When you’ve decided to outfit your venue with a PTZ camera network, the practical consideration of where you’re going to put the cameras is inevitable. One of the most essential accessories for PTZ cameras is a mount. Whether you’re setting up a house of worship, corporate location, education environment, or remote event production, there’s a mounting solution for your needs.
Basic Mounting Solutions
When perusing PTZ camera mounts, there are several basic options:
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Wall
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Ceiling
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Table
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Tripod/Pedestal
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Pole/Truss
When you’ve drilled down the area you are going to mount your PTZ camera and what style of mount you require, there are several practical considerations to look for:
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Ease of installation
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Compatibility with your wall/ceiling/pole material
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Wiring feeds/cutouts that match your camera
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Durability and load capacity considerations
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Required camera clearance for wall/ceiling installation
Universal Wall/Ceiling Mounts
The most popular mounts for PTZ cameras are wall and ceiling mounts. Wall mounts generally come in metal right-angle universal designs such as the PTZCam Universal Mounting Bracket, Heckler PTZ Camera Mount, or BZBGear Universal Wall Mount Bracket and provide cutouts for your camera’s wiring underneath and behind the camera. Ceiling mounts also come in universal designs, with various designs such as Vaddio’s Drop-Down Ceiling Mount for large cameras, the basic L-shape HuddleCamHD Universal Ceiling Mount, or the flush, two-piece design of the Large Universal Ceiling Mount from PTZOptics.
Your PTZ camera brand likely offers a mount specifically designed for the size and weight of your camera, such as wall mounts from Marshall Electronics and Canon, and they feature wiring holes that are designed to match the camera’s outputs. And depending on how much clearance you require and whether your camera supports image flip mode, wall and ceiling mounts also allow you to mount your camera upside down.
Table Mounts
The easiest way to mount your PTZ camera is on a table. But rather than just placing the camera on the table, since it is motorized, you’ll probably want to secure it onto the table so it doesn’t slip or move when controlling its movements. Vaddio’s table mount for their ConferenceSHOT cameras is one example of a table riser that allows you to secure the camera while mounting it on a flat surface.
Another example is this flat upright mount from Bolin for their EX/EXU series PTZ cameras provides mounting options on a tripod or on a surface, or even on a ceiling or outdoor mount. You can also utilize a standard hi-hat mount with a compatible fluid head or ball adapter.
Tripods and Pedestals
A PTZ camera can be mounted onto most tripods that will support their weight, but most professional tripod heads are built to pan and tilt, which is not required with PTZ cameras and can cause issues when trying to steady and level the robotic camera. You can use a pedestal plate for flat-base tripods to assist in mounting, since PTZ cameras tend to have a wide base, but pedestals are much more suited to the design of PTZ cameras.
Standard pedestals that support the weight of the camera will suffice, but for a fully automated experience, the Cartoni Lifto 25 motorized elevation column is a heavy-duty pedestal that can be raised and lowered remotely for a full range of motion.
When using your PTZ camera with a teleprompter, turnkey kits like this 19” PTZ prompter package from ikan provides you with a sturdy pedestal to keep your PTZ camera level and remote when working with prompter setups.
Pole and Truss Mounts
When you’re mounting a camera outdoors or on trusses or poles as a part of your event set or surveillance package, you’ll need a more specialized mount that can fit on standard 1” pipe. Universal mounts such as the PTZCam Universal PTZ Bracket or PTZOptics Large Pole Mount feature a standard wall-style mount with a single pipe mount on the back.
Customized Mounting Applications
If none of the standard mounts fit your application, here are some customized options for mounting your PTZ camera:
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When using a camera outdoors for events or security, outdoor enclosures help to protect your camera from the elements. The Dotworkz D2 PTZ camera and enclosure kit comes ready for an IP66-rated outdoor setup.
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An inset wall box such as the ones from Marshall Camera or Vaddio create a permanent perch for cameras in an indoor environment so you don’t have to mount them on the wall – helpful in rooms with just thin drywall or difficult surfaces to drill into.
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If you’re operating the cameras on surfaces that might shake, such as event rigging or on a stage with high traffic, an anti-vibration mount such as the ones from RigWheels or Proaim can help minimize shake in your footage.
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When operating multiple cameras in the same area, a multi-camera mount like this one from Cartoni can mount up to three PTZ cameras upright or underslung and keep them steady.
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PTZCam also makes a Magnetic Mount that allows you to mount your PTZ camera quickly onto a metal surface (always use caution and safety tethers when using magnets).
If none of these options seem to satisfy your needs for a custom area or specific wiring needs, you may want to consider investing in a 3D printer. There are numerous downloadable printed camera mount models with a wide range of styles available online to customize a camera mount to fit your needs.
Best Practices
When you’re considering your camera, type of mount, and area where you want the cameras mounted, there are a few things to consider for safety:
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Always use a tether or safety cable, especially with magnetic mounts and trusses
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Utilize a Kensington lock slot if available on your camera to secure it in accessible spaces
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Ensure your mounting surface can support the weight of your camera plus the mounting kit
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When mounting your camera outdoors, always protect it from the elements with a dome or enclosure
Please feel free to share with us a PTZ mounting experience in the comments below.
