How to use the camera crane

With the rapid development of TV technology. A wide variety of special functions and unique TV special equipment are rapidly approaching every TV worker. Mastering and using them skillfully has become an important means to increase program production means by professional TV workers and improve the level of program production. The camera crane system is one of the large special shooting aids that are widely used in film and television shooting. It is favored by cameramen for its flexible shooting position and angle changes and the unique advantages of motion pictures.

It is a kind of automatic control system with electromechanical integration, and its structure is rather complicated. Taking Camry camera crane  system as an example, from the perspective of technology, this paper introduces some experiences and experiences in our installation and use.

Installation and trouble shooting of camera crane system

system composition

A complete set of camera crane system includes a heavy three foot frame and a track pulley, a front and back , a camera cloud platform, a stable steel cable, a video remote control, a power supply and a charger.

The heavy three foot and rail pulley cars are the gravity support points of the whole system, and the weight is heavier. The aim is to reduce the center of gravity of the system and increase stability. The boom is mounted on the upper part and can be rotated arbitrarily at x and Y axis.

The boom is divided into fore, extension  and rear boom. The fore bar and the lengthening  are relatively long and are connected by a number of fastening bolts. The top can be mounted on or below the camera cloud platform. The rear  rod is short. The rear  is composed of two bolts and the remote control handle can be installed at the rear.

And the hanging counterweight, the left suspension platform is equipped with power and charger, remote control, monitor and so on.

The electrical control part is mainly composed of camera remote control, camera monitoring and camera pan motion control.

Installation balance

A camera crane  system contains many parts that are self stitching when used, as well as electrical system connections. When the installation is installed, it must be carried out in order. The sequence of operation is heavy three foot and rail pulley, fore rod and extension .

The rod and  stabilizer cable camera, the remote control monitor bracket, the remote control handle, the camera or the camera, the electrical control system, and the final suspension weight adjustment balance. When installing the front and rear boom, you need to calibrate each boom with a horizontal ruler.

The perpendicularity of the stiffener connecting rod and the perpendicularity of the camera pan tilt. To install the extended  lever, the boom should be stable and tightened, so that the whole boom should not be bent. It should also be noted that when installing, first install the camera and then hang the counterweight. When removing, first remove the counterweight and then unload the camera. Prevent the system from losing balance of gravity and accident.

Installation and trouble shooting of camera crane system

In the use of camera crane , due to the large range of activities, the operation should avoid collision lamps, props, people or other objects around, and immediately lock the horizontal and vertical bolts to ensure safety.

After the end of the installation, the balance of the  and the rear  should be adjusted. By increasing and reducing the quantity and weight of the hanging weight at the handle, the weight balance of the front and rear segments of the  bar should be adjusted. It is advisable for the cameraman to shake his  up and down.

To adjust the balance of the camera, the aim is to balance the center of gravity of the camera by adjusting the horizontal and vertical direction in two directions and rotating the axis of the camera and the vertical direction of the camera. When the camera is adjusted, the camera can be fixed in the center of the cloud platform, and the fastening screw laurel can be loosened and moved back and forth to the horizontal balance position; and when the lifting bolt is adjusted to the pitch, the camera can not stop at any angle, not swing up and down, and then tighten the screw bolt. If the balance adjustment is not good, it will easily cause action failure, and even damage the pan tilt motor and control drive system seriously.

Monitoring.TALLY instructions and calls

In literary and artistic activities, two small monitors are usually installed on the crane . One is connected to the local video output, the other is connected to the video camera RET to send video output. The cameraman can monitor the local screen at any time, or distinguish the director.

Do not cut the camera of the crane  to replace the TALLY instruction. If the camera does not have RET video output, it can connect a PGM video signal to a crane monitor from the OB van or the guidance room through video cable.

In addition, only one monitor with TALLY indicator can be used. If the camera does not have the RF output BNC port, it can get the TALLY indicator, video return signal and the local video signal by extending the cable, and select the local video or return video signal through the RET switch of the camera through the extended cable VF multi core interface.

The VF video output level is 1.2V, and the synchronization level is 0.2V. In order to ensure the synchronization of the monitor, the image is not distorted, and the output signal of the camera video BNC is also used as the external synchronization signal of the monitor. If the monitor TALLY indicator does not match a CCUTALLY signal when it does not match a relay, or the CCUTALLY signal level is improved, the monitor is directly connected to the monitor LED light emitting tube. For example, the high level of CCUTALLY signal of our station is 4V, which directly connects the LED luminescent tube. When the director switches to the camera crane , the TALLY indicator light is on. At the same time, the various display characters of the camera can be displayed on the monitor screen, and the monitor is equivalent to a standard video camera VF.