special report speciality cameras
anywhere near the target, but that's including colour balance and exposure
where we came in. For the Beijing as well as remote system power
Olympics we were asked to provide a on/off switching. It was first used to
practical archery bulls-eye cover ice hockey at the Winter
camera...and in HD. We have supplied Olympic Games in Turin 2006.
bulls-eye cameras in the past using a • Body Cam is similar in concept to
small 6mm diameter single-chip SD Helmet Cam. A small pack, containing
camera mounted right in the centre of rechargeable batteries and a data
the target. There are no HD cameras receiver, is worn on the body,
this small so a special lens was providing full remote camera and
commissioned from UK company remote system power on/off
Abakus. This was 180mm long by switching. Full control of colour
10mm diameter, tapering down to balance and exposure are provided as
just 2 mm diameter at the tip. It standard. It was used at the Asian
provided stunning shots of the arrows Games in Doha, Qatar, the camera
hitting the target although quite a few being located on the baseball umpire's
spare tips were needed for the lenses vest.
a basis for the camera heads and Overhead camera due to the accuracy of the archers! • Baseball Base Cam is a three-CCD,
assembled a complete system. The
rig constructed by
Different producers have different SD or HD camera mounted in a
Camera Corps for
KP-D8's rectangular body was small
the 2008 Beijing
ideas about what constitutes an specially adapted baseball base. It is
enough that we could integrate it
Olympics.
innovative camera angle. The most designed to be kept online in the fairly
vertically into the support pole. The visually exciting images often come sure knowledge that the action will
optical sensor from the camera body from cameras mounted on the before long come within its field of
was turned through 90 degrees and competitors themselves. For the view. Integral air blowers allow the
mounted forward-facing with 360 Beijing Games, we mounted an HD lens to be cleaned under remote
degrees of motorised left/right pan. system on a participant's helmet control.
The cameras and the rest of the kit all during practice for the white-water • Slalom Pole Cam is, as the name
operated from a single 12 volt lithium canoe event. This was not small suggests, a remote camera housed
ion battery pack. An interface unit in enough to be used during competition within a ski-slope marker pole. This
each boat provided CCU control and proper so was recorded during allows highly dynamic shots of skiers
video switching between the two practice as an effects shot. We also to be captured in the course of their
cameras. The interface also powered provided an RF camera mounted on descent without risk either to skier or
an electrically-activated air canister the softball umpire’s vest. the camera operator.
which could be pulsed from the • The Underwater Remote Camera is
follow-boat to blow rain or spray off Special-purpose cameras a robotic pan and tilt system, now
the camera lenses. Video from the available in HD as well as SD, for
Equipment
boats was transmitted directly to The challenge of capturing high-visual- strategic placement in diving,
receivers at various locations along
apart,
impact point-of-view (POV) sports swimming and synchronised-
the riverside and passed onward to
successful
content from inaccessible positions swimming pools. Total control of the
the main OB unit. Our system was
television
was met over a period of years by head allows the operator to pan with
configured to allow remote power developing a series of task-specific individual swimmers as they approachcoverage of a
on/off switching as the battery power cameras: and turn at the end of every lap,
sports event
is limited to keep the weight down to • Designed for use in extreme capturing the 'touch' and 'push-off'. In
centres on
a minimum. The race itself lasts about weather conditions, Pop-Up Ice Cam the diving event, the heads can be
20 minutes during which time we had
the
consists of two POV cameras housed placed at the bottom of the pool to
to rely on our installation skills to
experience,
in a compact unit which can be raised capture the divers' entrance into the
ensure that our cables didn't get commitment and lowered using a remotely water. The operator is able to follow
caught in a rower's foot or round the controlled solenoid when required. the diver to the turning point and see
and
cox's ankles. The air puffer was put to The camera housing is embedded into the kick-back to the surface. The
enthusiasm
very good use, keeping the lens of the ice of the bobsleigh run. It has camera has also been used very
both the pole-mounted camera and
of the
successfully captured stunning footage successfully to capture underwater
the cox-cam free of water splashes
camera crews
of bobsleighs heading both toward action in water polo.
and, more often than not, clear of
and the
and past the cameras at speeds in An important specialty camera at
rain. A second minicam was mounted excess of 110 km/h. Pop-Up cameras any major sporting event is thesupport
in each boat giving a close-up view of were also used to great effect as weatherproof 'beauty' camera.
teams
the cox, barking out instructions and come-and-go cameras mounted at the These are outdoor systems
behind
encouraging his team mates. take off point for ski jumping. mounted in famous city beauty spots
them. When
• Helmet Cam is a very compact such as the top of the Sydney Harbour
you are
Delivering 'the ultimate POV camera built into a helmet worn Bridge, or the Great Wall of China. The
working live,view' usually by a referee. Using a single- systems have to be of the highest
CCD camera with a choice of lenses, it quality and for HD we use the Hitachi
there is no
Camera Corps is always looking for operates via an RF link or can record DK-H32 cameras with Fujinon 13x4.5
Take 2.
new ideas to give producers an to mini DV tape or solid-state memory lenses to give the ultimate high
innovative angle of view, be it from for later broadcast. A small pack, quality wide angle views. As well as
very high, very low or very dangerous containing rechargeable batteries and remote pan, tilt, zoom and focus we
locations. No archery contest organiser a data receiver, is worn on the body provide remotely controlled washers
would allow spectators to stand or sit providing full remote camera control and wipers. The cameras are normally
38 l ibe l march/april 2009 l www.ibeweb.com
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