Choosing a good endzone camera is critical, as it will allow you to capture the game film you need. Now, this can be easier said than done as there are many things that you have to consider. To help you out, we thought it would be useful to put together a brief article on this subject. If this is something that you want to learn more about, read on as we discuss a few key things to consider when you’re shopping for endzone cameras.
Viewing Monitor
While it may not be the first thing you think of when you are looking for an endzone camera, it’s important to have a good viewing monitor. When you are shooting video footage, you will be following the action down below using your viewing monitor. It’s important to have a monitor that displays high quality HD video and just as important, has both HDMI-In and HDMI-Out ports. This is important so that you can easily live stream games and also use systems like Hudl Sideline.
Video Camera
This is probably the most obvious. A key thing to consider when purchasing a video camera tower is the camera itself. Sony makes many great model video cameras that span from consumer-grade to professional level. The great thing about Sony video cameras is the optical zoom quality on most all models. For example, the Sony CX405 model video camera has a 60x optical zoom. To put this in perspective, if you are approx. 110 yards away from someone and zoomed in, you would be able to see the sweat on their forehead. That’s zoom functionality for you! The Sony CX405 video camera currently comes included with the Hi Rise Camera Sky 250ET model tower.
Design Features
The design features go hand-in-hand with customer usability. Ask yourself, “do the product features make it easier to use the endzone camera system?”. For example, are you able to place the handle bracket at a comfortable location on the pole when filming?; If you are playing an outdoor sport on grass, can you stake the tower in the ground (and have the option to anchor bags at other times)?; Do you have the option to film standing up and/or sitting down?, these are a few things to consider about the design features. Additionally, you want to ensure your endzone camera system is portable and built with high quality parts so that you can easily use it for practices, home games, away games, and tournaments if needed.
Weight
The weight of endzone camera systems can vary considerably, so check the specifications of individual models to see how much each weighs, and how easy they are to pack and carry. A good rule of thumb to follow is to keep the total weight of the camera under 50 pounds for optimal portability.
Battery and Charging Options
Confirm that your endzone camera system can fully be run off of battery power and none of the electronic components are required to be plugged in to a wall socket to work. Once that’s confirmed, you want to ensure you know how many batteries are included with your system and the approximate charge time that is needed to get your batteries to full charge. This is important information to have to ensure you include an appropriate amount of time in your planning for game day.
Stability
When choosing a video camera tower, look for systems that have independently adjustable legs and a full range of anchoring equipment. This will ensure that the camera can be level on uneven ground and can be securely anchored.
We hope this article proves to be useful when it comes to helping you choose the best endzone camera. Hi Rise Camera offers first-in-class solutions to capture stunning high-angle and aerial footage. If you are looking to buy an endzone camera system, check out what we have to offer!
