Vinten’s Vector 950 Active pan-and-tilt head, which complements Canon Broadcast’s lens-stabilization Optical Shift Image Stabilizer (Shift-IS) technology, can now be used with most existing Canon HD field Shift-IS lenses.

The result, the companies say, is the elimination of any trace of lag after fast pan or tilt shots-a significant advantage in the production of HDTV sports and live entertainment events. This new technology addresses remaining key issues of the HDTV market, which requires sharper, more stable pictures.

It is also compression-friendly because it delivers a more stable source image, which minimizes the amount of processing required by the encoders to produce a final image for broadcast output.

The Vector 950 Active is a heavy-duty pan/tilt head designed to carry studio/OB cameras equipped with large zoom lenses weighing up to 264 lbs (120kg). Vinten’s intelligent, integral, real-time, digital electronic positioning technology allows for precise and accurate pan-and-tilt data from the head to be transmitted to the stabilization systems of Canon’s Digi-Super 100xs and Digi-Super 86xs long-field zoom lenses.

That technology is now also available as an optional upgrade on the Digi-Super 100xs, Digi-Super 86xs II, and Digi-Super 75xs “legacy” models equipped with Canon’s Shift-IS lens technology.

Special encoders in the Vector 950 Active provide pan-and-tilt data at a resolution higher than other products on the market. This data is linked through a high security protocol to the Canon lens, where it is processed to maximize the performance of the Shift-IS image stabilization system. The result is a dynamic image-stabilization system that can determine intentional camera movement from unintentional vibration.

Since its debut, the Canon-Vinten technology collaboration has enhanced HD sports coverage to capture fast-paced action with greater stability, smoothness, and precision.

For more information, visit www.vinten.com.