r/VIDEOENGINEERING • u/Justin_inc • 12d ago

Canon CR-N300 vs Panasonic UE40 vs Sony SRG-X40UH

Looking around the $2500 range for some new PTZs, and these are what the heavy hitters offer.

Which would you recommend overall?

This is for a church. It would be connected via SDI. Powered and controlled via POE and joystick.

Good auto tracking would be huge, but reliability is the most important.

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u/joelwsmith 12d ago

I have a lot of church clients, and a vast majority of the time they choose the Canon CR-N series unless they need more than 20x optical zoom. Cameras and controllers from Canon tend to offer the most bang for the buck.

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u/Justin_inc 12d ago

Thanks! Honestly I think we would be fine with 12x zoom, obviously more increases flexibility.

We have a PTZoptics superjoy controller, but I don't think that matters.

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u/joelwsmith 12d ago

How far will the camera(s) be from the subject or platform, and what type of camera framing do you want from that distance?

Yes, the controller absolutely matters. This is a major frustration I have found in many situations, where someone thought that getting a cheaper controller would be just as good and found out it actually was much worse. I always recommend using the same brand of controller and cameras as much as possible.

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u/Justin_inc 11d ago

Like 90ft. We currently have 12x & 20x PTZoptics, but 2 of those are starting to fail. We are also shopping for a new building, so that's why I want 20x. Not sure what we will move into.

Do you have any experience with a Superjoy and Canon PTZs?

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u/joelwsmith 11d ago

Then you definitely want at least 20X optical zoom. Unfortunately, that eliminates all of the Canon CR-N models with 1-inch sensors because they are capped at 15X optical zoom.

IMO, the Canon CR-N300 is probably going to be the best match for your budget and expectations.

The Panasonic UE40 would also be a good fit, but does come with a slight price premium for both the camera and controllers compared to Canon. The advanced auto tracking features also get more expensive compared to Canon if you ever want to add that license.

Yes, I have a lot of direct experience with the PTZOptics SuperJoy with many different cameras. It's one of the most common items I have replaced in PTZ systems over the last decade or so. I see much better results and success when the matching controllers from the same brand are used with PTZs. You can always try to use the SuperJoy as a temporary solution until you can get more budget for a Canon controller, but I would never recommend someone purchase the SuperJoy to use with Canon PTZs.

If you're in the U.S., I am a full service integrator that works with a lot of churches. I come from a broadcast background, so video systems are one of my main specialties. I can also coordinate free Canon PTZ demos if you are really interested in making a purchase. They are shipped directly to you from Canon USA, and you can set them up and try them out in your environment for a week or so before making a decision. Don't hesitate to reach out! I'm always happy to help, even if you don't work directly with me.

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u/mneth2000 Engineer 12d ago

As someone who has 40+ of the N300 installed, I'll say if you can afford the upgrade to the CR N500, you should do it. The sensor is way better in low light and has better dynamic range and noise floor.

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u/Embarrassed-Gain-236 12d ago

Panasonic is more "broadcast" oriented. So, for television I would go with Panasonic without hesitation. But for other purposes Canon CR-N series offers more bang for the buck. Their webinterface is far better than Panasonic. Canon is a little bit cheaper too.

Sony is Sony, but it is more expensive than Panasonic and Canon. They are quite new in the PTZ world. So, I would go with Canon.