While we haven’t tried all cameras, but we HAVE spent many hours scanning for the best cameras at an affordable price. The main drawbacks to existing camcorders when it comes to recording tennis matches is either the lack of battery power or the inability to record at a wide angle. Here’s our conclusions on the best cameras for filming a tennis match, and how we rank them. [UPDATE: JULY 2016. The Muvi by Veho, either a K-1 or K-2, has proven to be superior to the GoPro in quality and also in price – deserves a very close look. NOT the HD-10 though – too many problems and a lousy picture]
No. 1: The most bang for the buck still goes to the Kodak Playsport Zx3. The battery life is superior to just about any camera out there, the picture quality is plenty good enough for a tennis match, and the price is right. The Zx3 has the advantage of being able to swap out batteries, putting it a cut above the Zx5.
Example of Zx3:
Number 2: Just about any GoPro camera. We tested the new Hero 3 Silver (at $299) and Black ($399) editions and both are excellent. The silver though, has a longer battery life and though there are some trade-offs, it is my choice amongst the Heros. The wi-fi is great to double check the cameras view and to check battery life.
Example of GoPro Black Edition (basically same as Silver):
Other “action cameras” were not tested, though we have used a Wingman (which is being discontinued) and it worked fine. Any of these that film at a 120 FOV and have a battery life over 2 hrs should be worthy of a serious look, and we will be testing them in the near future. Among them are the Drift Ghost and the Contour Roam 2.
Example of a Wingman HD:
Number 3: iPhone 5 and other smartphones. These work surprisingly well. Here’s a sample of an iPhone 5.
Example of iPhone 5 with wide angle lens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPbYrx2fNPc
Number 4: Just about any camcorder that will take a wide angle lens (or has one native) and has a replaceable battery. Prices range from maybe $200 to as much as you want to spend.
Example of Canon HF R20 with wide angle lens.
Summary: If you already have a camcorder, it may be fine to film a tennis match. The QM-1 Camera Mount works fine with any camcorder on the market. If you try your current camcorder and it doesn’t do the job you want. Look at the Kodak or if your pocket book can take the hit, I recommend the GoPro Silver Edition.
Please, feel free to respond to this blog with a comment and share your experience.
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