DSLR or camcorder?

Discussion in 'Badminton Photography' started by Metaphor, Mar 7, 2015.

  1. Metaphor

    Metaphor Regular Member

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    So I just bought a DSLR (Canon EOS 100D) yesterday and now I'm having second thoughts about it. After consulting a friend who knows little about badminton but is an experienced photographer, I decided not to buy a camcorder and went for a cheapish DSLR instead. Did I make a bad choice?

    The primary purpose is to record my badminton games in tournaments and perhaps some practice sessions as well. Secondly I would like to have a good camera to take photos while travelling in the future. Is it possible to combine both functions or will it always be a tradeoff?

    Should have asked here before purchasing the camera, but fortunately I can still return it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
     
  2. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    what did u find lacking in your DSLR?
     
  3. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    He only bought it yesterday :) but didn't ask us.

    Had a quick look and the first thing I came across said this
    http://www.cinema5d.com/canon-eos-100d-sl1-review-landscapes-without-a-tripod/

    Limited recording time is difficult. Most of us just want to leave the recording on and forget about it. Granted that most matches might be less than 30mins but what if you have a 3 game match?

    When you buy a DSLR for videoing badminton, do check the maximum length of recording time beforehand.
     
  4. kwun

    kwun Administrator

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    the 30 mins recording time for a DSLR is annoying.

    most people don't record that long but it is not uncommon for badminton.

    the reason for that is if they allow more than 30mins, then it is classified as a video recorder and there will be extra import duty. it is really stupid.
     
  5. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    The OP doesn't need to buy a dslr or camcorder for his simple purpose, all he needs is his trusty smartphone, like an S5 or iPhone 6 or something.
     
  6. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    It is possible so long as you know the limitations.

    Frequently, the camera or camcorder lens will not be wide enough indoors. So you will a wide angle lens or wide angle attachment.

    If you had written video using DLSR for training, I would have said no problem with the DSLR. Only you can decide whether the 30mins is limiting for you.

    I have been thinking about the Panasonic GH4 myself to combine video and camera on holidays but it's a bit expensive.
     
  7. TeddyC

    TeddyC Regular Member

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    Plus a tripod... for stable recording...
     
  8. Metaphor

    Metaphor Regular Member

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    I bought a Fotopro C5i tripod. And yes the limited recording time is what concerns me. Say I play in a tournament and have four matches during the day, some of them long three game battles. Or I want to record my 1.5 hour training session. What would your choice be? I'm a complete beginner with cameras so that is one thing to take into account.

    If you guys think camcorder is the way to go, could you recommend one? The DSLR cost 500$ and that's about the maximum I am willing to invest. How about a Canon LEGRIA HF R68?
     
  9. visor

    visor Regular Member

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    Can't you get a friend to help start/stop recording in the intervals between your games?

    And for training, can't you start/stop the recording yourself when you take a break for water or towelling?

    What I'm saying is do you really need to record non stop continuously at length for 2-3 hours? Really?
     
  10. Metaphor

    Metaphor Regular Member

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    Probably not. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, if you guys were in my shoes, would you buy a DSLR or have a camcorder for recording badminton and a compact camera / good smartphone camera for travelling.
     
  11. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    well, this is what I did and what many people also do where I live and the international players.

    Primarily for recording matches, camcorder. So it will depend on how many competitions you play and if you will analyze them.

    Training, camera is enough for video recording. You can stop and restart the recording during rest breaks.

    Travelling, depends how nice you want your photos. But most people want something convenient, which is why I don't take a DSLR on holiday anymore (too heavy). I use a mirroless camera, panasonic GX 1
     
  12. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    metaphor, let us know the details and circumstances of you using the video recording equipment. We can give you a better targetted answer.
     
  13. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Some more issues.


    Recording long periods - hassle of the 30min limitations. Limited storage memory so you need at least 2x 32 GB cards. The actual size would depend on the resolution you pick to record. A lower resolution will use less memory and you can fit a longer duration of video.

    The camcorder wins out here as they have a hard drive with a bigger memory - that lets you have long periods on footage without worrying about lack of free memory. You don't get that hassle of changing cards during a training session or losing an SD card.

    When transferring to a PC hard drive, both a DSLR and camcorder will be easy. Check that they are using USB 3.0 for the transfer.

    If you are using SD cards, I highly recommend a card reader. Connecting the camera straight to the computer sometimes doesn't work very well.

    I would advise not having very long video files if you are using camcorder - after 30-45 minutes, stop and restart the recording. Very large video files can be a pain to edit.

    If you are away from home, then there are a few considerations:

    - Extra batteries are essential for both types of machines. An extra two batteries are required if you do video. One is in the machine, one is spare, the third is lying in the charger being charged up. As the battery in the camera fails, then rotate batteries. Again, it depends on how much video is being recorded.

    - You need a laptop to view the files (tablet will not work) - look at an i5 with 8GB RAM. Most of them are using SSD. These are good as they have a longer battery life when disconnected from power source. It doesn't have to be the latest and greatest laptop. You need something light, portable, can review the footage on a large enough screen (I prefer 13inch screens but really, it's up to you). 15 inch is a bit too large to be portable.

    - Laptop must have USB 3.0 - it's easier if it has two ports.

    - You must bring a portable HDD. 5400rpm drive should be OK. Extra storage is essential as the SSDs in a laptop do not have enough storage memory. If you are the obsessive type and really do not want to lose the footage, then a second portable HDD should be kept along for a second copy in case the first one has issues or gets lost.

    - If you want to edit the videos, expect it would be slowish to do it on the laptop. It's when you export the file the delay occurs as exporting can take a long time. So I would do this at the end of the day rather than during the tournament. Or keep all them on the HDD and transfer to your PC for editing.

    - Don't forget the cables needed for transferring data :)

    I tend to avoid Sony nowadays. they make some nice stuff but have funny formats or connections. (that was before but I don't know about now)
     
    #13 Cheung, Mar 11, 2015
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2015
  14. Warlock86

    Warlock86 Regular Member

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    I am using JS4000 sports camera with 32 gb Microsd card to record my regular Sunday's game. It can capture video at 1080HD with audio. With two batteries, I can record for about 1.5 hrs with full HD quality.
     
  15. R20190

    R20190 Regular Member

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    Probably too late to reply to this. May I suggest you consider a "mirror less " camera instead of the DSLR?

    I love photography and have spent a lot of money on DSLRs, lenses, tripods etc but until recently I have not given much thought to mirrorless cameras. I bought the Sony A6000 for my wife last year as a birthday present and it blew me away.

    I was very surprised what the little camera can do. Compact and with a load of features, it is at least on par with my Nikon D300 if not better for photography. But as it takes videos as well it was easily better.

    There are drawbacks of course in using it in place of a DSLR, it isn't quite a quick to use and is quite fiddly.

    Personally I'd still use our old panasonic lumix point and shoot camera for badminton, as it is good enough for analysing technique etc and I wouldn't be so bothered if someone accidently knocked it over and damaged it.
     
  16. Gollum

    Gollum Regular Member

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    For training / coaching purposes:

    You don't need high quality video. You don't need hours of footage.

    What you need is instant feedback with disposable video. An iPad mounted to a tripod is ideal. Don't use it to record your whole training session, just use it to get rapid feedback.

    I have an expensive camcorder for video production, but I never use it for coaching. The screen is too small for good playback.
     
  17. alexthan98

    alexthan98 New Member

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    tbh the 18-55 kit lens is garbage
     
  18. barlow

    barlow New Member

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    I like my Nikon D7100, it gives great performance, outstanding quality
     

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