Image: Hitachi Kokusai
John Humphrey is an expert in camera systems and vice president of Business Development for Hitachi Kokusai Electric America. Ltd. His deep knowledge of the tools needed for professional broadcast is the result of a career spent in and around television engineering, operations, sales, and systems integration. He is not only knowledgeable about current camera technology and innovation, but also understands the needs of the worship community. This makes him the ideal candidate to provide valuable insights on camera systems for churches for those looking to understand how camera systems (with multiple, matched cameras) differ from the many other options for video offered to churches, along with what to look for in a camera system that can deliver professional results.
John Humphrey is vice president of business development at Hitachi Kokusai Electric America Ltd.
Church.Design: With the many recent innovations in video, what cameras should houses of worship be considering and why?
Humphrey: Interest in broadcasting church services has grown exponentially in recent years, and much of it has been the result of the recent shift to online worship due to the pandemic. The cameras used to capture church services range from a single, hand-held smart phone or centrally-located camcorder or DSLR camera to professional broadcast camera systems. The solution for your church will have to both fit your budget and deliver the best possible church experience for your congregation, of course, but if you are serious about creating the in-person church experience, either in a broadcast or online setting, you are really talking about operating a camera system. That is: multiple, matched cameras that provide several viewing angles and a camera control system in a central location. Camera systems range from basic, perhaps two or three cameras and minimal controls to integrated systems with many cameras, inputs, and professional options.
NOAH OEHLER
Church operators can be trained and comfortable with the controls they need to use, Humphrey says, and leave the more technical adjustments to a single engineer who is in the best position to see and adjust all camera inputs to get the best result for broadcast.
Church.Design: Wouldn’t even basic camera systems be very complex, perhaps too much for church volunteers to handle?
Humphrey: Well, there is quite a bit of technology packed into modern cameras, but because many of the production aspects are handled from a CCU (camera control unit) in a control room somewhere, operators (usually volunteers) really just need to concentrate on composing the shot and focus. Everything else is done at the CCU. Operators can be trained and comfortable with the controls they need to use and leave the more technical adjustments to a single engineer who is in the best position to see and adjust all camera inputs to get the best result for broadcast. We might be talking about an on-the-fly adjustment to correct color when lighting changes and opening up iris settings to compensate for a low-light shot. Essentially, a remote controller unit either wired or virtually attached via WiFi to the CCU provides advanced control of each camera, but the point is that the operator doesn’t have to do it. There is even a slick application developed for Hitachi CCUs on the Ross openGear platform that runs on a tablet to provide those functions.
Church.Design: Here’s the tough question: What does a camera system cost?
Humphrey: [both laugh] Well, that can be a tough question, of course, as top-of-line camera systems can be a large investment, but there are options. For example, the cost of a system built around Hitachi’s best selling Z-HD5000, a professional camera that has proven itself over many years, can be much less expensive than a system built on, say, Hitachi’s top-of-the-line SK-HD1800 with lots of options. Where a typical system with four SK-HD1800s might come in just under $200k, the fully-operational Z-HD5000 could be just a little over half of that--still a professional system and very comparable to professional systems of other manufacturers, but at a considerably lower cost. We like to think of the Z-HD500 as the least expensive “real” system camera for churches.
Church.Design: Besides multiple angles and central control, what benefits does a camera system have for streaming or online church services.
Humphrey: An advantage that immediately comes to mind is that professional cameras not only offer a cohesive look for streaming, but they also provide much better quality. Noise absolutely kills compression and that’s one of the factors church TDs and specifiers should consider in their camera selection. Unlike DSLR cameras with one sensor that has to be processed for color, broadcast cameras have multiple imagers (sensors)--discrete red, green, and blue sensors. That’s just one of the factors that give broadcast cameras a better signal to noise profile plus higher gain and that makes them better in a number of situations, but certainly better for streaming.
Church.Design: I’ve heard that an advantage of broadcast cameras is a standard lens mount. Is that true?
Humphrey: Yes it is. The traditional B4 bayonet lens mount is decades old and well-supported across manufacturers including Hitachi. Essentially this means that buyers have a huge selection in lens types and quality. Having a standard mount also provides you some protection for your investment in lenses, perhaps allowing you to invest in a better camera now and ultimately get some better lens as you go along. Or, save again by moving the lens you really like over to new camera technology.
Church.Design: Given the cost of a broadcast camera system, what should churches expect for support and what sets Hitachi apart?
Humphrey: Naturally, customers should expect a good warranty and training options that fit their situation--all pretty standard with professional cameras--but I’m glad you asked what makes Hitachi different because it might not be immediately apparent when comparing manufacturers. I personally like two aspects of support from Hitachi. First, there is an astounding amount of experience in the support staff, in some cases decades with the company. The second thing I like, which is related, is that as companies go Hitachi is a good size: big enough to offer this outstanding support and still small enough to really care. You can actually talk about any issues you have with humans--and they do care and they do follow up. That’s something you don’t always see until you have a question about a feature that doesn’t work as you expect or need to solve a problem before a broadcast. That's not when you want to feel like you’re alone.
Church.Design: Any final thoughts about why camera systems are the best choice for houses of worship looking for professional broadcast quality?
Humphrey: Of course there are a lot of good reasons to look at a camera system over individual, disparate pieces of gear, but for me it hinges on the fact that camera systems are designed to handle all the nuances of a live event, be it professional sports, large corporate presentations, or broadcast news. Like sports, church is a live event and you only get one shot at it, and even if a service will be edited in post production you still want it to feel to the viewer as if we were in the same room. A true broadcast camera system is built for that. PTZ cameras and DSLRs are not.
Learn more at Hitachi.
[Editor's note: Originally published in July 2021.]
