Image: PTZOptics
If space and/or personnel are limited at your church, you might think that robotic or pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras are the perfect answer. And while they may be, the choice is not always that clear. As with any technology, there are positives and negatives with the choice of a PTZ. So, should you go with one or should you use a camera op and a platform? The answer is, of course, it depends.
Let's start with some of the positives before we proceed to areas that might give you pause.
Size
The first advantage is size. A tripod and an operator will take up a lot of floor space. Depending on where you put a PTZ, it could take very little or even no seating or aisle space (if mounted on the wall above people's heads or even inverted on a ceiling).
Depending on where you put a PTZ, it could take very little or even no seating or aisle space....
If you need to put a camera somewhere that you don't have a wall or ceiling, You won't save as much space, but it is possible to mount it on traditional support like a tripod. Remember though, that you won't need additional space for a camera op, so it IS still space saving.
Personnel & logistics
Second, let's talk personnel. Maybe you don't have space limitations, but what you do have is too few people to run the cameras you need for your live stream.
A single camera op can't be in two, let alone three or more, places at once. With PTZs, it's a different story. Especially if you tend to take static shots, a single operator can set a shot on camera one, set another on camera two, and then go back to one to go wider before reframing camera three. Doing so is just a push of a button or a slide of a switch away.
If you have multiple cameras for your live stream, you probably have a video switcher (or at least have software that switches), so you'll still need someone to direct the shots. The difference is that under some circumstances, the director could run PTZs, too. For more complex productions, this might be impossible, but for simpler ones, some people can pull it off.
One other advantage, you might want to consider is that some PTZs can run off a single network cable for video (usually sent as NDI), power (POE, aka, power over ethernet), and IP control. If your church is portable or might want to move cameras between locations, you might consider this a huge advantage over more traditional cameras that might need power and video, run on separate cables, along with a third for comms for the camera op.
There are also PTZs that can be set to auto-follow a subject. These tend to be higher priced than some churches can afford, but depending on how well they do it (because along with a range of prices, there are also a range of abilities), a PTZ with this feature could make following a wandering pastor a breeze.
When considering a PTZ, also remember that you'll need a way to control it.
So, PTZs are very advantageous for churches with certain needs, but they're not right for everyone.
Price
First, consider price. A PTZ will cost more, in general, than an equivalent camera that is designed to be run by an operator. The reason for this is simple. For a traditional camera, you don't need the extra electronics that a PTZ has for panning and tilting. This can be somewhat balanced out by the need for camera support (such as a tripod) and comms system, but it's still a concern for sure. When considering a PTZ, also remember that you'll need a way to control it. Sure, web interfaces exist, but they're harder to use than a controller that has buttons and a joystick. So, that's an added expense, as well.
Movement
Movement, too, can be an issue. If you want to make smooth pans while the camera is live, the cheapest of PTZs and controllers tend to do more robotic movements, with abrupt starts and stops, not slowly accelerating, natural-looking ones.
As price increases, this becomes less of an issue, but there really is a difference between a $1,000 PTZ and a $10,000 one.
Noise & more
Along with movement, noise with low-end PTZs can be a problem. Perhaps this is less of an issue during the musical portion of the service, but during prayer, it can cause distraction to hear even a fairly quiet servo moving.
Depending on the way video is sent from the PTZ, you might also have additional complications to deal with.
A simple network problem could result in a huge increase in latency or loss of video altogether, so make sure you have the ability to fix problems before you have them.
NDI can send beautiful low-latency video over the network. But it's the "over the network" part that could cause issues. Sure, if you have a staff network admin or volunteer who does IT during the week, perhaps it's less of a problem for you. But if you don't, what worked one week might appear to fail the next for no reason at all (when in actuality, an IT professional could trace the cause quickly). A simple network problem could result in a huge increase in latency or loss of video altogether, so make sure you have the ability to fix problems before you have them.
Cabling
Finally, the single Ethernet cable solution that some PTZs employ could be problematic in some situations. For portable churches, a single cable is very convenient, unless that cable isn't coiled properly or frequently run over by heavy equipment. An intermittent short in one of the eight conductors could cause you to lose video, power, or control of the camera.
Just remember that, as with most technology, the cheaper solution is cheaper for a reason.
Need
The best consideration for whether you should use PTZs is to evaluate whether or not you need them, and then evaluate if a mixture of traditional cameras with them won't better suit your needs.
Perhaps there are a couple of spots that you can't fit a camera operator, but you could put a PTZ, and the rest of the camera positions might work fine with operators. In that case, you'll get the best of both worlds. Just remember that, as with most technology, the cheaper solution is cheaper for a reason. Do your homework or employ an experienced system integrator and you'll end up with a system that's right for your unique situation.
