Choosing the Best Camera and Memory Card for Sports

There all sorts of reasons for filming yourself doing sports: show off to your friends, improve your performance with slo-mo reviews of your technique, or just to make really cool action movies. Whatever the reason, there are a variety of brands and versions to choose from, each with their own strengths and disadvantages. It’s also important to choose the best memory card for your camera, as losing a day’s worth of film can be devastating. Here are some of the most common action-type cameras:

• GoPro Hero 4 Black – When aiming for top level quality. GoPro Hero 4 Black can capture videos up to 4k resolution at 30 fps, still photos at 12MP (30 fps bursts) and is waterproof down to 40m. This is the most expensive camera, but you also get what you pay for – top of the line specs for pro-level quality. If you think these specs are far above what you need, Hero 4 also comes in lesser versions called Silver and Session.
• Garmin VIRB XE – Use in conjunction with other Garmin wearables to add more information, such as speed and altitude, to your media. High definition footage at 1080p/60fps, 12 megapixel photos at up to 30fps and waterproof down to 50m.
• 4GEE Action Cam – Combine with the build-in 4G connection for instant sharing. It shoots 1080p (30fps)/720p (30/60fps) footage and 13MP stills. You can also stream live in 720p/30fps.
• Panasonic HX-A1 – Size does matter. Weighing in at only 45g this lightweight camera is excellent for everyday use. It’s rugged, dustproof, waterproof down to 1.5m and can handle temperatures down to -10. It captures footage up to Full HD and has a slow-motion mode that shoots 60fps at 720p or 120fps at 480p. It also has a night mode and includes an IR filter, which can be used with an infrared light source.

These are a few of the many cameras on the market for a good starting point when researching what to buy. And when it comes to high resolution/high fps video footage it’s worth spending a bit extra on a fast and reliable brand memory card. Using branded cards minimises the risk for data loss as they are generally higher quality.