10 Best Cameras For Videography Of Sports and Fitness

Filming workouts has become the norm

2020 definitely brought the entire world to screens. Because most of us have been confined to our homes over the past 12 months, phones, tablets, computers, and televisions have become the primary source of entertainment for many people across the world - much more than usual. This couch-slouching gave rise to at-home workouts and this spike is definitely record-breaking. The COVID period meant that studio owners and instructors had to quickly learn everything about digital technology.

Even though we live in an increasingly digital age, many people in the business may not be completely aware of how to handle technology like sports video recording equipment, basically creating a virtual presence of their business prior to COVID-19. In today's market, filming exercises for live broadcast and/or video-on-demand has become a must-have ability. Being able to record videos and broadcast your online sessions has become increasingly vital. For much of 2020, this was the sole way for gyms and studios to communicate with their customers.

Outside of that, it's critical for gyms and studios to develop video content for use on their social media channels and in general marketing. The trend of recording workouts has grown much more to become the norm in the fitness sector in recent years. Now, it's a huge investment and you must research well to know which are the best cameras for videography of workouts. We have the right guide to help you. So, let's get straight to the point.

Skip to section:

• What kind of fitness camera should you buy?
• 10 best cameras for videography of sports and fitness
• How to choose the right camera for you?
• Now, you are ready to choose your own camera
  

What kind of fitness camera should you buy?

DSLRs (Digital Single-lens reflex)

The DSLR, or Digital Single Lens Reflex, camera is one of the most common fitness and sports cameras used by professional photographers and videographers. Its bigger image sensors are the reason it attracts people's attention. Despite low-light settings, they produce an excellent picture or video output. A DSLR may provide a wide range of picture changes due to its interchangeable lenses, which allow photographers to reposition the camera from various perspectives. This kind of camera is a good choice if you need cameras to record YouTube videos .i.e. the picture or video quality is crucial to you. If you wish to shoot fitness workouts for YouTube or exercise photoshoot, sharper images or videos may be necessary which you would get easily from this camera.

Action Cameras

Action cameras have lately become popular, and they are quickly gaining traction on the market. It's made for shooting action footage and is the best camera for recording sports such as climbing or trekking in the mountains, diving to the lowest depths of the ocean, skating, or working out. While skiing, surfing, or diving, you may easily attach the camera to your clothing or cap. It has the ability to catch every moment while providing good, clear images from all perspectives. The majority of action cameras are small and portable. They're compact, simple to use, and water-resistant. Electronic image stabilization (EIS), high-definition movies, slow-motion, and burst mode are among the video capabilities of action cameras. You can keep the camera rolling for more than an hour while engaging in your workouts.

When you're buying a sports recording camera for filming fitness workouts or sports, it's essential to capture detailed scenes. Apart from that, choose the one with the most up-to-date capabilities that meet your video-making requirements. Some of the best cameras for fitness videos that are available for you to film both sports and fitness are listed below

10 best cameras for videography of sports and fitness

01. Panasonic Lumix FZ1000

While Panasonic has released a few new cameras in this category, we believe this is the best option as a beginner sports recording camera for exercise photoshoot and recording YouTube videos. The Panasonic Lumix FZ1000 offers an incredible degree of features for its price, with an excellent 16x optical zoom lens that delivers good visual output, even though the maximum aperture drops significantly once you zoom beyond 170mm. The FZ1000 has lots of utility for any sports and fitness photographer, with various burst settings to experiment with and satisfying DSLR-style handling. Its video features come with 4K 30p footage that looks beautiful and can be utilized as sports video recording equipment and a YouTube camera. It is also a great choice if you want to extract high-resolution stills.

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02. Garmin VIRB XE

The Garmin VIRB XE is an action video camera that is ideal for shooting professional-style films and photos and is one best cameras for recording sports performances. The built-in GPS sensor in Garmin cameras like this one helps to not only put your activity into charts and graphs that you can analyze later but also to display movements in real-time enabling crystal-clear photographs and video. The Garmin VIRB XE is a fantastic camera that is also waterproof to a depth of 50 meters and enables optimal audio functionality without the use of a protective cover. This is one of the best cameras for fitness videos and sports performances.

Bookee-o-meter - 4/5

03. Tom Tom Bandit

With Tom Tom Bandit, a firm best known for its navigation and GPS services has entered the camera market. The Tom Tom Bandit is a compact hand-held action camera with a full-frame display of the settings (no live view on this camera). It may be attached to a bike, helmet, or anyplace else where the attachment can fit. Even though this camera does not have a display for you to see what's going on, it does have a highlight button for you to capture moments while it's recording, and it's really easy to use. Tom Tom is one of the good video cameras ideal for individuals who don't have a lot of room and don't need a live view when shooting but still want excellent image quality. It has a battery life of over 3 long hours and is amongst the Top 10 best cameras for fitness videos and filming sports.

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04. Canon EOS 90D

Some have questioned the need for a DSLR in the age of mirrorless cameras, but Canon has fought back with the EOS 90D, a flexible and well-engineered camera. It's a versatile DSLR that can handle a wide range of filming areas varying from creating an exercise photoshoot and bodybuilding workouts videos to shooting sports. It's quick enough for sports photographers while still being weatherproofed for outdoor use. This is among the great filming cameras for YouTube and Videos-on-demand for your fitness studio. Its advanced metering system aids in achieving accurate exposures in JPEG mode, which is important given the RAW buffer's limitations in comparison to the competition. Surprisingly for a DSLR, the EOS 90D shines in Live View mode with the LCD, thanks to excellent touchscreen controls and a reliable Live View auto-focus technology.

Bookee-o-meter - 4.5/5

05. Fujifilm XT-4

The Fujifilm X-T4 is more than just an upgrade to another mirrorless camera. It's one of the good filming cameras ever manufactured. It's a joy to use, with an all-metal design and dial-led controls, and it produces stunning, bright photos right out of the box. For sports photographers, it has it all: fast burst shooting, a large buffer (at least for JPEGS), excellent high-ISO performance, and a fantastic stable of X-system lenses. Are there any drawbacks? The excellent 4K video on the X-T4 has gotten a lot of attention, and while this is definitely a positive thing, it does suggest that the price is a tad high if you only want to capture stills. It is an excellent fitness video and the best sports recording camera.

Bookee-o-meter - 4.3/5

06. Nikon Z 50

The Nikon Z 50 is the newest addition to Nikon's Z mirrorless camera family, and it's an APS-C model targeted at enthusiasts and newcomers seeking to take their first steps into mirrorless photography. It's the best camcorder for sports, fitness videos and photography, owing to its 11fps burst shooting, good autofocus system, and amazing image quality, with a dynamic range about which you can talk for days. With one eye on the future, it's one of the good video cameras to invest in.

This Z-branded lens can now achieve a maximum telephoto distance of 250mm. Using F-mount lenses is a nice temporary solution but not ideal in the long run, even with an FTZ adaptor. Nonetheless, with every indication that Nikon intends to make this camera a priority in the future, the Z 50 is a sound investment if you are hunting for the best cameras for videography.

Bookee-o-meter - 4.8/5

07. Sony A6600

Sony has done an excellent job in putting together the A6000 series as it is noted for being fast and light, with burst and autofocus capabilities that match those of the professionals. The A6600, the newest of the lot, is no exception, with 11fps burst shooting and a powerful 425-point autofocus system that promises features like real-time Eye AF tracking – a terrific tool for keeping track of a fast-moving player. Although the shot buffer has been lowered from the previous camera of the series, this is still among the good video cameras for capturing sports and fitness images including an exercise photoshoot.

Bookee-o-meter - 3.8/5

08. Sony A1

This camera can be the next ultimate mirrorless camera. There isn't much that it can't shoot. Sports and fitness? Check, owing to its incredible continuous filming at 30 fps. Fine detailing? Check, thanks to its 50.1MP resolution, you can stay assured. Video? Yes, because of its 8K recording capabilities (despite the fact that it lacks a fully articulating screen). The Sony A1 is without a doubt the most modern and powerful camera on the market making it in the top 10 best cameras for videography, but it comes at a price, quite literally. It costs even more than some Sony and Fujifilm cameras. There are additional limitations to the 30 fps burst, which isn't always possible. Overall, if you're looking for a camera that can handle any situation, be it a sports and exercise photoshoot, a gym camera, or a YouTube camera, this is it.

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09. Canon EOS-1D X MARK III

Like including FRIENDS in one of the most-watched and popular sitcoms, we are not surprising anyone by putting EOS-1D X MARK III in this list. In fact, the industry would be surprised if we didn't. It's the third generation of the world's greatest action DSLR, and it incorporates mirrorless technology to create one of the best cameras for videography and photography ever produced. The 1D X Mark III simply shoots and shoots, and it's one of the greatest sports video recording equipment ever built, thanks to an incredible smart joystick that makes handling a pleasure and deep-learning autofocus that improves with usage. You probably already have it if you are a photography enthusiast.

Bookee-o-meter - 5/5

10. Olympus TG-4

Last but not least is Olympus TG-4.This camera's stability and toughness are hard to top; not only is it waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof, but it'll also probably survive if you drop your gym bag on it — it's crush-proof! This is the best camera for fitness videos with high resolution. Photographs are recorded with a high-speed lens, as well as the ability to capture in low-light circumstances is an addition to its physical capabilities. Despite the lack of a touchscreen, the Olympus TG-4 has built-in WiFi for sharing action photos instantaneously.

Bookee-o-meter - 4/5

These are the finest DSLRs and action cameras to record YouTube videos or video tutorials of sports and fitness. These are for enthusiasts who know what they're doing and want a camera that will provide them alternatives to fit their degree of experience. These sports cameras all feature the high burst rates required for capturing quick action, as well as access to high-quality lenses that consistently offer exceptional images.

How to choose the right camera for you?

Are you wondering about all things you must consider while choosing the best cameras for videography of the sports and fitness genre? Here's a list of key elements to pay attention to before investing in a camera and help you find the best camera for fitness videos and sports filming.

1. Good burst Mode - A good burst mode is one of the most significant aspects. This is the number of frames per second that your camera can take. The faster it moves, the better your chances of catching that winning mid-action shot. Because they don't have a physical shutter to move, mirrorless cameras are more outstanding in this area. Many DSLRs, on the other hand, offer perfectly decent burst modes. A good burst mode, on the other hand, means nothing unless it's accompanied by a strong buffer depth. This is the maximum number of continuous photographs a camera can capture before having to stop. The buffer depth varies if you take pictures in different formats like JPEG and RAW files. This is the best camera for recording sports and fitness videos.
2. Auto-Focus - Another key element to choosing the best camera for recording sports and fitness workouts is a quick and efficient autofocus system. You'll likely wind up with a bunch of misfocused shots that will make you want to rip your hair out if your autofocus can't keep up with the activity. You'll want to search for fitness and sports cameras with a large number of autofocus points and if the one you chose has a sophisticated AF tracking system, you're on the right track.
3. Telephoto Lens - Almost all sports and fitness photography necessitates the use of a telephoto lens, whether it's capturing a Formula 1 car racing around the circuit or a sprinter crossing the finish line. If you have a little extra cash to spend, consider an interchangeable-lens camera with excellent telephoto capabilities. If you're on a tight budget, a compact sports recording camera with a wide zoom range, such as the bridge camera is a good option.

Now, you are ready to choose your own camera

As people become more health-conscious, they have started watching and following workout videos to help them accomplish their fitness goals. The best camera for videography should be used for your fitness videos which portray the classes as enjoyable, high-energy, simple to follow, and engaging.

Take your time while choosing the ideal camera for your requirements and tastes. They are costly and a significant investment, so do your homework and study every feature thoroughly.

Still figuring the most convenient way to live stream your fitness classes or sell video-on-demand? Well, Bookee makes it a piece of cake. Book a demo with us to know how we can help you do it.