# PTZ Camera for theater setting



## Will Blair (Dec 13, 2019)

Has anyone come across a decent PTZ camera and desk that works in a theater setting? Something with an adjustable exposure? It would be used for a live shot in a show so it needs to be at least 720p.


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## ruinexplorer (Dec 13, 2019)

How far away will it be from the stage? I had found a decent one, but not for the distance.


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## Will Blair (Dec 13, 2019)

ruinexplorer said:


> How far away will it be from the stage? I had found a decent one, but not for the distance.


On the down stage corners probably.


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## danTt (Dec 14, 2019)

I'm assuming budget is a concern? The Panasonic HE130 is sort of a standard, but not cheap


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## ruinexplorer (Dec 16, 2019)

Will Blair said:


> On the down stage corners probably.


I did mean from the camera to the stage.


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## eadler (Dec 17, 2019)

Took a gander over at B&H as I haven't gone looking for one in some time and https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1461120-REG/avipas_av_1280g_10x_full_hd_3g_sdi_ptz.html/specs seems VERY interesting. <$1k, supports VISCA. I don't see any visible DIP switches... I'm guessing you configure the SDI output over the IP interface? (maybe it has an IP-based control interface too?)


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## Jay Ashworth (Dec 17, 2019)

We've got a couple PTZOptics 20x SDI's in here, and they're decent; they blow out on highlights a bit if you don't light *for them*. They're supposed to have manual iris, but I think ours need a firmware update, cause the knob for that doesn't seem to adjust anything.

They're not horrible for $1600, but I'd have preferred a bit better.

They have 12x and 30x models too, and USB/HDMI out depending on your needs.


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## ruinexplorer (Dec 18, 2019)

This is the camera that I did a demo with. It is about $1500 without the controller. It was an amazing camera, but not at the 135' distance that I needed.


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## Jay Ashworth (Dec 18, 2019)

If you need to shoot 135 feet to the stage, you're gonna have a hard time, I suspicion, getting a camera that will give you clean small moves at that distance even if you're spending $15k for just the mount from Telemetrics...


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## eadler (Dec 18, 2019)

Jay Ashworth said:


> They're supposed to have manual iris, but I think ours need a firmware update, cause the knob for that doesn't seem to adjust anything.


In looking/using in the past, I've noticed a few VISCA-controlled PTZs that "manual iris" is really a +/- adjust on the auto *or* there's a menu or DIP switch option to change it between a +/- and true manual. Now that I think about it, I think there's actually a setting on our controller to change the control mode...


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## macsound (Dec 18, 2019)

Jay Ashworth said:


> We've got a couple PTZOptics 20x SDI's in here, and they're decent; they blow out on highlights a bit if you don't light *for them*. They're supposed to have manual iris, but I think ours need a firmware update, cause the knob for that doesn't seem to adjust anything.
> 
> They're not horrible for $1600, but I'd have preferred a bit better.
> 
> They have 12x and 30x models too, and USB/HDMI out depending on your needs.


Do you know if the USB (or other) models can be used with a software controller or do you always need their control surface?


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## eadler (Dec 18, 2019)

PTZOptics 20x-SDI Gen2 Live Streaming Camera (Gray)

Buy PTZOptics 20x-SDI Gen2 Live Streaming Camera (Gray) featuring Open-Source 1080p60 Broadcast PTZ Camera, Live 3G-SDI, Dual-Stream LAN, HDMI Out, Composite Out, RS-232 I/O, RS-485, PoE, H.264 / H.265 Dual Stream, MJPEG Stream, 3.5mm Audio Input for HDMI & IP Stream, 1/2.7" CMOS Sensor, 0.5 Lux...



www.bhphotovideo.com





"The camera can be controlled via the LAN port over a network, ONVIF over a network, and RS-232 via VISCA commands."


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