Mo-Sys has announced the launch of the U50, a heavy-duty remote head that enables camera operators to control “the biggest box lenses and heavies broadcast camera set-ups” remotely.

Built on the same high-precision backlash free drives in the Mo-Sys L40 remote head, the U50 head enables fast acceleration and deceleration of heavy broadcast camera packages with super telephoto lenses of up to 50kg. The combination of a U-shape space-frame design and “zero backlash” drives give U50 enough strength to achieve fast panning shots with no bouncing, even when zoomed in.

The U50 is specifically designed to allow remote operation, eliminating the need for operators to manually pan and tilt the camera onsite. Instead they can move the camera remotely from a control room with a pan bar that translates operator movements 1:1 to the remote head. And with the Mo-Sys TimeCam option soon to be made available, “U50 has the potential to be operated anywhere in the world with virtually no delay” by using Mo-Sys’ delay compensated global remote-control technique, according to the company.

Danny Zemanek, Freelance Camera Operator explained, “Previously remote production technology was an additional cost for broadcasters, but now it is essential to ensure camera operators can work safely. The U50 remote head from Mo-Sys represents a new way that operators can control big box lenses with the same precision and agility that we have come to expect.”

Michael Geissler, CEO Mo-Sys Engineering Ltd said, “Our U50 is ideal for sporting events and long-range filming environments. At the core of the U50 are our highly robust pan and tilt motors with zero backlash, providing lag-free operation. Using the power and sturdiness of the Mo-Sys L40 pan and tilt motors, but now with a double space-frame design, the U50 is Mo-Sys’ strongest head to date.”

Geissler added, “Just like the rest of our broadcast robotics and film remote heads, the U50 can be operated with a variety of input devices such as hand-wheels, pan-bar or joystick. It can be connected through a bus cable, ethernet or fibre for long distances. The button-console interface provides controls for pan/tilt velocity adjustment, input smoothing and direction, user defined position limits with feathering and axes zeroing”.

“Whether you’re a freelance cameraman, work in production, broadcast, OBs, rental, virtual events, corporate or sports,” Geissler concluded, “Our U50 simplifies the operation of the head in remote-mode making it ideal for all those operating and involved – be they technical or not.”