Vinten Celebrates 20 Years Of Vector

Vinten has announced it is celebrating the twentieth anniversary of its range of Vector pan and tilt heads. The seven pan and tilt heads that make up the range include the Vector 75, based on the Vector 70 model. The family also incorporates the Vector 430, the Vector 950 and Vector 750.

"In two decades since the first Vector 700 was launched, the 'Vector Family' has been at the forefront of the industry and has become ubiquitous in studios across the world," a statement from the company said. "The core capabilities at the heart of the Vector range includes Vinten's Perfect Balance technology, for effortless support, and the unique Thin Film drag, patented in several Vector models, bringing the appropriate camera control for every type of movement."
Andrew Butler, Senior Product Manager, Vinten, said: "It is a remarkable achievement to be celebrating twenty years since the launch of the first Vector head. The longevity is testament to the revolutionary design that continues to deliver value both in the studio and in the OB space.
"For OB applications, the pantographic counterbalance mechanism has proved invaluable, as operators can counterbalance for different weight camera packages without changing out cams or using springs. This really simplifies and speeds set up, particularly at sports venues. Combined with the higher output drag modules, it provides excellent control for heavier payloads."
DOP Tom Guilmette explained to the company why the Vector range has proved so successful in sports broadcast: "Shooting unscripted live sports with fast action is a challenge. The number one piece of equipment in the camera chain is the pan and tilt head. The Vinten Vector series is buttery smooth and extremely responsive allowing me to track high speed objects with precision."
US based NEP, operator of the world’s largest fleet of television mobile units and global production studios uses the pan and tilt heads exclusively on its OB vans. George Hoover, CTO, NEP said: "All of the cameramen on remote sites are freelancers, working across a variety of different productions and mobile units. They rely on the Vinten Vector heads to help them consistently get their shots and from our perspective we like to give them the tools that they know will let them work at their optimum creativity."
In studio applications, recent installations of the Vector range include studios for BT Sport in the UK, where several Vector 750 heads were selected to support the broadcaster’s live programming. For many years, the British commercial broadcasting giant ITV has also used Vinten Vector heads as part of its range of Vitec Videocom equipment installed across the London Studios.
Chris Owen, Head of Cameras and Sound at ITV Studios, said: "The guys at Vinten really respond and listen to feedback. For instance, with the Vector 750 heads they made some minor adjustments so they would exactly meet our needs. At the end of the day, they have been designed by people who really understand what camera operators want."
Andrew Butler concluded: "The durability of the Vector range stands testament to the quality of the design and the engineering. There are a number of studios that still have the original models daily use two decades on. The range has been future-proofed with the introduction of the ‘i’ versions of the 430, 750 and 950, providing an extremely high quality, highly accurate encoder output for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality applications.
"The success of the heads has been built on innovation and like all of our products, this will certainly continue for the long term. We are committed to providing the highest performing supports that meet the future needs of the industry and we fully intend for Vinten to remain the heads of choice for the next twenty years."

www.vinten.com

(IT)