Camera equipment recommendations

D

dad4

DA
Can anyone recommend a good camera setup for recording 9v9 and smaller 11v11 games?

We've been running an iPhone on a tripod at midfield, and would like to improve on that.

The goal is not to produce a highlights video for college recruiters. These kids are way too little for that.

We're just trying to get a decent quality whole game video for grandparents who can't make it to the game.
 
I slopped together a set up this Fall. I'm cheap and this has done the trick.
If you want to buy a full set up off the shelf, you are looking at $1,500 at a minimum. SVT Camera Set Up
I'm "all in" for under $$250 (I'm borrowing a Sony HDR-CX380 from a neighbor. Its a little older, but comparable to a $200-$300 model. So will be under $500 when all said and done).

  1. You will need a tripod. The taller you go, the more they cost. As they get higher up, they can wobble. If you buy a "camera" tripod, it will cost more. I picked up a "lighting" tripod for less than $70. Its 13.5 feet tall, which is pretty good for most uses.
    In order to follow the action, you just need to rotate the pole on the tripod.https://www.seaportdigital.com/13-5-heavy-duty-air-cushioned-light-stand.html#review-form
  2. You'll need a tripod camera head to mount on top of the tripod. Tri Pod Head $25.00 at Amazon.
  3. Since the camera will be 13+ feet in the air, you need to be able to see what is being filmed and will need a monitor. I bought this 7" monitor on Amazon. It's "ok", but is something I will look to upgrade next year. $49.99. 7" Monitor
  4. You'll need to connect the camera to the monitor using an HDMI cable. Make sure the end that plugs into the camera is the correct size (standard, mini or micro). $8.99 for a 15' cable. HDMI Cable
  5. You need to power the monitor. The item listed above works with a USB power supply. If you have a portable battery pack to charge your phone with, that should work. I have a bunch of them around the house from various trade shows I've attended for work. Something like this: Battery Pack
  6. You'll want to be able to zoom in/out. This remote works for the camera I am using. $32.99 Fotga Zoom Remote
  7. You can also buy an ipad holder to mount the monitor to "something" This was $14.00 Monitor Mount I am going to grab a smaller tripod that I can set up next to the large setup. During the season, I had my monitor attached to the back of a chair.
You can also look at adding a pan/tilt head for near/far angle stuff. These run a few hundred dollars. For me, the zoom remote was good enough. I missed a few plays that were close to the touchline.
 
I use a $60 6 foot tripod I got off amazon and a Canon Vixia HF R800 that I bought a few years ago for $250. Actually got a tripod from Best Buy with the camera purchase but it broke not too long ago. I also bought an off brand extra battery and a memory card. Altogether cost me about $500. Like you, I’m not looking to put together college videos. More to rewatch for enjoyment and Parents who missed the game. I have samples I can show you.. send me a PM if you’re interested.
 
For 9v9 the past 3 seasons I have used an iPad Pro on a Mangus VT-300 tripod. I edit the games on a $20 app called LumaFusion and directly upload to the team YouTube website from iPad. Very easy, 1080p, coach loves it. Some games I will do what someone above suggests and put a GoPro6 on a painters pole behind one of the goals to supplement the footage, mostly during tournaments to create a highlight reel for the boys. See link for last highlight reel made about a week ago for our U12 boys team.

However, we're going big field soon and the iPad isn't going to cut it. So I bought the VEO, check it out. Was looking into TRACE and actually tried to get some feedback in this forum but the moderator blocked my post thinking it was advertising. Thank goodness I found The Soccer Parent Life group on Facebook they've been 100x more helpful with these types of questions.

Kick for the Cure highlight reel

Good luck!
 
Some past posts (I know search isn’t available to everyone)

Videotaping advice

I've been assigned the task of videotaping my son's team's games. Does anyone have any advice? Any cool tricks, ideas, or gear hacks? What are other people's setups? For example, once I talked to a guy who got a couple of workplace stands at home depot, set up 2-3 old phones as fixed cameras...
www.socalsoccer.com

Video Cameras

Hello All, My daughter is reaching that age where I need to invest in a good video camera to help create recruiting videos. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
www.socalsoccer.com

Video Editing Software recommendations

I am looking for a free video editing software for my PC. Any recommendations? This may be a repeat post but there are too many posts to search through. Thx
www.socalsoccer.com
 
Thought I'd post a quick update. I just picked up a Sony HDR 440 on Ebay for $156 including shipping. Brand new. In a box. And I added the 2-year square trade warranty for $15. I ordered it last week and it arrived today. (retail for $299 but on sale at Best Buy for $249).
Looks like there are a few more for sale at about the same price.
So far, so good. It seems to be new and it works.
 
I have to say I'm happier with the video quality from my iphone 11 compared to the Sony HDR video cameras. Once Filmic Pro gets it's multi-cam feature running I'll be able to video both wide and zoom at the same time. Then again I only video the last 40 yards of the field. As mentioned getting your device up 10ft or higher is highly recommended.
 
timbuck said:
  1. You will need a tripod. The taller you go, the more they cost. As they get higher up, they can wobble. If you buy a "camera" tripod, it will cost more. I picked up a "lighting" tripod for less than $70. Its 13.5 feet tall, which is pretty good for most uses.
    In order to follow the action, you just need to rotate the pole on the tripod.https://www.seaportdigital.com/13-5-heavy-duty-air-cushioned-light-stand.html#review-form
  2. You'll need a tripod camera head to mount on top of the tripod. Tri Pod Head $25.00 at Amazon.
Click to expand...
Is the lighting tripod pretty sturdy?
 
socalkdg said:
I have to say I'm happier with the video quality from my iphone 11 compared to the Sony HDR video cameras. Once Filmic Pro gets it's multi-cam feature running I'll be able to video both wide and zoom at the same time. Then again I only video the last 40 yards of the field. As mentioned getting your device up 10ft or higher is highly recommended.
Click to expand...
how are you getting footage from up in the air using your iPhone? we have had decent results even with the X but are not filming from above
 
Speed said:
socalkdg said:
I have to say I'm happier with the video quality from my iphone 11 compared to the Sony HDR video cameras. Once Filmic Pro gets it's multi-cam feature running I'll be able to video both wide and zoom at the same time. Then again I only video the last 40 yards of the field. As mentioned getting your device up 10ft or higher is highly recommended.
Click to expand...
how are you getting footage from up in the air using your iPhone? we have had decent results even with the X but are not filming from above
Click to expand...
Curious about this as well. The Filmic Pro app looks pretty neat. What other equipment (tri pod, mounts, external batteries, etc.) are you using for this setup? Do you find the lag between the iPhone and the iPad a problem?
 
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