Why should you invest in a camera specifically designed for golf instruction?
Different types of cameras are ideal for different purposes. In this article we will explain the key features to consider when selecting a camera for video analysis.
FPS is an abbreviation for frames per second, and indicates how many frames the camera is capable of recording per second.
Since a golf swing happens in the blink of an eye, a higher FPS rate is essential to capture every part of the movement. This allows you to analyze the swing in slow motion without missing out on any important information.
The video playback (frame by frame) moves noticeably smoother with a high FPS camera.
Data synchronization becomes important if you choose to integrate with a Swing Catalyst sensor plate or if you want to use multiple cameras. Consumer cameras or smartphones might not be able to synchronize properly with the data, giving you a less accurate analysis. All our recommended cameras have the ability to synchronize with various sensor technologies.Global shutter vs Rolling shutter
Consumer cameras normally have a rolling shutter, which makes objects that move very quickly appear distorted. This may cause the club to appear bent during the video playback. All the cameras we recommend have a global shutter, which ensures you avoid this problem.
Global shutter
Rolling shutter
Drag the slider to the left and see the difference of the club
Which camera is right for you?
There are several factors to consider when selecting a camera. These factors tend to influence one another, so it is useful to understand them all in order to make an informed decision.
Starting FPS
As mentioned previously, having a high rate of frames per second (FPS) makes a big difference for slow motion video analysis. Our cameras have a high FPS baseline. A higher FPS often results in a lower video resolution, so when selecting a camera you have to take into consideration what makes more sense for your needs.
As mentioned previously, having a high rate of frames per second (FPS) makes a big difference for slow motion video analysis. Our cameras have a high FPS baseline. A higher FPS often results in a lower video resolution, so when selecting a camera you have to take into consideration what makes more sense for your needs.
Effective pixels
The higher amount of megapixels a camera has, the more pixels it can show in a single frame, giving you a higher resolution. More megapixels also means larger files, so you should consider what is most important to you.
The higher amount of megapixels a camera has, the more pixels it can show in a single frame, giving you a higher resolution. More megapixels also means larger files, so you should consider what is most important to you.
Image quality
By image quality we mean things like sharpness and color balance. Light sensitivity can often have a big effect on the perceived quality, read more about that below.
By image quality we mean things like sharpness and color balance. Light sensitivity can often have a big effect on the perceived quality, read more about that below.
Light sensitivity
Light sensitivity can be very important depending on where you are planning to use your camera. While high FPS is a great feature, it is not useful unless you can actually see what is going on in your studio. When filming indoors cameras often have less light than is ideal, which can cause quality degradation. In that case you will have to sacrifice a lot of image quality to get a good capture, or invest in professional lighting.
Light sensitivity can be very important depending on where you are planning to use your camera. While high FPS is a great feature, it is not useful unless you can actually see what is going on in your studio. When filming indoors cameras often have less light than is ideal, which can cause quality degradation. In that case you will have to sacrifice a lot of image quality to get a good capture, or invest in professional lighting.
Distance from camera to golfer
The distance between the camera and the golfer is an important aspect to consider when choosing the right camera for you. This distance will depend on how much space you have available where you are doing analysis. Different cameras have different sensors, which requires different distances to the golfer to be able to capture the entire swing. We can assist in calculating the minimum required distance which will capture the whole body and golf club in a swing.
The distance between the camera and the golfer is an important aspect to consider when choosing the right camera for you. This distance will depend on how much space you have available where you are doing analysis. Different cameras have different sensors, which requires different distances to the golfer to be able to capture the entire swing. We can assist in calculating the minimum required distance which will capture the whole body and golf club in a swing.
USB vs PoE
We have cameras that utilize USB as a connection and cameras that use PoE (Power over Ethernet). Generally speaking, USB2 and USB3 can be difficult to use with cable lengths above 5 meters, while PoE will work well up to at least 60 meters.
We have cameras that utilize USB as a connection and cameras that use PoE (Power over Ethernet). Generally speaking, USB2 and USB3 can be difficult to use with cable lengths above 5 meters, while PoE will work well up to at least 60 meters.
We hope this explanation will help guide you in your choice to invest in a professional camera from us. When browsing our cameras, you will find icons with values representing the things we have discussed in this article.