Lumens VC-A50P PTZ Video Camera
With churches increasingly doing live video for IMAG or internet streaming, cost-effective cameras are of high interest for many houses of worship. And with space and aesthetics a concern in traditional spaces, many churches aren’t excited about the idea of cameras on tripods taking up space in the sanctuary—not to mention the camera operator needed for each camera. Therefore, a good number of churches are relying on remotely controlled robotic video cameras, often referred to as PTZ cameras for their ability to pan, tilt and zoom robotically.
The VC-A50P is a PTZ robotic video camera produced by Lumens. Designed to be operated remotely via a built-in web interface, through camera controllers over RS-232, RS-422, Ethernet, VISCA over IP, and through Lumens’ own VMS application, it’s small foot size of about seven inches cubed makes it a strong contender for the “we don’t want to see it” church camp. Like other PTZ cameras, it’s also low weight, coming in at 4.4 pounds.
In operation
The camera operates at the common frame rates and resolutions for compatibility in North America, Asia, Africa and Europe, including 1080p at 60, 59.94, 50, 30, 29.97, and 25 fps; 1080i at 60, 59.94, and 50 fps; 720p at 60, 59.94, and 50 fps. Video outputs include HDMI, 3G-SDI and Ethernet; NewTek’s NDI video over IP is also supported.
Two streaming channels are supported from directly within the camera, as well. RTSP can be used to watch either of the streams, and the camera can be configured to connect directly to services such as YouTube.
Between the direct video outputs, Ethernet video options, and streaming options, the VP-A50P is well configured for handling a variety of church needs.
Between the direct video outputs, Ethernet video options, and streaming options, the VP-A50P is well configured for handling a variety of church needs. For additional flexibility in placement, the camera can be powered via PoE (power over Ethernet), eliminating the need for running power in addition to the Ethernet cabling.
Camera control can be performed by hardware controllers such as Lumens’ VS-K20 joystick controller; or, it can be controlled via its HTTP interface or through Lumens’ VMS application. The web interface lets you fully control the camera, including manual focus and exposure options. The VMS program feels more like a user interface designed to primarily recall presets set via the HTTP interface as you can’t control things like exposure and focus via that program. Both the VMS application as well as the HTTP interface allow you to create presets that can quickly be recalled. This is the ideal way to work with PTZ cameras: pre-program presets that work with your lighting for specific areas of the stage you know you need to get shots from, and then recall those presets as needed. For example, one preset may be the pulpit; another the pianist; another the choir. 128 presets can be programmed into the camera, and presets not only contain pan, tilt and zoom settings but also white balance, exposure, and focus information.
Extras
The camera also comes with a remote control, much like what you’d get with a television, that lets you aim the camera and adjust the camera’s zoom and focus. As with the HTTP and VMS control methods, you can recall presets via the remote control. For a small church with limited space for computers, or the occasional need to control the camera from the front of the room, the remote control could be useful. It is based on IR technology, so line-of-site to the camera is needed for the remote to work.
For a small church with limited space for computers, or the occasional need to control the camera from the front of the room, the remote control could be useful.
The camera’s low light abilities were pretty good. I set up my test room with about 11 FC of lighting, and the video was very clean. It was even able to get a usable shot with as low as 4-5 FC of lighting but there was definitely noise in the video. But, if you’re trying to do video in your sanctuary or auditorium with only 5 fc of lighting on stage for your services, you need to be investing in lighting before you start investing in video cameras.
Takeaways
The speed of the PTZ functions is impressive – switching between presets the camera flies to the next shot in a little less than a second. If you are using auto-focus, getting a stable, usable shot may take a little longer. It’s also very quiet—it will not be a distraction during a service. And the 20X zoom range will get a great shot from the back of most church sanctuaries or auditoriums. From 25-feet away, at full zoom, an item 10 inches tall fills the entire frame.
... the 20X zoom range will get a great shot from the back of most church sanctuaries or auditoriums. From 25-feet away, at full zoom, an item 10 inches tall fills the entire frame.
The image quality is good. It’s not at the level of a larger sensor $10,000-$20,000 camera that are often used for IMAG in houses of worship. Certainly, for internet streaming, it’s more than adequate, and could be quite effective in many IMAG situations as well.
The camera comes with a plate that can be used for mounting the camera in a variety of orientations, and the camera can be configured to rotate the image for when the camera is ceiling mounted.
I am impressed with this camera, and I feel it’s a good value for the price. It’s quite suitable to many church video situations, and worth looking into. This is my first exposer to Lumens as a brand and I’m impressed enough that I’ll be paying attention to future products from Lumens.
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