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Lately many companies have released small form factor cameras. It seems to be a trend: little is what's big. Just look at; GoPro Hero, Black Magic Micro Studio, AJA RovoCam, Canon XC10, Marshall CV500-M2, and the list goes on. The Rushworks PTX Universal Pan Tilt Head is positioned to take big advantage of these small cameras. The PTX is a DMX-controlled pan tilt head; it resembles a small intelligent lighting fixture. However, unlike lights this product has the ability to position a camera to get great point-of-view (POV) shots.
Specs
The PTX works well with the Blackmagic Micro Studio camera, I saw this combination demoed at NAB. However, it is suitable for any LANC-controlled camera under two pounds.
The internal wiring of the PTX allows for 360 degrees of pan and 90 degrees of tilt without straining the cables.
The unit features SDI in and out, allowing it to take signal from the camera and send it where it's needed.
Lighting savvy technicians will recognize the bank of 10 dip switches along with the up down and menu buttons that allow the PTX to be addressed like a lighting fixture. Also, like a lighting fixture, it features three-pin DMX in and out so it can be integrated into any DMX universe with ease. From there, simply program it with your favorite DMX controller, be it a lighting console or a software solution.
Software control
There are multiple options for software control for PTX. Rushworks makes a few with V Desk, REMO, and CRTL R. V Desk is an integrated PTZ production system. REMO is a portable version of V Desk. CTRL R is the camera control utility embedded in VDESK and REMO, but is also available as a stand-alone app for use on Windows OS devices. This app is capable of adding sophisticated camera control for production systems like the Blackmagic Atem, NewTek TriCaster and others, as well as with dedicated hardware switchers from Panasonic, Grass Valley, Ross, Roland, and Datavideo. As of now, the PTX isn't controlled directly from the Blackmagic Atem, but there is the possibility for integration via the multi-pin breakout connector on the side of the camera. This connector would also provide RS422 communications to the PTX if enhanced controls are added by Blackmagic in the future.
The PTX has a 14-channel DMX profile. The first six channels control: pan, tilt, speed, and reset values. The remaining channels are unique to the PTX. They allow for camera control via the LANC connector translating from the DMX signal. Functions like zoom, focus and iris are controlled on these channels. The functionality of the camera is completely dependent on what controls the camera is capable of accepting through LANC. Some cameras have full control over LANC, some have limited control such as just zoom and record. Camera make and model will determine how these functions are implemented.
While lighting and video typically don't mix, I think this product offers some interesting opportunities for churches --- especially small churches that can't afford larger format cameras, or churches that don't have a large enough volunteer pool for camera operators. I could see churches running pretty sophisticated IMAG video with a combination of the Rushworks PTX and manned cameras. There certainly are places where the PTX has an advantage over manned cameras. For example: when POV is important, it doesn't require a camera operator on stage to walk out in front of the guitar player to get a shot for the solo.
Use case
When I first heard about this product I was skeptical. However, once I started thinking of my home church, it occurred to me that our lighting guys have to know the worship songs as well as the worship team to able to program the lights effectively. So hitting tight cues on time from the lighting position might have possibilities. Who better to know what is going on onstage than the lighting guy. Our lighting guys tend to program right up until doors open, so often what is going on in the lighting design is a bit of a surprise for the video team. It would be great for me as a video director to have a PTX and tell my lighting team, “when the stage is blacked out, make sure this camera has something, because we will be taking it live.” I also think it's a good product for the more theater-centric churches that can't have camera operators on stage for their special productions --- especially if that production is lighting-intensive. In that circumstance, it might actually make more sense for the lighting guys to program at least some of the camera positions.
I talked with Rush Beesley, founder of Rushworks at NAB and asked him about larger versions of the PTX. While he wouldn't confirm it for me, his face lit up when I asked. I would have to guess it's already in the works. For now, I think the PTX is positioned to do some really interesting things with small format cameras in the house-of-worship market.
