Best PTZ for under $1,000

[NicoDanger]

Hey Everybody,

I've been lurking this forum for a fair bit now and have decided to step out from the shadows. So, hi! I run video projection for a touring band. This involves projectors, screens, computers, lipstick cameras, some rudimentary lighting control and the patience of a monk. This forum seems like a good place to swap info with folks so here goes:

I've been using cheap (<$100) lipstick cameras from Radioshack for the last several years as part of my show. Long story short, the band has given me a small budget to upgrade my system to Robo-Cams. This is very exciting for me and I am now in the process of trying to spec out what I want.

It seems to me that the entry-level Sony EVI series is the way to go. I'm happy with the resolution (more than twice what I've been using) and they seem fairly rugged (our equipment gets the absolute crap kicked out of it).

My question to you all is: Who has experience using PTZ cams and can offer advice? What other models are out there that rival the Sony cams? Anybody ever have a PTZ that broke down/malfunctioned? Anybody wish they'd bought a different model/brand after the fact?

And, part the second: What kind of experiences have folks had with different controllers? I've looked at both the Sony board (the RM-BR300) and the Telemetrics version. What are my other options? I know very little about the RS232 protocol but I would imagine there must be plenty of ways to talk to it. I would love to save some money on the controller by figuring out a way to translate MIDI or DMX into a signal that could drive the cameras, as those are the protocols I use to control my system at present.

I appreciate the help and thanks for reading...

 

[BillESC]

We install a lot of the EVI D70's in churches and have had excellent results. Not one (knock on wood) service issue to date.

I believe there is a free software control program that you can download for the D70's on Panasonic's site.

 

[museav]

Just keep in mind that the EVI series are originally designed for conferencing applications and are not broadcast quality cameras or pan/tilts. The pan/tilt/zoom may work fine for recalling presets, etc. but may not be the best for adjusting or moving while live.

The Canon VC-C series is sort of the traditional competition for the Sony EVI series.

 

[dvsDave]

I've used the Canon VC-C series and I had alignment issues, they didn't "home" precisely. But to be honest, it wasn't exactly fresh out of the box. So, I'm not sure if it was just wear or tear, or a defect/limitation of the machine.

 

[bishopthomas]

I use the VCC1's when I work for a remote recording company. We only use them for watching the stage while recording/broadcasting from the truck, so I've never thought about the quality in relation to using them for projection and production aspects. They work great for what we were using them for, and combined with a Telemetrix controller we were able to preset scenes and recall them with a simple button press. These were the VCC1's and I understand that there are several upgraded models since then, so I'm sure the current ones are much improved.