Visual Aids

I am looking to put cameras into the sanctuary. Should I use a robotic camera or a camera on a tripod?

Great question. The first thing many people ask is, “Which costs more?” Since you can have robotic systems that cost more than manned systems and you can have manned systems that cost more than some robotic systems, a better question might be, “Which camera solution better meets your needs?”

The price for each is going to depend on the camera quality and what options you need. You need to look at the image quality and functions you need as well as what people resources you have to work with. Let’s assume that we are dealing with a 3-camera setup.

You will need at least one person for each camera, plus the person running the switcher. For a robotic camera setup you can have one person running multiple cameras and one person to run the mixer. Running multiple cameras at the same time takes a good deal of practice so it may not be the best place to put a new team member in your ministry. So it’s 4 moderately trained people and one highly trained person vs. 2 highly trained people. Is requiring more people a bad thing? Not necessarily. It can allow you to get more people involved in serving in ministry, and running a camera is a great entry point for people to jump in.

Now, let’s look at the functionality. If you need the precision shots with presets available at any moment, then a robotic camera with predefined camera locations is a good solution. It is difficult to get the exact some frame each time with a manned camera (but it’s possible to get close). However, if you need to follow the subject and switch to multiple angles – or just get the best angle quickly – then manned cameras would be better. The bottleneck with the robotic cameras – one operator controlling multiple cameras – is that you can only position one camera at a time. In addition, it is much more difficult (almost impossible) to follow someone moving about the stage with even a high-end robotic camera controller.

When you start comparing the cost, apples to apples, you are going to pay a lot more for a robotic camera with the capabilities you need than for a traditional manned camera with the same features.

A big draw for robotic cameras is that manned cameras take up more space on the floor of the sanctuary, and robotic cameras are often less obtrusive. While this is a valid issue, as we have seen, it’s not the only issue to consider.

Partnering with a company that you can trust to ask the right questions, has experienced all of the roadblocks, and has thought through all of the possibilities can help you find the best camera systems solution for your church. Call Fowler at 1-800-729-0163 to talk to a camera systems specialist.

What do you need to know?
[ask a question]

<< Back to Newsletter Article List