Videosys Broadcast has announced the launch of a camera control system for the Sony FX6 camera.
Developed in partnership with Hilversum-based Broadcast Rental, the three month project entailed modifying the Sony FX6, with the new system enabling integration of the camera and a lightweight MOVI rig into broadcasters’ HDR production workflows, said Videosys.
The solution aims to allow broadcasters to capture filmic shots without compromising on the control provided by larger and heavier systems.
Frank Steenbeek, chief operating officer at Broadcast Rental, said: “Cameras such as the FX6 are becoming much more sophisticated and now offer a range of features that are of great interest to broadcasters. However, operating them on the wireless systems used in HDR broadcast workflows is tricky because this is not what they are designed for. We were determined to create a solution that would give broadcasters the creative benefits of filmic cameras housed in a lightweight rig, but without sacrificing the wireless control they were used to.”
Videosys Broadcast said its designer, George Bairaktaris, re-mapped the company’s own uni-directional control using Sony RCP1500 or Sony RCP3500 remote control panels to directly pick up the available features on the FX6.
Colin Tomlin, Videosys Broadcast’s founder and CEO, said: “As the Sony FX6 is not a broadcast camera like, say, an HCD3500, there is a no real way to control it, even Sony don’t make a remote control panel for it. However, they do offer control over ethernet of some features and that was our starting point. Features such as master black and gamma, for example, were remapped to a Color Box colour corrector, and through a combination of both the camera itself and the post processing of the Color Box, we were able to devise acceptable control of the FX6 for broadcast use.”
The solution was debuted during last month’s final of the Holland Veterans football tournament. Broadcast Rental plans to deploy the system for numerous football matches across Europe, including UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League games involving Dutch sides.
