Sports camera for rugby advice

[Derek Smith]

I'm after video camera purchasing advice.

I video my rugby club's matches. I use a dedicated video camera.

Our coach is after two views: one fairly close up so as to see details of the individual play, but also would like a view of all the field of play to check for deployment and those wandering off. I've got a mini-DVD but the focal length is too long to cover the whole pitch.

Any advice for a camera with a wide angle lens, although I'd appreciate a zoom facility as distance varies on away matches? I'd want memory card for recording. The better the quality the better

Oh! I nearly forgot. I has to be cheap as well.

Thanks for reading this far.

Derek

[Disastrous]

A GoPro (or equivalent) sounds the cheap and cheerful solution for you here if you can live without zoom? I prefer the Sony AS200 to my GoPro and it has a slightly narrower FOV (which I think might help - GoPro may be too wide to be helpful).

[Derek Smith]

I went to Park Cameras to have a chat about my requirements. A very helpful chap helped me and showed me the Sony AS30. It's very nice, but no zoom and no viewfinder as such. Also no tripod socket and the bespoke bracket comes to £25 or so.

I was shown a lovely waterproof Olympus compact at £229. The 27 minute limitation on continuous video is no real problem. It had the most remarkable ultra macro. No good for me, but still brilliant.

I might go down the compact route. I have a quality dual/multi camera bracket for my tripod to take more than one camera and a wideish compact is no problem.

I use a Sony Handycam for close-up videoing. The basic one without any frills, but with 40x zoom. Perfect for my needs. I've used it for 3 seasons, and into the fourth, without problems so an option is to buy another in the expectation that the first will expire soon. It has been dropped in snow and again in mud, it has been rained on lots of times and hailed on once, and the touch screen started activating subroutines.

The chap was extremely knowledgeable but gave me options rather than answers.

[Disastrous]

The AS200 has a tripod screw thread as standard and you can get this for it, for a few more quid that turns it into a Handycam:



As far as I know, you won't get any action camera with an active zoom, but that shouldn't be a problem if you're looking for a locked-off wide shot of the field of play.

A colleague of mine has a business broadcasting less mainstream sports online and they use GoPro et al as wide-angle cameras for analysis.

[Derek Smith]

Thanks for that, but my total budget is £250 and that includes memory card and additional battery. I think I'll have to stick with it if England don't make it into the quarters.

[Colin RedGriff]

As a Go Pro alternative have a look at the SJCAM 4000

It's got a screen and comes with all the mpunts you would need (including a tripod mount). Costs about £60.

Downside is the microphone is internal and not the best.

You could also look at a low end DSLR the Canon 1200D would just be in budget with an 18-55mm lens

[Derek Smith]

One problem with non-dedicated cameras used for video is the limitation on time. I'd like to switch the camera on and leave it until half time, some 40 mins or so later. Yet my digital cameras are limited to a few seconds over 27 minutes. Not much of a problem, given the lack of fitness of so many referees so offsides are frequent. It is still another button to press so the camera cannot be left somewhere on its own.

I've got the chance of borrowing a few different cameras and I'll see which I find easier and better. This Saturday, it is the main video, with 40X zoom, and a bridge camera, both full HD. I've got an iPod for the following Sat, and a GoPro clone the following match. So I'll see what happens.

I'll report back in a month (one Sat is free at the moment).