Camera Corps Making an IBC Splash in the World of Specialist Cameras

A quick dive into the world of specialist sports cameras with Camera Corps, including a new quiet underwater camera system plus a dedicated MLB broadcast camera to get closer to the action than ever.

Specialist cameras developer Camera Corps has a new underwater camera system able to operate at depths up to 6 metres (19.7 ft). It was recently used at the World Aquatics Championships during the high diving events. Underwater noise can be a genuine issue, apparently, and “unlike some competing systems” Camera Corps says this new unit operates quietly to avoid distracting athletes.

“We've developed systems like this in the past but this new one takes it up a huge level in terms of capability,” says Phil Beckett, VP, EMEA Services at Camera Corps.

“Normally, in an Olympic pool, you're looking at two and a half to three metres underwater but this was designed for cliff diving where the athletes start 27 metres (88.6 ft) up and dive feet first into six metres (19.7 ft) of water and push off the floor to get back to the top.

“In broadcast applications, you'll never get deeper than about six metres. Technically the robotic camera is specified to about 10 metres (32.8 ft) and its capabilities are probably nearer 40 metres (131.2 ft) but there’s no way you want to go there.”

This particular model is typically hired for about £650 ($830 / €775) a day. So, on a regular two-week aquatic championship, you're probably looking at these systems going out for between about £5,000–£10,000 ($6,400–$12,800 / €5,950–€11,900).

Adjustable feet help it sit evenly at the bottom. “The bottom of pools can be surprisingly uneven.” It has a nitrogen purge system built in and a monitor for any water seepage.
“You can only get it in white. Because, believe it or not, from a client's perspective, they're really frustrated if they see black cameras and black cables on screen. The idea is to make this invisible and not massive black spaghetti.”

Sports Innovation 

Also developed by Camera Corps is a new robotic system for ENG-style cameras fitted with a 24× lens – a capability that could deal with 95% of requirements for an outside broadcast (OB).

“Everything has been ruggedised,” Beckett said. “With these connectors, for example, you want to be able to throw them in the puddle behind Old Trafford, put your boots on it and scrunch it into the mud, pick it up, give it a quick shake and plug it back in. That's the kind of robustness you actually need.”

“It's highly scalable. You could invert it and then hang it from a roof. It's now AR data enabled too, it’s ultra smooth and it will do a fast whipped pan application.”

Also on the stand was an innovation devised specifically for MLB. “A baseball pitch is gravelly dirt rather than muddy grass and the batters will run, slide and slam into the bases. MLB wanted to capture the audio and the visuals of this so they tasked Camera Corps to come up with an application. We went through a process with MLB to get this approved.”

The plastic moulded square unit essentially plugs into the cabling below the pitch. It includes two mini-cams, RF, battery, microphones, and power.

“This system literally just drops into a hole in the field of play and works.”