The last color tube camera use

Originally Posted by Telecolor 3007

I was talkin' about cameras with electronic tubes, like TK-41

I think there is confusion going on here between PICKUP TUBES and VACUUM TUBES.

If you mean cameras using vacuum tubes in the electronic circuitry, then the RCA TK-41C introduced in 1962 would be the last. That camera used vacuum tubes in all of its circuitry except for FET preamps in each Image Orthicon color channel.

The next step was RCA's TK-42, introduced in 1965. That camera used totally solid state circuitry for its 4.5" Image Orthicon (luminance channel) and three Vidicon pickup tubes. Most of the solid-state circuitry was contained in plug-in modules.

The TK-41s began entering retirement in the late sixties when Plumbicon cameras were introduced. All of the Plumbicon cameras used solid-state circuitry.