-
Multicamera Shooting /Genlock Questions
Hello,
I have been shooting live shows over the past 10 years with a variety of cameras. I use three cameras recording independently and do all of the editing after the fact using Edius.
Right now I have two Varicam “H” models and am looking at a new third camera for purchase. The thought of Genlocking/syncing the cameras is on my mind so I thought I should ask some questions to those who know more than me.
1) For my uses, drift between the cameras is the only concern. I have never used timecode. Is Genlock the best way to avoid drift?
2) Can I genlock just using Varicams and maybe an HPX250?
2) I have read about Genlock and have a grasp of what it does, but out in the field…does it work easily? So many things sound great on paper but have issues in practice.
3) Is there a wireless way to work with Genlock?
In the DV days I used three matching cameras and drift was not an issue. Since going HD I have bounced around between cameras manufacturers and have noticed I need a way to stop drift over long shows.
Thanks for your input!
-
2 Replies
-
Genlock (some will disagree) is only needed in the old days and in large setups. Today, especially in your case genlock has no place. Timecode will serve you well. Replace every reference to gnelock in your question with timecode and you have your answer. If one of your cameras generates timecode (all of the ones mentioned do) and the other cameras accept it (all of the ones mentioned do) then you are good to go. If the master drifts (which it will – even the really nice generators do a bit) then they will add drift together and you will still be good to go. The timecode signal is really just an audio signal and you can use regular microphone transmitters and receivers to get the job done wirelessly. Additionally, if you really want to use genlock you can feed it to all of these cameras, as they all accept genlock, via a BNC or a wireless video transmitter.
-
Thanks for your reply!
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up