Camera Corps' Q-Ball Reaches New Heights

Veteran rock climber Chris Watford and his rigging team at ClimbSouth are continuously helping Camera Corps' Q-Ball reach new heights by installing the systems into locations only trained climbers can reach.
The company has installed camera systems around the world in locations such as mountain passes and trees in the jungle to major cities and sporting event stadiums' building roofs.
"I have been fortunate enough to work on specialised video installations for over 14 years," says Chris Watford, CEO of ClimbSouth.
"I watched the development of Q-Ball from the beginning, knowing that this would become a significant, sought after production tool for the broadcast industry. Since the Q-Ball's introduction, the ClimbSouth team has encountered installations that include flying Q-Ball cameras over public squares, neatly from historic buildings and stadium flying for sports events. This work is not for the shy and you certainly do not want to revisit a location because something is not functioning properly, so quality is a key factor. The Q-Ball has a proven track record for spot-on performance."
ClimbSouth has put together a team of up to eight professionals who need to be able to travel the globe at a moment's notice.
"Q-Ball has definitely cut the time for high-angle applications in half over flying more traditional POV cameras," adds Watford.
"The systems are light so they can easily be carried up to the highest perch without causing stress on the climber. Further, Q-Ball is a sleek system that doesn't require external interface boxes and ancillary equipment, meaning that it does not come with a tangle of wires. This is another time saving factor when climbing up a mountain cliff or a stadium support for that perfect shot."
According to Watford, placing a camera system in a high location, such as on a high beam or hanging on a harness in midair, presents a number of challenges for the team because they need a place to set cables, power and interface boxes.
Camera Corps' Q-Ball is a compact, weather-resistant HD/SD remotely controlled camera, featuring 10-times-zoom optical lens and smooth-accelerating pan/tilt motors.
Housed in a 115-mm diameter aluminium sphere, the Q-Ball camera has a two-megapixel CMOS sensor and is capable of operating in daylight or with infrared illumination.
It delivers 1080i/720p high definition or 625/525 standard definition imagery at 50- or 59.94-Hz refresh rates. In addition, its ease of use makes for prompt on-location installation.
"Q-Ball cleans up the installation and we can get the job done quickly, which saves on production time," concludes Watford.
"The Q-Ball also provides a great, clean picture and has become the go-to camera for special and spectacular shots."
www.cameracorps.co.uk
(IT/JP)