Pretty well every camera that Sony makes has LANC control.
Not certain the exact distance limit on LANC, over 20' for sure and no doubt there's extenders available. LANC gives you control of zoom and record start/stop. Depending on the camera and controller you may also get control of focus and more.

For a camera that's hard to reach I'd also suggest a remote pan/tilt head. You'd only need a cheap unit made for security cameras. They are not smooth however if you only need to move the camera rarely that'll not be an issue.

Bob.

The quality needs to be pretty good and I'm afraid these security camera's won't project well on a large screen (about 7 ft wide or so).

Yes I think i'll need to Pan/Zoom/tilt, maybe there was a device I can buy and just put the camera on it to pan and tilt...or I can live with out the pan/tilt if I position the camera just right and just control the zoom.

1/4" 340,000 Pixel CCD is the security cam you mentioned..maybe they make better cameras but I get the feeling I'll go over the budget.

Thanks

If you want really good quality on a 7ft screen with remote pan & tilt you probably won't do it for $1500.00

You would probably need at least a very good Standard Def camera but more likely a high def camera. S-Video connection probably will not give you the quality you are looking for and the allowable cable length is limited. .

BH Photo has a remote pan/tilt for around $100.

I have successfully used LANC C, as mentioned above, at about 100ft for camera control and firewire as well.

Using a camcorder can be problematic if it is really high off the floor. Given the nature of on-off switches, it may not be possible to turn the camcorder on/off without physical access. A pan zoom tilt unit is a better fit.

Also consider how well you can control the light in the room where the image is to be projected. If you have a church with lots of glass high in the walls, it can blot out the strongest of projectors (at least the ones us mortals can afford). You could find that extra $$ spent on a high def camera is wasted if the projection venue is unfriendly.

RalphM

I didn't mean to use a security camera !

I meant to use the cheap (<$400) pan / tilt head made for security cameras to pan and tilt a reasonable camera.


A proper pan/tilt head for a video camera would cost more like $15,000 but you don't need to spend that kind of money. The only reason I suggested using a pan / tilt head was in case you needed to move the camera because the speaker was short or tall. Just to save someone having to get out a big ladder, that's all.


If you want a quality video camera for $1,500 you could face an issue but feeding a video camera into a projector I've found the projector to be the biggest problem. I've used pretty expensive 1/2" SD cameras and the image coming out the camera looks fine but on the screen it was horrid, just not enough power in the projector, you need a LOT more lumens for video projection than text and graphics.

That said bang for buck the more expensive security cameras that take C Mount lenses and have S-Video outputs are not that bad at all. They used Sony 1/3" Super HAD imagers.

Wouldn't worry about powering the camera, just run it off the mains adaptor and switch the mains power to that. Need an electrician to wire a socket near to the camera with a switch at ground level.

Bob.

Thanks Bob for your input, I'll take a look at the projector...in your experience would a 2000 lumens projector be acceptable? The image will always be the speaker..no powerpoint slides or graphics will be projected.

Thanks

A "true" 2000 lumens projector would need a very low ambient light level in the room it projects in. I used a 2500 lumen projector at a banquet with very subdued lighting and the projector only about 15 ft from a 100 inch screen and it was marginal but usable.

Depends on the size of the room and ambient lighting. My guess is you would probably need at least 3500 - 5000 lumens for a normal lit room.

My church uses 4500 lumen projectors to project an image about 8 feet on the diagonal. If the graphic colors are selected appropriately, text is very readable. Video or still images are another matter. I usually render to very contrasty images to get a usable video projection.

The problem is that behind the projectors are walls of glass 30 feet high and 40 feet long. If those projectors were in a location with lower ambient light, there would be no problem. If your church is of a more traditional design with a dark interior, you will have an easier time than with a contemporary design.

Absolutely agree with what the people above are telling you, that is not enough power for the projector. It all depends on your ambient light levels and in a church safety can become a limiting factor in how far you can reduce ambient light, assuming you can control it anyway.

Bob.

http://www2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prModelDetail?storeId=11301&catalogId=13251&itemId=394526&modelNo=Content02122010115130831&surfModel=Content02122010115130831



Available this summer.

Thanks all for the replies..I think I'm good to go.

The ambient light is not a problem because this gets projected in the basement and there are no windows and the lights are dimmed. Perfect setting..for a change :)

Tim, did they mention the cost of the new AW-HE50?

That is a great find, thanks!

$8,995.