There are generally 3 types of endzone cameras:
The first is type is Manual, which is where the pan and tilt of the camera are mechanically controlled. Game Day Endzone uses quality metal parts to pan the tower left and right and tilt the camera up and down. We believe this is the most user friendly, durable, and reliable way to pan and tilt the camera. In order to film a game you need to be able to pan, tilt, zoom, and record. Manual systems make the panning and tilting bulletproof. Manual systems can also pan and tilt way faster and slower than the other two types.
We use the highest quality remote to zoom and record. Most remotes can have issues with their cable connections, which is why we opted for a wireless remote that also has a wired option in case your remote batteries die or you lose your wireless receiver.
The second type is Automatic, which is controlled with some type of motorized pan/tilt head or pan/tilt/zoom head. These systems use motors, joysticks, and/or security PTZ heads. These systems have more cables and sensitive electronics in the mix and have more failure points. They often cost more but are less reliable and only allow certain pan and tilt speeds that might not allow for the operator to easily follow parts of the game. They also need a remote to zoom and record and often use a cheaper wired remote.
The third type is Wireless; these cameras are controlled with Wi-Fi via tablets or phones and often require a router and wireless antenna. They also are motorized and have even more electronics in the loop.
Another type, which would fall under the third type, are Drone Systems. These are basically, drone-controlled pan/tilt/zoom cameras put on top of a tripod. The main issue with these, besides the extra electronics, is the optical zoom is very poor, usually only 3x zoom, where our camera is 24x and you generally need 10x to record from the endzone.