High speed cameras for motion analysis in sports science
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2016.111.05Keywords:
Biomechanics, Performance, Motion blur, Shutter speed, Frame rateAbstract
Video analysis can be a qualitative or quantitative process to analyze motion occurring in a single plane using one camera (two-dimensional or 2D) or in more than one plane using two or more cameras simultaneously (three-dimensional or 3D). Quantitative 2D video analysis is performed through a digitizing process that converts body segments or sport implements into digital horizontal and vertical coordinates in the computer. In order for these measurements to be accurate, image capture by means of video cameras must be sharp and motion blur-free, especially in high speed motions. In this paper, a detailed introduction to factors affecting image quality will be presented. Furthermore, selection of the most appropriate camera setting to undertake high speed motion analysis with the best quality possible, both spatially (focus and resolution) and temporally (frame rate, motion blur, shutter options and lighting), will be discussed. Rather than considering commercial criteria, the article will focus on key features to choose the most convenient model both from technical and economical perspectives. Then, a revision of available cameras on the market as of 2015 will be carried out, with selected models grouped into three categories: high-, mid- and low-range, according to their maximum performance in relation to high speed features. Finally, a suggested recording procedure to minimize perspective errors and produce high quality video recordings will be presented. This guideline starts with indications for camera selection prior to purchase or for testing if a given camera would fulfil the minimum features. A good video recording dramatically improves the analysis quality and enables digitizing software to produce accurate measurements.Downloads
References
Abdel-Aziz, Y., & Karara, H. M. (1971). Direct Linear Transformation from Comparator Coordinates into Object Space Coordinates in Close-Range Photogrammetry. American Society of Photogrammetry, 81(2), 1–18.
Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Tejero-González, C. M., del Campo-Vecino, J., & Bavaresco, N. (2014). The Concurrent Validity and Reliability of a Low-Cost, High-Speed Camera-Based Method for Measuring the Flight Time of Vertical Jumps. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 28(2), 528–533. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e318299a52e
Bartlett, R. (2007). Introduction to Sports Biomechanics. Sports Biomechanics.
Boreman, G. D. (2001). Modulation transfer function in optical and electro-optical systems. SPIE Press. https://doi.org/10.1117/3.419857
Box, H. C. (2010). Set lighting technician's handbook : film lighting equipment, practice, and electrical distribution. Focal Press.
CL Eye. (2014). Retrieved October 5, 2015, from https://codelaboratories.com/products/eye/
Clanet, C. (2015). Sports Ballistics. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech, 47, 455–78. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-fluid-010313-141255
Davidson, M., Olenych, S., & Claxton, N. (2007). Photomicrography, in Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, (4th ed.). Focal Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-240-80740-9.50125-2
Fuller, P. W. W. (2005). Some Highlights in the History of High-Speed Photography and Photonics as Applied to Ballistics. In High-Pressure Shock Compression of Solids VIII (pp. 251–298). Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27168-6_7
Garhammer, J., & Newton, H. (2013). Applied Video Analysis For Coaches: Weightlifting Examples. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 8(3), 581–594. https://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.8.3.581
Matter, M. (2015). edgertronic slow-motion video camera. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from http://wiki.edgertronic.com
McGinnis, P. M. (2013). Biomechanics of sport and exercise (3rd ed.). Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc.
Murphy, D. B. (2001). Fundamentals of light microscopy and electronic imaging. Wiley-Liss.
Payton, C. (2008). Biomechanical Evaluation of Movement. Sports Biomechanics.
Spivak, A., Kumar, A., & Franchetti, M. (Eds.). (2013). Energy Assessments for Industrial Complexes. Bentham Science Publishers. https://doi.org/10.2174/97816080570851130101
Wilson, B. D. (2008). Development in video technology for coaching. Sports Technology, 1(1), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/19346182.2008.9648449
Young, W., Dawson, B., Henry, G., Young, W. B., Dawson, B., & Henry, G. J. (2015). Sports Science & Coaching, 10(1), 10–20.
Downloads
Statistics
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2016 Journal of Human Sport and Exercise

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Each author warrants that his or her submission to the Work is original and that he or she has full power to enter into this agreement. Neither this Work nor a similar work has been published elsewhere in any language nor shall be submitted for publication elsewhere while under consideration by JHSE. Each author also accepts that the JHSE will not be held legally responsible for any claims of compensation.
Authors wishing to include figures or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright holder(s) and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.
Please include at the end of the acknowledgements a declaration that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed. The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not comply with the abovementioned requirements. The author(s) will be held responsible for false statements or failure to fulfill the above-mentioned requirements.
This title is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
You are free to share, copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
Notices:
You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation.
No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.
Transfer of Copyright
In consideration of JHSE’s publication of the Work, the authors hereby transfer, assign, and otherwise convey all copyright ownership worldwide, in all languages, and in all forms of media now or hereafter known, including electronic media such as CD-ROM, Internet, and Intranet, to JHSE. If JHSE should decide for any reason not to publish an author’s submission to the Work, JHSE shall give prompt notice of its decision to the corresponding author, this agreement shall terminate, and neither the author nor JHSE shall be under any further liability or obligation.
Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g., consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article, except as disclosed on a separate attachment. All funding sources supporting the Work and all institutional or corporate affiliations of the authors are acknowledged in a footnote in the Work.
Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the protocol for any investigation involving humans or animals and that all experimentation was conducted in conformity with ethical and humane principles of research.
Competing Interests
Biomedical journals typically require authors and reviewers to declare if they have any competing interests with regard to their research.
JHSE require authors to agree to Copyright Notice as part of the submission process.