Video Camera/Software for personal use

[howletus]

I didn't find any useful info in searching past posts. I'm a 6 handicapper looking to use video swing analysis on myself and show instructors as necessary. I need to buy a camera and some software. Can anyone give some recomendations? I'm not a professional but I am pretty knowledgable about the golf swing and just want to keep tabs via video of my swing and my golf buddies. I haven't been hitting the ball very solid with my irons lately and want to see what's going on. My budget is 5 to $600 for a camera and software.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks...

[LowPost42]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

Well, I use a Panasonic PV-GR2 (22x Digital zoom, can set manual shutter speed to 1/8000). I think I got it for $300 USD on eBay.

As I'm sure you're aware, the ability to set your shutter speed to 1/1000 or better is crucial.

As for software, I use v1 Home (it's free).

If I was spending cash, however, I'd check out (and probably buy) cSwing. It's a couple hundred, but loaded with features (like calculating swing speed and ball speed).

[howletus]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

Is there a big difference between 1/2000 and 1/8000 with regards to seeing all positions in the swing? It seems only the Panasonics go as high as 1/8000. Also, I have seen several recommendations on the CS software. The software can actually give an accurate swing speed and ball speed based on swing video? Is that right or am I missing something?

Anyone else have any comments about cameras, shutter speed, software, etc...

[LowPost42]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

The only thing I notice between 1/1000 and 1/8000 is that the slowed-down image seems less blurry (it's easier to make out what the club is doing - important for the next part)

As for cSwing, how it works is that you might lay a yardstick down or something similar close to you (or maybe your target line club) perpendicular to the camera sight line.

Then, in cSwing, you draw a line on the yardstick or club, and enter it's length. Then you plot points on the clubhead during the downswing to 1 frame past impact, and it calculates your swingspeed fairly accurately (provided your measuring line is accurate).

[Hannu]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

HI,
I use www.v1home.com for video analyze like LowPost42. It has some problems with PAL - video format. USA uses NTSC and I think that works fine. About shutter speed. A normal NTSC video format takes 30 frames per second ( 60 fields = half images). The frequence of images does not change. No more or less images on 1/1000 or 1/8000 shutter speed. Only the time shutter is opened is different. Shorter lighting time gives less light, but kills movement.

I do not use any shutter on my videocamera. It just makes a little bluered image, but easy to read and analyze the clubhead position. (Might be even easier to see the path.)

br. Hannu
xo4us.blogspot.com

[howletus]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

Bump to the top. Anyone else?

[Oddsfellow]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

Cswing do a 7 day no obligation trial version on their website.

Do you plan fimling inside or out? The reason being if it is inside you need not worry about getting a camera with too high a shutter speed since the light it will require will be impratical (unless you know somebody in the stage lighting business).


For equipment you may well have read this already but it is sound advice so is worth reading if not

http://www.cswing.com/equipment.html

I have used Cswing, V1 and one in the UK called Gasp. Gasp is the best in my opinion, has a very comprehensive library of pro swings and is for a very high level user with advanced features. Cswing is the best value for money, but as opposed to Gasp just lacks a little bit of slickness. If budget is the main criteria i would definetly say Cswing. If money is available then my choice would be Gasp. The V1 home is very basic and paying the extra for Cswing is definetly worth it, and if you are thinking of the expense of V1 Pro then Gasp is better for about the same money.

[tonyc9]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

Guys all the cameras that have NTSC or PAL are poor for golf as they are 25 frames per second or 30 frames per second. Shutter speed says nothing. a shutter speed of 8000th of a second taking two frames per second will have only have two frames for you to view during a golf swing.

The new Sony HDR HC3 is the best however there are problems in that the current version only has a three second super slow motion at 240 frames per second - by the time you push the button and get set for the swing your time is up. If you have someone to push the button it is ok. Even if you only use normal quality without super slow motion I would rate it higher than anything you get in the NTSC and PAL range.

As for analysis software cswing is good but expensive and I can't seem to find where it will deinterlace the frames - this is a great feature and I can only find it on motionview. V1 is not good as i cant seem to see where it can work with mpg files!

If you want to edit the videos then i use ulead videostudio 10.

[Jeff Mann]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

It is possible to convert mpg files to wvm files using this free downloadable program.

http://www.erightsoft.com/SUPER.html

Jeff.

[Hannu]

Re: Video Camera/Software for personal use

It would be nice to find a software that separetes fields. (A frame is two fields - odd and even). If you use a software (or a macro) that makes two "frames" from fields then you get in PAL 50 frames/second and in NTSC 60 frames.

If you use a shuttler you might get sharp images - too.

But this is not even close to 240 frps. I looked at the pricetag and it was 1100 euros. It's a little deap for me - just for 3 seconds - but for a pro that teaches this would be very good???

About V1home software - it's a player with a drawing tool. You can find many editing tools that can be used for looking at your own clips. It's just easy to draw and play the film back and forward. Often I use Premier or some other editing software.