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[Toby Mills]

I don't normally post here, I'm an audio guy

I'm running the sound for a concert coming up our AV department is putting in a screen and cameras.

Normally they put in a camera on a boom which floats around the front of the stage and generally looks horrible.

What I would like to find is something much smaller to point them in the direction of, I've seen one a few years ago but I don't know the brand or model or even what its called so I'll do the best job I can of describing.

Basically it was a pole about 10ft long with a swivel mount on one end. Attached to the swivel was a short camera (I'm inclined to call it a pencil cam). Power and composite for the camera fed down the pole. The whole thing weighed next to nothing and it didn't need any ballast like the big cameras.

As you twist the pole in your hands, the camera pans left to right on the end.

It was great because it was small and unobtrusive on the stage, you could literally poke the thing anywhere and get some great shots without the artists feeling like they had a camera in their face.

Can anyone tell me firstly what this contraption would be called, and secondly manufacturers or brands that might be of use.

My googling of "Pencil Cam" and Polecam have not been too sucessful.

My apologies, I don't know much about Video, but I'm keen to show our AV guys how something like this could work well on a concert stage where their bloody huge camera rigs are overkill and just get in my way

[Brian K Tennyson, CTS-D]

If you expect your video guy to switch to something like that for aesthetics, they you should be prepared to switch all your speakers to Bose 2" cubes for the same reason.

[Phil LaDue]

Brian Kent Tennyson wrote on Mon, 30 July 2007 12:40

If you expect your video guy to switch to something like that for aesthetics, they you should be prepared to switch all your speakers to Bose 2" cubes for the same reason.

It looks he writes their checks.

"noise productions is based in the lower north island of new zealand and specialises in sound systems.
the company was formed in 2002 by wairarapa based sound engineer, musician and entrepreneur toby mills."

[Toby Mills]

Yes, I do write the checks but I also understand the limitations.

Bose cubes might be pefectly suitable for the right kind of application (just none that I can think of right now).

Right tool for the job obviously.

I'm happy for the big cam's out the front but want them to consider something smaller for the stage, particularly on smaller stages and budgets.

I've seen something like it a few years ago overseas and the picture quality was fine for the application. The trouble is nobody has seen anything like it or since then so its difficult to get buyin without specs or anything.

We don't need HD or anything for this application.

I'm just after a small, compact, lightweight camera system that is pole mounted without counterweights and provides the ability to do simple panning by twisting the pole.

Surely someone must have seen something like this in their travels?

[Ken Freeman]

Wow.  You guys are mean to each other.  

Toby, I use a little VER rental made by Toshiba that I have attached to a boom stand and used for things like GTR pedal demo's and as overheads down on a drum kit for larger projects. I have not tried to put this on a broom stick yet, but I can see that if I find an app.   I think you might be thinking of the Sony X999 Cigar cameras.  

As an alternative, I have in my shop right now, one of Sony's BRC 700's that is a football sized remote pan and tilt. It looks better than what my handheld guys usually get for pick-ups, so I am thinking about mounting it on a heavy base mic stand and dropping it on the side of the stage to see what we come up with.

Ken

[Toby Mills]

bingo, that looks like it was the unit I remember.
Many thanks.