Guys, can anyone give me some advise on the best video camera to purchase for recording swings, then copying to a pc and analysing with software?

I’m based in Northern Ireland (UK)

Thanks

Get one with a shutter speed of at least 1/4000th that is manually adjustable (some automatically lower shutter speed in bad light, you don’t want that). Also the tape video cameras give better quality than DVD or HDD at the moment.

Anyone would be good wouldnt it?

Is there anything in particular your after styles? as in certain features?

I know my next video camera will be either a JVC or Canon HiDef HDD.

Specifially:
CANON
or
JVC

The RRP on these is way higher then what you can get them for…

Recording directly to a HDD means its extremely easy to upload the data to a PC or Laptop using a USB cable…

nik1981au – Not sure the HDD is any easier than off MiniDV at all plus there is a certain level of compression needed to get it on the HDD.

I’ll be sticking with tapes for now I think then I have a backup plus what I’ve sucked off in full DV to an external HDD.

Agree with admin…firewire connection and the video comes off the tape easy as.

Buy a mac too that’ll make life much easier as the guru has recently learnt :)

OK OK so know I know what all these Mac people were on about for all those years. Video editing is a breeze. Pity there are no golf software packages that work on the original platform to make life even easier.

Serious? i would have thought it would be 10x better… especially when you can record 5+ hours at a time rather then 60mins.

I already have a minidv cam but i find minidv annoying… especially with how long the tapes last before they quality drops.

Agree with the MAC thing… always prefered macs… cousin and 2 uncles are all GD’s and have at least 4 of them. OS-X = awesome

HDD cameras I have heard are a bit frail being humped around a golf course. I still am on DV tape. Its cheap so not really an issue.

nik1981au – the bit about recording time is definitely better a massive advantage for HDD but the compression is an issue for me. I never ever reuse a DV tape so the quality drop isn’t an issue.

In the end it’s up to you – everyone thinks good quality is a different thing. If you are happy with the image from a HDD camera then go for it. Just be very sure you have backed up everythign you record. :)

Hello everyone. I’m a hacker planning to work on my swing over the winter in the northeastern U.S.

I also own a Mac. As has been mentioned, none of the swing analysis programs work with Macs. Therefore, how do those of you who in the Mac “family” analyze your swings.

Also, on the original topic, I’m thinking of buying the Panasonic PV-GS80 or GS320 camera? Any golf experience with either camera?

Thank you.

rteach1

I have a GS-27…only issue I have had with it so far is I don’t have an external mic option.

rteach, will be testing Parallels with the swing video software over Xmas. Hopefully that will work for those with newer Mac’s.

What software have people used? I didnt even realise you could get it i.e it was only available to pro shops etc… but ive done a quick search and found a decent looking one called V1 Golf

I have used V1.

It is good overall however:
The software changes your screen resolution when it runs, and it takes up the whole screen making it difficult to have other programs running at the same time. Also the settings can mess with things like moving desktop icons and stuff.
Because is manually sets the resolution it doesn’t go well with widescreens, everybody looks like they are built like Craig Parry.

These issues may be resolved with newer versions that mine, not sure.

JC Video and Cswing are both popular and in my mind better programs.

I downloaded Cswing and it doesnt seem as in depth (well the trial version anyway).

I dont have desktop items and i have 2 screens so it should only take over one of them.

And when you say the others are better, in what way compared to V1?

Mainly better because of the issues I have had with V1. Also they are both quicker to load up that V1 is.

Download trials of them all and see what you think.

Also, I only use it for looking at swings, not any built in instruction advise, I have a little yellow book for that.

Guru,

Can you please post your results with the Mac after you try the swing programs?
Has anyone else found a solution with a Mac?

Thanks.

rteach1

Wow!

Looks like I started a good topic!

I’m still confused as to what Cam I will go for.

I want one thats fairly idiot proof (so Mrs Styles can use it!)

I’ll use it a little for analysing my own swing (I don’t teach or anything so it won’t be wholly used for that) but other than that, it will be used for capturing those magical family moments.

I have a windows based laptop and won’t be changing to a Mac on the strength of easier use.

And you wont have to unless you really want to start getting into some involved video editing.. i use Multiple programs for video editing (i used to do a lot of car club track days, but dont any more thanks to now being married and having a baby and no time to go to track days anymore)... Adobe Premiere Pro is great for editing… even menial programs such as the standard Windows Movie Maker has its uses.

As for cameras… get the best one you can (read a lot of reviews online) within your budget… theyre pretty much all the same, most peoples views are based on personal preference.

cheers nik

Hello guys
This is my first post, even if I am a daily reader for months.
As a Mac user may I share with you a little trick? I usually use Imovie for movies and Osirix for images .
Osirix is a medical freeware for CT (scanner) images very easy to use. You can draw everything on your images (lines, circles..), mesure angles (wich is very usefull) . In link is a very simple exemple of one of my gurus…
Hoping this will help, cheers to everybody for all the very interesting contributions.

pilthevet06: please please please drop me a line to golfguruAtiseekgolf.com as this bit of info might save me a huge amount of time over Xmas if Ozirix can talk to Imovie!!!!

Thanks for the idea.

Download from here guru :)

http://www.apple.com/downlo...

philthevet and admin,

Would it be possible for you to post the step-by-step procedures for using the combination of a camcorder, a Mac, and the Ozirix program? That way, all of us Mac users would benefit.

Thank you very much.

rteach1