PyeongChang 2018

Live From PyeongChang: Canon Broadcast Support Team Keeps Lenses Working

Technicians and engineers are on hand providing 24/7 care

It has been a busy few weeks for the folks at Canon U.S.A. (and beyond) at the PyeongChang Games. Support personnel and technical facilities are on hand not only to lend out equipment for still photographers, video professionals, and broadcasters but also to staff a rather extensive repair and testing facility. The goal? To make sure Canon customers don’t miss a second of the action because of equipment failure.

The Canon Broadcast support team has an office a few minutes away from the IBC that is capable of a wide range of repairs and more.

“In the broadcast world, we need to be proactive and make sure our customer understands where to find us and who is here,” says Luis Ramos, senior specialist, quality engineering, Canon U.S.A.. “So we have an international team that is a mixture of technicians and engineers.”

Both the broadcast and Canon Professional Services (CPS) support teams work with a variety of issues that come up. Motor issues or those resulting from the cold temperatures or condensation are just a few of the problems being dealt with. And both the broadcast side and CPS have extensive testing facilities to check performance and make sure a product heading back out onto the playing field is ready to deliver.

“We will see the usual things, like focus issues, zooming, and issues with controllers,” he adds. “We will get at the venue the day before an event and look things over before the show is on-air.”

Hank Yoshida, director, broadcast engineering sales support, broadcast products, Canon Europe, says that more than 1,000 Canon Broadcast lenses are in use for the Games. That’s why the Canon support center is located in a house five minutes from the IBC.

“We also stay at the house, so it is open 24/7,” he adds. “We always have people standing by for in-house support.”

 

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