One of the most visually striking elements of any modern worship experience is the image magnification (IMAG) system. These in-house broadcast systems can allow a gathering of hundreds or thousands feel more visceral and dynamic, helping to build a connection to the individuals leading the experience and sharing the gospel.
“Today, the big discussion in houses of worship is whether they want the defocused, cinematic look, or the deep, everything-in-focus look of news-style cameras.” Larry Thorpe, Senior Fellow for ENG and Solutions, Canon, Melville, NY
Yet, selecting the best camera to function as the heart of a great IMAG system can be a daunting task. With so many different options on the market it can be hard to know which features will make an impact, and which potentially problematic issues to steer clear of. Having a solid grasp of some of the basics can make a big difference in finding the ideal camera for your church.
Consider congregation and environment
The first step in selecting the right IMAG camera is usually making some decisions about what will matter most for your congregation and environment. One of the fundamental choices you’ll need to consider is image resolution.
“Resolution is becoming a factor for churches running larger screens and displays, especially as we move more towards 4K,” says Bob Caniglia, director of sales operations at Blackmagic Design. “Sometimes resolution isn’t paid enough attention to. You’re usually better off doing 4K, vs. HD, when you’re using larger displays.”
Another important factor to consider is what overall look best fits the ministry style of your particular congregation. “Today, the big discussion in houses of worship is whether they want the defocused, cinematic look, or the deep, everything-in-focus look of news-style cameras,” asserts Larry Thorpe, senior fellow for ENG and solutions at Canon. “Color reproduction is very important, how good skin color and texture looks will make a big difference. Look at the camera specifications where color imagery is specified. On broadcast cameras you’ll have something called Rec.709, which will ensure colors are well represented.”
Production system pitfalls
In the process of selecting the right camera there are also some common mistakes tech teams and designers run into. Many of these errors can be easily avoided if you know what to watch out for. One common mistake is trying to use cameras that haven’t been designed for the rigors of IMAG in order to save money.
“Often [people] will go to the most mainstream product available without considering all of the other pieces of the puzzle to make it work,” says Delix Alex, product manager for PTZ cameras and networking systems at Panasonic.
“For example, they’ll buy a video-capable DSLR camera without realizing that the video signal from those cameras needs to be translated and transferred to the control room. On top of that you need remote control and intercom systems, which those cameras don’t have. The costs can add up quickly.”
Another problem created by using cheaper consumer cameras is latency, which leads to a lag between what is seen and what is heard. Alex continues, “What distinguishes a professional camera is the degree of delay you have across your signal chain. An acceptable latency range for a professional broadcast camera would be between 1-4 frames, or between 50-100 milliseconds. Obviously, the lower the better.”
Conflicts with IMAG and LED
A final consideration you’ll want to keep front of mind is the difficulty many IMAG cameras can have with low-to-mid-range LED display panels and lighting instruments. “Large-screen LED panels and LED projectors for displays can turn on and off at nano-second speed. If the LED is not controlled well, it may create a flicker or a darkened bar in the image,” explains John Humphrey, vice president of business development at Hitachi. “When a camera looks at a picture of that LED screen it may see that flicker. This is an industry-wide issue with typical MOS and CMOS sensors. Churches will want to carefully consider how an IMAG camera adjusts for that.”
He continues, “What’s also happened, especially in houses of worship where budget is a big concern, is that cheap LED display lights have been incorporated. These lights create more flicker that IMAG cameras can pick up on. It’s a real issue for some IMAG cameras, and it’s something people will want to look at when they test out any IMAG cameras.”
Making the best call
Ultimately, finding the right camera for your specific IMAG system will boil down to making sure you ask yourself the right questions and communicate clearly to systems designers what the priorities are. Purchasing IMAG cameras is a significant investment, and test driving the camera should be a non-negotiable for something so mission critical.
Finally, it’s usually wise to future-proof your investment. “I remember a time when HD was coming about, and I had a news director in a large market say, ‘We’ll never do the news in HD,’” shares Caniglia. “Sometimes thinking, ‘We don’t need that now,’ can lead to some long-term mistakes. It’s important to make sure you’re thinking forward, and spending your money wisely.”
