As a sports videographer, choosing your video camera for sports is one of the most important filmmaking decisions you will make. When it comes to sports filming equipment, your camera is your greatest asset to help you capture all the great action and competition. But what is the best video sports equipment? With so many video cameras on the market, it can be difficult to know which one is the best video camera to record sports. To help you wade through all the information, we will give you our best picks, so you can choose a video camera for sports, for 2021 and beyond.
Best video camera for sports 2021
Sony a7III Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera
The Sony a7 III Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera is our top overall pick for filming sports videos. This mirrorless full-frame camera offers great quality and is easy to use for both professionals and photography enthusiasts.
The 693-point phase-detect AF system offers an extremely sharp focus that performs well even in dark conditions. The camera has a range of AF modes that allow you to create the perfect shot; the Flexible Spot M, in particular, is great for sports video, given its precision with fast-moving subjects.
The image quality is stunning, with a max resolution of 6000 x 4000. This camera also has an amazing ISO performance, with little noise.
The a7III is impressive with regards to both its speed and its buffer capacity – it shoots up to 177 JPEGs and 89 Raw files at one time. The 5-axis, 5-stop image stabilisation system is perfect for sports videography as you can shoot at low shutter speeds without ruining the image quality.
This camera has an astonishingly long-lasting battery, which will survive for 710 shots (double, without the rear LCD), batting other cameras out of the park.
The a7III is also noteworthy for its durable compact body, weighing only 650g making it easy to carry for videographers.
Best camcorder for sports 2021
Sony FDR-AX53 4K HD Camcorder
This semi-pro Sony camcorder combines the pro-quality of a sports camera with the compact body of a traditional camcorder.
In terms of image quality, this camcorder’s 1/2.5 Exmor R CMOS sensor can record at 4K. However, this camera records at 4K with bigger pixels which vastly improves its quality and low-light sensitivity in comparison to similar cameras on the market recording in 4K.
This camcorder’s filming capabilities are impressive. Its ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* wide-angle lens will fit a lot in the frame and can zoom up to 20x.
As well as the superior image quality, the sound quality is pretty great too. The built-in mic captures the all-surrounding ambience and cancels noise, which is beneficial for sports filming.
This camcorder also has a cheaper brother, the Sony AX33 which is a bestseller, but the optical zoom and superior image quality of the AX53 justify spending a bit more money.
Best tracking video camera for sports
Due to amazing advancements in technology, we can use auto-tracking, which is great news for sports videographers.
What is auto-tracking? Auto-tracking cameras automatically track a moving subject across a field of vision, meaning you don’t have to do it manually. Auto-tracking cameras are great for a variety of sports, including horse racing, dog agility, athletics, and BMX.
SOLOSHOT3 + Optic25 Camera
Our top pick for auto-tracking is the Soloshot 3 + Optic 25 Camera which acts as a robotic videography system to auto-track movement.
Not only does it have high-resolution 1080p60 video, but it also has a great long-distance capacity. It can track film and track up to 2,000 ft. away with 25X optical zoom.
This camera has a robotic base, a touch screen interface, and a 360° continuous horizontal rotation. It has a long battery life allowing you to film for a long duration, and it is highly compatible with editing software, as well as making it easy to share videos. This also works well with live streaming.
This camera is only suitable for outdoor tracking, but most auto-tracking cameras are used for outdoor sports anyway.
Best video camera for live sports streaming
Panasonic HC-W580k
The Panasonic HC-W580K Full HD Camcorder takes the top spot for best live video streaming camera with sports in mind.
Not only does it have a high-quality image, but an intelligent zoom with a 90x range to film from a distance.
Like the Sony a7III, the Panasonic HC-W580k also possesses the sophisticated 5-axis hybrid which stabilises the image, helping you to avoid unwanted camera shake.
In our opinion, this is a superior live-streaming camera, as you can share your video easily with the NFC feature of this camera. You can use its Wi-Fi capabilities to share to the internet and to save to cloud storage. This also helps to save camera memory, as you can delete files once they are saved to the cloud. This is what makes it so suited for live streaming.
This camera also has an exclusive HDR mode that helps you to reduce contrast. The HDR also helps the camera to adjust to poor light conditions.
In terms of performance, the recording time is good due to the enhanced battery. The body of the camera is compact making it nicely portable for your travels.
Thanks for checking out our top 10 sports videography tips. Next, check out some inspiring sports photos.
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