Video Camera for Sports

mickd

Honorable
Apr 17, 2012
6
0
10,510
Hi everyone. I play a lot of table tennis, and I like to record my practice sessions and matches so that I can review them after.

At the moment I have a Sony Alpha a6000, which can record in 1080p@60fps. It works quite well except that it overheats. During winter I can usually record every session without it overheating, but during summer I'd be lucky to get it to run for a few minutes. Even during spring (when it's about 20 degrees outside), it only runs for about 15-20 minutes before overheating.

So I'd like to buy something a little more tailored for the job. Ideally I'd like something that can record at a higher fps (120fps or 240fps at 1080p). Having 4k would be a bonus, but not necessary.

Portability is also a bonus.

I don't have a set budget, but maybe something around $500, definitely less than $1k.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know! Thanks!
 

mickd

Honorable
Apr 17, 2012
6
0
10,510
Thank you. Yeah, I should have been more specific when I said a video camera! I did mean a camcorder :) I won't need to take photos with this at all. Those are some really nice camcorders. I'll start looking into some reviews of them. Cheers.
 

bjornl

Estimable
Also consider the Sony rx10. It does better than a typical camcorder once the lights are low, such as with indoor activities. It is not much more complicated to operate than a good cam-corder. It has a larger aperture on the lens (f/2.8) and a larger sensor and these two combine to provide a cleaner image with less noise. The limitation is it can only record 30minutes at a time. But it does not overheat. It has a higher bit-rate than anything short of a pro level solution. I use one to record football games because it is weather sealed and almost no cam-corders are.
 

RunLuke

Estimable
Dec 8, 2014
62
0
4,610
Just be aware that a CMOS sensor will make fast pans impossible. Well, it'll do it but it will look like crap because of the rolling shutter.

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mickd

Honorable
Apr 17, 2012
6
0
10,510
Thanks everyone. Usually I just set the camera up on a tripod and leave it. Seems like Sony and GoPro are releasing updates soon. Is it worth waiting for the new generation of cameras later this year? Or is it like computer parts where there is a new model released every year, and waiting would mean waiting indefinitely?
 

RunLuke

Estimable
Dec 8, 2014
62
0
4,610



I think the waiting indefinitely is highly likely. Sometimes a leap happens but it's not often.