G'day all.

I have decided to do a database list of all TV cameras used by Australian TV station networks as I'm interested in knowing all the different types of cameras that have been used over here. I have so far gathered up a reasonably good amount of data on what stations used what especially the major metro TV networks, however there is still big gaps and I was wondering if anyone here could help me fill any of the gaps?

I have placed my database listing on my vintage video website on this page http://www.troysvintagevideo.741.com/cameralist.html . I have pretty much strictly kept my listing to the older tube type broadcast cameras as it would take a long time to go into all the other broadcast gear like film cameras, telecines, videotape recorders, transmitters etc... I have also listed below the oddity cameras we used for experimentation and specialized non broadcast purposes. Anyways I have noticed from the info I have, Australia has pretty much imported cameras from all over the globe in the olden days such as UK brands like EMI and Marconi and PYE, German brands like Fernseh/Bosch, USA brands like RCA and AMPEX and Japanese brands like Ikegami and Hitachi and Sony, these days with CCD technology I guess all cameras around Australia are Sony's. I hope to get this database more complete and discover more different makes and models of TV cameras used in this country.

TVQ - TK60 then TK44 or 45 - RCA all the Way from cameras to antenna :thmbsp:
BTQ - Mk VIII + LDK-2 secondary
QTQ - TK11/31 then Fernseh 3" I.O. then LDK5 + LDK2
NWS (SA)- Fernseh KCP-40 ? would be interested if you can confirm this

Thanks for the QLD listings. With QTQ I assume you mean TK-11/31 not TK-11/41?

Oh! better make that 11/31. Am finding out about ABQ

Cool thanks. I believe ABQ would of likely used Marconi MKIVs during the B&W era as my friend James Paterson has an ABC Marconi MKIV which came from QLD.

ABQ - Marc mk IV then mk VIII cams + Marc Xmitter for City & (AWA -RCA clone- Xmitters for regionals)

I guess all cameras around Australia are [now] Sony's. .

Have you noticed the Ikegami's on David Letterman - look sharper than Sony's IMO, yet only make 1000 lines H resolution (Would have to have 4K chips to make the full 2000 lines I suppose)

(edit)
My above statement not quite true because Ikegami spec of 1000 lines is reasonable given Kell Factor -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kell_factor.

But studio cameras (given what they cost) should use 2K X 4K chips for improved subjective results -
Also, they should sample at 120P frames (maybe some do) so that there can be reduced artifacts from 1080p>1080i>1080p

Gudday Troy [?],

I can fill in some gaps for WA, and make a few corrections...

ABW's three studio KCU-40Bs were last on-air in 1989, I know because
I bought them soon after [and still own them]. The five 40Bs in OB lasted a few more years.

TVW had eight LDK5's, one LDK15 and NO LDK25s. Several of these are preserved in WA. Later about six Sony BVP-360 - AFAIK the last SD tube cameras made in the world??

STW had at least six Pye Mk Vs. I have the oldest one [lowest serial number] in my collection. One other is in Wireless Hill Telecommunications Museum but not on public display.

STW went colour intially with four ex-LWT or Thames TV Marconi MkVIIs [I own one, one other proudly displayed in Wireless Hill]. Later they moved on to Fernseh but with different models in each studio! ~3 KCP [one inch] in news, ~3 KCK [1.25"] in 'the barn'/OB and ~3 KCU [1.25"] in Com Prod.

NEW didn't go on air until well after colour so NO B&W cameras for them!

BTW [now GWN] had two Sony BVP-360s which replaced the TK76/760s you mention.

VEW started with a TGL [Aussie made!] TVCS 10 B&W camera.

GTW used a few Philips LDK-14s with studio VFs as required.

That's probably enought to keep you busy for now :thmbsp:

Gudday Troy [?],

I can fill in some gaps for WA, and make a few corrections...

:

What was the best tube camera in your opinion ?

Gudday Troy [?],

I can fill in some gaps for WA, and make a few corrections...

ABW's three studio KCU-40Bs were last on-air in 1989, I know because
I bought them soon after [and still own them]. The five 40Bs in OB lasted a few more years.

TVW had eight LDK5's, one LDK15 and NO LDK25s. Several of these are preserved in WA. Later about six Sony BVP-360 - AFAIK the last SD tube cameras made in the world??

STW had at least six Pye Mk Vs. I have the oldest one [lowest serial number] in my collection. One other is in Wireless Hill Telecommunications Museum but not on public display.

STW went colour intially with four ex-LWT or Thames TV Marconi MkVIIs [I own one, one other proudly displayed in Wireless Hill]. Later they moved on to Fernseh but with different models in each studio! ~3 KCP [one inch] in news, ~3 KCK [1.25"] in 'the barn'/OB and ~3 KCU [1.25"] in Com Prod.

NEW didn't go on air until well after colour so NO B&W cameras for them!

BTW [now GWN] had two Sony BVP-360s which replaced the TK76/760s you mention.

VEW started with a TGL [Aussie made!] TVCS 10 B&W camera.

GTW used a few Philips LDK-14s with studio VFs as required.

That's probably enought to keep you busy for now :thmbsp:

Thanks for all that great info, I have updated my camera list page adding and correcting with this info you provided http://www.troysvintagevideo.741.com/cameralist.html .

I am very interested in knowing more about that Aussie made TGL TVCS 10 B&W camera, do you have pics of it and is it an image orthicon camera or vidicon or single plumbicon tube? And do you know of any more Aussie made cameras used at TV stations?

VEW-8's Aussie TGL was Vidicon, its in the collection of a friend of mine. I'll bring this web-site to his attention and see if he wants to fill you in with further details :scratch2:

I've noted your updates, still a few errors :D

STW's Marconis were all retired in 1978. That's when their Fernsehs entered service, not 1974. [Although I guess there was some overlap?]

BTW TVW's one and only LDK-15 went to SAS for use as an overhead camera on Wheel of Fortune. It never returned to WA.

More to follow... :banana:

I have updated my camera list page.. http://www.troysvintagevideo.741.com/cameralist.html .


Enjoyed surfing this again, very enlightening.

...

ABW's three studio KCU-40Bs were last on-air in 1989, I know because
I bought them soon after :

Wish I had a few, best camera on the planet, but not sure how reliable they were.

Well I guess I have a pro-Fernseh bias as owner of three KCUs but in reality the Philips LDK-5 was far more technically advanced for a camera that was the main competitor to the KCU for many, many years.

Whilst the camera heads were of similar size and mass, the KCU required 8ru of heavy rack gear just to power it up, and another 4ru if you wanted a PAL composite signal. The Philips could be powered from mains at the camera head and output a composite signal from same. Telemetry [CCU control and sync timing] could be done over a phone line from a mile away. So picture a remote camera at a golf course OB, 500m from the OB truck, portable generator nearby and just a coax and 2pr phone line running between them! The KCU can't compete there :-(

how big was the racking for the KCU-40 cameras? - For a while i had one of the Bosch/Fernseh color flying spot scanner telecine machines here and it had the hugest and heaviest rack of electronics i ever saw

http://www.oldtvgear.com/uploads/2/3/8/7/2387699/1763118_orig.jpg


sadly i had to part with the machine as it needed 3 phase power and other work and i just didnt have the space for it...would have loved to had a KCU-40 camera, they were common at GTV9 melbourne right up until about 1993, not sure what happened to them all - i think most were trashed

Many of the modules in your telecine photo are common to the KCU electronics - especially power supplies. I think Fernseh must have sold their equipment by the kilogram - they certainly couldn't be accused of being 'too light weight' :D

This photo shows one KCU with a rack I've assembled with the minimum supporting electronics to run the camera. From the bottom:

Video processing 4ru
Power supplies 4ru
PAL coder and colour shading 4ru
Tek SPG 2ru
OCP - two there, have to remove one and replace it with a mono-knob! 6ru
System Video WFM & VS - strictly speaking these are optional 3ru

The 23u rack as shown must be close on 200Kg :sigh: And no room for a pix mon.

Camera is on a Vinten Mk3 head, atop a Vinten HP419 pedestal c1960 :banana:

This photo shows one KCU with a rack :

Awesome piece; cool beyond belief.
Never seen one in real life - just the sublime video they produce. Yes, the LDK-5 had some later technical innovations and Philips were a bigger, more capitalized company. But these (slightly older?) big tube cameras ( + German optical path) embarrassed the LDK et el picture-wise (explains why many insisted on having them - resisting hard sell by bigger manufacturers pushing 1" tube wonders)

does your KCU-40 still work??

I'm still at a loss as to what the problem is with my Marconi camera PSU modules, its really above my knowledge to troubleshoot as i readily admit my electronics repair knowledge is only very basic but i am learning.

I'm trying to also find some triax cable for the BVP-370 3CCD cameras, it seems australia uses a different connector standard to america and possibly even the UK - I only require a short length to test the heads are still functional before worrying about trying to find lenses for them.

I am also still looking for an SPG, i purchased a Leitch on ebay some time ago, only to find it had some fault that even a friend wasnt able to fix...and of course with the older gear, a proper SPG is compulsory! - There must be heaps out there but as is always the case, when you need something you cant find it!

In retrospect, best 1970s pictures were Fernseh, then Marconi (30mm tubes)
Philips would later backpedal offering 30mm option in the 80's (too late)
http://www.tvcameramuseum.org/philips/ldk6/ldk6datasheet.pdf

Ah well, I see why the LDK-6 didn't catch on... I mean, 1982 is FAR too late to be making BROWN cameras. So 70s :banana:

Early 80's:
Philips (desperately?) redesigns 'Contour Correction' for 1" cameras
http://www.tvcameramuseum.org/pdfs/philips/ldk25-b_broc.pdf

--while (capitulating?) to 30mm tube option with new LDK6 line
(that went nowhere) (mid 80s)--as customers anticipate CCD.

I seem to remember at least one U.S. station - WFLD Channel 32 in Chicago - using the LDK-25B type (maybe LDK-25A) at their studios at the point when the station's ownership was transferring from Metromedia to Fox in 1985-86. It certainly bore no resemblance to the original LDK-25.

1971:
Management at Philips pushes for launch of "next evolution in technology":
The one inch Plumbicon that they have brought into glorious production.

To show they're serious, their flagship camera will be have this tube
to the exclusion of larger preceding proven format.

When specifying noise & resolution for this flagship, Philips are more than
a little fuzzy: 45db & "40% mod @ 5mhz". Peculiar; looks like they're quoting
noise with contour correction turned off.

Those who have seen these with contour turned off would say that even this
meager spec was rosy & atypical.

Meanwhile Marconi & Fernseh stick with larger format tube !
Thank you very much Philips but no thanks.

Early 1980s:
Philips quietly redesigns (severe) contour correction for 1" camera (lots of boost,
less noise) and introduces LDK-6 reverting to big tube option & better specs (they don't
say which tube generated these specs, but not hard to figure out)

I seem to recall that when Benny Hill went to Australia to do a one-off special for Channel 10 Sydney in 1977, their studios had Marconi Mark VIII's, would I be correct?