Tue Aug 03, 2021 3:06 pm
This may specific to my use case, but I find the new Cat6 connector intriguing. I currently use the fiber connection in my oral history studio and it works fantastic. I see no reason to upgrade the camera at this time.
In the field, however, I have used the Studio cameras, Ursa Broadcast, and Micro Studio cameras, often at the same event. Each has their own function.
When I joined this roadshow, the guys I worked with were kind of conservative - we connected all cameras via sdi. That meant two cables per camera. Run under carpets and rigged to sets. Long runs. When you have, like, 12 cameras up, that's a lot of copper and since we fly with everything, that is a lot of weight and cases to load at the airport!
Then we connected the Ursa Broadcast cameras with the SMPTE fiber. Of course that adds $6k to each camera for the hardware, PLUS the SMPTE fiber, which isn't cheap (and is also heavy). Had some issues, but generally worked well. But not really a weight saver (and the cable being expensive, we went to great lengths to protect).
Then we used the LC fiber for the Studio Cameras. The SFP fiber modules are affordable (we run 3G shows), the receivers are $150, and the armored cable was affordable and worked well on long runs under carpet (and it was light!). Never had a problem, worked flawlessly.
So now, with the advent of the cat6 connector on the studio camera, I could use one relatively inexpensive cable to get everything to the camera, including power, for the cost of an $895 Studio Convertor? Take my money!! Plus, we don't have to transport the cables! We bring in a network guy for every event to manage the internet connections, and he makes all our cables custom.
Now if only there were a m43-specific parfocal broadcast quality zoom lens, I could dump the Ursa Broadcasts!
Again, talking about my use case specifically, yours may (probably is different).
PS: Hey, Blackmagic... put an ethernet cable on the Micro Studio Camera, and the gaming live-streaming industry will buy all that you make for those POV shots.