The new MeerCat miniature remote broadcast camera from Camera Corps is small enough that it can be used as a wearable camera, yet has full control facilities, including manual iris setting with adjustable electronic exposure, which can be performed remotely using Camera Corps’ joysticks and remote panels.
MeerCat’s first use was for the BBC on this year’s University Boat Race in London. One camera was mounted inside a thin metal pole at the rear of each boat, providing a forward view. Another was positioned at floor level, looking towards the cox. The camera has a very small footprint, 30x30mm, and is only 93mm high, so it fits in very narrow locations.
It uses a third-inch MOS sensor with 1944×1092 effective pixels and minimum illumination of 1.2 lux at f/1.4, which can deliver 1080p, 1080i or 720p video at 50, 59.94 or 60Hz frame rates, via HD-SDI – which can be converted to an optical feed using Camera Corps’ optical fibre interface. The power supply and interface can be up to 30m from the camera head, and control signals can be delivered over a standard audio line, allowing the interface to be located an unlimited distance from the operator. Six MeerCats can be controlled from a single remote panel.
