Controlling camera settings

Maintaining consistent visibility in environments with extreme lighting shifts can be tricky. Fortunately, there are a few settings and approaches that have proven effective in such setups.

Recommended Camera Settings:

• Auto Exposure: Enabled
• Backlight: Disabled
• Wide Dynamic Range: Enabled
• Infrared : Enabled or disabled depending on ambient light levels
• Auto Infrared: Disabled (typically responds too slowly to be reliable during live operation)

Some operators choose to keep Infrared always enabled. While this results in a black-and-white image, it significantly reduces sensitivity to changing light levels and helps maintain detail consistency.

Optional Control Mapping:

• Camera Day/Night Toggle: You can toggle IR on/off via the console button using the default mapping (Camera – Day/Night Switch), or map it to an external controller such as DMX or OSC using custom input mappings.
• Exposure/Gain Adjustment: Mapping exposure/gain to a console fader or encoder or an external input is also helpful, allowing operators to adjust brightness in real-time based on stage lighting conditions.

We recommend that only one dedicated operator has these camera controls mapped.

Advanced Options (Low-Light Scenarios):

If lighting conditions are exceptionally poor, you might consider switching to Manual Exposure. This allows precise control over shutter and gain, which can also be automated via cues from your lighting console. In such cases, using Infrared mode in combination with an IR flood light often yields better results than manual exposure.