Tricaster tally-light interface for EX3s

One of my favorite parts of the job is prototyping and making little interface units so that equipment from different manufacturers can talk to each other.

This gadget allows the Tricaster TXCD850 studio production system to light the tallies on Sony EX3 cameras; although the Tricaster has "wet"-style GPI outputs it can drive the 12V needed for the lights. So, simple buffer circuit with relays to drive the studio tallies;

There are some photos in a Facebook album - click the title link.

Extending Sony 8-pin camera remotes

How far can the camera control signals from any smaller Sony camera go? If you talk to Mr Sony it's around 50m (the longest cable they sell) - but as the pictures (below) suggest it's at least the length of a box of cat5e cable! The CCA5 cable they sell is north of £500 so I recommend you hot-foot it over to RS, the Hirose ends are part numbers 685-1166 and 685-1163 for the lady and the gentleman and by consulting my scrappy wiring notes (above) you can brew your own for a tiny fraction of the cost. You can also adapt the cable to send down existing structured cable routes (cat5e / cat6 / cat7).

The title-link is to the F23's maintenance manual; that SR field-recorder has every Sony standard interface on it and so you can find the pinouts for whatever you might be using on your EX3 for example.
Rather splendidly the DC supply that runs back from the camera to the remote is the unregulated feed and so even if you loose a few volts down your home-brewed cable the regulator in the RM-B150 won't care; if you want to you can even power that device locally and not worry about volts coming back from the camera.

TriCaster - very impressive

Earlier in the year I banged on about the TriCaster after I had a demo. We've just finished an install at the College of Law using it as the centre-piece of their little three camera studio and I am even more impressed than I was! Driving the virtual environment is so easy and it really does perform well. Having a selection of four shots per camera (you set the shot for the close-up and then each camera is available as the close-up, MCU, twp-shot and long-shot) with an environment that tracks perfectly is a revelation. The in-set virtual monitors work as well. The perspective and reflections on desks etc are all very convincing and once you get past the fact that all the virtual sets look like CNN or ESPN you can really produce some expensive looking tele.

I hope Root6 pick this up as a product because there is nothing to match it sub £100k.

BBC64 camera line-up 'chip-chart'

I'm at the studio build today setting up camera channels and doing general line-up. We've supplied the good-old BBC64 camera chart which I used to spend many happy hours staring at whilst lining-up cameras for studio/OB shoots. When I die (and they lay me to rest....) I want this and Test Card F on my gravestone!
The info sheet has all the reflectance figures and frequency gratings for when you have the camera focused full-frame on the chart.
Oh, does anyone know why the light-trap in the middle of the chart is called a Gregory Hole?
Also - ex-BBC type, can you still get hold of Cardboard Kate?