Well life is about compromise. I've tested video where I get almost every ball in the video -- but at a cost. Cost ya say? Yea, you then get a seat that's back about ten more feet. By using the narrow mode you'll catch 98% of the hits videoed up close so you can see the stuff when you replay it on your computer. The 2% you miss oh well. Similarly, in the wide mode you can watch the matches on both adjacent courts. If there are pretty girls playin' some doubles, hey, go for it. But it's really wasteful to record in wide and medium modes because they catch so much unnecessary real estate.
It looks to me as though the narrow mode would give me about the same view as my Olympus VR-340, which I got because it has a slightly wider near field of view than my Sony Cybershot DSC S2100, and it also does video at 720p (1280x720) with a wider aspect ration, 16:9 to 4:3, as opposed to the Sony's max res of vga (640x480). I just need to get another Lithium Ion rechargeable battery so that I can get more than an hour and some minutes at 720p.
The thing about using medium wide angle with the GoPro is that that's pretty much what I would be buying it for. That is, to get a near field of view wide enough to take in ALL of the deep corner action. I don't care if it makes me look worse, or if it's not quite as close a view as the narrow. I really like the vids that my friend with the GoPro has produced with what I guess is the wide view. Medium seems like just what the doctor ordered.
As far as buying an expensive pole to record your video...hold off on that. I know when I bought the camera I was just gonna plunk down another $75 for a nice pole/fence hanger but tough to justify having just spent $300 on a camera. Since I'm handy in the garage figured I'd make my own on the cheap. Cost me about $15-17 in materials so worked out well especially since I got to make perfect to fit my tennis bag.
Why should I hold off on spending the $75 for a nice pole? You gonna make and send me one for free?
I didn't think so.
So, first I get a used or cheap 5 or 6 foot tripod, then I get the mounting pole, then I get the GoPro. No problem, except that I probably won't be able to get the GoPro until next year, or maybe late this year (lots of other than video related stuff to get).
Oh, and as far as slanted video like you showed? Just this week I found out it takes seconds to fix it in the GoPro software. Couple of clicks and it levels it out horizontally.
Well, that IS quite handy. Another reason to get a GoPro. I'm pretty sure that neither of my current cameras can do that. Though I'm not 100% certain of that as I haven't explored all the possibilities with the Olympus. Come to think of it, there's probably some free software out there that I can do this with. Must check that out.
It was fun as can be taking good (horizontal video) then purposely slanting it a lot. Hilarious -- and wrong.
Yes, quite amusing, I thought. I laughed hard when I saw the video of my spill. Unfortunately, the slant wasn't deliberate. I just couldn't get the camera quite straight, and the wind was playing havoc with the camera's positioning during some gusts.
Further, they have a GoPro app free so you can watch your live video on your iPhone, iPad, or cell phone. You can see if the camera angle is right when you mount it on the fence while holding your phone watching what the camera sees. Neato. God, I sound like a GP salesman.
It's ok, I've considered the GoPro to be about the best out there for the money since before you revealed that you had one. What you mention about the free app is VERY cool since I expect to have an ipad in the next few months.
But please refrain from using terms like "neato", "neat", "groovy", "bit_chin", "gnarly", etc. or I will have to bar you from this thread. Acceptable terms are, "exquisite", "most excellent" (written in a Bill or Ted accent if possible), and, of course, the German "wunderbar".
Am scheduled to play tomorrow at 2pm. Crohn's symptoms are steadily worsening, and I had to miss my remicade infusion today because the VA shuttle bus driver to the Miami VA hospital called in sick, so won't be doing that until next Friday, hopefully. So, we'll see how things go. If I'm able to practice/play, then will have some video, and will also try to spend some time doing the exercise/drill that you suggested.
