Camcorder Recommendation for Badminton

[Shiryu]

Hi all,

I am looking into getting a camcorder for recording badminton matches and other day to day stuff, do you guys have any recommendation or suggestion?

There are so many in the market already and with the new Hi Def versions coming out, it's making my head hurts.

I found that lighting level and frame rate is especially important, but what else should I look for?

Harddrive or flash? Recording format?? ahhhhhhh...

If you have any helpful hints, please feel free to enlight me.

best regards.

 

[kwun]

what's your budget? it is hard to recommend something without a budget in mind.

 

[ctjcad]

I'm also in the market to find one...

(my 2 cents):
...Shiryu, yes, there are tons of different camcorders out there. But, from what i heard/know these 3 brands are the "best", although some would say the first 2 are "the top":
1. Sony
2. Panasonic
3. Canon

Some other factors:
- The zoom capabilities, esp. if we're to watch/record from the stands/seat and have to zoom quite a ways. Remember there are usually 2 zoom factors: Optical and Digital zoom. Right now, the avg. Optical zoom is 20x-25x and higher. And the avg. Digital zoom is 800x-1000x and higher. Not all models/camcorders have the same no. of OZ and DZ though. I heard some people say they prefer a longer OZ than a DZ. But i also heard some people prefer longer DZ than OZ. It's best to get the highest for both, but then again, comes at high price.
- Also, consider the CCD(for display/color quality). Most of the camcorders/Mini DV have 1 CCD. But if you can get a 3 CCD(which is the highest one), it'll be best, but of course, they're pricey. Usually most of them run close to $500, although there are a couple here and there that cost cheaper.
- Abt recording format, from what i know, it's best to use a tape. May it be a Mini-DV or Hi-8 tape, simply for quality reason; esp. if you want to convert/format it to a more compressed format(say if you want to upload it because they could be quite sizeable). Flash or Memory card are suffice, if you don't really care much abt the quality and how much recording you want to get.
- Another important thing to consider is you might have to spend some extra money to get some extra batteries or one of those long-life batteries. Esp. if you're out there the whole day in a tournament. If you can find an electrical outlet you can plug your batteries/camcorder into, that's good. If not, then be prepare to pop in those batteries.

Right now, some of the "best" cameras out there cost between $250 and up. We can get them for bargains online or thru eBay, but be careful also and study the sellers.
Of course if you don't mind or care much abt the brand name, there are still plenty of very good camcorders out there.

 

[Shiryu]

Thanks for the info. It's very good.

My budget is around $500 USD.

I personally would prefer the DVD or Harddisk media over miniDV type just because I get a sense that it's being phased out by the manufactor and the ease of skipping sections of the recording.

Any good experience with a certain model?

and I wonder if I can trust an online store or even ebay for such a purchase even though the price are very attractive compare to retails.

 

[ctjcad]

^^Good budget..^^

..Shiryu, that budget is very tantalizing....honestly..
As for me being familiar with some of the models, esp. the ones which use DVD or HD format, sorry, can't help you much as i mentioned i'm also shopping for one..
As for prefering the DVD or one of those Harddisk format, hmm, i think it's still ok to purchase one that uses a Mini DV or tape. I also heard, those DVD discs' quality are not better than a tape's quality and it doesn't really hold much storage. And their price is much more.

Anyways, abt purchasing online or thru sites like eBay, the only suggestion i can give you is try to look for sellers which have a very high ratings/review. Maybe a 98% or 99% ratings(you know, similar to rackets purchased by BC members on eBay). And if you can find those with very high volume of reviews/ratings, it'll be better. In general, the reviews by other purchasee should give you enough signs whether to buy from a particular seller(s) or not.
Also, another thing, when buying online, you've got to read all descriptions or what you will be getting. If the price sounds too good to be true, if there are some important parts/items missing/not included from the package, then you might want to think twice abt purchasing the item. Esp. if it says "USED" or "REFURBISHED" or "ALMOST NEW", those kinds of descriptions.
Because once you purchase it, it's yours. And say if it doesn't have any warranty, and worst come worst, your new gadget goes berserk and you want to return or replace or fix it, you might have to pay a bit more, if not have more hassles in your hand.

Now, with all that said, hopefully i'm not "scaring" you off from buying online. Who knows, you may well end up buying one from an online store or maybe one from a local electronic store. But really, with that budget of yours, it's your choice though. Hope that helps-

 

[red00ecstrat]

As for prefering the DVD or one of those Harddisk format, hmm, i think it's still ok to purchase one that uses a Mini DV or tape.

I second that! Mini DV tape is still the most popular storage media so far.

I also heard, those DVD discs' quality are not better than a tape's quality and it doesn't really hold much storage. And their price is much more.

Are you referring to the quality of the storage media itself or the quality of the footage?
Since all signals are digitized. Quality of a footage is all up to a camera. Also, if we can keep a tape well. Mini DV tape should be pretty reliable.

 

[ctjcad]

Sorry, meant to say..

Are you referring to the quality of the storage media itself or the quality of the footage?
Since all signals are digitized. Quality of a footage is all up to a camera. Also, if we can keep a tape well. Mini DV tape should be pretty reliable.

..sorry, i didn't make it clear..What i meant to write was the Mini DVD disc doesn't hold enough storage capacity like a Mini DV tape. The footage quality of a Mini DVD disc is also arguable if not comparable to the quality of a Mini DV tape..
Also another thing to consider is the reformatting and/or transfering process of the content of a Mini DV tape to another format (ie. .avi or .wmv or .mpeg etc.) for the purpose of uploading to a website or playing it on say a Windows Media Player. I heard that the transfer time could take longer than if one is to record straight to a Mini DVD.
Anyways, here's a link(one of many out there) that maybe anyone is interested to read :
http://www.huntamerica.com/wwwthreads/showthreaded.php?Number=618473

 

[red00ecstrat]

chris, as far as i know the recording format of most mini dvd camcorders are in mpeg 2. so, how's the quality of mpeg 2 when comparing to min dv format? i don't know if i've got a wrong impression. but in my mind, the mini dv format is still better. is it correct?

 

[Neil Nicholls]

we had a thread not long ago about this sort of thing didn't we.
now where is it?

Video Camera to record badminton sessions?

 

[red00ecstrat]

thx for bringing it back neil. i remember i've casually read it in the past. sadly, i couldn't remember any of u guys reply!

 

[ctjcad]

Hmm..

chris, as far as i know the recording format of most mini dvd camcorders are in mpeg 2. so, how's the quality of mpeg 2 when comparing to min dv format? i don't know if i've got a wrong impression. but in my mind, the mini dv format is still better. is it correct?

...hmm, i have the same impression too...although to some people, it's comparable..

we had a thread not long ago about this sort of thing didn't we.
now where is it?

thx for bringing it back neil. i remember i've casually read it in the past. sadly, i couldn't remember any of u guys reply!

..thx for the link, Neil_Nicholls..i don't know if kwun/mods want to merge this thread with that thread??..
or if interested, you guys can go to this site below, for more discussions. It even has a forum, just like our BC forum, if anyone wants any further infos:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/

 

[Shiryu]

Thanks for all your advice.

I am going to the the new Sony DCR SR82.. 60GB baby!

I don't really need high quality video and I don't play with special effects, so Mpeg2 format is good enough for me. =)

 

[ants]

Get some HD Camcorder.

 

[ctjcad]

Excellent choice...

Thanks for all your advice.

I am going to the the new Sony DCR SR82.. 60GB baby!

I don't really need high quality video and I don't play with special effects, so Mpeg2 format is good enough for me. =)

..Shiryu..just want to add a couple more cents..
Yes, besides being the "latest" technology along with DVD for camcorder, for the ease of use to transfer/less hassle and storage capacity(60GB!), i think those are the biggest advantages..Although 1 thing, if i may suggest: if you want, getting an Extended Warranty service might be beneficial/worth it in the long run. Because as far as i know & heard, if your camcorder(HD) gets damage, esp. the hard-drive, the cost to replace or fix whatever defect it has will be costly. Also keep in mind, since it's in a HD format, and most of the time we will be turning the camcorder ON and OFF, the mechanism will somewhat go 'kaput' in comparison if we keep the camcorder on STAND-BY. It's essentially the same concept as a reg. PC's hard-drive. Also, in comparison to a mini-DV tape mechanism, those HD mechanism, esp. the needle, will undergo quite a bit of "shock". And last, don't forget to delete or transfer whatever contents you have to a computer/separate HD before planning your next recording session. Because if you don't and you're down to the last 500MB or so memory, you won't be able to pop in any tapes. Unless you want to delete some of the previous recordings you have.

Anyways, overall if i'm in your spot, it's an excellent choice. I'm sure you've studied all the pros & cons of owning an HD camcorder. Have fun with it and keep us updated after your first few experience(s).

 

[red00ecstrat]

And last, don't forget to delete or transfer whatever contents you have to a computer/separate HD before planning your next recording session. Because if you don't and you're down to the last 500MB or so memory, you won't be able to pop in any tapes. Unless you want to delete some of the previous recordings you have.

good point! it's just like my hard disk dvd recorder. it's full of badminton videos and i never want to spend time on it until it's full!

 

[ctjcad]

Let us know..

Thanks for all your advice.

I am going to the the new Sony DCR SR82.. 60GB baby!

I don't really need high quality video and I don't play with special effects, so Mpeg2 format is good enough for me. =)

..Shiryu, how your experiences go ..Well, after my experience recently of converting/compressing/encoding several .avi files, I think you made a pretty good choice with the disc/Harddrive format camcorder. I think for the sole purpose of less hassle/work of compressing/encoding files, the disc/Harddrive seems to be the most efficient. Not only that, but I think the quality of your MPEG recording should be fine, because you don't have to do any further file(s)compressing/encoding which will probably reduce some qualities. Which bring to my below comments...

chris, as far as i know the recording format of most mini dvd camcorders are in mpeg 2. so, how's the quality of mpeg 2 when comparing to min dv format? i don't know if i've got a wrong impression. but in my mind, the mini dv format is still better. is it correct?

..just adding to red00ecstrat's comments/query, there are actually 2 types of recording formats: .avi and mpeg. Some differences:
1. The tapes(Mini-DV and Hi-8) will record in .avi format, which if one imports/captures will result in a huuuuge file size. Also, an .avi will require codecs(compressor-decompressor files) and there are many of them out there. So depending on what type of codecs are being used, the quality will vary.
2. Whilst the discs(DVD or Hard-drive) will record straight in MPEG format, but also have it in high/comparable quality but much smaller size in comparison to .avi(tapes). This is good if one wants to upload to websites.
However regarding whether Mini-DV(.avi) tape has the "best" picture quality between the two is actually a myth. From my experience and what i gathered recently, it all depends on how good a capture hardware/software are being used. So, even a DVD or Harddrive(MPEG) can have the same quality.

Anyways, please keep us up-to-date on your experience and results, maybe post them.

 

[Shiryu]

Review of Sony SR82

So I took my brand new SR82 to a tournament and start using it. I certainly appreciate the small size of this thing. I was able to fit it inside my old Camera bag with room to fit a couple of batteries. And since it has 60GB of harddrive, I don't need to worry about diskspace or changing disks or tapes.

I taped many matches throughout the day and the it's simple interface made it easy to start and stop between games.

The quality of the video is not the best as it's in Mepg2, but it's expected. The video looks great on normal tv, but not as nice on my computer because it has higher resolution.

I recommend wide angle lens so that you can get most of the court without moving too far away. and extra battery is a must.

overall, I am very happy with it. It is so strange looking at yourself playing badminton.

cheers.

 

[ctjcad]

Great to hear it..

So I took my brand new SR82 to a tournament and start using it. I certainly appreciate the small size of this thing. I was able to fit it inside my old Camera bag with room to fit a couple of batteries. And since it has 60GB of harddrive, I don't need to worry about diskspace or changing disks or tapes.

I taped many matches throughout the day and the it's simple interface made it easy to start and stop between games.

The quality of the video is not the best as it's in Mepg2, but it's expected. The video looks great on normal tv, but not as nice on my computer because it has higher resolution.

I recommend wide angle lens so that you can get most of the court without moving too far away. and extra battery is a must.

overall, I am very happy with it. It is so strange looking at yourself playing badminton.

cheers.

...hmm, wide angle lens...yes, i would agree on that..Does your camcorder allow interchangeable lens(es)??..
Yeah, 60GB is a LOT....Btw, what is/are your MPEG2 max. file size(s) of those videos, when imported to your computer??..
Now, do you mind sharing a bit of video with us??..

 

[Shiryu]

Yes, sony does sell those lenses as add-on for this model. But I doubt that there are 3rd party models.

I haven't encounter any max file size yet. The biggest file I have created so far is about 3GB.

Seriously, you don't want to watch me play.

...hmm, wide angle lens...yes, i would agree on that..Does your camcorder allow interchangeable lens(es)??..
Yeah, 60GB is a LOT....Btw, what is/are your MPEG2 max. file size(s) of those videos, when imported to your computer??..
Now, do you mind sharing a bit of video with us??..

 

[ctjcad]

Yes...

Yes, sony does sell those lenses as add-on for this model. But I doubt that there are 3rd party models.

I haven't encounter any max file size yet. The biggest file I have created so far is about 3GB.

Seriously, you don't want to watch me play.

..sure, we would like to..even for a brief 10-15 sec. clips ...Just for the purpose of seeing the quality of the Mpeg2(raw) file..

Wow, 3GB heh??..I wonder how many minutes is that??..
I know for a 20 min. recording on a reg. DV tape, it'll take about roughly a good 4GB file size, transcoded/imported as an .avi file..