Camera Corps presents its breakthrough robotic camera technology at NAB 2014. Building on the foundations of the popular Q-Ball, the new Q3 offers twice the zoom performance, a high-performance camera, and a significantly expanded feature set. It supports multiple serial data formats, including IP and Camera Corps’ own advanced audio-based system.
“The Q3 takes remote camera control to a completely new level,” said Laurie Frost, founder and CEO of Camera Corps. “It offers producers greater flexibility and freedom to capture high-quality live video from an unlimited number of cameras that can be positioned anywhere inside or outside studios. Each Q3 head incorporates high-precision pan, tilt, zoom, and focus mechanisms in a compact unit that can be mounted at any height, indoors or outdoors, and controlled remotely from anywhere. More than one hundred Q3 units can be controlled from a single panel and with a single joystick.”
According to Technical Director Jim Daniels, “the Q3 retains the spherical shape that made the Q-Ball an easily concealable camera. We have replaced the old 10x zoom with a 20x lens and added a new high-sensitivity imager that delivers high-quality video with control comparable to much more expensive systems. The camera is upgradeable, ensuring future-proof performance. We have also improved the motor system, enabling remote operators to accelerate and decelerate the robotic heads precisely, making it easier to follow presenters, performers, or reality show participants.”
The Q3 is capable of unlimited 360-degree lateral rotation. Pan and tilt speeds are adjustable, from an ultra-slow 360-degree movement over 90 minutes to as fast as 90 seconds. All pan/tilt/zoom/focus parameters can be stored in the internal memory for quick recall. Motion control sequences of up to 25 seconds can also be stored.
The Q3 supports all high-definition and video formats, including 1080 or 720 progressive or interlaced formats at 60, 50, 30, 25, or 24 frames per second. It also enables operation at a minimum illumination of 0.5 lux in color mode or 0.02 lux in monochrome mode. The camera also features gamma correction, white balance, 16-step sharpness enhancement, and shutter speeds up to 1/10,000 second. Finally, it should be noted that Camera Corps offers a genlock input with user-adjustable synchronization.
