Vol.02 event production Co., Ltd. introduced CR-N500 to internalize the image release business. Canon remote camera introduction interview [PTZ SCENES]-PRONEWS: digital Image production online Magazine

What is the reason for PTZ's sudden fame?

When it comes to the PTZ camera, what will be the impression? The remotely controlled PTZ (pan, tilt, zoom) camera has many special uses and may not be familiar with it, but the situation has changed in recent years.

In view of the trend of self-discipline brought about by the spread of novel coronavirus's infection in 2020, with the increasing demand for webinars and live broadcasts, the use of PTZ cameras in small-scale production and general shooting sites continues to expand. The reason is that this is a camera that can intercept images with a small number of people and rich changes.

Therefore, the two image production companies that imported the PTZ camera conducted an interview about the process, convenience and advantages of the import. In this article, why did event Productions bring PTZ cameras into Canon remote camera "CR-N500" 3 and remote camera controller "RC-IP100" Sato Guixian, producer of Cubrace Fallace in Tokyo's Nakano District? I asked about the background.

Internalize the outsourced video publishing business

First of all, please tell me the business content of your company.

Mr. Sato:

In a word, it is the production company of the event. Specifically, will comprehensively participate in the enterprise's new product launch and new CM launch and other work. Basically entrusted by the advertising agency, we should not only consider the arrangement of the venue, the production, performance and production of large props and props, but also contract all the relevant contents of the implementation of the activities, such as the arrangement of video, audio, lighting, the appointment of the host, and the prior adjustment of the performing artist firm.

Please tell me some details about the content of the activity.

Mr. Sato:

From a large venue such as the activity hall in Tokyo to a large-scale meeting with more than 100 artists, to the president of the enterprise personally speaking in the conference room, the guests were put into the venue before the corona, centering on the so-called "real activities." However, under the influence of the coronal disaster, the real activities were all cancelled and all were released online. In the process, there is an opening event. At first, it was carried out in the real world, but as a result, it was temporarily suspended as an image release activity due to the coronal disaster. However, at that time, the county where the venue was located had zero infection, so it gave up sending staff from Tokyo and switched to connecting the local venue and Tokyo headquarters through the Web conference service. Thanks to your blessing, the event has been highly praised.

So far, the part of image production has been outsourced, so why introduce CR-N500 to our company?

Mr. Sato:

Got a good evaluation in that opening event, took this opportunity to become interested in the image sending business, and began to wonder if it could be internalized within the company. In order to carry out a high-quality official release, the lighting and sound in the venue needless to say, but also need to entrust professionals to carry out various business. But something went wrong here. Probably will not leak, after the coronal disaster, the image release activity surged. Among them, the professionals of video release are very popular. Especially when the first emergency declaration came out, every day the scene was too busy to find the negotiation time for the next job, and the video publishers could not catch it. In short, releasing the image of the activity is life. Because it was uneasy not to negotiate satisfactorily, I began to think that I had to think of my own way, and I couldn't send the image. Although I have no experience in imaging so far, I have been working in the activity industry for many years, so I have basic knowledge first. Therefore, I asked the people who are familiar with the image release and the image release company introduced by my acquaintances at the scene, so that they learned a lot at the release site and finally mastered the knowledge. I initially bought two small business cameras. Because the untouched layman suddenly got a business camera, so the colors of the two cameras are completely different, in short, it is very difficult to use. Switches and buttons are unique, and it's hard to set the level of the menu. So far, all the things that can be done by asking photographers are done by themselves, and I once again feel the power of professional photographers. Surprisingly, there is little information about the use of business cameras, although it is very hard, but still try to refer to YouTube to collect network information. At that time, I learned about the existence of Canon PTZ camera on PRONEWS. A variety of manufacturers are selling PTZ cameras, and the Canon CR-N500 is chosen because the idea of long-term use of the latest model feels as easy to deal with as IT products. In addition, because I do not want to compromise the quality of the image sent, I chose the CR-N500 of the upper machine.

Those who take the stage with strong autofocus will follow firmly. It is rare to be able to operate intuitively

-- how do you feel about actually using CR-N500?

Mr. Sato:

Although three CR-N500 sets have been introduced, there is no individual difference in color. The white balance and exposure can be set through the operation on the browser, and the user interface is easy to understand. Even laymen are free to use features comparable to business cameras. Of course, the quality of the picture is 4K, so it's impeccable. I also like the fact that there is less noise. If the camera brought by a professional is this level of picture quality, it is the level of "use this next time". Also, autofocus is powerful. So far, the business has had a lot of trouble focusing with cameras, but if you use CR-N500 's face to detect AF, you can quickly focus on the character's face and have no problem with the subject moving. Whether people like Steve Jobs of Apple follow up while walking, they can firmly follow the focus of the camera's bread. In addition, on the settings page on PC, it's good to simply change the focus by clicking on the autofocus object from the camera image. Then the remote camera controller RC-IP100 is introduced. The panning and tilting of the camera can also be easily operated by leverage, and the zoom can also be adjusted by pressing the lever. The sound of panning, tilting and zooming is also quiet. I am grateful that all the operations can be done intuitively. Unlike business cameras with unique interfaces, PTZ cameras can be used in the same way as IT products such as personal computers, so they can be easily imported as machines.

What are the advantages of choosing CR-N500?

Mr. Sato:

Business cameras need strong tripods, but I didn't expect professional tripods to be so expensive. And the business equipment is not only expensive, but also big and heavy. Moving into the venue and setting up requires appropriate staff and time. By selecting CR-N500, it is also easier to set up and evacuate. Then, using the remote camera controller, the camera can be controlled remotely from a distance. The tracking function that can remember and reproduce the movements of PTZ is also useful for single-player operations. Although I haven't tried it yet, there is only one staff member in the event venue. I am watching the monitor while operating the remote camera controller in the office. I may be able to send it this way.

NDI setting saves labor and sends video data over LAN cable

-- what kind of system do you use?

Mr. Sato:

Because the day of introduction is very shallow, so we are still trying various stages. Just connect a LAN cable, NDI in the venue is easy to set up, several video cables climb on the floor of the ugly and health care is rare. If you want to do this, you can also achieve wireless. In addition, it is not completely used up because we do not fully understand the protocol, but Canon's own XC protocol is not only easy to use, such as NDI, but also combines with remote camera controllers. It seems that I can adjust all kinds of cameras so I'd like to try it in the future.

Are there any requirements for CR-N500 and manufacturers?

Mr. Sato:

Because he is still in the first grade of PTZ camera, I don't think of what I want to do right away, but I hope Mr. Canon will hold a seminar for beginners. It doesn't matter to charge if you can study hard. So far, for example, companies that have nothing to do with image production want to publish their own images. The CR-N series is very suitable for such new users, so I think it's worth doing.

Finally, are there any projects that you want to implement in CR-N500 in the future?

Mr. Sato:

Now in the wake of the coronal disaster, everyone is paying attention to the image transmission. Even if the coronal disaster is over and the "real activities" implemented by the guests are revived, will the image transmission be retained as a form of information transmission? For example, live streaming of real events is carried out at the same time, that is, hybrid. So far, if we have received an order from a customer, we have also made print and something like PV. After all, everything is a store, so I don't intend to stick to activities. I want to take advantage of now to hone my image production skills and challenge new areas with PTZ cameras such as music videos and documentaries.

Canon's PTZ remote camera does have the dual-pixel CMOS AF familiar to mirrorless cameras, which seems to be used in a wide range of applications, from publishing to image production like MV. Thank you for today.