You’ve seen them sprinkled around sports fields, scattered in the rafters of reality TV houses, and spread amongst the balcony at local houses of worship, but you might not have known exactly what to call them. They’re PTZ cameras, meaning Pan Tilt Zoom, three of countless functions that can be operated remotely from a standalone controller, computer, or smartphone. Think of them as powerful camcorders on robotic fluid heads. That makes them mighty handy for spots where slotting in a camera operator isn’t realistic because of space, time, or money constraints. A single remote PTZ operator can control a whole fleet of these cameras from virtually anywhere in the world, and that makes them more akin to security cameras than a standard mirrorless body. Though they start at around $500, PTZ cameras can easily hit four or five figure price tags for the best of the best. The Panasonic AW-UE150K UHD 4K 20x PTZ Camera is a popular choice for professional productions, with a host of high-end features that make it an easy choice for those wanting a top-of-the-line PTZ set-up.
Pro Sensor, Pro Specs, Pro Ports
There are hundreds of hardware and software elements that can help a PTZ camera stand out, but an easy spec to start with is sensor size. A larger sensor will take in more light and more information, getting you a sharper, clearer picture even in low light scenarios. Though most mirrorless cameras have switched to large full frame sensors, many PTZ cameras are still stuck with tiny 1/3” or ½” sensors that often lead to mushy, grainy video, especially when zoomed in or used in non-ideal lighting. The UE150 sports a fantastic 1" type MOS sensor with optical image stabilization that produces sharp, punchy images even when all the way zoomed. Panasonic is so confident in this sensor’s performance that they included a multicamera-style cropping function that pulls three HD “Regions of Interest” (similar to crops) from a single 4K image. Don’t expect shallow depth of field that can match mirrorless cameras with wide open apertures but do expect image quality on par with professional cameras used for standard broadcast and documentary work.
The rest of the hardware on the UE150 maintains that high bar, with built-in ND filters, 12G and 3G-SDI outputs, an HDMI 2.0 output, optical fiber out, a Genlock input, RS-422, 12V power in, and more. This should cover all the bases you could possibly think of, and though the camera isn’t light, at about 9.25 lbs, it is smaller and lighter than many other professional level PTZ cameras with this level of I/O. The way it puts these ports to work is also impressive, as the UE150 is capable of simultaneous UHD 4K 60p and HD outputs, V-Log out, 4K IP out, and optional digital noise reduction on all outputs. Other hardware pros to note is the blazing fast 180°/s pan and tilts achievable in high-speed mode, and the PoE++ capabilities of the LAN port. From a pure spec sheet point of view, the UE150 is undoubtedly in the top tier of modern PTZ cameras. The camera is not waterproof though, so make sure to purchase separately available outdoor housing if you plan to shoot in any kind of difficult weather conditions. On the software side, Panasonic adding NDI|HX2 functionality to the camera for free in 2024 was a major boon, though I didn’t have a chance to test any NDI features firsthand.
The Question of Controllers
So how do you control this thing? Well, there are cheap ways and there are good ways. Ideally, you’re using one of Panasonic’s professional PTZ controllers, with the AW-RP60 and the AW-RP150 being the two current options. Both are capable of controlling up to 200 UE150’s, with well-calibrated joysticks and a panoply of button, knobs, and dials that put everything you need right at your fingertips. But they’re also both significant investments, easy to justify when you’re outfitting an entire stadium, but a harder pill to swallow for smaller productions and organizations that are already laying down major dollars for the camera. These users will likely try to make do with digital control via a smartphone or computer. The interfaces are fairly easy to set up and use, and this is a good way to quickly adjust settings, but trying to pan, tilt, and zoom with digital apps like the free Media Production Suite can be frustrating, often due to lag and a lack of precision in the real-time controls.
There is a way around this that experienced PTZ users are intimately familiar with – pre-set positions. Simply frame up a shot you like and save it to your control platform of choice. You can name it and customize the thumbnail to make the shot easy to recall. Save all the angles you might use and you won’t have to mess with standard PTZ commands at all during production, instead simply clicking between preset angles and watching the camera zip along by itself. Panasonic’s interface for this is intuitive and the position recalls are pinpoint accurate, but making minor corrections to these presets once shooting starts is still going to be a pain unless you have the dedicated controllers. Third party controllers can make basic adjustments via RS-232 or RS-422 but are severely limited compared to Panasonic’s AW-RP models.
What’s your use case?
The UE150 isn’t for people looking for a lower budget solution like an AW-UE20, it isn’t for those who need an outdoor camera (for that, look to the AW-UR100), and it isn’t for those who need a movie theater ready image (that’s why they put cinema cameras on robotic cranes). It’s for demanding production situations that need an image and I/O that can hold up to broadcast standards with the usability and scalability of remote-control operation. PTZ cameras don’t even have memory card slots, so you’re going to have to send your signal through an external recorder if you want to preserve the highest quality image. These cameras are a tool that should be part of an entire ecosystem, with elements like the recorder, controller, and cabling affecting your final use case much more than they would with traditional cameras. Keep that in mind and plot out a whole production schematic before you get too locked into PTZ specs.
The UE150 is a great camera, and if you’re in the market for a professional PTZ, it is undoubtably worth a look. Aspects like color science and user interface will knock it out of the park for some and leave others a bit disappointed if they’re used to traditional cinema cameras, but the sheer technology behind this thing is easy for anyone to appreciate. In the right use cases, the camera can undoubtedly elevate a shoot, just try to put enough budget aside for a real controller. Then watch it whip around at crazy speeds, punch into faraway text with ease, and spit out a sharp 4K 60p image that can be cut in alongside almost anything.
For more information about the Panasonic AW-UE150K UHD 4K 20x PTZ Camera, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out its detailed product page. Or drop us a line below, and we’ll do our best to answer all your comments and questions.
