Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Guest
I am relatively new to videography, but have been reading now for quite some time. Most people with this type of equipment seem to be more involved in movies and film. I'm interested in sports broadcasting, particularly amateur wrestling. But without the luxury so far of being able to test equipment out thus far, I am looking to get some experienced insight. I have narrowed the price range and feature range down to these cameras:

Pro
Sony – DSR-PD150, DSR-PD170
Panasonic – AG-DVX100A
Canon – XL2

Prosumer
Sony – DCR-VX2100
Canon – GL2


Now, I have a business looking to record and broadcast amateur wrestling matches (high school & college) on television, DVD, and streamed over the Internet. The most important factors that I see in deciding are:
1. Picture quality (as it relates to sporting events) and therefore 3-CCD is essential with the largest sensors possible (1/3")
2. Frame rate for recording sports- 24P, 30P, 60i?
3. Ease of zoom & focus
4. Audio quality
5. [please list any other areas I should be focusing on for this type of work]

Could someone give me their sports experience, even if not related to wrestling, and which camera(s) fit best for what I want to do? I'm looking to get as close as I can to that "television" look, rather than the "home video" look most consumer cameras give.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

www.WrestlingBroadcast.com
"If you can't be there, be here"
 
Re: Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

As much as I love my DVX I really think the XL2 would be the camera for you. FOr two main reasons. One due to wanting to go with slow motion with any of your footage you will be shooting in 60i, and yes the dvx can do, but you would be mostly ignoring one of its best features. And two the lens that comes with the XL2 is longer, much longer, which will help you capture things much better from most of your vantage points, without having to get a tele adapter.
Now to all those that are spittingafter saying my name, I love my DVX, I am very glad I have it and will continue to love and caress it for many days t come. I just think the Canon would suit Adam much better for what he is trying to do. Please do not put me on some evil black list. Please I beg of you!
 
Re: Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

Don't worry, Prairieboy. He asked the same question over on 2-pop, and over there I recommended the PD170 as the best camera for the job.
 
Re: Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

[quote author=Barry_Green link=board=market;num=1098390664;start=0#2 date=10/22/04 at 11:23:31]Don't worry, Prairieboy.  He asked the same question over on 2-pop, and over there I recommended the PD170 as the best camera for the job.[/quote]

DVXuser ... 2-pop ... dvinfo ....

Ummm, Dude, you do sleep right?
 
Re: Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

Hmmm... I guess my thinking on this is a bit different than Prairieboy, but I don't entirely disagree with him.

While I haven't shot much sports footage (only a few amateur hockey games), I have a very sports-oriented background and have been involved in sports all my life. There are advantages just about every camera you're considering... For sports, you will want to shoot in 60i for the smoother video capabilities that will give you more options down the line (like slow motion) and 60i also gives you the most responsive auto focus ability. 24p or other more cinema style modes may only be applicable if you want to do a special shot with a certain 'look', but you won't use such modes when filming an actual wrestling match, at least not with a primary camera.

The XL2 is good for all the reasons Prairieboy mentioned, but it is also bad in that it is bulky and heavy compared to the other cameras. If you want something more compact or if you're in a situation where you'll even be sneaking onto the mat during a match on occasion, there may even be a fair argument for the much smaller hand-held aspects of something like the GL2.

For audio quality, I would definitely steer you toward the models that will allow you to mount a directional shotgun mic. The XL2 and the DVX-100 are excellent in this respect with their balanced audio capabilities and in overall image detail, these two cameras are tops. The Sony cams you have listed (the PD ones) are older technology in comparison to the DVX and XL2, but are still nice cameras regardless and my save you a few pennies too.

Of all that you have listed, I think I would recommend the DVX100 as it offers the most camera for the money, even though it is the second most expensive one you have listed there, next to the XL2. You'll probably want a good wide-angle adapter lens for those times you will want to be closer to the action and still capture a good view of it. One of the downfalls of the DVX is that its lens is non-interchangeable, but I think it will serve just perfectly for wrestling matches as long as you're not too far up in the stands. The DVX and the XL2 will get you the closest you can get to that broadcast sports look with this level of hardware. The next step up would be to get an actual broadcast level camera, which will run you anywhere from 5 to 10 times as much. And for what it's worth, I have seen plenty of news and even some pro sports shot with a Canon XL1 and the XL2 is capturing even more detail, so I think that either the XL2 or the DVX are a great place to start. If you can, you should try and demo each one from a local camera store. I think that when comparing the DVX to the XL2 that they are so similar in image quality and other capabilities, that the real deciding factor will be in how you use the camera. You may be a lot more comfortable with one over the other and in most situations either camera will give you the same great results if used properly.
 
Re: Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

Thank you all for your answers. And sorry Barry about posting it in two places. I just really wanted some good insight and figured since your's was the best I received on 2-pop, why not come to your site and ask.

As I mentioned, I haven't had a chance yet to demo any of the models. I'm excited to do so but wanted to narrow down the field to really appreciate the features that each one offers.

As far as shooting, I'll be right at matside, so zoom length shouldn't be an issue. I'm really just looking for a high quality picture, high quality audio, and a very responsive and natural zoom/manual focus.

Barry had a nice response on the other forum and recommended the PD170. I also however read a long thread where he discussed the very astute observation of the PD170 being at the "end of its lifecycle". The DVX is a much newer camera. However, I have heard that the image stabilization is MUCH better on the PD170, making it better for hand holding. The DVX's picture is rumored to be better on a tripod. Any thoughts here on the image stabilizers of each? I think for the added expense, the added features of the XL2 aren't worth it in my particular case. 16:9 is not an issue and the money is not there (yet) for interchangable lenses.

I think I'll test out the DVX and the PD170 as AppliedVisual suggested. Either way, I'm sure I'll be satisfied.

Thanks again everyone. Great message board!

www.WrestlingBroadcast.com
"If you can't be there, be here"
 
Re: Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

Adam, hey, don't worry about posting here also -- that's the right thing to do, as you'll get a much wider audience.  Plus, interestingly, on 2-pop we recommended the PD, and over here you're getting DVX and XL2 recommendations! :)

I think that overall, for general purposes, the DVX is definitely the better camera, as vs. the PD170.  But for your specific needs, I didn't see anything that you needed that the PD170 couldn't do, and the PD has a longer zoom reach and a lower price tag, so it sounded like the right camera for that job.

I did wax eloquent about the PD, and my belief that it's at the end of its life cycle.  That doesn't mean it's not a good camera, just that it's been surpassed by others.  The thing is, for the particular needs you expressed, I don't see how the "surpassing" will affect your wrestling show.  If I was bidding for that job I'd recommend 60i, not 24P (thus eliminating much of the advantage of the XL2 and DVX) and I'd say wide-angle is important (which looks like a plus for the DVX, but the PD includes a wide-angle adapter, so it's probably a zero-sum game there).  The PD is a little better in low light, and its 60i performance is superb.  Combine that with the lower retail price and the $300 rebate, and it just seems like the better choice.  Plus, if you need dropout protection the PD offers DVCAM recording, so it should be more resistant to dropouts.

However, the DVX can match it in almost every category, and far exceeds it in others (such as the true 24P, the true 30P, better audio, more image controls, true manual zoom, precise manual focus, etc).  If you want to do more things with the camera (such as make short films or TV commercials, etc) then I'd say the DVX is definitely the better camera.  But if your primary goal is the show you talked about, the PD170 should serve you well and save you some money too.
 
Re: Pro camcorder for amateur wrestling (sports)?

for school sports in my class, we use vx 2100's. although, since the pd170 is pretty much an upgrade of it, that's what i'd go for if it was in the budget. 24p really has no use for sports because you'll be moving around quite a lot. vx2100/pd170 have FAST auto focus, but if you can get your hands on an old XL1s it would be even better because of the longer telephoto length.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top