I have never wanted to use a camcorder before, but now have a specific requirement, and I'm looking for advice on whether a pocket camcorder would be sufficient.
I would like to video my golf lessons, for later review on my PC. The lessons are in a (covered) bay of the driving range. I (or the pro) will be standing at a fixed position (where the balls are dispensed). I hope to put the camera on a cheap tripod behind me looking out on to the range and leave it in place throughout the lesson. It would be nice if the camera picked up the trajectory of the ball, but the main thing I want to capture is my swing (or the pro's).
I want to be able to capture what the pro says during the lesson. The environment should not be too noisy, though there will be golf balls being hit in other bays. If I buy the camcorder below, I can plug in an external microphone if necessary.
There is a wall at the back of the range, and the furthest away I could site the camera from the target position would be 11 feet.
The camcorder I am considering is the Kodak Zi8 with spec:
Sensor type: 1 / 2.5–type 5 MP CMOS
Lens: 6.3 mm, f/2.8, fixed focus lens. 35 mm equivalent: 61 mm (1080p), 46 mm (720p/60 fps, 720p, WVGA), 42 mm (still)
Zoom: 4X digital
Display: 2.5–type LCD
Storage: 128 MB internal memory*, SD/SDHC card expansion slot
Focus modes: normal, macro;Focus range: normal: 100 cm–infinity. macro: 15 cm
White balance: auto
File formats: video: H.264 (MOV), AAC LC, still: JPEG
Capture mode: 1080p (1920 × 1080, 30 fps),720p/60 fps (1280 × 720, 60 fps),720p (1280 × 720, 30 fps),WVGA (848 × 480, 30 fps),Still (5.3 MP, 16:9 widescreen, interpolated)
Microphone: yes (monaural)
Speaker: yes
I/O interface: USB 2.0 (high speed), AV out, HDMI, DC in, external microphone jack (support stereo)
Tripod mount: 1/4 in. standard
Power: KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery KLIC-7004, AC adapter;Dimensions: 62.0 × 113.2 × 21.5 mm (2.4 × 4.5 × 0.9 in.)
Weight: 110 g (3.9 oz) without batteries
Will this camera be appropriate for the application? In particular will it be OK for capturing me (5' 10") given the lens is fixed focus and the furthest away the camera can be is 11 feet?
Thanks.