LIVE CAPTURE GE AR .
S port is among the most demanding fields of live broadcast. It requires equipment that’s portable, ergonomic enough to let skilled operators follow fast action, and needs huge performance from cameras. In a world of 4K and HDR, it gets even tougher. This issue has manifested in the sharing of equipment between the separate worlds of broadcast and cinema. Back when cinema was film and TV was video, the two fields had little technological connection. Notwithstanding the 1982 attempt by Panavision to create an electronic capture system in Panacam, film was still film, and TV remained TV. But the overwhelming desire to broadcast 4K pictures came some time before the easy availability of 4K broadcast cameras. That sometimes left live acquisition reliant on shoehorning cinema cameras – such as the Sony F65 – into the rather unaccustomed world of outside broadcast. This was just as Thomson developed its Viper cinema camera from broadcast roots back in the day. Since then, cinema gear has made its way to TV with some regularity, and while the ergonomics of this solution sometimes aren’t ideal, the desire to shoot high frame rates is. NEED FOR SPEED We find one example in Sony’s HDC-4800, which the company describes as Ultra High Frame Rate (UHFR). It’s not an unreasonable term, given it’s capable of 400p at 4K or 800p in HD. With effective exposures so low, at such high frame rates, it’s no surprise that adequate sensitivity requires a large Super 35 sensor – and, consequently, PL mount lenses. Although, the camera is otherwise set up as a live broadcast tool, with a layout that will be familiar to outside broadcast crews.
“For a solution relying on more conventional television lenses, look at the For-A FT-One-SS4K”
Such a camera is invariably paired with a Canon CN7x17, CN20x50 (if the football match is on the moon), or perhaps a member of Fujinon’s Cabrio series. Whether we consider that broadcast gear that happens to cover big chips, or film gear that works nicely for broadcast, is a matter of perspective. But they’re certainly very hireable items with a lot of uses, if you’re a rental house looking for sound investment. Both have control interfaces familiar to those in broadcast. For a solution relying on more conventional television lenses, look at systems such as the For-A FT-One-SS4K. Using an unusual dual-sensor configuration – with one sensor detecting red and blue, and another for green – the camera shoots a highly impressive 1000fps in 4K with conventional B4-mount lenses. It has all the benefits of compactness, zoom range, operability and speed that everyone is used to. Functioning on up to 20km of fibre-optic cable, the camera’s rack-mount base station provides various outputs to feed storage devices or switchers. For more portability, or perhaps better compatibility with smaller, faster-moving support
GOING FOR GOLD FT-One-SS4K’s 2/3in sensor is designed to shoot as brightly as possible (below). Its ultra slow-motion is perfect for sports
45. FEBRUARY 2022
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