Basic Camera Options (non-PTZ, fixed view)

Besides one or two PTZ cameras, it feels like there is a need for a third or possible fourth view. Something with a zoomed out view of the congregation from somewhere behind the podium. Or possibly a zoomed out view of the entire rostrum from somewhere near the back?

I was hoping to do this with a more "affordable" camera. Is anyone else doing this? What are you using?

Or in the end... is it better / easier to just suck it up and pay for an extra PTZ camera?

Thanks!

JW

Really, all you need is something to capture the pulpit, chorister, and maybe a musical number. That can easily be done with one PTZ camera. IMO, pointing a camera toward the congregation is somewhere (on many levels) we don't want to go.

I'd suggest thinking about simplifying the setup. While the General Handbook does allow streaming for certain cases, I suspect webcasting for pandemic reasons is likely to end in a few months. Any wards that continue to webcast will have a much smaller audience. As such, I'd start thinking about "sustainability" rather than trying to be grand.

General Handbook 29.7

"Streams and virtual meetings should not distract from the Spirit. Generally, only one device should be used to capture the meeting. Both the device and the person using it should be inconspicuous."

Too many devices in the chapel can be distracting for those people that are in the building and for those who are watching the broadcast remotely. Just my opinion.

Having multiple cameras also increases the burden when responsibility for running the broadcasts passes on from one person to the next.