Articles tagged #LENSES
Articles tagged
#LENSES

Canon focuses on 4K UHD Broadcast Lenses at NAB2018 - oh! and the C700 FF

Canon launched of three new portable zoom 4K UHD broadcast lenses1: the CJ24ex7.5B, CJ18ex7.6B and CJ14ex4.3B. These new additions are compatible with 4K UHD broadcast cameras that have 2/3-inch sensors. Flanking the existing UHDxs series of 4K portable broadcast lenses that deliver excellent optical performance, these three lenses usher in the newly launched UHDgc series that will broaden 4K UHD shooting options. These new lenses provide 4K UHD imaging quality at a price point that is more accessible to the majority of the broadcast market. Additionally, the new lenses provide impressive UHD optical performance while maintaining a compact and lightweight design to meet a wide range of needs for video productions that include documentaries, sports, events and news coverage.

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Videocraft provides NSCC with Hybrid Broadcast Production Facility

With a broadcast facility entering its twelfth year, it was clear to the team at the North Shore Christian Centre (NSCC) that an upgrade was well overdue. With weekly services and a half-hour TV program on TVS Channel 41 to produce, the facility was rapidly coming to its end of life - something NSCC Operational Pastor Ross Stewart turned to Videocraft for help with.
Stewart explained, “Our facility was over twelve years old and some of the equipment was almost thirty years old. We needed a major upgrade that would give us higher quality pictures for our live services and broadcast TV programme. We also wanted to go 16:9. As Videocraft specialises in these types of broadcast facilities and solutions we put together a tender and asked them for their advice.” Stewart met with Videocraft NSW state manager Andy Liell to discuss requirements, options and critically, budget. He continued, “We had a budget but it was one that required Videocraft to be creative and I’m delighted to say there were. We simply didn’t have the money to purchase all new equipment, so Andy put together an amazing deal based on a hybrid solution consisting of their best high quality rental equipment and some brand new kit.” The Videocraft solution included four Sony BVP-E30 SD triax camera chains and a Panasonic AV-HS450 vision switcher with Venitex Aux Bus control panels providing the NSCC with simple switching for two stage side screens independent of the broadcast feed. Stewart added, “The solution was a good one and the way Videocraft installed the switching console so we could overlay song lyrics over live video was particularly clever. Andy also designed the system so we could independently switch the side screens from the broadcast cut using the flexibility and versatility of the Panasonic vision switcher. It was very clear that Videocraft understand how to utilise the full potential of the AV-HS450 and how, by using third party add-ons, we could achieve a very cost effective workflow.” The Videocraft installation also integrated AJA Ki Pro hard disk recorders that enabled a fully file based workflow for the NSCC’s post requirements, a Ross router, Sony monitoring, new Sony projectors, Fujinon ENG and box lenses and all back end glue, wiring and cabling. As the NSCC facility is staffed by volunteers, ease of use was something that had particular attention paid to it with Stewart commenting, “Our volunteers are not broadcast industry professionals so Videocraft had to take that into consideration. The broadcast facility we now have is simple to use and yet gives us very high quality results. It’s a great example of how Videocraft have created a full broadcast facility on a very tight budget. As a result we have all our bases covered as, by upconverting, we are able to produce HD content for all our in house requirements whilst delivering an SD master for broadcast. Our aim is to upgrade to HD cameras in the near future. The other points worth mentioning were around Videocraft’s expertise and professional approach. Nothing was too much trouble, we were able to test before we purchased and no question was ever left unanswered.”  

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Videocraft Review of the Sony LAFZB1 Adapter

by Michael Curwood

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#NAB2014 Products To Watch - Lenses

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Videocraft Builds Full Production Facility For Hillsong Church

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Hillsong Church’s new state of the art full production facility in Alexandria designed and built by Videocraft[/caption] The title for one of the year’s more impressive studio builds currently belongs to Hillsong Church’s new state of the art full production facility in Alexandria, which Videocraft helped design and build. Hillsong TV Technical Manager Luke Irvine explained, “For years our Waterloo campus in Sydney has been growing and we've had a great need to expand our facilities to house the increasing numbers of people attending. As a church we have looked at many options to help relieve the pressure and time restraints that we faced with our current building in Waterloo. Before we embarked on this new project, we were running eight services on the weekend to try and accommodate everyone. Thus the decision was made to custom-build an additional venue so the campus could still grow and not be crippled by time and space.” The venue Hillsong chose was in the neighbouring suburb of Alexandria which was, before construction, an empty warehouse with shop fronts requiring a major construction effort to get it ready for use. Irvine continued, “The warehouse building was converted into a 950 seat auditorium so we knew we had to have a high quality production facility to cater for that many people. That’s why we turned to Videocraft to help us build it.” Hillsong and Videocraft have had a successful relationship with the church utilising many of the company’s rental services over the last few years. After a personal customer service call from Videocraft’s Shane Jones ignited the project, the church decided to put out an industry-wide RFQ which was particularly well responded to. Once the tenders had been submitted, due to the nature and importance of the project, Hillsong took a good deal of time to study each one with great care before deciding on Videocraft as their equipment partner and systems integrator. The RFQ, according to Irvine, had some very specific requirements that made it unique from a traditional broadcast facility, but with quality always the overarching feature that had to be factored in. In essence the system revolved around dual Ross Carbonite switchers chosen predominantly due to their flexibility, functionality and cost effectiveness. The Carbonite switchers particularly excel with their onboard format conversion capabilities, built-in high quality multi-viewer and integration with the Ross Dashboard, which also oversees control and diagnostics of all Ross components across the entire system. Irvine added, “In short our requirements were that the system must be HD, facilitate four cameras, three projection screens and multiple external rooms. The system also had to enable linking to and from all other campuses and keying of song words had to be achieved on five different feeds with different backgrounds and different overlays with ease of use for one volunteer operator. The system had to be cost effective but extremely reliable, easy for volunteers to use on a weekly basis and versatile enough to accommodate for future changes that will happen within the campus. Every source and destination needed to be easily monitored by the relevant volunteer operators and the system had to also be capable of a broadcast TV record for our television programme Hillsong Television – in other words yes, it was quite an extensive set of requirements.” Irvine said, “Videocraft worked closely with us to find really good solutions to achieve a great result. They where willing to look at all options to give us the best outcome and price. They also gave us pros and cons of equipment and allowed us to make changes as we went along to take advantage of cost savings and usability of the system. Videocraft also worked very hard to fully understand our requirements and workflow – this was key to the success of the system especially in tricky areas like the integration between the keyer cards and switcher. They also had a great attitude even through some of the really challenging construction problems of the building.” When complete Hillsong’s new production studio included two Ross Carbonite vision switchers, a Ross video router, Sony OLED and LCD monitoring, several TV One scan converters, Blackmagic design Teranex 2D converters and HyperDeck Studios, a GVG T2 Turbo server, Ross OpenGear and mini converters, Sony cameras, Canon lenses, Vinten and Miller tripods and fluid heads and live IP video links between campuses. There were also significant audio, comms, display, rigging and lighting components supplied by others that Videocraft worked with and integrated seamlessly. Irvine and the Hillsong team were particularly impressed with the quality level and attention to detail of Videocraft’s involvement. He commented, “The Videocraft team were extremely helpful and continually suggested ways of making the system better and more cost effective. They were always professional and impressively took total responsibility for the systems integration, equipment selection, system design and diagrams, installation and labeling all in-house. Videocraft's willingness to work with us, take our ideas and make them work was a major plus. Also the fact that they could work with very tight budgets and be totally honest about the real cost of things from the very beginning was excellent. Listening, thinking outside the box and working with tight budgets is classic Videocraft. To that end I must say a particular thank you to Andy Liell, Glenn Beaumont and the entire Videocraft team for their outstanding effort and commitment to this project.” When inspecting Hillsong’s new production facility it’s sometimes a little difficult to believe that only a few short months ago it was a deserted warehouse. Hillsong Project Manager Sebastian Heck said, “We have often had people from other part of the building install project come and admire the cabling work and the neatness of the racks in the Videocraft install. Many of our volunteers comment on the professional look and feel of the control room and how it looks like we are part of a TV broadcast station control room. The song words on screen setup is my personal favourite as it is so easy for the operator to control the five different feeds they need to without them really having to think much about it at all.”

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