Panavision
History

Panavision is the world's leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of precision film and digital camera systems, lenses and accessories for motion pictures, television series and television commercials. Winner of numerous global awards, including Oscar® and Emmy® awards, Panavision camera systems and technology have been widely used in filming major motion pictures for over 50 years, from legendary films including LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and BEN-HUR to today's features including IRON MAN and BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT. In television, Panavision film and digital camera systems are used on U.S. prime time episodic network and cable television productions such as CSI, all three versions of LAW & ORDER, LOST and 24.

In addition, the Company is a leading worldwide rental house of film and digital systems available from virtually every major manufacturer, with offices throughout the world. It also manufactures and sells lighting filters and other color-correction and diffusion filters through its Lee Filters operation.

Panavision's Panalux™ global lighting business supplies lighting systems to filmmakers around the planet with offices in the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The Panalux group provides lighting, lighting grip, power distribution, generation and related transportation equipment. Recently, Panalux supplied the lighting needs of major films such as CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, MADE OF HONOR, and the upcoming QUANTUM OF SOLACE, the new James Bond film.

Panavision is the leading voice in motion pictures produced on film and digital media. Over half of all films awarded Oscars® for Best Picture of the Year since 1990 have been shot with Panavision's cameras and lenses. In addition, over 80 percent of Oscar-winning cinematographers since 1990 have used Panavision cameras for their award-winning work.

With the debut of the Panavision Genesis® digital camera system in 2004, Panavision is the leader in digital motion picture production. In May, 2008, for example, of the Daily Variety top 10 box office films, nine of the ten films were shot with Panavision camera systems, and two of those productions were shot with the Genesis digital system.

 
2000s
  2007   Genesis® Display Processor (GDP2) released  
  2007   Panavision Compact Zoom (PCZ) 19-90mm lens introduced  
  2007   Introduction of the Solid State Recorder (SSR) for Genesis  
  2007   Anamorphic Telephoto Zoom (ATZ) 70-200mm developed  
  2007   G-Series anamorphic prime lenses introduced  
  2007   Millennium® Advanced Video (MAV) released  
  2007   HD Modular Accessory Kit for 2/3" digital video cameras introduced  
  2007   Remote Systems introduces the PanaMount®  
  2005   Genesis Display Processor (GDP) released  
  2004   Development of the Anamorphic Three-Perforation Imaging System for film or electronic sensors, allowing a 2.40 image on a 1.78 shaped sensor via 1.34x anamorphic squeeze. Patent granted Dec 12, 2006.  
  2004   Anamorphic Wide Angle Zoom Lens (AWZ2) 40-80mm is released  
  2004   Release of the Panaflex® Millennium XL2 (XL2)  
  2004   300x HD Zoom Lens (300X) 7-2100mm is introduced  
  2004   Panavision Introduces the Genesis™ Digital Camera System (GCB)  
  2004   Hylen Lens System (HSMU) is released  
  2002   Introduction of the Remote Digital Control (RDC)  
  2001   Panavision Introduces the Panavision Smartlens® (SLCD)  
  2001   Primo Macro Zoom® (PMZ) 14.5-50mm is released  
  2000   Panavision Introduces the HD-900F (HD900F) High Definition Camera System  
  2000   Remote Systems introduces the Fourth Axis Head  
1990s
  1999   Panavision Millennium® XL Camera System (PFXMXL)  
  1997   Introduction of the Millennium® Camera System (PFX-M)  
  1996   Frazier Lens System (FLS) is introduced  
  1996   Remote Systems releases Automatic Back-Pan Compensation  
  1994   Introduction of Primo® 3:1 (SLZ3) 135-420mm zoom lens.  
  1993   Introduction of Primo® 11:1 (SLZ11) 24-275mm zoom lens.  
  1993   Release of the Panaflex Lightweight II Camera (PFXLW-II)  
  1992   Release of the Panatape II (PT2)  
  1992   Release of the Panalite II (PL2)  
  1992   Slant focus lenses (SR24-SF, SR45-SF AR90-SF) 24mm & 45mm spherical, 90mm anamorphic introduced  
  1991   Panavision System 65 (65SPFX) studio camera is released  
  1990   Release of the Remote Focus and T-stop controller (RFT)  
  1990   Primo® series of prime lenses becomes available  
1980s
  1988   Introduction of Primo® 4:1 (SLZ) 17.5-75mm zoom lens  
  1987   Panastar® II (PSTR-II) and Panaflex GII (PFX-GII) are released  
  1986   Panaflex® Platinum (PFX-P) is introduced  
  1981   Introduction of Panaflex® 16 (PFXEL)  
  1982   The release of the Eyepiece Leveler (EPL)  
  1980   Introduction of Panacam® Video Camera (PCAM)  
1970s
  1977   Panastar® (PSTR) high speed camera is released  
  1976   Super Speed lenses announced.  
  1976   Introduction of the Panaflex® Gold (PFX-G)  
  1976   2000 ft magazine developed  
  1975   Panaflex® Lightweight (PFXLW) is released  
  1974   Introduction of Panaflex® X (PFX-X)  
  1972   Panaflex® introduced--the first truly silent hand held studio camera,  
1960s
  1969   First us of Low Inertia Motor / Basket Motor  
  1969   Panagraphic/Variable Power Printing Lens  
  1968   Panaspeed motor, the 1st crystal controlled motor in the industry  
  1968   65mm hand-held (65HR) motion picture camera is released  
  1967   Panavision Silent Reflex (PSR) 35mm camera is introduced  
  1960  

Mirage Lens developed and used in “Lawrence of Arabia”

 
1950s
  1959   Ultra Panavision 70 released  
  1958   Ultra Speed Panatar™ 35mm taking lenses released  
  1958   Introduction of the Auto Panatar® 35mm taking lens  
  1955   Introduction of Ultra Panatar® 35mm projection lens  
  1955   Introduction of MGM Camera 65. First film shot in this format was "Raintree County"  
  1954   Introduction of Super Panatar® 35mm projection lens  
  1954   Introduction of Micro Panatar® printing lens  
 
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