Broadcast Video Camera advice

[Rob Channell]

Any professional video guys out there?

OK here's the situation:
My project flies a video camera in an inertial ball on a helicopter. Right now I use an older Sony 3CCD CCTV type camera that I run into a Canopus AV/DV converter and then into a computer Firewire port where I overlay graphics on it and then convert it from VGA to analog video for recording again. (Yeah, it's obtuse. We built the capability in pieces over time.) Right now I have manual focusing, but really do not have time to fully play with the camera to get the best picture while flying (busy running 2 computers). The Auto IRIS function of this setup REALLY hoses up the output so we have to run manual IRIS and adjust several times during a flight. We can usually get by with focusing near infinity and letting it go, but not always.

I need a better quality picture and less in-flight adjustments required and have been considering a better quality camera.

One option I am considering is mounting a camcorder in the ball. We have a Canon XL1S that I could try. The pluses are it has a better lens and autofocus. I am not sure how it would perform. I am pretty sure it would be second rate to brodcast quality stuff.

I was thinking of more of a broadcast type camera with an ENG/EFP type lens would be better. Here are my requirements:

- Good video flying in various lighting conditions (bright sun and shadows from trees/buildings) though not much at night.
- Minimum Field of View width 1.5-1.8 degrees or so
- Maximum Field of View width 25-30 degrees or so
- DV or DVCAM preferred. I need to be able to time tag individual frames of video with a time tag or counter from a PC. I would love to be able to capture a digital video stream and embed user data inside it so I can correlate it with my recorded computer data later.
- Autofocus desired, but focus distance by an interface from a computer OK (I can write the software. I just need to know the type interface)
- Zoom control much like the Focus, from a PC. The computer will ALWAYS know where I want to look and be able to calculate a desired focal length and focus range for sending focus and zoom commands
- Small and lightweight
- 19" rack available for a video recorder
- the camera will be 20 cable feet away from the rack
- Cost $20-50k, or what will it cost to get something good.

For cameras I was looking at the Ikegami HL-59WNA, but haven't found a price on it yet. It may be too much. I like the fact it separates the optical and electronics blocks so only part of it has to be mounted in the ball.
They also make an HC-250 that is more of a box type camera. It would be smaller and cheaper.
The Sony DXC-D50 seems to have some internal processing that would increase the quality of the picture in high contrast lighting situations. Maybe others do as well. The down side is it may be too large to put in the ball. It might fit, but would be tight.

Which specs are important for a camera like this? I know that is kind of like "which car is best" but given my above requirements, what would you recommend? Which brands/models should I check out?

For the lens I was leaning towards Canon because of the new lenses with the digital interface.
J17ex7.7B IRSD/IASD - digital interface hopefully can be controlled by my computer through the use of commands and the optical encoder feedbacks. Looks like a nice lens. It will take a little work on my end to interface to it. This would require the computer to control the focus servo. Canon has a new autofocus lens out, but it only gets down to 3.0 deg FOV width.

Haven't looked at too many other lenses. What should I check out?

Looking at maybe the Sony DVCAM for recording. Are there recorders that would time tag each digital frame of video with a time from an IRIG input?

Should I spend more of the budget on the lens or the camera? Or is it more reasonable to just attempt a balance?
Any advice out there?

Thanks,