Transcript
Connections To and From the Camera Adapter
This the 55D-‐CA Camera Adapter with the optional OpticalCon fiber connector mounted on the back of a Panasonic HPX-‐300. Not shown in this picture are the fiber cable (which when connected to the Fiber Link supplies HD-‐SDI to the switcher) or the coax cable which supplies power, control and conveys signals to and from the base station. Both are labeled in blue. Connector 1A plugs into connector 1 to feed HD-‐SDI from the camera to the Camera Adapter so it can be converted it into
light impulses down the fiber cable. If we were not using fiber technology, we would simply run a Coaxial BNC cable from connector 1A to the switcher. If this was a composite video system, connector 2A would supply analogue composite video to connector 2 so that video could be frequency multiplexed down the same coaxial cable that supplies power, control and signals to and from the base station. If the system needed to be timed because the switcher did not have frame synchronizers, connector 3 would supply the genlock signal connector 3A labeled “GENLOCK IN”. The system gets its reference from the black burst input on the back of the base station. From connector 4 labeled CAMERA, we control the camera shading to 4A marked REMOTE and supply power to the 4-‐pin DC input connector 4B. Connector 5, which is labeled “VF” refers to the PDF drawing I sent you yesterday. Again, from this connector we would break out to a 4-‐pin XLR for monitor power, a BNC cable for the return video input and 2 wires that would trigger the tally light on the monitor. In this case, if you wanted to switch to return video, you would press the input button of the LCD monitor. Panasonic makes a device that would go between the connector and camera that would allow you to switch their monitors from the RET button on the lens. It is the AG-‐YA500G and costs around $1,000. I am looking to see if anyone else makes a less expensive alternative to it.
If the customer is not using an on-‐camera monitor, you would take the BNC connector from connector 5 break-‐out and connect it to the VIDEO IN connector, which is generally located where the white circle I have drawn is (below 3A). On some cameras, this video input shares the GENLOCK IN function. You would refer to the camera manual or the camera manufacturer for clarification. In this instance, pressing the RET button on the lens would switch the small, ENG viewfinder to display Return Video.
On the side of the Telemetrics camera adapter there is a connector that is labeled “VF”, for viewfinder.
If the customer is using an on-‐camera LCD monitor, like a Panasonic BT-‐LH-‐80W or the equivalent Marshall, this connector would supply power, return video and tally to the monitor. The attached wiring diagram shows the 12-‐pin connector on one side of the cable. The other side would have a 4-‐pin connector for monitor power, a BNC connector for return video and 2 open-‐end wires for triggering the monitor’s tally LEDs. Typically, when a customer is using an on-‐camera monitor, he would also be using rear zoom and focus controls so he would not have to reach to the lens while monitoring focus. The servo zoom control would have a return video button on the handle above the zoom rocker, which would allow the monitor to switch to return video. On the back of our base station is a terminal strip, which is the interface for intercom, IFB and tally.
The Tally terminals are where the switcher would interface to the base station with a simple contact closure. In cases where the customer is not using an on-‐camera LCD monitor, the issue of return video and tally
gets a bit more complicated. Lower end cameras like the Panasonic HPX-‐300, HPX-‐370 and even the HPX-‐500 do not have external video inputs, so return video is not possible in the ENG viewfinder. Not do they have an accommodation for an external tally trigger. Their tally lights only function when the camcorder goes into record mode. Panasonic’s higher end cameras have external video inputs, such as the HPX-‐2000, HPX2100, HPX-‐3000, etc. Their viewfinders would switch when the return video button on the lens is depressed. The JVC series of cameras that can work in a studio-‐type sled also have external video inputs. This would include the GY-‐HD-‐250, GY-‐HM-‐750 & GY-‐HM-‐790. These configurations allow for return video and tally.
