Setting up a remote camera rig
by Chris Ayres
on
Jul 6, 2008 at 12:54:50 am
I couldn't find a particular thread that matched exactly what I was looking for here, but this one closely matches what I do. I'm working on capturing the remaining shuttle launches and then the new Constellation missions that will come after the shuttle retires. Because I'm doing this on my own, I likely won't be allowed to hardwire any of my cameras into a power source or a video feed and will have to have a remote setup to capture the video from areas close to the launch pad. I'll refer to the launches as the 'event'.
I'm looking for a practical way to set up a remote video rig 12-24 hours before an event and having it either trigger during the event, or start recording at a specific time.
Two things I've already thought of is to have a sound trigger start the camera recording when the event takes place. This is ideal and would use the smallest setup. If it's something possible anyways.
My other thought is to bring a laptop computer and a power source to the remote location and have it direct capture to the hard drive for the entire 12-24 hour period.
Has anyone had any experience in this or know where I can be directed to find out a reasonable solution? My cameras are Sony FX1's.
Re: Setting up a remote camera rig by Mark Suszko on Jul 6, 2008 at 2:05:15 am
At the distance you're going to be allowed by range safety and security, you're going to be at least three miles back, maybe more... the sound will trail the light of actual ignition by some seconds, so you'll miss the actual takeoff if tripped by sound unless you're really close. Plus, those mic-tripped arrangements can be accidentally triggered by wind rumble, a bug landing on the mic, or a passing jet, or you might set the listening window so narrow that they also miss the launch. You also have no idea of the situation regarding holds or scrubs. So simple timers or intervalometers may not cut it.
Our tax dollars are well-spent on getting a LOT of camera coverage of these launches already, from every conceivable useful angle, especially so for shuttle launches and of course for a new experimental vehicle, so I wonder; why not leave it to the pros and just request dubs from NASA afterwards? Do you really think what you have lens wise is going to be better than what they already get?
Assuming you still have a good reason to get your own, and they let you put the rig somewhere where it will have power, yet remain undisturbed, I would go for hooking up something using cellphones. You watch the launch on CNN or NASATV or whatever, live. Whenever the count gets down to t- five minutes, you phone the relay rig which starts the camera. Actually similar operationally to the IED's they use in Iraq, only with a non-lethal purpose. Buy a disposable tracfone for $30 and use that for the camera end: the lithium battery in it will last on standby for a couple of days. To me the harder trick is powering the camera and over-riding it's built-in setting to power down if not shooting for a while.
That, and getting permission to plant the unit where you want.
Re: Setting up a remote camera rig by Chris Ayres on Jul 6, 2008 at 2:15:41 am
You've got a good point, it would be good to leave it to what they've already got set up and just get copies of it. I may actually do just that and use my cameras from the media site. There is just something satisfying about doing it on your own.
From my experience, the camera that I have will stay on and able to record unless turned off. It goes into a sort of standby that when you press record it takes about 10 seconds to start recording, but the camera is not in standby.
It would be interesting to find out more about the tracfone idea, even if I don't use it in this case, I might be able to use it for other reasons.
Things would be so much easier if I were a photographer and not a videographer... Oh well! Thanks for your reply Mark.
