Camera setup recommendations
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Anonymous
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Hey helpful fellow soccer parents! Looking for some advice here on some camera setups. I plan on beginning to record my daughters games and am an absolute NOOB when it comes to what I need. Really clueless but with much google I have seen many products and could use a bit of advice. I would only be recording half of the field most likely.
Here are my options: 1) Iphone - I have seen there are things called gimbles that go with them, would this be a legit option? If so what gimble would work and do i hold it all game (i know stupid question) 2) The latest go pro, I have read the most recent go pro is a decent option for recording games and it looks like there are zoom lenses and gimbles for this too. What the heck would i need? 3) Some sort of camcorder? I am clueless on what to get and what memory cards or attachments I would need. Those sports AI camera's look great but i really did not want to spend 1k on one, and also think my daughter might not be a big fan of the spectacle of me setting it up. |
Anonymous
If you have a high-end smartphone, I'd definitely start with that since you already have it. Several devices, both iPhones and Android, have decent optical zoom capabilities so from one side of mid-field, you can still get close up views of the opposite goal. They can also record at up to 4k resolution with high FPS. I'd definitely suggest a gimbal to hold and, more importantly, stabilize the phone so the video isn't "shaky". Take a look at something like the DJI Osmo Mobile 6, the Insta360 Flow or the Hohem iSteady M6. You can also mount most gimbals onto a lightweight tripod like the SmallRig AP-10 Carbon Fiber Tripod (just as an example). Of course, on windy days, you'll likely need to stay nearby or use some small sandbags or similar to keep the tripod from blowing over. You certainly could use an action camera like a GoPro but you'll still want to mount it on something so you'll be looking for a gimbal and tripod that work with that kind of device. Also, GoPro's typically don't have very good zoom capabilities and if they do, it'll be digital instead of optical which will "pixelate" your video. You can, of course, buy zoom lenses that mount on GoPro cameras but that's another added expense, obviously. If your DD is planning to stick with soccer long-term, and especially if she decides that she wants to play in college, you can always upgrade to something different. Plus, for recruiting, you're likely going to be using a lot of video from Veo/Trace cameras, anyway. Hope that's helpful to you! |
Anonymous
I agree with this ^^^^^ well stated post. I have an iPhone 15 and paired it with the DJI Osmo Mobile 6. A gimbal definitely helps with stability and is far better at keeping fat fingers out of the equation. It does take a bit of getting used to the controls and zoom wheel, but after a few games it gets easier. Using the native iPhone controls for zoom are not any easier in my opinion. My player is a goal keeper so I really am focused on one end of the field on a narrow field of view. I don’t really like the field level aspect and instead find filming higher on bleachers or on top of a hill makes for better videos. I also don’t try to capture the entire game. I set my iPhone for the highest resolution as possible at the fastest frame speed. I take lots of short snippets of video rather than one continuous video. It makes for easier identification of key plays and post video editing. The only issue I might note is that DJI is one of those sketchy Chinese companies. But I figure if the Chinese want to watch my kid playing soccer and snoop pictures of my dog, have at it. |
Anonymous
The people I know who got Veo or Trace split it with the team, with the exact arrangement worked out between the parents. The device is 1K but theres also a subscription fee. It’s very common to see people setting it up at travel games so I don’t think it would be a ‘spectacle,’ though it kind of would be if your dd is in rec lol. Agree with PP that you’d be surprised at the quality of video of an iPhone, even the older or cheaper models, and even without any accessories. If you haven’t already you may want to try this first to to see if you would be happy with just what your phone is capable of. biggest problem we’ve had with this is simply finding a good storage solution for the videos eg considering a team Flickr account if you want to share with the team, external hard drives if you don’t, and so on. For less capable smartphone models, there’s various clip on lenses you can use eg https://www.techgearlab.com/topics/electronics/best-iphone-lenses#amazing-telephoto-lens. We chip in for team Traces but I still use my smartphone sometimes b/c the quality is better and since I assume you’re not mounted on a tall pole  , the shots are closer. You can get better quality on the AI cameras but you have to pay extra for it and as you mention it’s already very pricey.
B/t these two options, we’ve never considered any others. If your dd is only in rec or not set on doing soccer for a long time, I would definitely go with just your smartphone, with or without a gimble or external lenses. |
Anonymous
| DD is starting GA (we are not in dc) so it is to get situated and prepared for the adventual college push (u13 in fall) . Appreciate all the help! |
Anonymous
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To help the first question is why record?
Option 1: Video for social media? My recommendation is a phone shooting in 4K 24 or 30fps on a cheap tripod like NEEWER 66" Carbon Fiber Tripod ($89) and a ULANZI Metal Phone Tripod Mount ($20) both on Amazon. Key thing is the tripod allows you to smoothly move left to right and back to rest your arms. Can easily be done sitting in your chair on the sideline. Option 2: Game review or streaming? Key thing you need is to be higher up. The equipment for Option 1 works in stadium settings. Everything else I find needs a veo type device. I've tried everything from the smart gimbals to go pros on high tripods. It's all a pain in the butt and not worth the effort. I've had camcorders mounted to 12 foot tripods with HDMI cables going to a monitor at the bottom. Pain. In. The. Butt. |
Anonymous
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I have used a iPhone for years for my DD. Just recently purchased a DJI OSMO Pocket 3 which is a combo recorder and gimbal in one at an extremely small size. Not cheap ($520) but worth it. It can shoot up to 4k @ 60fps. I typically still shoot in 1080/60 due to the heavy storage files of 4k.
My DD plays center back so I pretty much know when a play is about to happen with her in it. I am not recording the team, just her plays. Typical game I will get about 50-70 short 5-10 second clips. I will then weed those down to about 10-12 of the best clips for that game. I put those clips into Kinemaster (video editing) on the iPad and splice them all together. Add the circles or arrows pointing to her and then add catchy thumbnail and music. For showcase events, I will generally just have one highlight video for all three games. Never go past 3 minutes. Always the best clips first. She has a dedicated YouTube channel where I store all of her videos from the last few years. She is a 2026, so we have been sending the highlight videos out within Sports Recruit application to a million different schools across the country. I think video (and quality video) is extremely important in the recruitment process. I wouldn't get too serious with this until she has reached 8th grade and she is playing for a team/organization that puts tons of girls in college (NVA, Union, Maryland United...) |
Anonymous
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I have used a iPhone for years for my DD. Just recently purchased a DJI OSMO Pocket 3 which is a combo recorder and gimbal in one at an extremely small size. Not cheap ($520) but worth it. It can shoot up to 4k @ 60fps. I typically still shoot in 1080/60 due to the heavy storage files of 4k.
My DD plays center back so I pretty much know when a play is about to happen with her in it. I am not recording the team, just her plays. Typical game I will get about 50-70 short 5-10 second clips. I will then weed those down to about 10-12 of the best clips for that game. I put those clips into Kinemaster (video editing) on the iPad and splice them all together. Add the circles or arrows pointing to her and then add catchy thumbnail and music. For showcase events, I will generally just have one highlight video for all three games. Never go past 3 minutes. Always the best clips first. She has a dedicated YouTube channel where I store all of her videos from the last few years. She is a 2026, so we have been sending the highlight videos out within Sports Recruit application to a million different schools across the country. I think video (and quality video) is extremely important in the recruitment process. I wouldn't get too serious with this until she has reached 8th grade and she is playing for a team/organization that puts tons of girls in college (NVA, Union, Maryland United...) |