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I’m looking to start recording sporting events, specifically professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) events. Initially these will be recorded for DVD, but one of the events will be self-produced and I’d like it to be of good quality that I could potentially sell it to a local TV station.

What should I look for in a HD camcorder for recording such fast-paced events?

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  • Canon 5D is the optionto go. Which you can get in an reasonable price too!
    – Ajay Pandith
    Jun 2, 2015 at 14:56
  • Is that not just a “normal” camera, i.e. for photos rather than video?
    – Martin Bean
    Jun 2, 2015 at 14:58
  • The Canon 5D is a DSLR and, like most (if not all) of Canon's DSLRs, it shoots both photo and video. It's not a "dedicated" video camera, but could fit your needs here.
    – John Barton
    Jun 2, 2015 at 17:25
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    A DSLR would be a poor choice for sports recording - poor ergonomics, limited depth of field, no slow-motion, low-resolution viewfinder, and compressed footage format. Great range of glass available though, and cheap.
    – stib
    Jun 3, 2015 at 6:14
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    Simple question to start with would be whats your budget? What requirements to the TV stations require? for instance if it was the BBC in the UK they have to use and meet specific requirements otherwise it will not even be looked at. Also think about workflow and post production
    – Adam Mann Pro
    Jun 3, 2015 at 9:26

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Nothing really. All recent camcorders are more than enough for what you want.

Two things to look:

  1. That shutter speed can change so that you can define how smooth motion you want
  2. That they offer fast zoom/focus capabilities for sports.

Any recent cam-corder from major companies already covers this.

If you want quality sound you should also look for a camcorder that has an external mic jack so that you can connect your own microphone. This raises the budget a lot.

Unless you are a professional I would stay away from using a DSLR for sports filming.

I personally own a panasonic-v250. I also bought it for sports filming.

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  • Thanks, @kazanaki. Really helpful answer. I don’t suppose you know of good resources for getting to grips with filming sporting action, do you?
    – Martin Bean
    Jul 2, 2015 at 15:44
  • I don't know if there is something specific. My advice would be to use a tripod for steady shots (a tripod for video not for photos) and to learn a video editing software package. The number 1 problem in crappy video is shaky camera movement and bad editing.
    – kazanaki
    Jul 3, 2015 at 9:38
  • Also you might consider buying two cameras for different shots. Newer camcarders can be controlled remotely by wifi from a tablet/mobile phone.
    – kazanaki
    Jul 3, 2015 at 9:48
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You can go for

GoPro Hero5

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Sony HXR NX1

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all the best.

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