ES Broadcast adds Panasonic live system cameras to hire fleet

ES Broadcast Hire, the company’s broadcast hire division, has announced the purchase of a large quantity of Panasonic AK-UC4000 4K live system cameras, which will be used to support demand across verticals including live-event production and Pro-AV market

The announcement coincides with the first day of the Media Production Show, taking place on the 11th and 12th June at Kensington Olympia. The AK-UC4000 camera chains have been designed to meet the challenges of transitioning to 4K for live sports production and high-end event broadcasting, thanks to its ability to simultaneously output HDR and SDR.

This enables a more streamlined workflow process during live operation that is supported straight from the camera with both HLG and BT.2020 colour space support. Other features of the AK-UC4000 include a high speed 2x, 3x or 4x output at 1080p for high-quality slow motion capture.

The cameras will further expand ES Broadcast Hire’s market-leading 4K hire fleet, and follows the company’s purchase of a large quantity of AW-UE150 and AW-HE130 PTZ cameras. These PTZs were recognised as an essential addition to ES Broadcast’s dry hire fleet, being readily used for a wide array of productions that includes fixed-rig observational documentaries and live event capture, to e-sports and live streaming applications.

“With the acquisition of these Panasonic channels, we are now even better equipped to meet the full range of budgetary and technological requirements,” said Warren Taggart, Managing Director of ES Broadcast Hire. “We expect high demand not only from the continent, where Panasonic already has large market share, but also in the UK, where we are seeing customers in live events and other fields opt for Panasonic solutions.

He added, “By adding the UC4000s to our fleet, we can offer auxiliary support to existing Panasonic users as well as offer complementary systems cameras to users of our new Panasonic PTZ cameras.”

"Panasonic’s studio camera technology has helped increase its position in the European market for live production, obtaining a market share of 16% in the last two years alone, whilst our PTZ cameras also remain market leaders for the industry,” said Nigel Wilkes, Group Manager at Panasonic. “This is a testament to our ongoing commitment to improve both the quality and workflows of live production, and we look forward to supporting ES Broadcast Hire in facilitating our technology to support existing markets and new uses.”