DO
They'll pretty much all be left in place. It's also common to raise the baskets of cranes up a bit when you're done for the day, as it's a lot harder for someone to a) nick the camera when it's 10m above you, and b) nick the crane when it's sticking up in the air.
It takes days to rig a golf broadcast, a lot of which is spent getting things in position and getting it set up right, you wouldn't want to do that every day.
It takes days to rig a golf broadcast, a lot of which is spent getting things in position and getting it set up right, you wouldn't want to do that every day.
DV
I'd presume any multiday event sufficiently worthy of televising with elevated equipment would have sufficient perimeter security to enable kit such as this to be left untouched overnight.
DO
Years ago at the Epsom Derby the crew came in the following morning to discover two people half way up one of the crane booms - they'd decided they'd have the camera, managed to avoid the security, but only got halfway before realising they couldn't get any further, and that they now couldn't get back down again either.
I'd presume any multiday event sufficiently worthy of televising with elevated equipment would have sufficient perimeter security to enable kit such as this to be left untouched overnight.
Years ago at the Epsom Derby the crew came in the following morning to discover two people half way up one of the crane booms - they'd decided they'd have the camera, managed to avoid the security, but only got halfway before realising they couldn't get any further, and that they now couldn't get back down again either.
SP
Back in the days of using terrestrial links, they used to employ a nightwatchman to keep an eye on the kit at the midpoints.
Although on one occasion the nightwatchman was more of a hinderance to getting on air than a help!
http://wiki.tx.mb21.co.uk/index.php?title=It%27s_a_Knockout,_Exmouth
Back in those days mobile VT wasn't really a thing, so OB scanners would feed back to a studio centre for recording.
Although on one occasion the nightwatchman was more of a hinderance to getting on air than a help!
http://wiki.tx.mb21.co.uk/index.php?title=It%27s_a_Knockout,_Exmouth
Back in those days mobile VT wasn't really a thing, so OB scanners would feed back to a studio centre for recording.
RK
I imagine the risk of theft may be low. They'd be easily detectable on the black market and useless without the rest of the camera chain.
There have been cases in the past here in the US of people who stole relatively new cameras selling them on eBay or Craigslist and have been caught. Although for some reason there's been several camera thefts and robbings of crews in the San Francisco Bay Area and I believe the suspects haven't been caught.
As an aside with the fact that cameras are light weight and easily dockable to box lenses - could productions leave the wiring, dock and lens in place and secure the camera overnight?
There have been cases in the past here in the US of people who stole relatively new cameras selling them on eBay or Craigslist and have been caught. Although for some reason there's been several camera thefts and robbings of crews in the San Francisco Bay Area and I believe the suspects haven't been caught.
As an aside with the fact that cameras are light weight and easily dockable to box lenses - could productions leave the wiring, dock and lens in place and secure the camera overnight?
NG
That would be less of an issue if you sold them in a different country with fewer issues... (A lot of stolen kit in the UK doesn't stay in the UK...)
You're right that cameras aren't that useful without a CCU - but that won't kill the market for spares, replacements etc. - and it's not unheard of to deploy more heads than CCUs and re-patch.
In the 90s, it wasn't unusual to see stolen camcorders in use in the Middle East (and I believe Russia) still with their original liveries.
There have been cases in the past here in the US of people who stole relatively new cameras selling them on eBay or Craigslist and have been caught. Although for some reason there's been several camera thefts and robbings of crews in the San Francisco Bay Area and I believe the suspects haven't been caught.
All it takes is someone who doesn't care to buy the gear. If it's stolen to order it would be undetectable.
However manufacturers can and do register serial numbers of stolen gear, so if you take a stolen camera for servicing, or try to buy a new licence (say to unlock high frame rates etc.) you will be detected (as licences are locked to serial numbers).
With newer camcorders (less so with system cameras) there are also diagnostics, cloud services etc. that will be connected to - which may well alert a manufacturer to a stolen camera. (A bit like iPhone IMEIs being registered so that they can't be used if stolen)
As an aside with the fact that cameras are light weight and easily dockable to box lenses - could productions leave the wiring, dock and lens in place and secure the camera overnight?
A decent box lens is probably worth more than the camera head, and easier to sell on... Removing a camera but leaving the cradle and lens in-situ would probably not be an approach taken. Either you have security or you don't.
One other major reason for leaving cameras out overnight - particularly in winter - is that you avoid fogging due to temperature changes.
noggin
Founding member
I imagine the risk of theft may be low. They'd be easily detectable on the black market and useless without the rest of the camera chain.
That would be less of an issue if you sold them in a different country with fewer issues... (A lot of stolen kit in the UK doesn't stay in the UK...)
You're right that cameras aren't that useful without a CCU - but that won't kill the market for spares, replacements etc. - and it's not unheard of to deploy more heads than CCUs and re-patch.
In the 90s, it wasn't unusual to see stolen camcorders in use in the Middle East (and I believe Russia) still with their original liveries.
Quote:
There have been cases in the past here in the US of people who stole relatively new cameras selling them on eBay or Craigslist and have been caught. Although for some reason there's been several camera thefts and robbings of crews in the San Francisco Bay Area and I believe the suspects haven't been caught.
All it takes is someone who doesn't care to buy the gear. If it's stolen to order it would be undetectable.
However manufacturers can and do register serial numbers of stolen gear, so if you take a stolen camera for servicing, or try to buy a new licence (say to unlock high frame rates etc.) you will be detected (as licences are locked to serial numbers).
With newer camcorders (less so with system cameras) there are also diagnostics, cloud services etc. that will be connected to - which may well alert a manufacturer to a stolen camera. (A bit like iPhone IMEIs being registered so that they can't be used if stolen)
Quote:
As an aside with the fact that cameras are light weight and easily dockable to box lenses - could productions leave the wiring, dock and lens in place and secure the camera overnight?
A decent box lens is probably worth more than the camera head, and easier to sell on... Removing a camera but leaving the cradle and lens in-situ would probably not be an approach taken. Either you have security or you don't.
One other major reason for leaving cameras out overnight - particularly in winter - is that you avoid fogging due to temperature changes.
DE
On a regular European Tour event they cover three or four holes from the towers. When the last 'TV group' has finished a hole, the camera is disconnected and moved to the next empty tower along the course and so on.
They also have a couple of roving crews who can quickly cover a non 'TV group' player who's doing well.
They also have a couple of roving crews who can quickly cover a non 'TV group' player who's doing well.
MA
I take it in that situation they have pre-cabled all the towers so they are just plugging and playing almost with the camera. As it'll be the cable laying and truck end thats the biggest time in a rig? Attaching a box lens and sled to a camera must be the work of two people what 20 minutes?
On a regular European Tour event they cover three or four holes from the towers. When the last 'TV group' has finished a hole, the camera is disconnected and moved to the next empty tower along the course and so on.
They also have a couple of roving crews who can quickly cover a non 'TV group' player who's doing well.
They also have a couple of roving crews who can quickly cover a non 'TV group' player who's doing well.
I take it in that situation they have pre-cabled all the towers so they are just plugging and playing almost with the camera. As it'll be the cable laying and truck end thats the biggest time in a rig? Attaching a box lens and sled to a camera must be the work of two people what 20 minutes?
RK
How easily and quickly could a box lens be mounted to the tripod and camera dock?
About the lenses - the canon UHD Digisuper 90 costs $187,980 via B&H. I just bought one - thank god my Amex Centurion card has no limits. I'm going to mount it to my $600 DSLR that I got at Costco.
(Wish I could find the YouTube video of someone doing just that).
[
A decent box lens is probably worth more than the camera head, and easier to sell on... Removing a camera but leaving the cradle and lens in-situ would probably not be an approach taken. Either you have security or you don't.
One other major reason for leaving cameras out overnight - particularly in winter - is that you avoid fogging due to temperature changes.
A decent box lens is probably worth more than the camera head, and easier to sell on... Removing a camera but leaving the cradle and lens in-situ would probably not be an approach taken. Either you have security or you don't.
One other major reason for leaving cameras out overnight - particularly in winter - is that you avoid fogging due to temperature changes.
How easily and quickly could a box lens be mounted to the tripod and camera dock?
About the lenses - the canon UHD Digisuper 90 costs $187,980 via B&H. I just bought one - thank god my Amex Centurion card has no limits. I'm going to mount it to my $600 DSLR that I got at Costco.
(Wish I could find the YouTube video of someone doing just that).