Panavision Makes Major Purchase Of Sony 24p CineAlta High Definition Camcorders

Panavision Stakes Digital Cinematography Claim With 100 HDW-F900 24P Camcorders And Related Equipment Worth Close to $18 Million

12-Apr-00

Sony Electronics announced that Panavision, the premier designer and supplier of cameras, lenses and accessories to the motion picture and television production community, has made an initial purchase of 100 HDW-F900 camcorders for 24P digital production.Panavisionís acquisition of nearly $18 million of Sony equipment will begin in early May, with the shipment of the HDW-F900 cameras. Panavision will then modify (Panavise) these devices and couple them with its new Primo Digitalô lenses, designed to maximize the inherent performance of the HDW-F900. Panavisionís Digital Cinematography system will be customized for a variety of users, including feature-length film, prime time television programming, television commercial and documentary productions.""We have been and will continue to work with Sony to develop 24P equipment as part of our goal to offer a complete digital cinematography system,"" said John Farrand, President and CEO of Panavision. ""Panavision is dedicated to fulfilling the needs of our customers whose passion is storytelling through images. The choices available to them has now been expanded to include digital imaging,"" Farrand added.""Panavisionís purchase of 24P high definition equipment goes a long way towards the validation of this system within the motion picture community,"" said Edward Grebow, President of Sony Electronicsí Broadcast and Professional Company. ""Panavision adds unique value to our HD acquisition systems with its custom optics systems that are demanded by the worldís leading film cinematographers. Their acceptance of our product signifies the beginning of a new era in filmmaking, and weíre excited by the new potential they bring to this creative process,"" Grebow added.Sonyís new CineAlta line of 24P production equipment includes the HDW-F900 24P digital high definition camcorder and the associated HDW-F500 editing VTR. ""Sonyís newly developed CCDs, which feature higher sensitivity and a wider dynamic range coupled with a 12-bit A/D converter and advanced digital signal processing make a camcorder that is totally unique and ideal for digital cinematography in terms of exposure latitude, tonal and color reproduction,"" said Larry Thorpe, Vice President of Acquisition Systems for Sony Electronicsí Broadcast and Professional Company. ""The introduction of full HD studio signal processing within the camcorder considerably extends creative flexibility, while also simplifying the overall set up and operation,"" Thorpe added.Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Professional Company (BPC) provides advanced products and systems for a variety of professional and broadcast markets, including production, corporate, industrial, government, security, medical and education. BPC products, systems and applications are designed to facilitate the transition to digital technologies and the emerging broadband network era, while managing current assets. Sony BPC products and services include those for broadcast and professional acquisition, production, storage, data management, system integration, digital imaging, digital printing, large and small venue display and projection needs. BPC is a division of Sony Electronics Inc., a US company that had record sales exceeding $11 billion for fiscal year 1999. For more information, visit www.sony.com/professional.

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