Orbiter (camera seat)
An orbiter in video technology is a seat in which a cameraman works at a low height above the ground.
The swivel seat is characterized by the principle of partial decoupling of the camera and swivel seat. This means that the cameraman's own vibrations can only be transmitted to the camera in a very dampened manner. This is achieved with a special bearing for the swivel seat, which ensures that any vibration that occurs is directed from the center of the system to the outer adjustable feet. The best possible vibration resistance is crucial for stable images with the focal lengths of telephoto lenses used today with magnification factors of up to 101 times. The closer the telephoto lens zooms to the object, the more stable the camera has to be, otherwise the image could shake. Natural vibrations caused by the cameraman's footwork are therefore undesirable and must be kept away from the camera. In addition to the mechanical decoupling by means of a certain type of bearing, additional attenuators were installed in the Orbiter system in the course of its further development , which bring further image stability.
For practical work, it had to be taken into account in the design that the swivel seat on the one hand must not be supported on the camera column in order not to stress it mechanically and to reduce vibrations , and that the horizontal rotation of the camera ( panning ) takes place on the same axis as that of the swivel seat. There are systems in which these two movements are coupled on a common axis or on two separate axes. This makes it difficult for stable image work.
The name Orbiter was considered appropriate for market positioning for various reasons. A cameraman is in an orbit with the orbiter, so to speak - an orbit around the camera, on the other hand the term orbital is borrowed from medical language and means “ concerning the eye socket ”.
Due to its performance features, efficiency and immunity to interference, the Orbiter system has become the best-selling camera seat worldwide and is required as standard by many sports associations such as FIFA , UEFA and DFL and prescribed by broadcasters. At the 2004 European Football Championship in Portugal, the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland, only Orbiter systems were used.
A Chinese copy as well as a Dutch partial copy appeared shortly after the seat was launched. However, they couldn't match the sales of the original.
swell
- orbiter.tv - website for the product