While GoPro has long been a leader in the small camera space, these remain consumer-facing tools and most of their features are designed for capturing amazing imagery that you then process later for best results. Marshall Electronics, who has long had a large footprint in the professional audio visual space, has announced a new 10x zoom mini camera designed to provide dynamic footage while working in a broadcast environment, which has a different set of expectations and demands.
The CV350-10XB/10X is a compact 1080p camera that has a built in 10x zoom. The zoom range of most action cameras is typically very limited and depends on digital zoom to extend it, thus having a compact camera with extensive zoom capabilities is a big plus. The new unit doubles the zoom range of previous units, and will have applications for a variety of live event shoots looking to add more angles to the production with low impact on the aesthetics of the event, since the cameras are small and easily hidden. While 4K is the name of the game today for consumers planning a final upload to the web or who want to reframe in post, most of the broadcast universe remains 1080p, and many would rather get the benefits of the smaller form factor and extreme zoom range and will happily give up 4K.
Credit: Marshall
On top of the zoom range, the other main advantage of the camera is the hardwired remote control functionality enabled through a breakout to RS485 control. This gives the full range of control to a distant operator, which is especially useful in large multi-camera environments where live cutting is occurring and the cameras have to match in realtime. If rigging these into a stage for a live music event, external control will help ensure the best quality imagery. While many consumer action cameras can be remote controlled, it is often over Bluetooth or wifi, and in a space as crowded and radio heavy as a live event, the security of a hardware remote control is a valuable one.
Credit: Marshall
Available now from B&H for $895.
Tech Specs :
- 1/3" 2.1MP CMOS Sensor
- 1920 x 1080 59.94/29.97 FPS
- Integrated 4.7 to 47mm Zoom Lens
- 3G/HD-SDI & HDMI Outputs
- RS-485 Connector
- Supports VISCA and PELCO-P/D Protocols
