Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/21/18
Courtesy of SmartReview.com
Shooting Lacrosse Videos: When shooting video for lacrosse, many people use smartphones, which are convenient, and in good lighting take decent video. You can get some sunflare though if the sun is in a position to hit your lens. At best, with a smartphone, you can get the wide angle view of the game (no closeups). Most Smartphones have no zoom, or have digital zoom (which gives a grainier picture). For closeup shots (where you are physically close to the action), the smartphone video will be adequate, but audio may be troublesome due to wind noise. A camcorder may be a better option to address the deficiencies of a smartphone for shooting video.
Zoom Lens: To shoot the best video of Lacrosse, you would want to use a Camcorder with a zoom lens of about 10x or better. With a zoom lens, you can get the wide angle view of the game, and closeups of your favorite players in action. Use moderate zoom when the action on the field is fast and moving, as you can easily lose your subject and the motion can appear jerky. Use full zoom on your subject when the motion is slowed or stopped for best results.
Sunflare and Bright Sun: Shooting in bright sun, can be a challenge, especially if the sun is in front of you. You can get Sunflare, which is a reflection inside the lens. Sunflare can cause your video to be washed out and lose contrast. A camcorder can help solve this by using a lens hood, or even the stock lens may offer some protection from the sun. A smartphone unfortunately offers no protection from Sunflare. For best results try to shoot video with the sun to your back.
Preventing Shaky Video: When shooting video, shaky video is one the biggest problems. Unfortunately smartphones do not have adequate image stabilization. Image stabilization compensates for any movement from the person taking the video. Fortunately, many camcorders have extraordinary image stabilization. This is especially important when using zoom, as the further you zoom in, the shakier the video. When shooting video, don’t move fast, but pan slowly to prevent shaky video when shooting with any device. Bottom line, don’t jump around when shooting video.
Fogging and Condensation on Lenses: One the most frustrating things can be when you pull out your camcorder and the lens fogs up. This usually happens when you come from an air conditioned room or car, to a warm humid condition outside. To prevent fogging, put your camcorder or camera into a zip-lock bag before going outside. Squeeze out all the air, and seal it. When outside, wait about 20 minutes for the temperature of the camcorder to warm up to the outside temperature, and you should have no fogging.
Touch & Track Feature: One of the most important aspects of shooting Lacrosse videos is to keep the subject in focus. When using a camcorder, many of the newer advanced camcorders have a feature where you can touch the subject on the touchscreen, and it will follow that subject, and keep it in focus and properly exposed. This is not a feature seen on smartphones.
4K Vs. HD Quality Video: Both Smartphones and Camcorders now have either Full HD video or the new 4K Ultra HD video. Almost all new TVs are now of the 4K variety. 4K offers 4 times the resolution of HD. The sharpness and detail of 4K is stunning. We recommend that you shoot in 4K to future proof your videos. Even if shooting in wide angle where your subject is small, 4K allows you to see them better on the field. 4K is available on some smartphones, and many camcorders.
Sound Quality: The smartphone has built in microphones and can record passable audio of your video under ideal conditions. When the wind blows, you will lose audio to the wind noise. If the subject is too far away, you will not be able to hear. The camcorder offers more options in regards to audio, such as wind screens, directional microphones, and better quality microphones. For best sound quality get a camcorder that has an external microphone jack.
Related Article: SmartReview.com HD & 4K Camcorder Buying Guide
Related Article: Shooting Sports Events with a Camcorder
Related Article: Best 4K Ultra HD Camcorder – Comparison & Reviews
*Special Thanks to Smart-Review for providing this valuable information.
