video=youtube;Mf30FgONWoY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mf30FgONWoY[/video]

    An easy more or less rule of thumb is: the more optical zoom, the smaller the sensor (and bigger is what you want). High Defintion and at least ~1/4" sensor is the way to go ...
     
  17. Avenger

    Avenger Regular Member

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    Anyone think to use new Sony camcorders?
    it has very interesting technology..

    they combine a HANDYCAM with DSLR
    the result? Sony NEX-VG20

    you can use DSLR lenses from other companies and not restricted to Sony
    imagine, using a camcorder with quality of DSLR camera o_0
    [​IMG]

    yeah the only downside that this thing cost $1600 without the lenses
    videos captured with NEX-VG20:
    http://vimeo.com/groups/nexvg20
     
  18. b.leung

    b.leung Regular Member

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    I have a Canon 60D
    What is a good lens to use for recording a game? Something that is wide angle enough to capture a full court from the stands?
    Opinions and suggestions are welcomed!

    Thanks in advance
     

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