Every time I attend a tournament, I like to watch what all the other teams are doing so that maybe I can pick up new training methods or tools. I tend to pay closer attention to the faster teams because they are obviously doing something right.
We have all seen these teams with their video cameras and television sets. These teams all sit around after the each race reviewing their passes. It is common knowledge that if we could just improve our passing we could have better times, but for most teams video taping and reviewing just seems like too much work at a tournament. What if there was an easier way to get almost instant accurate feedback right after each heat? I know that many teams use people to call passes, but how accurate is this? With the speed of some dogs, it is almost impossible, unless they have wide passes, to call passes with any accuracy. So what is the answer?
The Digital Camera
Many of the new digital photo cameras are video capable. They can take short video clips up to 3 minutes or longer. This is more than enough time to record a heat. Armed with a digital camera, the pass caller just has to quickly review the clip and tell everyone what his or her passes were.
Picking the Right Camera
From my perspective, picking the right camera for the job is the most important thing. Some things to keep in mind when choosing a camera:
- It should have a larger LCD screen on the back for viewing. You need to be able to see it and quickly review each dogs pass.
- It should be easy to use. After all, you will need to record and delete each clip after each heat unless your camera has the memory and capability to record and store multiple clips.
- It should have frame-by-frame review capability. Not only should it have frame-by-frame review capability but also scrolling through the frames should be fast. I have an older digital camera which is frame-by-frame capable but it takes too long to scroll through the frames. It would take too long to review the clip before the next heat starts.
I am not a camera buff by any stretch so I cannot recommend a camera. The person that I saw using a camera for calling passes was using a small Nikon but I do not know the model. Perhaps someone that knows more about cameras can recommend one. Alternatively, armed with some of my suggestions you can head to your local camera store. If you find a good one, please let us all know. I will do the same.
Larry
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3 comments ↓
As much as anything, accurate pass calling is technique. An experienced flyballer advised me that most ‘callers are too close to the lane when calling passes. Back up a few feet, at least far enough such that you do not have to move your eyes/head to “see” the four-five feet each side of the start/finish. Take a mental “snapshot” as the returning dog crosses the line. This really aided me in developing a “recallable” image of the pass.
As to cameras, lighting is the enemy. If you plan to use a small digital camera, look for one capable of low “F-stops” in movie mode. Blurred is blurred, and leaves a measure of doubt open to interpretation.
A good video of passes is indespensable, as it can be the “black-and-white” that is used as a training aid. To be complete, the pass video should include some perspective on release points.
There was no blur at all with the camera that I saw being used. You could see perfectly the exact location of each dog. The floor was marked well and it was shot indoors with decent lighting. I can imagine other venues where lighting could be a problem. The person using the camera was back about 6 to 8 feet from the edge of the matting in position to see the start/finish line and all of the foot lines on the floor. The recording was not started until the first dog hit the box.
Using a digital camera to call passes does not take the place of a real video of all of the dogs. It is really just another tool you can use to accurately and instantly give feedback to the handlers while they are in the ring.
I too was watching the Nikon in use and asked about the Camera. I didn’t quite get the model number but I do know that it was a resonable priced Coolpix. The person showed me the ease of use on pausing on the pass mark and it really would have saved me some headache on some sensor errors vs. 6 foot late pass callings. Now I just need to dig my older / slower Coolpix out and test the waters.
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