Golf and Photography

This is literally the reason I started this thread. When I found this information I immediately thought “I need to get as many pictures as possible”. @GRWhitehead no big deal, If I spent money on a camera and got stopped at the gates i’d be less than pleased so the affirmation was nice.

@alexshreff Good info. Was leaning more towards the G7X based on what I had read, but started down the youtube review path and I couldn’t agree more with @BD8. It’s an immediate soul sucking expedition.

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This will echo what a lot of others have said, but I made the move from Nikon DSLRs to the Fuji mirrorless family approx 4 years ago and haven’t looked back after going from shooting semi-professionally throughout college/grad school to having it be more of a hobby.

That being said, a smaller form factor for golf is definitely yuge and the mirrorless cameras have “good enough to great” quality these days to make a full DSLR unnecessary for most. I’m a big fan of the Fuji mirrorless cameras and echo the X-T20 or X-T30 suggestions or really most of Fuji’s cameras depending on budget and needs. My daily driver is the X100 and its great though probably not versatile enough to be your only camera at AGNC. It’s a beast though - I’m pretty hard on it, including (accidentally) submerging it under water on a fly fishing trip and it continues to work like a champ.

My wife & I are making a trip across the pond for her to go to museums in London, and for me to go watch the Dunhill Links & play at Cullen. We’re trying to figure out what to do for a camera, as we both want something small but still quality.

My mom recently purchase a Sony a6300. Is it comparable to the Fuji you’re referencing? Apologies as I’m about as literate when it comes to cameras as Bryson is when it comes to physics.

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I agree with this completely.
However, I have found that the simple intentional act of bringing along a dedicated camera can push you to take better photos. We always have our phones on us, and I find I tend to take photos the same way I use my phone, quick and mindless. While my phone takes amazing photos, I find my composition to not be as good.
When I step foot on the golf course with a dedicated camera along, I make a conscience decision to look for great photos, and take the time to do them justice and capture them well.

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I second this. Having a camera on me pushes me to take better photos and create more content.

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^ Agreed. Also of vital importance to me is that if you’re going to get a good, dedicated camera you’ve gotta learn how to use it, at least on a basic level. There’s no point in spending a grand on a good camera only to leave it in auto mode its entire life. Understanding the basics of how to compose a shot, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, etc. in order to get the shot you’re trying to create goes a long way.

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Absolutely. Just because you get a top of the line camera doesn’t mean you will be creating content that will be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

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From a hockey photographer, the 2018 AHL photo of the year was taken with a good 'ol Canon Rebel T6i and a kit lens. It’s all about experience with your gear and exploring and many angles/options for shots as you can :slight_smile:

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Wondering if this is the right thread since it seems mostly about still photos, but I’d like to start trying to do my own Tourist Sauce-style videos, mainly to make something that my friends and playing partners can watch back and laugh at our own misfortunes on the course. I’m wondering if any of the cameras mentioned here are better than others for video? Alternatively, could a GoPro work for this? And if that’s the case, now we’re talking drones… which should probably be its own thread :roll_eyes:

I am here for that. I bought one this winter but haven’t had a chance to take it to the course yet. Would be curious about using it while still maintaining pace of play, dealing with other golfers, tips and tricks to shooting with it, etc.

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I’d say you’re in a good spot (Gear Talk)

Speaking only from experience, you can do really good quality videos (+ slow-mos and whatnot) with a point and shoot digital camera. I’m a g5 fan since it has a viewfinder, but the screen flips and rotates so you can see what you’re doing while filming.
GoPros work really well for video since they’re action cameras, but the sound quality on them aren’t great

Drone wise…most of the guys I’ve talked with are DJI Phantom users, but the DJI Spark looks a little more appealing since the whole thing can be packable (I think the Links Mag guys use a Spark)

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I second what you said about point and shoots being great for video. Flip out screen, compact, high quality. A good amount of top YouTubers use point and shoots for either their main or secondary camera in their videos. GoPros are good for some things, but hard to watch a full vlog style video when filmed on one. And yes, the audio quality isn’t great.

DJI Mavic is a great drone too. A little higher quality than the Spark and more compact than the Phantom.

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Those Phantom’s are pretty big and cannot be easy to travel with but totally understand it for a professional. I think @djpie can confirm but I thought I saw them using a Mavic of some type given the controller being used.

For me, I was torn between the Mavic 2 and Mavic Air, eventually going for the Air. Camera quality is virtually the same but is about $500 cheaper. Battery life is the only downside (about 18-20 min), but I have several and it’s a piece of cake to swap out. Folds down into a small case I can easily fit in a backpack.

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I’ve got a mavic and love it. Its perfect to carry in your golf bag.

That said, i’m fairly certain all the youtubers are using phantoms.

I know that Casey Neistat uses the Phantom and Mavic for all of his drone footage.

Guys I said drones should be a separate thread! :slight_smile: Seriously this is great info though, thanks.

Eh…drones = photography = this thread :stuck_out_tongue:

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Do you have a link to that photo? As a hockey player I’m just curious as to what it looks like.

^ from my buddy Todd Reicher :slight_smile:

Aaaaanndddd a shameless plug of my work lol (more on instagram at TCRBrad)

View gallery here

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How do you guys balance taking photos and pace of play? I rarely pause to find the best angle or best way to shoot a photo because I don’t want to hold up my group or the one behind.