Pan Tilt and Zoom - Panasonic's 15 Years of Innovation

By Marcus Swales | Technical Product Specialist, Holdan

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Panasonic's PTZ division, and what a journey it has been! Over the past decade and a half, Panasonic has sold over 250,000 PTZ cameras, cementing its place as one of the leading innovators in PTZ technology, with a wide range of cameras to suit the needs of production of all sizes.

It all started in 1999, Panasonic first introduced the AW-E600 a traditional box camera and the PH300 a pan tilt remote head camera. Through the years they progressed these early iterations by creating all-in-one solutions, releasing an HD/SD AW-HE100 PTZ with direct RS422 control. This revolutionary camera at the time became the first PTZ to be used on the famous ‘Big Brother’ tv show.

As Panasonic moved forward, they focussed on creating smaller, lighter and fan-less PTZs to cater to new markets, such as parliaments and courthouses that require minimal noise and distractions in their environments. Jumping forward to today, Panasonic PTZs lead the way in a range of industries.

For example, PTZ cameras are often used in live events such as concerts or sports games, where they can be mounted in high places to provide a wide view of the action.

One notable example of Panasonic's PTZ cameras in action was at the recent Ed Sheeran Mathematics Tour. When Ed Sheeran announced a series of stadium shows across Europe, it was clear that the concert organizers would need to use cutting-edge technology to capture the excitement and energy of the show. Enter Panasonic's PTZ cameras, specifically the Panasonic AW-UE150 - These cameras were strategically placed around the stadium to capture different angles of the performance, from close-up shots of Ed Sheeran on stage to wide views of the crowds singing along.

With the in-the-round stage design, we couldn't have anything to obscure the crowd's view,
explained Phil, from Colonel Tom Touring, the video production company supporting the Tour.
A tour like this would typically use traditional cameras with operators but they would have been too intrusive and that wasn't an option.

With their high-quality optics and fast autofocus capabilities, the PTZ cameras were able to capture every moment of the show in stunning detail.

Panasonic is continuing to grow its PTZ business by developing not only the cameras themselves, but also the ecosystem around them. They have created and provided for free a variety of software options, like the PTZ Control Center. This practical program allows you to manage multiple PTZs all from one piece of software. Other developments include auto-tracking of presenters, ideal for lecture capture solutions and difficult filming locations, plus a host of built-in robotics that can be controlled remotely from intuitive software suits.

Another exciting industry that has seen significant growth in recent years is esports, and Panasonic has been at the forefront of this trend. In particular, the company has worked closely with eSports agency BBH to provide high-quality cameras for use in live esports broadcasts. These major eSports events include FIFA eSuperliga, the BLAST Pro Series features in seven different countries and the recent StarLadder MAJOR tournament that took place in Berlin.

See KAIROS in action covering an eSport event:

The typical challenge for eSport broadcasting is the frequency integration required between the live and computer images but with the Panasonic equipment there is no latency and that means we don't need any converters and that saves us a lot of time and money
Ulrik Samuelsen, CEO at BBH.

By using Panasonic's AK-UC4000, BBH has been able to capture the action on the esports stage with stunning clarity and detail, giving viewers a front-row seat to some of the most exciting matches in the industry. With the continued growth of esports, it's clear that Panasonic's cameras will continue to play a key role in bringing these events to life for fans around the world.

So, as Panasonic celebrates its 15th anniversary in the PTZ industry, it's clear that the company isn’t slowing down in any areas. With its innovative PTZ cameras and other cutting-edge products, Panasonic is continuing to push the boundaries of what's possible. We can't wait to see what’s next!