Latest Broadcast Video Gear

Instantly Elevate  Your Corporate Video Production

We recently acquired two major pieces of broadcast video equipment. And they are the Canon 55x Telephoto low-light (1.4 f stop) Box Lens and Sachtler-60 heavy-duty tripod. These “sticks” can accept up to a 145-pound load. Also included are studio kits for all of our camera systems/packages. These feature rear zoom and focus controls and monitors/recorders. We decided to purchase this particular gear for our corporate clients. Many of them need the camera and operator placed more than 50 feet away from the stage during events. The reason is this lens can gather steady close-up shots when compared to a 19x or 21x lens on our camera systems. This system is great for big shows and events both inside and outdoors. They are perfect for hotel ballrooms, convention centers, arenas and other large venues.

Both our Sony FS7 4K and Sony CineAlta HD camera packages include a full studio kit with rear zoom and focus controls, lighting, grip and sound. We recommend the Sony CineAlta for convention long-lens shoots. This package features internal ISO recording to XD-Cam disks in the camera. They can concurrently record to the Odyssey 7Q+ recorder/monitor and KiPro or AJA recorders. This double redundancy is critical for live shoots. Especially when you can’t afford to lose footage. If the desired end result is for a web video, it is more efficient to shoot master footage with the HD camera. 4K chews up more digital real estate. It’s more challenging and time-consuming to edit. And by the time that video hits the Internet, nobody other than super-tech-savvy Hollywood editors can tell the difference between HD and 4K anyway.

Teleprompting Equipment

Many clients call requesting the Presidential teleprompter system utilizing two laptops for their conventions and events. One is a back-up connected to a switcher. The main laptop feeds the script to Presidential paddles placed in front of a podium and/or to downstream monitors. That way, the talent can see the script and/or Power Point slides.

Lessons to Be Learned

Every day brings new lessons we learn.  In the Events industry, one lesson quickly gleaned is to acquire the best tools for the job. Last year, after a nursing conference wrapped, our client told us that she was blown away by the professionalism of our team and quality of our gear. She was thrilled with the videos we then edited for their online nursing accreditation program. The prior year her team had tried to cut corners and hired a neophyte with a DSLR camera. Hiring the cheap guy with lousy gear turned out to be more expensive for the nurses in the long run. The quality was too poor to post on their site. Both the accreditation program and nurses seeking accreditation suffered.

If you want it done right the first time, call on the professionals!

In Action

Here are some photos of the gear in action.

DP Mark Schulze at the helm of Canon Big Box lens during a doctors conference in San Diego, 2020

align=”alignright”] DP Mark Schulze at the helm of Canon Big Box lens during a doctors conference in San Diego, 2020[/caption]

Presidential Teleprompter Operator with redundant laptops at Elevate conference

Presidential Teleprompter with Two Paddles and Monitors on stage during Gala

Presidential Teleprompter System with Two Paddles and Monitors on stage prior to Gala

Patty Mooney is a VP, Video Producer, Sound Technician, Teleprompter Operator and Video Editor at San Diego’s award-winning video production company, Crystal Pyramid Productions.