GL2 and shooting sporting events

[Curt Kay]

I just bought my GL2 with all the money I had ( poor senior in high school now ) and I'm going to record all the football games for the varsity team, drop it into vegas 4d, and make a dvd and sell it back to them at the end of the season. I'm just wondering on what accessories to buy.

Should I get a new mic first and if so which mic ( MKE300, ME 66, wireless lav, or maybe even an Azden )?

Or should I go with a wide angle lens ( WD-58H )?

Or get a XLR box ( MA-300 or a Beachtek )?

Should I get any lenses? I know i need a UV filter just to protect the camera, but does it work with a WD-58H?

The season just started and I make about $400 every 2 weeks, so price isn't really that bad, just need to know the order and what to buy. I've done my homework and read up on most the stuff, have a general idea on which model does what.

Any input is good input, thanks guys.


-Kay

[Alan Tran]

the sennheiser me66 is a really good mic, but you have to get an xlr adaptor

for the time being i opted to get the mke 300, and have been pretty happy with the way it sounds

[Peter Moore]

Well you probably do want a wide angle lens. Get the best one you can afford, as the quality of the lens really does affect the picture quality.

As for the audio, it dependson what kind of audio you're recording. If you're talking about interviews with players, just about any handheld mic will do. If you're talking about recording the sound from the audience, the mic on the camera might be just fine. If you're talking about the announcer, depending on how close you are to him, you might want to try tapping into his microphone and recording that directly into the camera.

I find a wireless lav always to be useful, but the affordable ones are VHF, and they're quite unreliable more than a few feet away. A wired lav is cheap and very useful for interviews, if you can get someone to stay still long enough to put it on properly. :)

[Ken Tanaka]

Curt,
After shooting a few games you will probably have a better idea of what, if anything, you need.

You have, in essence, asked a question akin to:
"I am building a house. What do I need to buy? A hammer? Eye protection? A drill bit?"

These are all tools, or parts of tools (ex: the XLR adapter), designed to solve particular problems. If you don't yet know your problems why are you shopping?

Get some experience with the camera. Learn to use it properly and well as-is to get a better feeling for it capabilities. Then begin to build-out your kit as specific needs become apparent.

(Personal rant) The majority of prosumer camera buyers seem to spend far more time researching the purchase of the camera than its actual use. They then get frustrated that they can't produce "professional" results out of the box with the camera, set it aside and move on to other activities. It's a heck of a waste. (Rant off)

Have fun with your new GL2. It's a tremendous tool in the hands of a skilled shooter.

[Curt Kay]

Thanks guys, yea friday was the first time I used it, still need to read the rest of the manual to figure out how to set the manual features on the cam. It makes some sense though, figure out what I need. I'll probably pick up a wide angle lens when i get some cash because some of the sidelin shots.

My main concern is still what type of a mic I need. The market is huge and your guys both like the MKE-300 and the ME66. Just trying to figure things out. I would like to record just the game and the hits, and just the mood of the game. The effort the players put into each play and the hits!!!


Thanks again.


-Kay

[Alan Tran]

in the long run the me 66 is the way to go

but if your tight on money the mke 300 is not half bad

[Donald Terao]

What equipment you need also depends on how you are planning to shoot the sporting event. Where is the camera going to be? If you are on the field with the players, you get some nice close ups, but many times this is not possible. If you're on the sidelines, you might miss a lot of the action, because of players getting between you and the action. I found being on the top row of the seats will give you a good overall view of the field. You have to follow the action very accurately with the zoom, because wide shots at this distance don't show any detail. You may not hear the "hits" from that far away, though. If you are on the sidelines or on the top row, a tripod is a necessity. A zoom controller attached to the tripod handle is also more than a convenience. Instead of a shotgun mic, in this instance, having a good windscreen may be more important to cut the wind noise. The Equalizer for the GL made by Light Wave Systems is an excellent product. If there is an announcer over the PA system, this setup may work pretty well.

[Curt Kay]

I'm on the sidelines with the players. I'm good friends with most of the team so they don't get in my way or hassle me. I want to capture the sounds of the game. The emotion from the players and the coaches and mostly, the sound of the game. Wind so far hasn't been a problem, but i know later in the season it'll get stormy.


-Kay

[Lloyd Roseblade]

I'm wondering if a Glidecam (2000 or 4000) would be a useful addition to your kit. That way you could run up the touchline (or whatever they call the outside line in American Football) and still take smooth footage.

I've never used one and so I'm not speaking from experience but in some cases I think they are perhaps better than a tripod. However, a tripod definitely has to be on your list somewhere.

[Mark Jefferson]

Hi Curt,

I shoot a lot of sporting event (mostley soccer) with my GL2. I have found that a wide angle lense is the most used tool in my bag of tricks. The on-board mike is good for most types of outdoor/crowd sounds. If you need interviews, a handheld wired mic that plugs into your camera works like a champ. For recording the announcers, I use a minidisc recorder that either plugs into the sound system, or just use a lav mic (clipped to the announcers mic) plugged into the minidisk recorder (HINT: I use the same setup for weddings. This is much cheaper then a wireless setup, and you don't need to worry about feedback problems or interference). then I just mix this in during post. I think you will find that the majority of the sound will be edited out or significantly changed during the editing process anyway. I take these videos and sell them back to the students/players, and they are always impressed with the quality of the video and sound.

Someone above posted a remark about a steadycam/glidecam. I think this is a good suggestion, but you can build your own for about $15-20. This biggest issue you will have is learing how to use it well, regardless of what you make/buy. Check out www.homebuiltstabilizers.com. They have lots of plans and examples.

I hope this helps,

Cheers,
Mark Jefferson