Any suggestions on what kind/type of video camera to buy? I want something that I can video pitchers and hitters that I can slow down frame by frame to analyze.............
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Hang on! It basically all comes down to what you want and how much you want to spend. I currently have 4 video camcorders. A Sony 60G HDD (DCR-SR82), A Sony MiniDV (DCR-HC36), A Canon XHA1 Mini DV and a Canon HV-30 Mini DV.
1. The Canon Vixia HV-30 is a great camcorder would do everything you want --- and more. This is a slick camcorder! I highly recommend it. Great quality, very portable, and easy to use. Multiple ways to connect this to TVs and computers is great. It is a 1080i High Definition camcorder w/HDMI output (hooks directly to a HDMI TV for fantastic quality.) HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It also has firewire output which allows you to control the camcorder from the computer when you're downloading video ---- Has USB for quick download of still from the SD card. It takes 3.1 MP stills when used as a still camera or can capture a still photograph from recorded video as you're playing it back. ---- and component output (for hooking up to a analog TV or other device). It also has a mic input in case you wanted to connect an external microphone --- Price comes in around $800 - $900.
My least favorite (I hate it) is the Sony 60G HDD Hard Disk drive. I like Sony but everything about this camcorder is difficult. Has NO viewfinder. That means you have to record while looking at the LCD screen (impossible in bright sun). You have to set it in it's docking station to hook it to anything. Has no outputs. Most controls are done on a touch screen (the LCD). I must have been on something when I bought this! Price varies up to $899.
Inexpensive but easy to operate is the Sony MiniDV DCR HC-36. You can do the basic stuff with this MiniDV camcorder including frame by frame playback. The quality is OK. It is low end but I liked mine and have used it a lot. It does have a viewfinder and a LCD screen but does use the LCD screen as a touch screen during playback which I don't like. It has USB, Firewire, and component out. This is NOT High Definition so don't expect ohhhhh and ahhhhhs from your videos. Price comes in around I would guess $250-$300.
XHA1 is my constant companion. Lots of bells and whistles. Too many options to list. Comes it at about $3,000 to $4,500
I don't like HDD Camcorders, DVD or Memory camcorders. Here's why: MiniDV quality is better because of the low level of compression. This sets the MiniDV format apart from DVD camcorders and other media options, which employ a much higher compression level and thus produce a lower video quality. Check out cnet for their reviews of camcorders. I find their site very helpful when trying to evaluate tech products. cnet
Hope this helps,
Fungo
1. The Canon Vixia HV-30 is a great camcorder would do everything you want --- and more. This is a slick camcorder! I highly recommend it. Great quality, very portable, and easy to use. Multiple ways to connect this to TVs and computers is great. It is a 1080i High Definition camcorder w/HDMI output (hooks directly to a HDMI TV for fantastic quality.) HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It also has firewire output which allows you to control the camcorder from the computer when you're downloading video ---- Has USB for quick download of still from the SD card. It takes 3.1 MP stills when used as a still camera or can capture a still photograph from recorded video as you're playing it back. ---- and component output (for hooking up to a analog TV or other device). It also has a mic input in case you wanted to connect an external microphone --- Price comes in around $800 - $900.
My least favorite (I hate it) is the Sony 60G HDD Hard Disk drive. I like Sony but everything about this camcorder is difficult. Has NO viewfinder. That means you have to record while looking at the LCD screen (impossible in bright sun). You have to set it in it's docking station to hook it to anything. Has no outputs. Most controls are done on a touch screen (the LCD). I must have been on something when I bought this! Price varies up to $899.
Inexpensive but easy to operate is the Sony MiniDV DCR HC-36. You can do the basic stuff with this MiniDV camcorder including frame by frame playback. The quality is OK. It is low end but I liked mine and have used it a lot. It does have a viewfinder and a LCD screen but does use the LCD screen as a touch screen during playback which I don't like. It has USB, Firewire, and component out. This is NOT High Definition so don't expect ohhhhh and ahhhhhs from your videos. Price comes in around I would guess $250-$300.
XHA1 is my constant companion. Lots of bells and whistles. Too many options to list. Comes it at about $3,000 to $4,500
I don't like HDD Camcorders, DVD or Memory camcorders. Here's why: MiniDV quality is better because of the low level of compression. This sets the MiniDV format apart from DVD camcorders and other media options, which employ a much higher compression level and thus produce a lower video quality. Check out cnet for their reviews of camcorders. I find their site very helpful when trying to evaluate tech products. cnet
Hope this helps,
Fungo
I agree with Fungo but keep in mind the hidher the resolution the more capacity you need on the camara.
Most people don't use the camera to look at or analys the video. Thaey use the computer. It is therefore most important that you have fast connection to the computer like Firewire . I use an old Canon digital and it did a good job. It was a easy one to use and in play back mode all the vcr buttons were on the outside so when the screen eas reversed you could control the video. Many screens cover the buttons. When I download I use the Movie Maker program that comes free with windows and it does a great job. I had other programs but don't use them anymore.
I would make sure that what you get has Firewire of USB2. Also the storage capacity is very important especially with high def. You don't need to spend a lot of money. I had a very small canon but took it back because I have big hands and found it hard to hold while videoing. Most shops will allow you to return cameras if you are not happy with it.
Most people don't use the camera to look at or analys the video. Thaey use the computer. It is therefore most important that you have fast connection to the computer like Firewire . I use an old Canon digital and it did a good job. It was a easy one to use and in play back mode all the vcr buttons were on the outside so when the screen eas reversed you could control the video. Many screens cover the buttons. When I download I use the Movie Maker program that comes free with windows and it does a great job. I had other programs but don't use them anymore.
I would make sure that what you get has Firewire of USB2. Also the storage capacity is very important especially with high def. You don't need to spend a lot of money. I had a very small canon but took it back because I have big hands and found it hard to hold while videoing. Most shops will allow you to return cameras if you are not happy with it.
I have enjoyed using the Sony HDR SR-11. It is an HD camera that will record in 1080i with a 60 gb hard drive. It is also available in a 120 gb HD version.
The best feature for baseball is the Smooth Slow Record. Below is the description of the feature from Amazon along with a converted file I uploaded to Youtube.
"Smooth slow record By increasing the record rate from 60 frames per second (fps) to 240 fps, you can capture 3 seconds of fast motion and play the video back in 12 seconds. The Smooth slow record mode is a great tool for analyzing a golf swing or a viewing a bird in flight. In addition, you record an audio track to narrate the video footage"
YouTube Video
The best feature for baseball is the Smooth Slow Record. Below is the description of the feature from Amazon along with a converted file I uploaded to Youtube.
"Smooth slow record By increasing the record rate from 60 frames per second (fps) to 240 fps, you can capture 3 seconds of fast motion and play the video back in 12 seconds. The Smooth slow record mode is a great tool for analyzing a golf swing or a viewing a bird in flight. In addition, you record an audio track to narrate the video footage"
YouTube Video
My question is why get a cam corder that has all the features when you can down load it and do everything on your computer? You can slow it down, chop it up into segments, eliminate unneeded footage and you are doing it on a large screen. You can record it on a DVD and all the things you need to do. I can even record on DVD in a format that allows you to view the edited video on your DVD player like any movie.
Personally I recommend simplicity for the camera, emphasising good resolution and max storage with fast down load connection.
Mine has been through the war with scratches etc and still does a great job. I can hook it up to the TV and all the other things I need. It is about 7 years old and cost about 500 back then. It is not necessary to get all the features that you can.
Personally I recommend simplicity for the camera, emphasising good resolution and max storage with fast down load connection.
Mine has been through the war with scratches etc and still does a great job. I can hook it up to the TV and all the other things I need. It is about 7 years old and cost about 500 back then. It is not necessary to get all the features that you can.
quote:Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
My question is why get a cam corder that has all the features when you can down load it and do everything on your computer? You can slow it down, chop it up into segments, eliminate unneeded footage and you are doing it on a large screen. You can record it on a DVD and all the things you need to do. I can even record on DVD in a format that allows you to view the edited video on your DVD player like any movie.
Personally I recommend simplicity for the camera, emphasising good resolution and max storage with fast down load connection.
Mine has been through the war with scratches etc and still does a great job. I can hook it up to the TV and all the other things I need. It is about 7 years old and cost about 500 back then. It is not necessary to get all the features that you can.
I agree except in the case of the "smooth slow record". It allows you to view a lot more detail even on your computer since it records 240 frames per second instead of the normal 60 fps.
I'm not sure what details you are referring too. My computer allows me to see evrything I needed. I even recorded my son's college games off my computer screen and saw what I needed to get him turmed around. I agree that things are often hard to see with the naked eye but any cam corder can do a great job with all the detail you need. I usually record in LP which maximizes the amount of video I can record on my mini tape. If it is a matter of features VS price I would look at resolution, down load connection and storage as the most important. I have a 10 X zoom and rarely use it to the max.
Bobble, What kind of computer are u using and any special program....I bought my first Mac and their Imovie program is great for slow motion but was wondering what you are using?
Dad43, You're right. I didn't use macs when my son was playing but with imovie all you have to do is move the cursor over the individual frames. You can move the cursor back and forth to view miniscule movement in your player's swing (or pitching) when loaded into the event library. Another plus for macs.
Fungo
Fungo
After 25 + computers including a few Macs I have a Toshiba P20 (17 " monitor) and XP professional multimedia. Also after several video programs I use the Movie Maker provided by Windows. It is all I need and in fact I rarely use it since my son's been a college for 3 years. I love tech toys and often talked about getting a new camera but I would probably not use it much
I have 1.75 Terrabits of external hard drives that I store all my videos on. I also have a 21" external monitor so it makes viewing very easy. I also record DVD in a TV format and watch it on the big screen or I hook my computer up and watch it on the bjg screen. Although my computer is a laptop I don't lug it around much. It weighs 10 lbs. All my downloading is on Firewire which is a Mac device.
Macs are very good at handling video etc but I found that there were programs I needed and they weren't always available or they were more expensive. I actually love this big laptop which I have had for about 4 years. That is the longest I ever had a computer. I use true image to back up the whole hard drive so I never wory about crashes. I am sure this computer is coming near the end of the road but who knows.
I have 1.75 Terrabits of external hard drives that I store all my videos on. I also have a 21" external monitor so it makes viewing very easy. I also record DVD in a TV format and watch it on the big screen or I hook my computer up and watch it on the bjg screen. Although my computer is a laptop I don't lug it around much. It weighs 10 lbs. All my downloading is on Firewire which is a Mac device.
Macs are very good at handling video etc but I found that there were programs I needed and they weren't always available or they were more expensive. I actually love this big laptop which I have had for about 4 years. That is the longest I ever had a computer. I use true image to back up the whole hard drive so I never wory about crashes. I am sure this computer is coming near the end of the road but who knows.
Fungo the Imovie ability to go frame by frame is a big help when my son reviews his pitching or his at bats....I have not done much with it other than that...sounds like Bobble is real good at downloading and doing much more than I currently can do.....still learning....
When you download with Windows Movie Maker it allows you to create a series of short clips. You can play those clips and cutout the parts you want to examine. It also allows you to snap a shot of where the problem is. I then printed it out or emailed it to my son. It can be very revealing if you pick the right shots. When I had the right footage I advanced the clip 1 frame at a time until I had what I wanted and then snapped the shot.
Mike- look at the exlim ex f1 by casio. its a new camera that is unreal in the capabilities in the frame by frame analysis capabilities. It really helped looking at the mechanics of swing and pitch. You can get 1200 frames per second if you really want to see everything. The software will help on the lower fps cameras but this camera is unreal on the capture of all the details. It is about $1000 though. Before this if you wanted this detail, you would need to buy a scientific camera for $20,000 to get this detail. I set mine at 300 fps and it is all I need for the look at the finer points. After you capture the video, the rest of the software takes care of itself.
Thanks for all the input guys!
Bobblehead, You mentioned the storage you had for video. I went shopping yesterday (Black Friday 
) for more external video storage. Best Buy had a deal on a 1 Terabyte Western Digital external Drive at $149.00 (firewire/USB/eSATA). I even bought a couple of small 320G USB powered external drives for less than a $100 a piece. Man has the prices dropped on storage. To put in perspective I bought a digital camera in 2005 and had to buy a memory card at the same time. The 1G CF card in 2005 was $129.00!!! --- Now you can buy a 4G card for less than $20 and a 8G for less than $25!!
) for more external video storage. Best Buy had a deal on a 1 Terabyte Western Digital external Drive at $149.00 (firewire/USB/eSATA). I even bought a couple of small 320G USB powered external drives for less than a $100 a piece. Man has the prices dropped on storage. To put in perspective I bought a digital camera in 2005 and had to buy a memory card at the same time. The 1G CF card in 2005 was $129.00!!! --- Now you can buy a 4G card for less than $20 and a 8G for less than $25!!
Fungo I have that 1TB WD as well as a half TB. I also have a 1000 GB passpot which is USB powered and I take that one with me on trips. The 11 TB is really 2 holf TBs stacked together inside a case. All of them run very well. I record a lot of TV on the 1 TB unit and backup my computer daily on it. I tend to mess with my computer strectching the boundries to the point of a total crash. When my eye site was good I considered it fun to rebuild what I had destroyed but now I just restart and it rebuilds itself.
I gave my son one of my older external hard drives and he keeps all his school work on it backed up and a true image of his C drive. So far I have atleast half of the capacity left on all 3 externals and don't think I will ever use up the storage now.
I have a 2G card in my digital camera which hold so many photos I would never use it all. I bought a cheap USB card reader for about $12 in SC while visiting my son. It is about the size of a 25 cent piece. I snap the 2G card in and download the photos to my computer and backup to the passport ext drive. Then I sit back and whatch the slide show. Man I was born too soon.
My 1st computer was an OHIO SCIENTIFIC I paid $6000 grand for. It had dual cardboard floppies and was the sizr of a mini refrigerator. Sounded like a mack truck. The Hazeltine 1420 monitor was a real nasty thing to look at. Those were the good old days.
I/m feeling the urge to go buy something Techy and I was doing so good.
I gave my son one of my older external hard drives and he keeps all his school work on it backed up and a true image of his C drive. So far I have atleast half of the capacity left on all 3 externals and don't think I will ever use up the storage now.
I have a 2G card in my digital camera which hold so many photos I would never use it all. I bought a cheap USB card reader for about $12 in SC while visiting my son. It is about the size of a 25 cent piece. I snap the 2G card in and download the photos to my computer and backup to the passport ext drive. Then I sit back and whatch the slide show. Man I was born too soon.
My 1st computer was an OHIO SCIENTIFIC I paid $6000 grand for. It had dual cardboard floppies and was the sizr of a mini refrigerator. Sounded like a mack truck. The Hazeltine 1420 monitor was a real nasty thing to look at. Those were the good old days.
I/m feeling the urge to go buy something Techy and I was doing so good.
quote:Originally posted by Fungo:
1. The Canon Vixia HV-30 is a great camcorder would do everything you want --- and more. This is a slick camcorder! I highly recommend it. Great quality, very portable, and easy to use.
I also have one and like it a lot.
It will also shoot in both SD and HD.
