New Panasonic UST Zoom Lenses

The location-based entertainment industry can now bring audiences even closer to the action with visually immersive experiences using Panasonic’s two new Zero-Offset Ultra Short Throw (UST) Zoom lenses for its LCD Laser Projectors. These lenses can be used to exploit every inch of display area with floor-to-ceiling, shadow-free images possible in even the most restricted installation spaces at museums, exhibitions and live events. The Panasonic ET-EMU100 UST Zoom Lens for the PT-MZ16K Projector Series will be available in August 2021 and the ET-ELU20 UST Zoom Lens for the new PT-MZ880 Series will be available in September 2021.

“Whatever the challenges of the space, these lenses and the latest Panasonic projectors can make viewers feel part of the visual content with wide-screen, edge blended projection that can fill a display area,” said Hartmut Kulessa, European Marketing Manager at Panasonic Business. “The combination of innovative design and installation flexibility offers a whole new range of visual creative options.”

Versatile Installation

The lens throw-ratio of 0.330–0.354:1 (WUXGA) produces a 200-inch image at a distance of about 1.42m. The distracting gap between the top of the image and the ceiling is eliminated to create greater visual impact. The projector can be mounted directly on the ceiling without the threat of lens-overhang obstructing the screen. In rear-projection, the projector can be located at the centre of the screen to distribute brightness evenly from centre to corners and edges.

Flexible Adjustment

Once in place, the projector is also easy to set-up with flexible adjustment. Images can be adjusted at the technician’s convenience using the lens’ 1.07x zoom and wide lens-shift range of Vertical: +50 %, -20 %, Horizontal: +20 %, -20 % (ET-EMU100) and Vertical: +50 %, -50 %, Horizontal: +24 %, -24 % (ET-ELU20).

Precision glass lens elements offer scratch protection and greater resistance to heat. The ET-EMU100 also has a temperature sensor to support the projector’s Active Focus Optimiser (AFO), which analyses temperature information and automatically adjusts focus to consistently keep images pin-sharp.