PTZ Camera Operations - The PTZ Camera Operator Handbook

It’s finally time to discuss the art of PTZ camera operations. In many ways, PTZ camera operations follow the same basic principles as camera operators have always done. In this chapter, you will learn about shot composition, viewer perspectives, and camera movement from the viewpoint of a remote camera operator.

Pan:

A panning motion is defined as the horizontal movement of a camera. A robotically controlled PTZ camera is able to perform the perfect horizontal movement in a variety of speeds and movement options. Panning can of course be combined with tilt and zoom camera operations, but in general, the pan movement is used to move the camera across a horizontal plane.

Many video projects involve following a subject that is moving left and right on a single horizontal plane. For example, keynote speeches are often recorded and live-streamed in a stage environment. When a keynote speaker is on stage, a camera operator often finds themselves panning more than they tilt and zoom the camera. In these cases, PTZ camera operators can actually lock the tilt motion to avoid accidental movements. Pan limits can also be put in place to make sure the camera operators do not go off course accidentally.

When it comes to panning, it’s important to understand the speeds at which you can pan your camera. Most joystick controllers allow you to slowly ramp up to a maximum speed using a variable speed controller. A joystick is a good example of this because it allows you to slowly ramp up the pan speed the further you move the joystick to the left or right.

Tilt:

Tilt movements are used for moving a camera on a vertical plane. Tilt movements are ideal for revealing new spaces inside a scene. Tilt movements can also be limited by speed and ramped up to a maximum speed set by your robotic camera. Many experienced camera operators will find a sweet spot for tilt speeds that allows flexibility in manual camera movement. For example, if you are mainly following action left to right, you may limit tilt speeds to very low settings. Some camera operators limit tilt completely while others may limit the speed so that up and down motion is very minimal. Other camera operators enjoy more freedom with manual tilt speeds which allow them to quickly move up and down an area.

Zoom:

Zoom can be divided into two unique categories. There is optical zoom and digital zoom. Optical zoom allows camera operators to effectively zoom in and out of a scene without any digital pixelation. Optical zoom is done with a physical movement of the camera lens that changes the apparent closeness of the image subject. Digital zoom, on the other hand, takes the available resolution of the camera and digitally enlarges the image. Depending on the available resolution of your camera, digital zoom can be quite effective. An upcoming chapter on electronic zoom will cover this new technology in more detail.

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