"Switching" Two Cameras For Taping Gov./Public Meetings
Free Thinker
try something new, like using TWO cameras at the same time and switching
back and forth between them both. Currently at meetings I have to swing the
camera back and forth.
I've used a video switcher (Azden MX-1) in the past (don't have one now) but
I am looking for something easier that one person could use sitting at a
table. Is there a camera that has the ability to use an auxillary camera
(genlocked) with it?
Also, any suggestions as to a good "shotgun" microphone that could be used
to pick up people's questions in (40x40) room.
Please post reply and/or email me at: rock...@prodigy.net
Bill Mulcahy
Richard Crowley
>I have been a public access TV producer for many years and I would like
>to try something new, like using TWO cameras at the same time and
>switching back and forth between them both. Currently at meetings I
>have to swing the camera back and forth.
>
> I've used a video switcher (Azden MX-1) in the past (don't have one
> now) but I am looking for something easier that one person could use
> sitting at a table. Is there a camera that has the ability to use an
> auxillary camera (genlocked) with it?
My favorite is the Pannasonic WJ-AVE5 which allows two
non-synchronous inputs, has lots of wipes and effects, and
even picture-in-picture, etc. Not made for a long time, but
likely available on eBay, etc.
In addition to use with two cameras, also quite handy to use
with one camera and video from a computer (PowerPoint, etc.)
> Also, any suggestions as to a good "shotgun" microphone that could be
> used to pick up people's questions in (40x40) room.
Good luck. Shotguns don't work that well indoors.
Bob Ford
There are several of these on eBay right now that would be very
acceptable for your purposes.
Depends on how much you want to spend. I have a Panasonic WJMX-50 and
those are going for around $1500.00.
I have seen several WJMX-12's for MUCH, MUCH less. I had a 12 for
several years and it worked great for me.
Stay away from the Videonics MX-1 or even the MX-Pro. Pure junk in my
opinion.
Bob Ford
Images In Motion
www.imagesinmotion.com
Free Thinker
"Richard Crowley" <rcro...@xpr7t.net> wrote in message
news:127cr6r...@corp.supernews.com...
> My favorite is the Pannasonic WJ-AVE5 which allows two
> non-synchronous inputs, has lots of wipes and effects, and
> even picture-in-picture, etc. Not made for a long time, but
> likely available on eBay, etc.
Thanks for the info, but what I'm looking for is a CAMERA
that can take an auxillary video input and smoothly switch with it.
This way I could avoid moving the camera so much.
I see that some of the new high definition cameras specs talk
http://www.videomaker.com/scripts/news.cfm?id=1494
about a genlock input, but I can't tell if they have the feature
I'm looking for. Maybe there isn't one.
I would think there must be a camera, maybe a professional one,
out there that has this feature.
Bill Mulcahy
Richard Crowley
> "Richard Crowley" wrote ...
>> My favorite is the Pannasonic WJ-AVE5 which allows two
>> non-synchronous inputs, has lots of wipes and effects, and
>> even picture-in-picture, etc. Not made for a long time, but
>> likely available on eBay, etc.
>
> Thanks for the info, but what I'm looking for is a CAMERA
> that can take an auxillary video input and smoothly switch with it.
> This way I could avoid moving the camera so much.
Doesn't exist unless you make one yourself.
> I see that some of the new high definition cameras specs talk
> http://www.videomaker.com/scripts/news.cfm?id=1494
> about a genlock input, but I can't tell if they have the feature
> I'm looking for. Maybe there isn't one.
Genlock allows cameras to be synced together. Nobody who
can afford pro cameras does switching from the camera, which
is why the feature you are seeking doesn't exist.
> I would think there must be a camera, maybe a professional
> one, out there that has this feature.
Pro-level equipment implies pro-level staffing also. Whether
we like it or agree with it or not.
Ty Ford
(in article <Lisdg.78755$F_3....@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net>):
Doesn't Sony make a two rack space mulitmedia box that has a video follows
audio switching circuit?
Regards,
Ty Ford
-- Ty Ford's equipment reviews, audio samples, rates and other audiocentric
stuff are at www.tyford.com
nobody special
the room and feeding those to a mixer near your free hand.
For cheap switching between 2 cameras into a deck, you already got
pretty good suggestions as to what to get or avoid. You could also
just buy a vertical interval router type box, there are several that
would work for you in the 3-400 dollar range. You would feed this
switched input to a stand alone deck.
I have a DVCpro camcorder that has a video input on the back so you can
use the camera as a deck, but there is no way you could switch feeds in
it the way you were asking. It's either a camea or a deck taking in
external video, never both.
Another way you could go though is to use a mac laptop and a usb
cheapie camera for the wide shot and your Dv camera as a firewire
input, add Channel Storm's Livechannel software and the laptop becomes
a cheaper version of the video toaster, able to switchsources, add
graphic supers , etc. plus it records the switched mix to the hard
drive and can even simultaneously pointcast it tot he internet as a
live stream. not bad for $999 software. Free demo to download and
try. The catch is, i don't think it can switch two DV streams live
even if the laptop has 2 firewire ports. But it should be able toe
switch from a USB conferencing type cam and the Dv camcorder ok.
B. Olson
> Depends on how much you want to spend. I have a Panasonic WJMX-50 and
> those are going for around $1500.00.
> I have seen several WJMX-12's for MUCH, MUCH less. I had a 12 for
> several years and it worked great for me.
> Stay away from the Videonics MX-1 or even the MX-Pro. Pure junk in my
> opinion.
> Bob Ford
> Images In Motion
> www.imagesinmotion.com
I have heard this too, re the Focus Enhancement / Videonics switchers. I've been reading about a switcher that Datavideo makes
but I have not seen one in person or being used. The Panasonic old switchers mentioned are a pain these days because you'll get
glitches on each switch unless you hit a button or two before you make the switch. Hard to explain - but in other words, you have
to do more than just hit one button from "Camera 1" to "Camera 2" to avoid the glitch. It's a royal pain. If you're using
firewire, then you'd have to use new equipment. Panasonic makes a new digital switcher but it's very expensive
Rick Merrill
We run all input through a Hotronics frame sinchronizer. Therefore we
can use a simple snap action 3:1 coax switch and there is NO "glitch"
during the switch: simple and economical.
Bill Mulcahy
$400 on
ebay. I used one years ago and it works fine for what I want to do, that is
smooth
video transitions with no flicker and a good picture. I thought there may
have been
something out there that I could put in the palm of my hand.
Bill Mulcahy
"B. Olson" <reallifevide...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:reallifevideoNoSpamtoda...@sn-ip.vsrv-sjc.supernews.net...
Mr. Tapeguy
Bill Mulcahy wrote:
> I wrote the original post. I just bought an old videonics MX-1 for less than
> $400 on
> ebay. I used one years ago and it works fine for what I want to do, that is
> smooth
> video transitions with no flicker and a good picture. I thought there may
> have been
> something out there that I could put in the palm of my hand.
>
> Bill Mulcahy
>
Well if that's all you needed, what the heck.
Typically as people increase their capabilities their creative vision
also broadens, which leads to looking for the next step. I would
consider looking at Final Cut Studio or one of the other systems with
Multi-camera editing capability if you aren't using one already. You
may not be doing much post now but it may give you some ideas for down
the road.
Craig
nobody special
>
> Well if that's all you needed, what the heck.
>
> Typically as people increase their capabilities their creative vision
> also broadens, which leads to looking for the next step. I would
> consider looking at Final Cut Studio or one of the other systems with
> Multi-camera editing capability if you aren't using one already. You
> may not be doing much post now but it may give you some ideas for down
> the road.
>
> Craig
>
> http://www.pro-tape.com
No, for something like this you really REALLY want to live-switch it as
much as possible. If it goes 4 hours on 2 cameras, you waste an entire
8-hour day just digitizing before you can even make a single cut, you'd
be better off using tape-to-tape machine control for edits. Then
editing would take you another 10 hours. Meanwhile, there's more
meetings to tape; your drives are filling up, you have another 4-hours
of output time for each project...you'd NEVER get ahead, unless
meetings were only once a week or fewer. And your coverage becomes less
timely.
NLE's are fabulous tools, but not the solution to everything.
Richard Crowley
AMEN, brother!
This kind of production is virtually always done live-
switched to tape for that reason.