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[drewgandy]

I'm looking for some recommendations for robotic camera arrangements.  Anybody doing this for church services?  

drew

[Mac Kerr]

drewgandy wrote on Wed, 07 April 2010 00:11

I'm looking for some recommendations for robotic camera arrangements.  Anybody doing this for church services?   drew

What kind of quality of movement are you looking for? There are lots of robots that will point the camera where you want it, but move in steps. A smooth pan, or lots of programmed shots is more expensive.

A studio I work in just installed a system by Showtuko (I think) that controls 8 cameras with the look of a cameraman. The camera can move by cut, pan, or swoop, depending on whether or not it is on air. It will cut to the next shot unless it is on air, if it is on air it makes a smooth pan. I expect it is a very expensive system.

Mac

[drewgandy]

Mac Kerr wrote on Wed, 07 April 2010 12:49

I expect it is a very expensive system. Mac

Well if it's one of your clients then, no surprise, right?  

I'm looking at systems that basically point the shots 'off-air' and then you take the shots when you need them. Presets mostly.  Simple operation for church volunteers.  
Videobotics.com,  Vaddio.com.  How about some others?

[Brad Weber]

I personally avoid the terminology 'robotic' cameras for most applications as there are overhead track and X-Y camera positioning systems, remotely adjustable height camera pedestals, etc. that can be part of such systems and that provide 'robotics' well beyond the basic pan/tilt/zoom/focus (PTZF) functions.  However, there are many churches using a wide range of PTZF camera systems.

On one end you have basic packaged, videoconferencing style units from manufacturers like Sony and Canon.  On the other end are broadcast quality pan/tilts (or other movement systems) from companies like Telemetrics or Panasonic paired with high quality cameras from Panasonic, Sony, Ikegami, JVC and so on along with Fujinon or Canon lenses that support remote zoom/focus and presets.  In between that is a pretty wide range of options.  So you probably need to narrow it down a bit more in areas such as camera resolution, field of view, packaged camera/pan/tilt or separate camera and pan/tilt units, budget, etc.

Until recently the Vaddio products were essentially control and cabling systems for other manufacturer's cameras.  More recently Vaddio has started introducing some of their own packaged camera products.  But there product lineup may give you some idea of the range of devices out there.

[Mac Kerr]

This is the system I was referring to.

Mac

[drewgandy]

Brad Weber wrote on Thu, 08 April 2010 09:52

I personally avoid the terminology 'robotic' cameras for most applications ...

Good idea.  I'm referring to low cost PTZ (PTZF) cameras.  
So far I'm looking at standard def (I think that still has meaning) cameras with some simple control mechanisms. I think one of my assumptions was that most church operations would be using real camera operators if using real broadcast level cameras. Obviously that's short sighted given the overwhelming use of robotics in talking head news type broadcasting these days.  Anyway, I'm intrigued by the Vaddio hd18 camera.  And at the price I was given I think it almost puts HD in reach for this installation (not that it's really necessary).   Has anybody used these? How about some other camera control and switching systems at this level?  

drew

[Don Sneed]

I been installing Vaddio production View Super Joystick controller with Sony Wallview 70PTZ. A great camera system, easy to use...A 3-camera setup & controller is around $8K plus installation. I use this system in a composite mode, going to a VDA to send the video to the projector & LCD monitors thru out the church such as foyer, pastor's office, nursery, & fellowship hall....The HD verison cameras are around $4 to $7K each & the controller starts at $8K, a 3-HD camera system will be about $25K plus installation, I sell more Vaddio non HD than we do the HD model, in fact we are installing two Vaddio system this week & two more next week...

[ProSoundWeb Community]