GEAR. PTZ s
On the move All the exquisite technology of cameras and lenses is nothing unless it’s being pointed in the right direction. With this in mind, Panasonic has taken a new approach to the mechanics. Avoiding complicated arrangements of motors and gears, its cameras are aimed by a direct-drive system, relying on much the same brushless motors used in gimbals and drones. The result is smoother and more robust against jamming, and implements the FreeD virtual- set protocol with a shade more accuracy than other devices. Controlling camera motion is another matter. Mark Roberts Motion Control – perhaps best known for its work on giant, high-precision, motion-control cranes – has specialised in PTZ camera control with its Polymotion Chat system. With it, one person can operate half-a-dozen cameras covering presenters and guests using automated feature tracking. Some systems of this type are beginning to deploy machine learning to make the tracking more robust, though the details are invariably under wraps. MRMC’s approach tracks not only faces, but also limbs; combine it with the latest developments in autofocus and the option to produce things like studio news sans crew seems increasingly plausible.
12G-SDI; there’s a supplementary 3G output for HD pictures, as well as optical, HDMI and IP network connectivity. It’s fully featured, but also has a one-inch sensor, which makes UHD pictures plausible in lower light than ever. Comparing the AW-UE150 to the AW-UE50 illustrates the difference between broadcast and industrial options. The UE50 is described by the company as suitable for entry- level studio configurations, with headline features including things like NDI (including HX), SRT and RTMPS streaming protocols – depending on the model. It’s a 4K camera clearly expecting to be found on the ceiling of the boardroom at a picture-quality- sensitive corporation, as opposed to flight-cased in an OB truck. The UE50’s sensor is specified as a 1/2.5-type. That naturally sacrifices some performance (and high-frame-rate 4K) compared to the one-inch options, but “Developments in sensor performance have made even these modestly sized chips more usable than ever”
makes for easier, less expensive lenses. A UE50 sells for around £2800, depending on the exact model. Developments in sensor performance have made even these modestly sized chips more usable than ever in theatres, which might not be lit for television – something that couldn’t always be said of previous generations. Canon’s offering is predictably robust. The CR-N500, released in May last year, is a one-inch camera with internal ND filters, a 15:1 zoom and, perhaps crucially, dual-pixel autofocus. The latter relies on Canon’s in-house sensor- manufacturing expertise and
BIG SPENDER Panasonic’s AW-UE150 (below) is at the top end of the price scale, listed for around £11,700
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