CCTV for SM Desk

[Alwal]

I'm looking for a cheap analogue CCTV camera to run to a DVR at the Stage Managers desk back stage.

obviously, it will need to be able to handle the high intensity stage light to avoid white faces.

 

any suggestions?

[alistermorton]

How much do you call cheap? The one we use seems very flexible, copes well with full stage and blackout, but costs over 100 quid. It's a Samsung - can't remember the model.

 

We can use a relay on a DMX channel to force the iris and IR modes, so a bit of extra work by the lighting programmer ensures the camera is always in the optimum setting for the lighting state, since the auto-iris and autoswitching can be caught out by the lighting.

[chelgrian]

I'm looking for a cheap analogue CCTV camera to run to a DVR at the Stage Managers desk back stage.

obviously, it will need to be able to handle the high intensity stage light to avoid white faces.

 

any suggestions?

 

In order to have a hope of dealing with the dynamic range produced by theatre lighting you have to have a low light camera with an auto iris lens. We have a Panasonic WV-CP500 (there are probably newer models now) which must have cost around £300 including the lens and even that has trouble, although is a lot better than some previous cameras we've had. Thanks to Brexit these things are even more expensive now.

 

We had to lock this particular camera in to colour mode to prevent it auto back focusing because it takes to long to adjust focus when switching between black and white and colour modes.

[alistermorton]

Yeah, the ones we use we've had installed for a couple of years now and I think they were 160 quid trade so no idea what they are for the end user (one of our guys works in security systems so can get trade prices).

 

Controlling it via the DMX relay is more reliable than letting it try to auto switch.