Portable image orthicon cameras at the 1964 Muhammed Ali vs Sonny Liston fight
 

G'day all.

I came across a video for the Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston fight at Convention Hall, Miami Beach Feb 25 1964 and I noticed they had portable cameras in use but what was interesting about them is they are image orthicon tube instead of vidicon tube due to the obvious haloing on the brights.

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oezri...eature=related
Also here's a couple of other video excerpts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzWynvBLJ4I (cameras are more clearly seen in this one)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_sqEnH16BQ (We Bring You Live Pictures show, Ali vs Liston segment seen at 25:22)

I was wondering if anyone here knows anything about these portable IO cameras in regards of their nature of construction, tube size used and if they were mass produced or were made in limited quantities for experimental trial use in the broadcast field and also what stations used them? I assume they used 3 inch IO tubes and the tube and yoke and first pre-amp stage was in the portable camera head the cameraman carries and the rest of the circuitry is in the CCU the portable head is tethered to.

I have always wondered if hand held portable IO cameras were made, well that video has answered my question ;).

Cheers
Troy

This reference
http://books.google.com/books?id=z1K...ameras&f=false

says on p.47 that a 3-inch image orthicon was used in these tethered over-the-shoulder cameras used in the Ali fight.

Thanks for the info. That looks like a most interesting book!