Can you split a timecode BNC cable to 2 different cameras?

[Andrew Allsbury]

I want to run time code off of my Zoom F8 to our Epic Dragon and our Scarlet MX, I know I will need the Lemo/Sync/TC cable to go into the cameras, but I am curious if introducing an inexpensive BNC splitter into the mix will cause any problems with reliability etc. THANKS!

 

[Marc Wielage]

The overall level will go down by about 3-4 dB. Tying a physical cable to two cameras is extremely inconvenient and inefficient. You'd be a lot better off renting two timecode jam boxes -- preferably ones with genlock reference as well as timecode -- so that the cameras will have identical timecode and shutter phase.

When in doubt, shoot a test first and see if it works. I would do four or five 1-minute shots in a row, clap at the head and clap at the tail, and then look at both sets of shots in an edit timeline and see if the timecode agrees within the shot. I would also strongly recommend you use a timecode slate as a fail-safe operation just in case the timecode signal ever fails. This is a good reference to have in the case of off-speed shots, slo-mo, and so on where sound is still running (as for wild sound).

 

[Andrew Allsbury]

Thanks Marc, we will test it out!