Difference between 10 pin camera cable and 26 pin.

[Tim Ward]

[Andrew Morales] “Ok. Could you tell me if there is a place where I could find some type of connection for a 4-pin XLR DC cable? Where one end goes into a wall outlet and the other into the camera.”

You have to use a DC power supply designed for this type of equipment. You won’t really find them cheaper than this one.

Forgive me, but from your posts above, it would seem you are inexperienced in working with studio cameras. If you don’t already have RM-M7 paintboxes for each camera, it would be way cheaper to just buy the 26-pin cable. If you DO have them, I’d advise you to enlist/hire someone’s services with expertise in studio design to help you with this project (local TV station engineer, perhaps).

My bottom-line advice for using these cameras is to get someone to help you and be prepared to spend a little money for cabling. I’m saying this as nicely as I can so maybe you won’t feel the “wrath” of Bob Zelin if he stops by here. 🙂

Now…there may be another solution altogether. Please describe (as much detail as possible) where you are (location/school/local-access), what facilities you have, what you’re trying to accomplish and teach, and what kind of budget you have to work with.

[Chuck Pullen]

You may want to check into a device called “PhatCat” by Laird. It used to be available from Markertek, but I don’t see it anywhere on their site/catalog. It essentially replaced the 26 pin cable with a piece of coax I believe. If you only need short pieces, it may be easier to get the 26 pin.

Why don’t you check some used equipment people about getting the cable, as it’s not used much anymore, so there should be lots of it floating around. Depending on where you are in the country, try to find someone like U.S. Broadcast: https://www.usbroadcast.com They have a warehouse full of old video gear and may have some 26 pin for sale.

Chuck

[Tim Ward]

[Chuck Pullen] “You may want to check into a device called “PhatCat” by Laird. “

Totally forgot about PhatCat! It uses Cat-5 cable. But a Google search
shows the pricing is unfortunately similar to a new 100ft 26-pin cable. Yeah, I agree the used dealer path is the way to go.

[Richard Crowley]

As the other people here have already stated, the ONLY connection between the camera and the CCU is the 26-pin connector. And 26-pin camera cable is frightfully expensive. However there are at least two ways around that problem.

1) Sony has TWO major camera interface cable standards, the 26-pin kind like you have, and the 14-pin variety. There are adapters that allow use of 14-pin cable on 26-pin cameras (and vice-versa). Your cameras will operate on 14-pin cable.

The bottom line is that the camera only needs a few basic things to operate: DC power; the video from the camera to the CCU, the video from the CCU to the camera (gen-lock and viewfinder), and the remote-control command signal (1 wire). All the other wires are extra features that you may or may not need. For example intercom (which most people ignore in favor of 3rd party systems like ClearCom, et.al.) And separate RGB video for high-end encoding, chroma-key, video for teleprompters, etc. etc.

2) In many parts of the world, there is a massive sea-change from old-school analog Standard Definition equipment to digital High Definition. This has made all the old equipment, (including the cables) surplus (“redundant”). You have not told us where you are, so we don’t know whether this is happening where you are or whether you could take advantage of that phenomenon. It is likely that the kinds of cables you need are sitting in dark corners of surplus dealers and recyclers waiting to be melted down for a few dollars of copper content. That is, the cables that haven’t already been buried in land-fills across the globe. I myself have a few hundred feet of 14-pin cable that I would give you for free, and even re-wire for 26-pin (if we can still find the connectors).

If you lived in my area (Portland, OR) I would help you with your cameras. Perhaps there are retired broadcast engineers in your location who could help not only get things connected, but who would know where surplus camera cable is languishing. And other standard-definition equipment like monitors and even switchers, etc. I just discarded a perfectly good (but obsolete) Sony monitor this week.

Note that there is nothing magic about power for CCUs or cameras. A good-quality DC power supply is the same whatever it is operating. I have used 12-volt wall-warts from Radio Shack and put 4-pin XLRs on them. The only reason Bescor can get away with charging $130 for a 4A 12V supply is because that is what broadcast people are accustomed to paying. Cameras in particular are designed to operate properly on a range of voltages (to support battery operation, or over 100s of feet of camera cable, etc.)

[Chuck Pullen]

[Tim Ward] “Totally forgot about PhatCat! It uses Cat-5 cable”

That’s right it’s Cat-5 Cable not Coax. I guess that explains why Markertek is selling Laird Cat-5 cable and not the actual transmitters/receivers…classic.

I do see 26 pin cables pop up on E-bay from time to time, but I’ve met enough equipment salvagers to know there are mounds of the stuff sitting in warehouses all over the country, he just needs to find them.

[Tim Ward]

Nice post, Richard.