The PTZ Camera Operation Handbook

PTZ cameras can be controlled by IR remotes, joystick controllers, smartphones, and a variety of software solutions. IR remote controls usually offer a limited set of basic features for controlling the camera and recalling presets. IR remote controls are easy to use for close-range camera control but generally do not work when the camera is mounted far away from the operator.

The IR remote control included in most PTZ cameras is ideal for the initial setup of your PTZ camera. The first thing most PTZ camera operators do is plug in their camera and use the IR remote control to ensure the device moves to confirm it’s in working order. Those who care to read their camera’s instructions will find that the IR remote control can send a list of useful setup commands.

PTZ cameras can be controlled in so many different ways, choosing your preferred option is somewhat of a personal preference. The only limitation you will come up against is the connection types that are available on your PTZ camera. Many professional PTZ camera operators will tell you that they prefer a dedicated joystick controller. Other more casual PTZ camera operators enjoy the wireless flexibility provided by smartphone apps. Perhaps the most popular solution is of course using the free PC and Mac software that is available online. In this chapter, you will learn about all the different ways you can control your PTZ camera.

One of the big values of PTZ cameras is their size compared to traditional over-the-shoulder broadcast cameras. Large broadcast cameras generally require tripods and even platforms in production spaces. Each traditional broadcast camera not only takes up a large amount of space, but also requires a cameraman. With PTZ cameras, a single camera operator can control multiple cameras, but more importantly, PTZ cameras can be placed in strategic locations throughout an event space.

The placement of your PTZ cameras is important. Later in this book, you will think about shot composition and viewer perspectives. Traditional video production allows camera operators the flexibility to move a single camcorder or production camera around using a tripod from location to location. PTZ camera operators are often beholden to the location their cameras have already been installed. If you are planning a new PTZ camera installation, consider the following camera mounting locations and think about the variety of views they will offer you.

Every PTZ camera operator should be concerned with getting the best possible picture from their cameras. This is done, in part, by adjusting the camera's exposure and additional settings to adjust the picture quality. As a PTZ camera operator, you should know your camera and communicate with your team about basic parameters.

An ideal starting place for any project is to outline the project's resolution and frame rate. The project should have one master resolution and frame rate that is used with the cameras, the video production software, and any recording or livestreaming devices. Once you know the desired resolution and frame rate for the project, you should make sure that every camera in the system is set to the exact same setting. The last thing you want is to have one camera that is set at a different frame rate from the rest, because that will create a noticeable inconsistency with your video. If you have most of your cameras set to 30 frames per second for example, and only one camera set to 60 frames per second, the camera with 60 frames per second will have a noticeable difference in the amount of blur captured by the video. The next step is to dial in your camera's exposure in order to get the most out of the lighting conditions available. Knowing the project's resolution and frame rate will allow you to use the 180° shutter speed rule as a starting point to tune your camera's exposure.

It’s finally time to discuss the art of PTZ camera operations. In many ways, PTZ camera operations follow the same basic principles as camera operators have always done. In this chapter, you will learn about shot composition, viewer perspectives, and camera movement from the viewpoint of a remote camera operator.

A good camera operator should aspire to have the following skills:

1. Focus

2. Attention to detail

3. Work well under pressure

4. Excellent listening skills

5. Team player

6. Good hand-eye coordination

7. Creativity

8. Discipline

PTZ camera operators have career opportunities in almost every industry. There are high-paying jobs available for camera operations in television studios, sports, music production, and more. Traditional camera operation jobs still exist today, but the growth of robotics and automation is leading to an increase in the number of opportunities available to PTZ camera operators. Those who want to enter the field should consider volunteering at a local church, sports organization, or other event venues to augment their resume with relevant experience.

Robotic control of PTZ cameras continues to improve all the time, so remain connected with the manufacturer of your PTZ camera to receive information about the latest firmware updates. New firmware updates can unlock new capabilities inside of your camera that can increase the capabilities of your device. In this chapter, you will learn about some advanced PTZ camera capabilities such as focus lock, motion sync, focal range, and speed by zoom.

Many video projects do not have the luxury of a multi-camera video switching system. In fact, most video communications software like Zoom, limit users to the use of a single webcam input, with the exception of special features that accommodate document cameras. There is a popular work-around that will allow you to add multiple cameras and multimedia sources to software like Zoom using a virtual webcam. A virtual webcam is a great way to increase the level of production value you can use with software like Skype or Zoom that are not designed to support multiple cameras or video production overlays for example.

Multi-camera video systems are able to use PTZ cameras in a far more practical way than single camera systems such as Skype. This is because multi-camera systems can allow one camera to be set to a particular point of interest, while the second PTZ camera is being moved to the next location. Using a video production software, viewers of the video may never see a camera moving. This is partially why PTZ cameras are so popular for multi-camera systems. With just two PTZ cameras and a video switching solution, you can show viewers hundreds of viewpoints without ever showing the cameras moving from one point to another. Hiding camera movements reduces the chances of showing something you do not want viewers to see. Even if you only have one PTZ camera, you can use something as simple as a webcam or a pre-recorded video to transition to a wide view of an area while you are moving your PTZ camera to a more interesting location.

Robots were meant to be controlled by humans. Robotic cameras are no different. With the latest advancements in PTZ camera technology, you can effectively automate many PTZ camera movements with no need for manual camera control.

There are a variety of ways to trigger a PTZ preset to go off automatically when your production calls for it. For example, using open broadcaster software (OBS) you can add a web browser input to any scene that sends a HTTP command to move to a specific preset any time the producer switches to a specific input. You can enter multiple HTTP commands into OBS using multiple browser sources in the same scene to control, for example, one or two cameras simultaneously. The reason you would do this is to automate your production workflow. If you want the camera to go to a specific position at the end of a show, you can literally hard-code the commands into your video production software so that the PTZ preset move command is sent as soon as you transition to that specific scene.

If networking is totally new for you, don’t worry. You likely have a network in your home or office that you can use as a reference to understand this technology. The reason why a network is important to PTZ camera operators is because it can be used for IP video and IP camera control. A network can allow you to view PTZ cameras from your computer, a smartphone, or even a dedicated network device such as a decoder. Some applications such as OBS, vMix, NDI Studio Monitor, and Wirecast combine the ability to connect to your camera over the network, with the ability to control your camera as well. In many cases, using your network can save you money on an upcoming project.

Electronic PTZ (ePTZ) uses the technology of digital zoom to provide PTZ-like features on a fixed (non-PTZ) camera. Digital zoom works by simply magnifying pixels to focus only on a portion of the entire camera image at any given time, and magnifying it to fill the entire frame. Since you are only viewing a portion of the image at any given time, you can now move that “area of interest” across the entire camera image for a pan and tilt effect without moving the camera head. So digital zoom not only allows you to ‘zoom’ in on an image, but also to move around within that image when zoomed.

There are many important innovations in the video production industry that have occurred over the past decade. Two standards that you should learn about include NDI® and SRT. While these technologies are quite different from one another, they both allow video productions to use PTZ cameras in new and exciting ways.

NDI® stands for Network Device Interface and it is a high quality, low latency, IP video transmission standard for video production. This video connection type was initially adopted by the livestreaming industry in software such as: Wirecast, vMix, LiveStream Studio, OBS, xSplit, and the NewTek Tricasters. Today, NDI® is used in a wide variety of video applications including broadcast, distance learning, and video communications software applications such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. There are so many software and hardware integrations for NDI® it’s easy to use NDI® with almost any project that uses video on a computer.

Technologies like NDI® and SRT are allowing video producers to send video over the public internet and therefore produce video from anywhere with an internet connection. In fact, a large number of new cloud-based video production solutions are now available to take advantage of these technologies and bring video switching into the cloud. There are many benefits of the cloud for live video production. In this chapter, you will learn about a few technologies that make it possible to produce livestreams remotely.