ES Broadcast adds Panasonic 4K and HD PTZ cameras to hire fleet

ES Broadcast Hire, the company’s broadcast rental division, has announced the purchase of a large quantity of Panasonic AW-UE150 and AW-HE130 PTZ cameras, for high-end 4K and Full-HD remote production across a range of applications.

The announcement coincided with the company’s 4K Fact or Fiction: A Live Production Showcase event which took place at h Studio London on Thursday 9th May, and featured an AW-UE150.

Acquisition supports growing markets requiring PTZ cameras

Panasonic’s PTZ cameras are already a popular choice for a wide array of productions ranging from fixed-rig observational documentaries and live event capture, to e-sports and live streaming applications. The growing demands of these markets, coupled with the industry-leading position of Panasonic’s PTZ range, have made the AW-UE150 and AW-HE130 essential additions to ES Broadcast’s dry hire fleet.

The newly-released AW-UE150 is the flagship 4K model within the already-established integrated PTZ range, and further demonstrates Panasonic’s commitment to HDR recording capabilities as the first PTZ capable of 4K at 50p, offering HLC.BT.2020 support. In addition, it offers the widest field of vision (FOV) of any remote camera on the market, with a unique crop-in function for pan and scan applications.

Panasonic’s AW-HE130HD PTZ, meanwhile, is equipped with three 1/2.86-type MOS sensors and allows for high-grade filming in low light conditions, with a superior S/N ratio and high resolution.

‘Easy decision’ to choose market-leading Panasonic PTZ cameras

Edward Saunders, Group CEO of ES Broadcast, said: “We have seen significant growth in PTZ markets through our sales activities, and the increase in uptake, coupled with the technological advances that allow PTZ cameras to hold their own in the emerging UHD landscape, meant this was the right time to add these cameras to our rental offering. The choice to use Panasonic was easy as they are the market leader in PTZs.”

“The UE150 is set to change the landscape of PTZ filming with its cutting-edge image quality and high level of usability,” said Nigel Wilkes, Group Manager at Panasonic. “We are extremely excited to have both the AW-UE150 and AW-HE130 be a part of ES Broadcast Hire’s rental fleet, and look forward to seeing how our technology can support both existing markets and new uses.”