Mo-Sys releases U50 heavy-duty remote head for the biggest box lenses
The U50 enables remote control of the biggest box lenses and heaviest broadcast camera set-ups
Designed to enable camera operators to control the biggest box lenses and heaviest broadcast camera set-ups remotely, the U50 remote head is new from Mo-Sys.
The U50 combats the current challenges and requirements brought about by COVID-19, which has seen the size of on-site production crews dramatically decreasing. It is capable of smoothly and quickly operating box lenses and is said to achieve the same precision and agility when camera operators are controlling manually and on-site.
The head is specifically designed to allow remote operation, eliminating the need for operators to manually pan and tilt the camera onsite. Instead the camera can be moved remotely from a control room with an intuitive pan bar that translates operator movements 1:1 to the remote head.
Danny Zemanek, freelance camera operator, explained: “Previously remote production technology was an additional cost for broadcasters, but now it is essential to ensure camera operators can work safely. The U50 remote head from Mo-Sys represents a new way that operators can control big box lenses with the same precision and agility that we have come to expect.”
Built on the same high-precision backlash-free drives as the Mo-Sys L40 remote head, the U50 enables fast acceleration and deceleration of heavy broadcast camera packages with super telephoto lenses of up to 50kg. The combination of a U-shape space-frame design and zero backlash drives give the U50 enough strength to achieve fast panning shots with no bouncing, even when zoomed in, making it suitable for everything from following a puck in an ice hockey game to trailing F1 cars on a racetrack.
Michael Geissler, CEO at Mo-Sys Engineering, said: “Our U50 is ideal for sporting events and long-range filming environments. At the core of the U50 are our highly robust pan and tilt motors with zero backlash, providing lag-free operation. Using the power and sturdiness of the Mo-Sys L40 pan and tilt motors, but now with a double space-frame design, the U50 is Mo-Sys’ strongest head to date.”
Strong drive units give operators instant and delay-free control, while the precise gear drives enable smooth operation even with the biggest zoom lenses. The hole through the centre of the gear boxes for cable pass-through removes the need for slip-rings and makes it future-proof for high bandwidth digital video. This also allows for tangle-free direct cabling.
Geissler added: “Just like the rest of our broadcast robotics and film remote heads, the U50 can be operated with a variety of input devices such as hand-wheels, pan-bar or joystick. It can be connected through a bus cable, Ethernet or fibre for long distances. The button-console interface provides controls for pan/tilt velocity adjustment, input smoothing and direction, user-defined position limits with feathering and axes zeroing.”
“Whether you’re a freelance camera operator, work in production, broadcast, OBs, rental, virtual events, corporate or sports, our U50 simplifies the operation of the head in remote-mode making it ideal for all those operating and involved – be they technical or not,” Geissler concluded.