Vinten Unveils Vector 750 Pan-and-Tilt Head for Live Sports

Vinten, a leading provider of manual and robotic camera support systems and a Vitec Videocom brand, offers the perfect solution for the 2016 sports season with the Vector 750 pan and tilt head. Providing versatile support for 4K, studio, and OB broadcast cameras and lenses, the Vinten Vector 750 is the only system that allows perfect control for large sports cameras at any resolution or frame rate, including UHD and Slow-Mo.

With its unique pantographic perfect balance system that doesn’t use springs or cams, the Vector 750 minimizes the inertia of the moving camera and lens, allowing consistent movement and easy positioning at any angle. Moreover, its TF drag system also delivers complete control at any level of movement, infinite adjustment without steps, instant whip pan without manual drag reduction and a fast setup. These Vinten-specific features enable the camera operator to capture the perfect shot with minimal effort and eliminates physical strain while working long hours.

Having covered prestigious sports franchises and events like the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins and this year’s Summer Games in Rio, Director of Photography Tom Guilmette has been using the Vector 750 for years. “Whatever [Vinten] did to design this pan head, no other company even comes close to allowing me to do what I do,” said Guilmette.

Vinten’s Vector 750 pan and tilt head complement the latest UHD/4K camera and lenses to deliver exceptional sports coverage, freeing the camera operator to react instinctively to a director’s call or sudden movement by the subject. With infinite adjustment and perfect balance, Vinten Vector 750 allows exactly the right amount of torque to be generated at any angle and makes the camera appear weightless in the hands of the camera operator.

“[Vinten] hit a home run with the Vector Series because of the pantographic design, the perfect balance, the drag,” continued Guilmette. “Everything is perfect and the pan head is so responsive. It doesn’t stick. It doesn’t slip. There are no surprises. It does exactly what I expect it to do and to a guy like me, it’s how I express myself. It’s how I earn a living. It’s how I get that signature shot that I could only get with a Vinten.”

Vinten’s patented drag systems allow instant whip pan movement without any manual reduction of the drag, making it ideal for sports coverage since it requires lower drag for following the close action and higher drag for longer shots. And with a center of gravity range of 8 to 25cm/3.1 to 9.8in and a maximum payload of 75kg/165.3lbs, users can attach a wide range of camera accessories, such as talent monitors and spotlights.

Additionally, the Vector 750 comes with updates over existing versions, including an improved slide plate clamp, a larger clamp level, and an updated balance mechanism. The updated balance mechanism increases the payload CoG height range and enables an extra 5kg payload capacity for increased robustness.

Tom Guilmette shows us why the Vinten vector 750 is the premiere camera support in sports production: