Casio Exilim EX-ZR1000 good for HS stroke analysis?

[Esko Ravila]

I need high speed video analysis for coaching purposes.
I think 120 or 240 fps is enough.

Are there alternatives for Casio within 250-500$ (€) budget?

Esko Ravila

[beernutz]

I don't want to derail your thread but after shooting quite a bit of 120fps video using my Canon XS260HS I don't think that video is any more revealing to me than what I see after taking regular 30fps video and then playing it back slower. When I shoot 120fps (or even 240 fps, which I rarely do because it is SO slow on playback) I'm limited to only 30 seconds of real time shooting and no audio is recorded.

[Greg G]

I guess the usefulness of high speed video depends on the individual. He did say it was for coaching.

There is no 30 second limitation with the Casio cameras, so High speed video length is determined by the size of the memory card. Chas Tennis will be along promptly, but I can give my 2 cents. The ZR1000 will probably serve you well, provided you take the video outdoors. The thing about the newer Casio models is that they removed the option for manual exposure control, so the camera will choose the shutter speed for you. If you take video indoors for example, it may choose a slower shutter speed and thus have more blurring of the ball and racquet head. So far the only models confirmed to have manual exposure control for HS video are the ex-f1, fh100, fh20, fh25.

[Jeebs]

I used an fc100 for golf swing analysis and it worked really well in at 210 but Greg is right about using it in low light conditions - that does affect its usefulness slightly.

[Chas Tennis]

Originally Posted by Greg G

I guess the usefulness of high speed video depends on the individual. He did say it was for coaching.

There is no 30 second limitation with the Casio cameras, so High speed video length is determined by the size of the memory card. Chas Tennis will be along promptly, but I can give my 2 cents. The ZR1000 will probably serve you well, provided you take the video outdoors. The thing about the newer Casio models is that they removed the option for manual exposure control, so the camera will choose the shutter speed for you. If you take video indoors for example, it may choose a slower shutter speed and thus have more blurring of the ball and racquet head. So far the only models confirmed to have manual exposure control for HS video are the ex-f1, fh100, fh20, fh25.

I did not understand that apparently the Casio FC150 also has manual shutter speed control. The shutter speed is limited to about 1/1,000 sec as you described in the recent Go Pro thread.

There is also a Casio FC200 - also with manual shutter speed control ?- that might currently be available new. I don't know its shutter speed and will not attempt to interpret the user's manual specs as presented. Anyone interested could download the full FC200 user's manual from Casio support, 200 pg, and let us know. Manual shutter? Fastest shutter speed? 1/1,000sec? See Greg B's serve video which shows very good videos with 1/1000 sec shutter speeds.

The manual for the Casio ZR1000 I believe is now available from Casio support. Golfers and other users of high speed video were very disappointed with the Casio ZR100, ZR200, and ZR300 when these models did not have manual shutter speed control in high speed video mode.

The FH100 and I believe several other Casio camera models have a limit to their video file size of 4GB no matter how large the SD card is. This limits high speed video recording time for 120, 240 & 480 fps to about 11 minutes. Details in the user's manuals for each model.

Last I saw the Casio FH100 was selling for $739, left over new stock.
http://www.Xmazon.com/Casio-EX-FH100-10-1MP-Digital-Stabilization/dp/B0032AMVCA

[Greg G]

I posted in the other thread that I discovered that pressing the HS button on top of my FC150 will unlock faster shutter speeds, up to 1/40000!

[Chas Tennis]

That would be hugh!

Can you make certain somehow that it applies in high speed video mode and not just to the stills mode only?

[Greg G]

I will try it on court next time out, but if I judge it by the brightness (darkness) of the sample videos I took vs the HS continuous shutter pics, it seems like it does apply to HS video as well. Anyway, I will try to confirm it on video.

[Esko Ravila]

How about Canon PowerShot G15?

My main target is to videotape serves indoor so light might be a huge problem. G15 has a F1.8-2.8 lens.

Anybody has experiences with G15 indoor?

Esko

[Chas Tennis]

Originally Posted by Esko Ravila

.....................................
My main target is to videotape serves indoor so light might be a huge problem. G15 has a F1.8-2.8 lens.
.............................

The difference between direct sunlight outdoors and typical indoor tennis court lighting is a difficult problem. Based on references the lighting level in direct sunlight appears to be roughly 100X the light level indoors.

See reply #11.
http://www.kinovea.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?id=435

With a high speed video camera that has full manual control you can force faster shutters for less motion blur. You may get dark videos that may still be useable indoors. Suggest investigating how well the AUTO control high speed video cameras will work with indoor light levels, motion blur, etc.

[jrs]

Any update on ZR-1000 or ZR-400. Do they support manual shutter speeds?

[Chas Tennis]

I spent time following the Casio ZR100, ZR200 and ZR300. In the user's manual under "Notes" the information that they did not support manual shutter in high speed video mode was stated.

The full ZR1000 user's manual is available from Casio support as a download. Search the user's manual for the information as it is hardly ever available in the specs for high speed video mode.

I have not heard of the ZR400 until your reply. It might also have a user's manual available.

I hope something is offered soon as the few Casio models offered with manual are now very expensive as they are no longer being manufactured.

[jrs]

Thanks Chas - I was hoping you had tried them out. It appears even the golf guys on youtube have given up on the casio. They confirmed ZR-300 doesn't have manual shutter.

I wasn't sure if Casio manual would properly describe the feature - so thought it would be best to see if someone actually tried it.

[Chas Tennis]

Originally Posted by jrs

Thanks Chas - I was hoping you had tried them out. It appears even the golf guys on youtube have given up on the casio. They confirmed ZR-300 doesn't have manual shutter.
.............................

I have a Casio FH100 and it is perfect for high speed video of strokes. I'm just generally interested in high speed video and seeing more people, especially tennis players, apply it. People post 30 fps videos of their serves that cannot possibly show the fast parts of the serve and are likely to yield false conclusions if analyzed.........

Cameras that have Auto and will set very fast shutter speeds (even 1/1000 sec) in bright sunlight are a compromise from full manual but can still show most of the important information necessary to analyze tennis stokes. Consider mainly whether you could see the hands, arms, etc. and how the tennis racket is facing and not the sharpness of these low resolution high speed videos. The good news is that some models that shoot high speed video are very cheap, new or used.

There is some recent interest on the Golfwrx Casio Camera Thread for these cameras such as the Canon Powershot cameras. See golf swing videos in recent replies
http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/.../page__st__780

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/...30__p__6719361

I tried to buy a used one from Amazon for $80 to give it a try. But the seller did not deliver or even respond.