Once you purchase your QM-1 Portable Camera Support on this website, you may still need a camcorder to record your tennis matches, which you can purchase by clicking on an Amazon link below. Purchase your QM-1 on this site, then read our reviews and/or use these links below to go to Amazon, or the site of your choice, and pick up a camcorder. These recommendations may change as we are constantly reviewing cameras to keep up with the latest available. We’ve purchased and used Kodak, VADO, and Delkin Wingman. A Canon HF R20 is being reviewed now and should be posted shortly. I feel comfortable recommending any one of these, depending on your needs.
If you are using a certain camera not mentioned here and you are happy with it, by all means, use the contact page and let us know! Love to share the knowledge.
What to look for in a camera? We do a lot of videos, including multiple matches at tournaments. For most uses by an individual, a camcorder should have a minimum resolution of 720p, run at 30 fps, and be capable of 2+ hours of recording time on one charge. A built-in wide-angle lens is nice, sd card slot, and the ability to put in a fresh battery. The problem with some lower-end camcorders is that they don’t have a wide enough field of view, and they won’t accept add-on wide-angle lenses. Watch out for those as you probably won’t be happy with them! A 75-degree FOV is acceptable, and an 85 to 90-degree field of view is ideal.
Kodak Products: The Playsport ZX5 is an advanced pocket camcorder that works very well. The battery lasts for about two and a half hours, plenty long for most matches. Memory is expandable with an SD card to 32 GB, although 16 GB will give you about 5 hrs recording time at 720p and 30 fps (only limited by the battery time) For tennis, a wide-angle lens is a must to get the whole court. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be a “Kodak” lens as they are often hard to find. Also records in 720p, 60 fps, and 1080p at 30 fps and takes high-quality still photos.
Creative Labs VADO Products: We’ve been using this camera for about three years with great luck. It has a naturally wider angle of view than any other, so you can get by without a wide-angle lens, though it’s still nice to have one. Replacement batteries are available to get the full four + hours of recording time available on regular HD. The internal 8 GB of memory is not expandable, but four hours of HD video (if you have two batteries) goes a long way. The internal memory is also capable of 8 hrs of VGA. Please note that the prices for the VADO are fluctuating wildly lately – at this point, the KodaykPlaysport may be the better choice for a pocket camera, if you are leaning that way.
The GoPro Hero: This is probably the ultimate package. A little pricey, but the feedback is very positive. The 90-degree viewing angle gives a great view of the court for sure. With extra batteries, you can record about all day long.
The Wingman HD: Definitely a step up in some respects, but our test camera did not show the crispest video. As is the GoPro, it’s perfect for the traveling coach or parent who needs to record multiple matches in one day. A 32 GB card will take up to 16 hours of video, and each battery is good for 2.5 hrs of recording time. Can also be used on any of your outdoor activities, such as biking, motorcycling, boating, diving, and skiing. Comparable to the much-vaunted GoPro but with the addition of an lcd viewing screen to see exactly what you are shooting. Records continuously in 30-minute file increments so you can easily look at just the part of the match you want without downloading the whole match. Built-in zoom capabilities and doesn’t require an external wide-angle lens. The downside is that the video quality is not as good as either pocket camera.
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