E11even uses Panasonic PTZ Cameras for 4K workflow

When, a Swedish specialist in digital TV productions and remote broadcasts, wanted to upgrade its PTZ cameras for 4K workflow it turned to its trusted provider Panasonic. E11even's customers are mostly in the public sector and the entertainment industry, where it produces concerts with bands and artists in a variety of different environments and locations. “It's because of this reason that our equipment must always be mobile and scalable,” said Micke Petäjämaa,Senior Producer & Technical Operations Manager.

“Since we started working in digital TV production our core equipment has always been Panasonic PTZ cameras. We mainly work with digital protocols such as NDI and SRT in our productions and because Panasonic been early to adopt these protocols, our choice of equipment has been really easy.”

When E11even was looking to upgrade its equipment for 4K workflows, the Panasonic AW-UE100 PTZ camera had recently been brought to market. The AW-UE100 integrated pan/tilt/zoom camera supports a wide variety of IP transmission protocols, including high-bandwidth NDI, high-efficiency NDI|HX and Secure Reliable Transport (SRT). The AW-UE100 features a 1/2.5-type 4K MOS sensor to produce stunning UHD 4K 60p/50p video and offers a wide variety of interfaces including 12G-SDI, 3G-SDI, HDMI and IP.

“The pandemic made it impossible for us to see or test the camera live, so we decided to be bold and order a bunch anyway,” explained Micke. “Through the years we had tested several different brands, and in particular PTZ cameras, but we always end up going back to Panasonic. Partly for the reason that they are easy to install, use, and control, but also because we mostly use tri-casters, which, in combination with Panasonic cameras, works like a dream.”

And for E11even, their confidence was rewarded. “Now we are doing most of our production with the UE100s, and we haven't regretted our choice. We also have some Panasonic camcorders such as the CX350 in our toolbox, that we combine as needed.”

Suitable for capturing images in tight spaces to large venues, the UE100 has exceptional capabilities. A wide-angle lens with a horizontal view angle of 74.1 degrees enables a wide area to be shot from a limited installation space. Its 24x optical zoom maintains high image quality at high zoom ratios, permitting shooting in large indoor spaces. The camera has a newly-designed direct drive motor for smooth pan and tilt movement and offers installation flexibility, low noise and high-resolution image capture. It is ideal for high-quality live remote and studio production for broadcast, staging, corporate and sports events.

“For us, one major benefit of the UE100 is that it has most of the protocols we use factory installed,” added Micke. “We have also noticed that the UE100 has a very fine pan and tilt movement, which allows us to get better image compositions. The fact that they can deliver different formats in various outputs is also really useful if we need to deliver different qualities of the project for multiple purposes. Full NDI is amazing. The web interface is very good, clear, and fast to work with, and the size of the camera is perfect.”

And for E11even, with its mobile and versatile production needs, the PTZ cameras have met all of their needs.

Micke explained: “We were afraid the UE100's sensor would not be able to handle the difficult lighting conditions that some assignments have. Now, after using them for a few months, we're no longer worried. These cameras deliver above our expectations.”