Thread: New Video Camera

Can anyone reccomend a reasonably priced digital video camera capable of making good slow motion video for pitching/ batting analysis?? If you have one would you mind posting a short clip so I can see the pic quality?? Thanks

If you are looking for good video quality for a reasonable price, I recommend the Flip Mino HD. I would like it even more if it had a higher frame rate (its frame rate is 30 per second), but it provides great bang for the buck.
It generates clips in the mp4 format, which means it readily loads directly to a computer. It will also do conversions to .wmv and .flv formats, but with some lose of resolution. For $200, it's a great buy.

Here's a sample
YouTube - The Change

Thanks mvla. My question is, how blurry does the video get if you watch it in slow motion?? I dont know if theres a way to watch you tube in slo-mo. can anyone help there??

Sorry, I'm a softball coach and umpire. Which means I get confused easily and often get into heated arguments, with myself.
I'm still not clear, so here are the possible answers.

1. If you're looking for a camera that has a screen large enough to allow analysis of a swing or pitch, the Flip is not acceptable. The screen is much too small.

2. If you're looking for a camera that connects to a computer during or immediately after filming, the Flip works well. No conversion is necessary when I connect to my PC (laptop). But the lose of resolution will depend upon the software you use for viewing and/or conversion.
2a. When I use the $40 Basic version of V1 Home 2.0, there is next to no lose of resolution when I go to slow motion. This is because the $40 analysis program accepts the raw video (mp4 format).
2b. But when I use the much more expensive (and powerful) Dartfish analysis platform, I have to convert the video to a different format (avi or wmv). Dartfish doesn't allow me to use the raw video (mp4). There is significant lose of resolution because I haven't found a conversion program that doesn't introduce the lose. That is, Dartfish is not the problem.

I did a search of Youtube videos and found one (slow motion) that claims to be from the Flip I own. I cannot say with certainty that my camera could do this, but I believe it could, so I believe his claim. The person who posted the video has interesting comments, worth reading.

YouTube - Hummingbird HD Video Test Flip Mino QT 1280x720p

The hummingbird's wings move much more quickly than a bat or the pitcher's arm. In slow motion or regular speed, the seams on the ball are difficult to distinguish. So, if you need to see rotation of a ball, a more expensive camera is required. For a bat, there is some blurring at the bat head (which moves at a greater velocity than does the handle), but determining the mechanics of the hitter is not affected. I only wish that it had a higher frame rate without a corresponding increase in price.

Reviews say the Kodak Zi8 is better than the flip. It is capable of shooting 60 fps. Amazon has it for 149.00. I am not quite ready to post some skills videos or I might have one for X-mas.

When I was looking for camcorders, I looked for one that was compatible with RVP. RVP has a few recommended camcorders for their system:
RightView Pro Baseball & Softball Training Software
When I wrote and asked them about HD recorders, here is what they told me:
Any digital camcorder that features a Firewire port and mini-DV tape recording will work with the system. RVP does not support DVD/CD/Hard Drive/Memory Card camcorders at this time due to their limitations in supplying the necessary data for a true sports analysis; these camcorders do not produce a pure low compression digital output needed for motion analysis. It is a new technology, but it is a step backwards when it comes to video editing and video analysis. The mini-DV format is still the choice for high-end and commercial camcorders. There is a benefit to this type in that the mini-DV camcorders have been reduced in price and upgraded in features. The firewire port is what enables the live video feed to your PC for real-time motion capture. There is a feature in our newest version of the Analysis System that allows you to import clips captured outside of RVP just as you have stated (in .mov or mpeg2 format). For the best quality and breakdown it is best to capture directly to RVP through the firewire and mini DV format. Otherwise, the clip is created elsewhere then converted by using the Importer feature we have.

I want to load the video on my computer then be able to watch it slow -mo (my windows vista media player works fair). right now I have a sony mini dvd camcorder & while I can put the dvd in & watch it, but I cant figure out how to save It & upload it to youtube or email so I can have some of the folks on the forums analyze it for me. my son has a cheap camcorder that takes sd cards & I can use that fine, but the video is very low quality.

If your version of Vista came with Windows Movie Maker you should be able to import the video into that application. It has a slow motion effect that you can add to your video and is pretty easy to use.

Video formats and new cameras evolve all the time.
Dartfish 5.5 version handles most of these formats (Mpeg2, Mpeg4, AVI) in NTSC (US format) or PAL.
Older versions do not as formats may have been inexistant or not as widespread.

Here is a complete document on Video formats and cameras that I hope will be useful

http://www.dartfish.com/floor/downlo...f&name=Imaging

I know it can be very confusing and we are always happy to help you make the right choice

Happy Thanksgiving