LabGuy's World:
Vintage B/W Video Cameras
1972: Cartrivision MCA-0001 "Instant Replay" Vidicon
Camera.
.
Here is an interesting
camera! Made for Cartrivision Inc. in the early 1970's by Eumig in Austria.
Very light, it weighs only about three pounds, runs on 18 volts DC, originally
supplied by the Cartrivision VCR deck. It also
requires input of a 60Hz sine wave approximately 6Vp-p amplitude in order
to synchronize it with either the VCR or the AC line. This method goes
way back into video history, but is used to make any "hum" induced distortion
to just sit still ont the screen. (Very clever!) The instant replay has
a trigger switch on top for starting & stopping the VTR. A zillion
of these cameras turned up on the surplus market, really really cheap in
the late to mid 70's. I've also seen more than one being used as security
cameras. As recently as this year. (2000!) The amateur TV community went
ape over these! More than one ham operator has beamed is grinning mug into
the ether with one of these!
The Instant Replay has
an f 1.9, 3:1 (9 to 30mm) zoom lens and through the lens (optical) viewfinder.
For storage, and to prevent burning the vidicon target, the camera has
a little shutter that closes down over the front of the lens. Internally,
the Instant Replay uses a 2/3"vidicon (type 8844) giving a very good picture
under most conditions. It has a small detachable hand grip which can be
removed for tripod mounting. Overall, a sweet piece of engineering!
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Last
Updated: November 13, 2001